William Bingley

“ The flesh of every species of deer has the name of venison; that of the young red deer is very delicate eating, that of the female is by no means bad, but that of the full-grown stag has a strong and disagreeable flavour.
These animals generally live in herds that consist of females, with their offspring, headed by one male, and they inhabit the wildest and most unfrequented parts of forests, browzing on grass, and on the leaves and buds of trees. They have a penetrating sight, and an exquisite smell, and are always on guard against the approach of danger. ”

“ To accelerate their descent they have a perforated stone of eighteen or twenty pounds weight, fastened by a cord to their great toe, or to some other part of their body. The depth of water through which they pass is from four to ten fathoms; and they collect the muscles into a bag of net-work which they hang about their necks. When desirous of ascending, they pull a rope as a signal to their companions in the boat to draw them up. They are often known to descend as many as forty or fifty times in a day, and at each plunge to return with more than a hundred shells. ”

“ The SKY-LARK (Alauda arvensis) is a small bird with slender bill, and the hind claw very long; the upper parts of its plumage are of a varied greenish brown colour, the external webs of the two outer tail feathers are white, and the two middle feathers are rust-coloured. These birds are found in every quarter of the world except America. To all persons capable of experiencing pleasure from rural scenes, the notes of the lark are beyond description animating and delightful. During fine weather, from the earliest part of spring, for several succeeding months, they are every day heard. ”

“ It is found in nearly every country of Europe. This interesting little bird is by no means despicable as a songster, being equal or superior to the goldfinch in every particular except the sprightliness of its notes; and its song is more valuable, as it is occasionally heard even in winter and the earliest part of spring. So quick are its powers of imitation, that a young red-breast, educated under a very fine nightingale, which began already to be out of song, and was perfectly mute in less than a fortnight, sang three parts in four of the nightingale's notes. ”

“ Forests were enlarged for the shelter of wild animals, and for the more ample enjoyment of the diversion of hunting, at the expense of every principle of justice and humanity. Happily for us, the scenes of devastation which this pursuit occasioned have long ceased to exist; and those vast tracts of country which were once dedicated to hunting, are now, for the most part, applied to the advantages and comfort of man. ”

“ Trout are chiefly caught with lines. Their flesh is red, tender, and of excellent flavour; and the colder and more pure the water is the better they are. The best season for trout is from April to June: and, during the winter, their flesh is white and ill-tasted. In many countries the nobility reserve these fish for their own use, and the capture of them is forbidden under very severe penalties.
So numerous are trout in some of the mountainous parts of the Continent, that, having little or no sale for them, the inhabitants salt and dry them for their winter's food. ”

“ In no country of Europe is so much attention paid to the breeding and training of horses as in England. The consequence has been that the British horses are superior, both in swiftness of foot, and in strength and perseverance in the course, to any others in this quarter of the world.
The fleetest of all the British horses is, of course, the race-horse: and, for short distances, none of the Arabians, which have been tried in England, have proved in any degree equal to him. ”

“ In wide and extensive tracts of down or mountain that are appropriated to the feeding of sheep, it would be impossible for the shepherds to have any command over their flocks, without the assistance of this faithful and docile ally. At a word from his master he drives the sheep to and from their pasture, and will suffer no stranger from another flock to intrude upon his. If he observe any of the sheep attempting to stray, he springs forward in an instant to stop their course, however great the distance. These dogs drive the sheep entirely by their voice ”

“ And there are many countries, both of the old and new Continent, in which, if man were deprived of this faithful ally, he would unsuccessfully resist the foes that surround him, and that are incessantly on the watch to destroy his labour, attack his person, or encroach upon his property.
But it is not only during his life that the dog is serviceable to mankind. After death his skin is converted, by the inhabitants of Greenland, into garments, and particularly into stockings. ”

“ The BUFFALO (Bos bubalus) is a species of ox, which has large horns of compressed form, with the outer edge sharp, growing straight for a considerable length from their base, and then bent slightly upward: on the shoulders there is a bony protuberance; and the general colour of the hair is black or dusky. In a wild state these animals are natives of Asia and Africa; and they are domesticated in India, and in some of the warmer parts of Europe. Although the buffalo is naturally a savage and ferocious beast, yet, when properly trained, it is very serviceable to mankind. ”

