THE MOOSE. THE ELE. their neck. They move with a long shambling trot, and with a rattling of their hoofs, which may be heard at a consider lachrymal pits small; neck short; ears very large and thick; horns, consisting of a very large flattened expansion, furnished with numerous prongs on the ex-able distance. Their course is swift and ternal border, with a large isolated branchof the principal stock. Tail excessively short. A tuft of long hair, like beard, beneath the throat, in both sexes, and a protuberance in the same place in the male. Legs long; feet long, and placed obliquely on the soil. Hair coarse and friable. General color fawn-brown: Dimensions, as given by Dr. Harlan length from the nose to the base of the tail, 6 ft. 10 in.; height before, 5 ft. 2 in.-behind, 5 ft. 4 in.; length of the head, 23 in.; ears, 10 in.; horns, 37 in.; neck, 18 in.; tail, 1 inch. Weight of the horns sometimes 60 pounds. straight, and they leap over the highest fences with ease. The males only have horns, which are shed and reproduced annually. The rutting season is in September, and the young are produced about the first of June, usually two at a birth. The female is smaller than the male.* This animal was called Monsall by the Algonquin Indians, Orignal by the French inhabitants of Canada, and Moose, or Moose Deer, by the English.t fully with my description, so far as it is applicable to the female, that sex being without horns. It had become so tame as to be led by a halter without difficulty. THE ELK. Cervus canadensis.-GMEL. DESCRIPTION.-Head well formed, tapering to a narrow point; ears large and horns lofty, graceful, with numerous rapidly moveable; eyes full and dark; pointed cylindrical branches, which curve forward. The hair is of a bluish gray color in autumn; dark gray during the winter, and at the approach of spring assumes a reddish, or bright brown color, which it retains during the summer. The Since the above was written, I have had an opportunity of examining a living Moose in Burlington. It was a female, two years old, and had then been in capHISTORY.-Moose were formerly very tivity about two months, having been taplentiful in Vermont, and in many places ken in Canada, near the north line of this the early settlers depended upon their state, in March, 1842. The height at the flesh for no inconsiderable part of the sub-shoulder was about 6 feet, and it agreed sistence of their families. They are now exterminated from all portions of the state excepting the county of Essex, in the northeastern part. There they are still found, and several were killed there during the two last winters. The head and horns of one of these, obtained by Judge Parker, of Orleans, and now in his possession, weighed 95 pounds, of which the horns are supposed to constitute one half. The hide and quarters of this Moose, when dressed, weighed a little more than 800 lbs. The height of its horns exceeded 3 feet, and the distance between their tips was more than 5 feet, and larger than this are not often found at the present day. But it would appear from the statement of Dr. Williams that larger individuals were taken in early times. He says that one of these animals in Vermont was found by measure to be 7 feet high, and that the largest Moose were estimated by the hunters to weigh from 1300 to 1400 pounds. The food of the Moose consists of grass, shrubs, the boughs and bark of trees, especially the beech, which they seem to prefer above all others, and a species of maple, Acer pennsylvanicum, which is called Moosewood. In summer they keep pretty much in families. In winter they herd together, sometimes to the number of 20 or 30 in a company. They seem to prefer cold places; and when the snow is deep they tread it down for a space of several acres, forming what is called a yard. Within this space they range, and subsist upon the twigs and bark of the trees, while the snow remains deep upon the ground. In order to eat from the ground, they are obliged to kneel or spread their fore legs, on açconnt of the shortness of croup color. Colors nearly the same in the two of a pale yellowish white or clay sexes; but the females are without horns. Height at the withers, according to Dr. Harlan, 4 feet, the horns 3 feet, first antler 1 foot, second 10 inches, length of the tail 2 inches. HISTORY.-The horns of the elk have been often found in Vermont, which may be regarded as sufficient proof of the for mer existence of that animal within the state; and if the animal was found here * Williams' History, Vol. 1, p. 99. THE COMMON DEER. in the western states. A specimen of this species, preserved in the Philadelphia Museum, measures seven feet and sever inches from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail, and the horns measure three feet and ten inches. The animal was 13 years old. THE COMMON DEER. Cervus virginianus.—GMEL. DESCRIPTION.