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OF

SOME OF OUR

FOUR FOOTED FRIENDS.

BY

GORDON BOLES.

GRIFFITH AND FARRAN,

Successors to Newbery and Harris,

CORNER OF ST. PAUL'S CHURCHYARD, LONDON.

T. FREEMAN, EXMOUTH.

189.

g.

308

EXMOUTH:

PRINTED BY T. FREEMAN, BARING HOUSE.

INTRODUCTION.

IN preparing this little volume it has been the Editor's aim to describe briefly in a simple, though clear and distinct manner, so that children may understand and benefit thereby, the appearance and habits of a few of our "Four Footed Friends," giving stories, partially collected and partially from self observation, illustrative of the sagacity exhibited by them.

In his account of the different animals, the Editor has endeavoured to enter more fully into detail respecting those that are the most interesting and useful to man. Observation should be encouraged in all children, and if such were the case, they would see more clearly how wisely and curiously all living things are framed by the Creator, how exactly each tribe and family is fitted for the locality where it is placed, and how wonderfully the wants of all are provided for.

NATURE'S LESSON.

'Twas thus to mau the voice of nature spake,'-
"Go from the creatures thy instruction take;

Learn from the birds what food the thickets yield,
Learn from the beasts the physic of the field:

The art of building from the bee receive;

Learn of the mole to plough, the worm to weave;
Learn of the little nautilus to sail,

Spread the thin oar, and catch the driving gale."

РОРЕ.

THE LION.

(Leo Barbarus.)

WHE outward form of this magnificent animal seems to show the superiority of his internal qualities. His figure is very striking, his look bold, his gait majestically proud, and his voice is in reality terrible.

The muscular power of the Lion is enormous; he can with ease kill and carry away a full grown bullock or horse, but whatever his food may be, he rarely eats much at a time, but usually returns to the carcase as long as there is any left, which is rarely the case, as the jackals, vultures, and other beasts and birds of prey, soon assemble and leave nothing but a lot of bones bleaching in the sun.

The Lion is a native of Africa and India. The male is easily distinguished from the female or Lioness by its having a huge mane which increases in length and in density according to his age, while the Lioness never has a mane at any time of her existence.

It is remarkable to what an extreme old age Lions have been known to live. It mentions in a book called "A short Introduction to Animated Nature," that a Lion that was brought from the river Gambia, and kept in the Tower of London, died when upwards of sixty-three years of age, and another Lion, called "Pompey," that died in 1760, was known to have been kept for seventy years.

I suppose no man has ever seen Lions in such perfection

B

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