Ten Thousand Wonderful Things: Comprising whatever is marvellous and rare, curious, eccentric and extraordinary in all ages and nations
History
Ten Thousand Wonderful Things: Comprising whatever is marvellous and rare, curious, eccentric and extraordinary in all ages and nations
Curiosities and wonders; Encyclopedias and dictionaries; Folklore
The little ring with the inscription "Behold the end," was once the
property of Charles I., and was presented by him to Bishop Juxon on the
morning of his execution. The silver lockets, on which are the emblems
of death, were extensively manufactured and sold after the execution of
Charles I. They generally bore the date of the king's death.
THE HAMSTER RAT.
There are various kinds of rats, and one of these is the Hamster, of
the genus Cricetus of Cuvier. Though rare in Europe to the west of
the Rhine, it is widely spread from that river to the Danube on the
south-west, and north-easterly through a vast extent of country into
Siberia. We notice it in our pages on account of its extraordinary
habits. Its life appears to be divided between eating and fighting.
It seems to have no other passion than that of rage, which induces it
to attack every animal that comes in its way, without in the least
attending to the superior strength of its enemy. Ignorant of the art
of saving itself by flight, rather than yield, it will allow itself to
be beaten to pieces with a stick. If it seizes a man's hand, it must
be killed before it will quit its hold. The magnitude of the horse
terrifies it as little as the address of the dog, which last is fond of
hunting it. When the hamster perceives a dog at a distance, it begins
by emptying its cheek-pouches if they happen to be filled with grain;
it then blows them up so prodigiously, that the size of the head and
neck greatly exceed that of the rest of the body. It raises itself on
its hind legs, and thus darts upon the enemy. If it catches hold, it
never quits it but with the loss of its life; but the dog generally
seizes it from behind, and strangles it. This ferocious disposition
prevents the hamster from being at peace with any animal whatever. It
even makes war against its own species. When two hamsters meet, they
never fail to attack each other, and the stronger always devours the
weaker. A combat between a male and a female commonly lasts longer
than between two males. They begin by pursuing and biting each other,
then each of them retires aside, as if to take breath. After a short
interval, they renew the combat, and continue to fight till one of them
falls. The vanquished uniformly serves for a repast to the conqueror.
KNAVERY OF THE PRIESTS IN BURMAH.
[Illustration: Burmese Priest Preaching.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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