“ The otter inhabits the banks of fresh-water rivers and streams, in many of the British counties; in other parts of Europe, in North America, and Asia, as far as Persia. The depredations committed in rivers and fish ponds by this voracious animal, are not compensated by the value of its skin, which however affords a fine fur of deep brown colour, particularly if the animal be killed in the winter; for then its shade is darker than at any other season of the year. Otters are generally either caught in traps, or chased by dogs, and men armed with long spears. ”

“ Wild male elephants are frequently hunted and killed, both in Asia and Africa, on account of their tusks, which, under the name of ivory, are a very important article of traffic. The temptation held out, at the Cape of Good Hope, to this dangerous pursuit, in which many of the hunters lose their lives, is the payment of a guilder per pound for the tusks; and these weigh from 30 to 130 pounds each. For the whitest, smoothest, and most compact ivory that is known, we are, however, indebted to the island of Ceylon. ”

“ The POINTER is a dog with smooth hair, stout limbs, blunt muzzle, and tail appearing as if in part cut off. These dogs are in common use with sportsmen, for discovering game, which they are taught to do with wonderful steadiness and attention. Aided by the acuteness of their smell, they gently approach the spot where the game lies, and at length stop; having their eyes steadily fixed upon it, one foot generally somewhat raised from the ground, and the tail extended in a straight line. If the birds run, the dog steals cautiously after them, keeping still the same attitude ”

“ The animals of the whale tribe are of great use to mankind in a commercial view. They are pursued by the inhabitants of nearly all the maritime countries of Europe, and to us are not merely a source of profit, but, from the whale fishery requiring many ships, are the means of training a great number of seamen. To this fishery it is that we are indebted for those two valuable articles—whale or train oil, and whalebone.
The fat of all the whales has the name of blubber, and is principally found beneath the skin, to the depth of ten or twelve inches. ”

“ Desmarchias, in his account of Cayenne, says that the flesh of the howling monkeys, which are peculiarly numerous in the woods of that county, is a white and very palatable food, not indeed so fat, but in general as good, as mutton. Both the negroes and the colonists of Surinam occasionally subsist on monkeys. Yet, however delicate this kind of food may be, it is extremely repugnant to the feelings of an European to partake of what, when skinned, has so much the form and general appearance of a human being as these animals. ”

“ The Carrier Pigeon, which is easily distinguished from others by a broad circle of naked white skin round each eye, and by the dark bluish colour of its plumage, is remarkable for the celerity and certainty with which it has been known to convey letters from distant parts. This arises from the natural attachment which the birds have for the places where they have been bred. The mode of employing them is to take them to the spot whence intelligence is to be brought, to tie the letter under their wing, and let them loose. They rise to a great height into the air ”

“ It is peculiarly distinguished by having on its head a crest of twenty-four feathers, and, a single hard spur at the back of each leg. The male has, over its tail, several feathers, sometimes four or five feet in length, and each marked, at the extremity, with an eye-like spot: the real tail consists of a range of short, brown, and stiff feathers, which are beneath these. In some parts of the East Indies the shooting of wild peacocks is not an uncommon diversion, and the size and heavy flight of the birds are such that it does not require a good marksman to bring them down. ”

“ The American Indians assert that they can travel further, after having eaten of it, than of any other animal food. After having been properly salted and dried, the tongues are better than those of the ox; and the nose, when cooked, is stated to eat like marrow, and to be one of the greatest delicacies which are produced in Canada. Of the skins an excellent buff leather is made, which is strong, light, and soft. This leather is used by the Indians for tent-covers, snow-shoes, and the coverings of canoes. The long hair of the elk is well adapted for the stuffing of mattresses and saddles. ”

“ The CARRION VULTURE (Vultur aura) is an American bird of prey, about four feet and a half high, with a small head covered with red skin, the bill hooked and white; and the plumage dusky, except the quill feathers, which are black. In America these birds are protected for the same services as are performed by the aquiline vulture (123) in Africa and Asia. They not only devour the filth of the towns and villages, but also destroy, in great numbers, the eggs of alligators; which animals otherwise would become intolerable by their prodigious increase. ”