-Form light and slender; color reddish fawn in summer, and grayish in winter; horns moderate, with an antler placed high on the inside of each shaft, and two or three others on the posterior side, turned backwards, but varying with the age of the animal; lachrymal pits formed by a fold in the skin; muzzle partially developed; tail proportionally longer than in the preceding species, and thin; no canine teeth. Length 5 feet 5 inches, tail 10 inches, height 3 feet, length of the head 12 inches, of the horns, following the curvature, 22 inches. Weight from 90 to 130 pounds. HISTORY.-When the country was new this deer was one of the most common and valuable quadrupeds found in our forests, and upon its flesh were the first settlers of the state, to a very considerable extent, dependent for food. Indeed so eagerly was it hunted, and still so anxious were the people for its preservation, that a law for its protection from the 10th of December to the 10th of June was one of the earliest acts of our legislature. But notwithstanding all that has been done for their preservation, their numbers have been constantly diminishing within the state, till they have become exceedingly scarce, except in a few of the most unsettled and woody sections. The range of this species is very extensive, reaching from Canada to the Oronoco in South America. In its form this deer is slender and delicate; and its neck and tail proportionally longer than in DOMESTIC QUADRUPEDS. most other species; but at the same time it possesses great muscular power, and runs with surprising speed. It is a very timid and shy animal, and, possessing a keen sense of hearing and smelling, it is found to be very difficult to approach within gun shot of him without his taking alarm. In the fall the deer are in good condition, and the venison valuable. In the winter they herd together, and, when the snow is deep, they form what are called "yards," where they tread down the snow and gain a scanty subsistence by browsing the trees and bushes. During this period they become very lean, and neither the skin nor the flesh is of much value. They produce their young in the early part of summer, and have two, and sometimes three, at a birth. The fawns are at first reddish, spotted with white. They lose their spots in autumn and become gray in winter. This coat is shed about the first of June and in summer they are nearly red, which color continues till August and then changes to blue. The skin is said to be thinnest in the gray, toughest in the red and thickest in the blue; the skin and the flesh being most valuable in the blue. The horns of the male are shed in January. The deer is said to manifest great enmity to the Rattle-snake. When it discovers one of these reptiles, it leaps into the air above it and alights upon it with all four of its feet brought together in the form of a square, and this operation is repeated till the hated reptile is destroyed. THE DOG. THE DOG. ᎢᎻᎬ ᏟᎪᎢ . Canis familiaris.-LINN. The Dog has been in a domesticated state from time immemorial; and from him has sprung so great a number of varieties, that it is perhaps impossible to determine which now approaches nearest to the original stock. The dog is mentioned as being a familiar animal nearly two thousand years before the Christian era, but the allusions to him in the Bible seem to imply that he was formerly more sanguinary and savage in his disposition than at present. The dog is the only quadruped which has been the companion of man in every state of society, and in every region and climate of the earth, and no other animal manifests so great and so faithful an attachment to his master as this; and this attachment seems to arise from the purest gratitude, and truest friendship. In works on natural history we have no less than sixty permanent varieties of the dog named and described.* In Vermont, each family in the country usually finds it convenient to keep one dog, and very few have more than one. In our villages a few dogs are kept, (better if fewer,) but as a person's standing in society is not here, as in some countries, indicated by the number of his dogs, the dog mania has never prevailed to any considerable extent, and consequently little pains have been taken to procure rare and popular varieties. As the expense of keeping a dog is generally much more than the profit,and as direful consequences are to be apprehended when dogs are numerous, from the occurrence of hydrophobia among them, we should by no means regret the reduction of the dogs in this state to a moiety of their present number. THE DOMESTIC CAT. Our domestic Cat is said by Cuvier to have been originally from the forests of Europe, where it is still found in a wild state. The color of the wild animal is THE HORSE. most families consider it to their advantage to keep one at least upon their premises. Cats were formerly held in so high estimation on account of their mousing qualities, that in the 10th century laws were passed in England regulating the price of them. It was also enacted, that "whoever stole or killed the cat that forfeit an ewe, with her fleece and lamb, guarded the granary of the prince, should or as much wheat as, when poured upon a cat, suspended by its tail, (the head touching the floor,) would form a heap high enough to cover the creature to the tip of its tail.” ORDER PACHYDERMATA, This order is named from the thickness of the skin of the animals which compose it. They have two and sometimes the three kinds of teeth. The four extremities are furnished with toes, variable in number, and terminated with strong nails or hoofs. They have no clavicles; and the organs of digestion are not formed for ruminating. We have no animal of this order existing in Vermont in a wild state, and only three, the Horse, the Ass, and the Hog, which have been introduced. Genus Equus, LINNÆUS. Generic Characters.