THE CHILD'S BOOK OF NATURE. NUMBER II. LANCASTER : PUBLISHED BY CARTER, ANDREWS, fc COMPANY. SOLD BY CARTER & HENDEE, BOSTON. Library, Univ. ยป0f North Carolina ' ( THE CHILD'S THE ZEBRA BOOK OF NATURE. 3 THE ZEBRA. This beautiful creature is rather smaller than the Horse, and in shape resembles the Mule. The skin of the Zebra is glossy and smooth, and elegantly variegated with regu- lar stripes of black, and sometimes dark brown, on a white ground. The Zebra is found nowhere but in Africa, and large herds of them are frequently seen feeding on those extensive plains that lie towards the Cape of Good Hope ; but they are so wild that they will not permit any body to come near them, and their amazing swiftness enables them to escape easily. A few have been caught, but they were so fierce and wild as to be danger- ous to approach. The voice of the Zebra has some resemblance to the sound of a horn or trumpet. THE CHILD'S THE DROMEDARY. V. BOOK OF NATURE. 5 THE DROMEDARY. The Arabian or single-hunched Camel, called the Dromedary, is found in various parts of Asia and Africa. It cannot support cold and moisture so well as the Bactrian, or two-hunched Camel, and it is smaller in size, and swifter in travelling. The Dromedary is covered with soft, woolly, short hair, except on the head, throat, and top of the neck, where it grows longer. Its colour is usually a red- dish gray. These animals travel the burning sands of Arabia and Africa, carrying burdens of amazing weight. They bend down upon their knees, at the command of their drivers, to receive their loads. Their patience under hunger is very great, and they are capable of such long abstinence that they will travel many days without drink. 6 THE CHILD'S THE LAMA BOOK OF NATURE. 7 THE LAMA. The Lama is a native of Peru, Chili, and other South American provinces. Its height is about four feet and a half, and its length nearly six feet. It somewhat resembles the Camel, but has no hunch on its back. Its colour is white, gray, and russet, disposed in spots. The Lama is used for the same pur- pose as the Camel, and w^ill travel four or five days without seeming to require rest : they will then rest for 20 or 30 hours, and cannot be driven before they choose to proceed. On drivers attempting to force them they have been known to kill themselves by striking their head against the ground in a rage. Their mode of expressing anger is by eject- ing their saliva, which has erroneously been supposed to have a corrosive quality. 8 THE CHILD'S THE KANGUROO, BOOK OF NATURE. 9 THE KANGUROO. This animal is a native of New South Wales, and is generally about as large as a Sheep. Its colour is a pale brown, with a little white underneath. It feeds on herbs and grass, and lives in burrows under ground, in the fields. Its hind legs are a great deal longer than its fore legs, which enables it to bound forward in springs of nine feet in height, and twenty in length. When it rests it sits erect on its hind feet. The Kanguroo has so much strength in its tail, which is large in proportion to the size of the body, as to be able to break a man's leg with one blow. Its head bears some resemblance to that of the Deer ; the ears are remarkably large and erect, the eyes full, and the mouth rather small. 10 THE CHILD'S THE BADGER. BOOK OF NATURE. J J THE BADGER. The Badger is about two feet and a half long ; the legs and the under parts of the body are all black, the other part of a dirty gray ; the hair is very coarse ; the legs and feet are very short and strong, and with its fore feet it digs a hole, and forms its habita- tion in the ground. It feeds on roots, grass^ insects, frogs, &c., but eats only in the night, remaining in its hole throughout the day. It sleeps a grea.t part of the time and is very fat during the winter season. The Badger is easily tamed, and its flesh is eaten, though it is rank and ill-tasted. When surprised by dogs at some distance from its hole, it falls upon its back, combats with great re- solution, and seldom dies unrevenged on its enemies. 12 THE CHILD'S THE GLUTTON. BOOK OF NATURE* jg THE GLUTTON. The Glutton is found in Siberia and the north parts of America, and is sometimes called the Carcajou. It is three or four feet long, of a blackish brown colour, except the sides, which are of a dusky hue, and the paws, which are white. It is a voracious creature, and lurks among the thick branches of trees. It carries with it into the tree a kind of moss of which Deers are very fond, and throws it down when a herd approaches, and if a Deer stops to eat, the Glutton imme- diately darts down upon it, sticks his claws between its shoulders, where it continues to eat till the Deer falls exhausted with loss of blood ; and the Glutton continues eating in the most greedy manner, till it can scarcely move. 14 THE CHILD'S THE PORCUPINE. BOOK OF NATURE. 15 THE PORCUPINE. The Porcupine inhabits Asia and Africa, and though so formidable in its appearance is a very harmless animal. It is about two feet long, and its body is covered with quills, which are from ten to fourteen inches long, sharp pointed, and thickest in the middle ; and these are variegated with black and white rings. In their usual state they incline backwards, but when the animal is irritated, they rise and stand upright. When the Por- cupine is roused to self-defence even the Lion dare not assail him. He kills serpents by forming himself into a ball, and then rolling his quills over them. It is supposed by some, that the quills have a poisonous quality, which renders it difficult to cure the wounds inflicted by them. THE CHILD'S BOOK OF BrATURX! is published in numbers, of 16 pages each, containing seven painted pictures of animals, with short descriptions. They will be found very pretty, interesting, and useful books for children.