This old creature, as fond of it as the dam. that used to run loose about the room, one day took it upon her back and ran away with it. She mounted the ridge of the dens, and when fhe thought she had it fafe to herself, the feemed fo highly pleased, that the keepers by her anticks were afraid fhe would have dropped it; but having recovered it from her without hurt, they ever after chained her up. Sometimes the dam and the would quarrel about the nursery. A gentleman, obferving the particular tendernefs of thefe animals, cried out to the keeper, "We are all in the wrong, William Thefe are the rationals, and we are the apes." Of the laft baboon that occupied this apartment they ufed to tell abundance of furprizing ftories; but the writer of this account cannot help repeating one, of which he was partly an eye-witnefs. Having one day broke his chain, in the twinkling of an eye he mounted to the top of one of the offices, and there fet his keepers at defiance. When they prepared to fet ladders to attack him by ftorm, he played the tiles about their heads with fuch dexterity, ftrength, and nimblenefs, that he fairly beat them off; when they attempted to furprife him by ftratagem, he was no lefs vigilant than before he had been active, and discovered as much fagacity in defeating their plots, as he had fhewn courage in oppofing their attacks. Finding him neither to be overcome by force or ftratagem, they had recourfe to milder methods, and thought to entice him down by feafting his companions. openly in his fight; but that too failed of fuccefs. He feemed to divert himself much, by the chattering he made, in baffling all the arts they could devife to recover him: but at length, after untiling untiling almost all the range, and laughing as long as he thought proper at those who thought themselves wifer than hifmelf, he came very leifurely down, and retired to his apartment among his fellows. The next curiofity you are shewn is a Muscovy cat, fent from the dey of Algiers, and prefented to his majefty by the late Algerine ambaffador. This creature, which is beautifully spotted, is made very long in the back, head, and tail, and fomewhat like a ferret. 8th. You are fhewn a red-faced monkey from the coaft of Malabar. 9th. An ape brought from the Eaft Indies, and prefented to his majefty by Mr. Touchit, Alfo feveral other apes, who are very diverting, efpecially when at meals. 10th. A Maucauc, a curious animal of the fquirrel kind, brought from the Island of Joanna on the Eastern Coaft of Africa, remarkable for his beautiful red eyes. rith. A brown cagle from Norway, with wings nine feet when extended. 12th. An Eagle of the fun, taken in a French prize by admiral Boscawen, and by him prefented to his late majefty. This bird is fuppofed to foar the higheft of all the feathered tribe; and is able to look ftedfaftly at the fun, even in his moft refulgent fplendor; whence it obtained the name by which that species of eagles is diftinguished. They are faid, as foon as they hatch, to turn the heads of their young to the eastern fun; and if they cannot bear the light and heat, they fpurn them from the neft as a fpurious race. Agreeable to this is that beautiful fimile in Dryden, So when Jove's bird on fome tall cedar's bead Has new race of generous cagles bred; While While yet implum'd within the neft they lie, Abafh'd they fhrink, and fhun the potent ray, Lambs, hares, fawns, pheafants, and even kids, are the ordinary food with which thefe birds bring up their young; and in the remote parts of France, if we may credit travellers, a gentleman who happens to have an eagle's neft or two on his eftate, thinks them equivalent to a good farm's rent. The game that the eagles bring home to their young ferve both the eaglets and the family. It is remarked by hiftorians, that the eagles fhed their feathers every year, as the hart does his horns, and the ferpent his fkin; and that they live to an exceeding great age. The Benedictine monks of the abbey of St. Bertin, at St. Omer's, had an eagle which they reported to be 300 years old. We are not fure that the Eagle of the Sun now fhewn is the identical Eagle above defcribed, nor that all the Animals are ftill alive that are described in this little book. There is likewise an Eagle from the North of Scotland. 13th. A beautiful horned owl from Gibraltar, prefented to his majefty by Lieut. Col. Boyd. 14th. A jackall, or lion's provider. How thefe animals came by the name of lion's provider is not easy to be accounted for: they dare not approach the lion any more than any other wild inhabitant of the foreft. On the coast of Malabar, where thefe animals abound most, there are very few lions. It is faid B of of them, that they there frequently affemble in the night near the villages and hamlets, making a piteous noife like children in diftrefs; and when the inhabitants are alarmed and come forth, they fall upon the feebleft to make them their prey. In this manner, it is poffible that their cries, when in fearch for prey, may roufe the lion, where lions are numerous, and give him notice where to direct his courfe; but the jackall, if he happens to come in the lion's way, has only his heels to truft to, any more than other animals of the ferocious kind. European ftrangers have formerly been deceived by the cries of these animals, and have been furprized by them; but they are now fo well known, that few accidents of that kind happen, except to hunters in the woods, who are fometimes attacked when off their guard; but they feldom or never have the courage to attack men openly. We have already taken notice of the nicety of the leopard with refpect to his food. In this refpect, he feems to be equalled if not exceeded by the jackall, who washes his meat before he eats it. The next creature fhewn is a Racoon from the coaft of Guinea, which is fmall, but much more beautiful than those brought from America. This creature lives about the fea-fhores, and chiefly on fhell-fish, which it takes in a very fafe and dextrous manner; for whenever the fish opens its fhell to receive either air or nutriment, this creature, we are told, puts in a small pebble, fo that the hell may not clofe again, and then picks out the fish with its claws. Near to this is a tyger-cat, brought from Bombay by Capt. Fletcher, and prefented to his prefent majefty. It is a beautiful creature much larger than the largest boar-cat, delightfully coloured, and fierce beyond description. When When this book was first written, the collection was in reality a noble collection; but it feems of late to be crumbling away and much neglected. In the last place you were fhewn a large Hyena, a fierce animal, and is faid to be endued with great fubtilty; but the noife he makes alarms travellers, and gives them notice to avoid the danger; yet, to thofe who are unacquainted with them, this noife may have a contrary effect; for they fo perfectly imirate the human voice, by a fort of moan and groan which they make, that a ftranger might easily miftake it for the voice of a human creature in extreme torture. Some fay that the hyena will dig human bodies out of their graves, and eat them; but perhaps this is only when preffed by the severity of hunger. He naturally limps upon one of his hind legs, notwithstanding which imperfection he is tolerably swift; his neck is remarkably ftiff, so that, in looking behind or fnatching at any thing obliquely, he is obliged to move his whole body in the fame manner as the hog or the badger. He is of a dun colour, inclining to be reddish, with fome ftreaks of a dark brown; and the hair upon his neck is near a fpan long, and often fet up like hogs briftles. We are not fure that this animal is now alive. We cannot quit this fubject without lamenting the lofs of a fine large Oftrich which lately. died here, and of which we fhall give fome account, as we hope to fee her habitation foon occupied by another. This creature was fent as a prefent to his late majefty by the dey of Tunis. Her fhape and colour was not very unlike that of the turkey breed, only greyer; but the fize vaftly larger, being formerly accounted the largest bird in the world, tho' later difcoveries B 2 |