-Teeth 40-Incis ors canines 1-1, grinders 8-8. Grinders furrowed on each side with flat crowns, and several ridges of enamel; between the canines and grinders a vacant space. Upper lip capable of considerable motion; eyes large; ears rather large, pointed and erect; feet with a single visible toe, covered with a strong hoof; tail with long hair, or in some species with a tuft at the extremity; two inguinal teats; stomach simple and membranous; intestines and cæcum large. THE HORSE. Equus caballus.-LINNEUS. This generous and noble spirited animal, next to the sheep and the ox, has probably been the most useful servant of man. At what period he became domesgrayish brown on the back and sides, with ticated we have at present no means of dark transverse undulations, while below knowing. It must, however, have been it is lighter colored, and the inside of the soon after the deluge, if not before that thighs and feet are yellowish. There are event, as there is mention of the horse three bands upon the tail, the inferior and his rider in the book of Genesis nearthird of which is blackish. In the domes-ly 2000 years before the Christian era. ticated state this animal varies, as is well known, in the length and fineness of its hair, but infinitely less so than the dog, and is also much less submissive and affectionate. The Cat renders essential service by the destruction of vermin, and *Brown's Zoological Text Book, Vol. 1, p. 75. The horse is the associate and assistant of man in war, in the chase, and in the works of agriculture, of the arts and of commerce. Although wild horses exist at the present day in several parts of the world, yet it is believed that there are now no wild horses, which have descended in a wild state from the original stock The wild horses in Asia and America are all descended from such as had been formerly domesticated, and had been set at liberty. These wild horses are said to be very numerous, going in troops upon the prairies at the southwest, and that the Indians supply themselves with horses, by catching and taming them. The period of gestation in the horse is 11 months and in the domesticated state the colt is allowed to suck 5 or 6 months. At the age of two years the sexes are separated; at three they are handled and at four are broke to the saddle and harness, and are capable of service and of propagating without injury to themselves. The life of the horse is from 25 to 30 years, but they are not of much value after they reach 20 years. The age of a horse may be pretty nearly ascertained by his teeth. According to Cuvier the milk teeth appear about 15 days after the colt is foaled; at 24 years the middle ones are replaced; at 34 the two following ones; and at 44 the outermost ones or corners. All these teeth have at first indented crowns, which are gradually worn down by use and entirely effaced at 7 years old. The lower canine teeth appear at 3 years old, and the upper ones at 4. They remain pointed till 6, and begin to peel off at 10. Vermont produces excellent horses and considerable pains have been taken to introduce the best varieties. The greatest part of the labor upon the farms, and nearly the whole of the travel and transportation in this state is performed by horses, and large numbers of fine horses are annually sent to market out of the state. The whole number of horses in Vermont, (including the mules, which are very few,) according to the returns of 1840, was as follows: Addison, Bennington, Caledonia, 5,425 Orange, 4,231 Washington, 1,161 THE ASS. 6,674 3,462 4,969 62,402. THE HOG. The color of the Hog, in a wild state, is blackish brown mixed with gray. Its tusks strong, prismatic, curved outwards and slightly upwards; its body short and thick; its ears erect, and the young are striped with black and white. In the 6,200 domestic state it is subject to very great 4,360 variety, both in form and color. Pork or the flesh of the Hog, has always been to 8,440 the people of Vermont one of the most important articles of food. When the country was new, the first settlers of the state depended, to a very considerable extent, upon the spontaneous productions of the forests for the means of fattening their hogs. Hogs are extremely fond of acorns, beech nuts, and other nuts, and with these the forests abounded. When, on the occurrence of frosts in autumn, these nuts began to fall from the trees, it was the practice of the early settlers to turn their hogs into the woods and let them run till the setting in of winter and the fall of deep snows, when they were usually found in good condition to be butchered. But on account of the great