“ After the hair has been stripped off, the skin is converted into leather.
In Arabia the milk of the camel is a most important article of nutriment; and the flesh, though dry and hard, is not unpalatable, particularly when young. By the inhabitants of Egypt camels' flesh is so much esteemed, that, at Cairo and Alexandria, it was formerly forbidden to be sold to Christians. In many parts of Africa the tongues are salted and dried, both for use and exportation; and, with the ancient Romans, the heels of camels were eaten as a great delicacy. ”

“ In the markets of Canton, dogs are exposed for sale in the same manner as other animal food. The negroes of Africa prefer their flesh to that of any other quadrupeds; for dogs are sold in some of their markets at as dear a rate as mutton or venison. With the North American Indians they are considered a great delicacy; and we are informed by Pliny, that the Romans were so partial to this kind of food, that a fricassee of sucking puppies was considered a favourite dish with even the most notorious Roman epicures. ”

“ Carp are much esteemed as food, but a principal part of their excellence depends on the mode in which they are cooked. They are best in season during the autumnal and winter months. The usual mode of catching them is with nets, and the most proper time at daybreak. These fish, if kept in a cellar, in wet hay or moss, and fed with bread and milk, will live many days out of the water, and will even become fat.
With the roes of carp, in the eastern parts of Europe, a kind of caviar is made, which is sold in considerable quantity to the Jews, who hold that of the sturgeon in abhorrence. ”

“ During the night he guards the house, and, by the noise he makes, he gives notice of the approach of depredators. He also protects the property committed to his care, and secures it from being plundered. He directs the steps of the blind, and, in some instances, has even been instructed to pick up money, and put it into his master's hat. Being endowed with great strength and fleetness of foot, some kinds of dogs are trained to the chase, and taught not only to pursue and to destroy noxious and savage beasts, but also to hunt for and secure animals as food for their master. ”

“ In the immediate vicinity of rivers, in several parts of Africa, even as far south as the Cape of Good Hope, the hippopotamus is occasionally seen. Notwithstanding his bulk and strength, he is an animal of considerable timidity; and whenever he is surprised, he plunges into the water, and walks about at the bottom with great ease, rising to the surface about once every ten minutes to breathe. ”

“ The mode of fishing is by hook and line only; and the baits are herrings, a small fish called capelins (209) , shell fish, or pieces of sea fowl. Each man can catch only one fish at a time; yet an expert fisherman has sometimes been known to take 400 in a day. As soon as the fish are caught the tongues are cut out, the heads cut off, and the liver, entrails, and spine, are all taken out. After this they are salted and piled, for some time, in the holds of the vessels, and then packed in barrels for sale, under the name of green or wet cod. ”

“ In the extreme northern countries, where the frosts of winter are intense, and where snow lies upon the ground for many successive months, all the hares, at the approach of that season, change their coat, and, instead of retaining a coloured fur, become perfectly white.
The chase of the hare is, at this day, a popular amusement in most parts of England; and four or five centuries ago it was so much followed, that even ladies had hunting parties by themselves, in which they rode astride upon the saddle. ”

“ But no parts of the ostrich are so valuable as the feathers of the wings and tail. These are divided into loose and silky filaments, and are most admired when plucked from the birds whilst alive. They are packed in bundles by the Arabs, who put them, large and small, good and bad, together for sale. In Europe they are used for female head-dresses; and for this purpose the shortest and lightest are most esteemed. The ostrich feathers that are imported into this country from the Cape of Good Hope are not considered so good as those which we receive from Barbary ”

“ Scotland is famous for a small kind of black cattle, with fine white upright horns tipped with black, called Highland Stots, or Kyloe Cattle. Having great celebrity for the fineness and sweetness of their beef, as well as the facility with which they are fattened, these cattle are in such esteem as to be driven into the southern counties of England, and occasionally to supply even the London markets. The cows, in proportion to their size, yield a great quantity of rich milk. ”