Equus asinus,-LINNEUS. The Ass is distinguished by his long ears, by the tuft which terminates his tail, and by the black cross on his shoulders. His usual color is a brownish gray. He was originally from the great deserts of central Asia, where these animals are still found in a wild state, and where they range in immense herds from north to south, according to the season. The Ass in the domesticated state, is a patient, submissive and serviceable animal, and in many parts of the world is almost the only THE OX. THE OX. however, have been domesticated at a very early period, as the keeping of cattle is mentioned as an occupation before the flood." After that event the keeping of cattle and sheep afforded the means of subsistence and constituted the principal part of the wealth of a large proportion of the human race; and has continued to do so down to the present time. We read that when Abraham was in Egypt, 180 years before there is any mention of the horse, he was possessed of sheep and oxen; and this account of the early domestication and acknowledged value of the ox is confirmed by the records of profane history. This animal was held in so high number of bears, wolves and catamounts, which embraced every opportunity to destroy them, the fattening of hogs in this way was, at best, a precarious business. In some places, where a considerable number of hogs were turned into the woods together, a person was kept with them to protect them during the day, and collect them into a place of safety for the night, and often has our blood chilled in our veins as we have heard our fathers narrate, with quivering lips, their bloody struggles with bruin for the possession of a favorite hog. Almost every family in the state fattens one hog, or more than one, for their own use, and by most of our farmers,more or less are fattened for mar-estimation as to be an object of worship ket. Hogs are usually butchered in this state when about 20 months old, and their weight when dressed is from 150, to 400 pounds, according to kind and condition. Considerable pains have been taken within a few years to improve our breed of hogs, and several new varieties have been introduced, one of the latest and most approved of which is called the Berkshire Hog. The Hog is a prolific animal, producing young twice a year, and often having 14 pigs at a litter. The period of gestation is 4 months. The hog increases in size for about 5 or 6 years, and sometimes lives 20 years. The number of hogs in the several counties in Vermont, according to the returns of 1840, was as fol 7,287 in Egypt, and among the Hindoos was highly venerated and believed to be the first animal created. The traditions of the Celtic nations also enrol the cow among the earliest productions, and represent her as a kind of divinity. Cattle, like most other domesticated animals, have run into a very considerable number of varieties, and it is now, perhaps, impossible to ascertain which approaches nearest to the original stock. The cattle which were first introduced into this country by the early settlers, were such as were the common cattle of Great Britain 150 or 200 years ago, and from these the present stocks have generally descended, and, till within a few years past, very little pains have been taken for their improvement. These, com22,516 ing from different parts of England, Scot9,750 15,563 land and Ireland, consisted of many va12,150 rieties, which here became amalgamated, 29,435 and which have here formed what may be called the American stock, retaining, like our American people, many both of the good and bad qualities of the races from which it is descended. For many years 22,831 Generic Characters.-Teeth 32 or 30-past much pains have been taken to imIncisors or canines, grinders@.. Head large; forehead straight; muzzle square; horns occupying the crest of the forehead; eyes large; ears funnel shaped; dewlaps on the neck; female with an udder, having four teats; tail long and tufted; horns simple, conical, round with various inflections, sometimes directed laterally. THE OX. Bos taurus.-LINN. We here use the term or in a general sense, to denote neat cattle, the male of which is called bull, and the female cow, although it is ordinarily applied to the male in an altered working state. Neither the native country of the ox, nor the time when he was reclaimed from a wild state, is now certainly known. It must, prove the breeds of cattle, particularly in England, and within a few years some of these improved breeds have been introduced into this country. The most approved of these are the Ayrshire and Durham, and these are doubtless in many respects superior to our native cattle. Still, it is the opinion of many, that the proper method of improving stocks of cattle is not by the introduction of foreign materials, but by selecting, for breeders, from our native stocks, the best varieties, and, from these, those individuals which possess the properties desired in the highest perfection. In this way we shall be sure to have a race of cattle which is adapted to our country and climate, and * Genesis IV-20. Genesis XII-16. |