Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-10-21
WILD ANIMALS.
Their Gradual Recession Before the Ad'
vance of Modern Civilization.

vance of Modern Civilization.
The wild animals of England are now
few in number. At Chillingworth
Park. in Northumberland, there are
some wild oxen. Had the fox not been
preserved for the chase it would long
ago have been extinct. Dogs have
strong repugnance to the wolf, but de-
light in the chase of the fox. In cold
countries foxes are of various colors.
Red foxes are so abundant in the wood
ed districts of the fur countries that
many thousand skins are annually ex-
ported from America to Britain. Ihe
fur of the black fox is highly valued.
While the writer was engaged upon this
article the following circumstance came
under his notice. On the Alveston Hill
estate. near Stafford-on-Avon, litter
of eleven foxes, apparently about. SIX
weeks old, all tame and doclie, nave
taken possession of rabbit hole in
bank at the foot of clump of trees.
The young cubs, Notwithstanding the
presence Of numerous people attracted
to the spot by the novel sight, leave
their hole and drink occasionally out OF
trough containing milk which has
been placed there for their
use. The animals are as tame
as puppies, and the visitor
easily induces them to come forth by
whistling softly and calling them. They
are content to be picked up and caress-
ed, and they play about in the most
amusing manner. An artist has been
to the spot and photographed the whole
group. 1t is thought that the dog fox
has been killed, and that the vixen has
carried her cubs to the place mentioned:
In corroboration of this it may be stated
that when first discovered only four or
five cubs were to be seen, and they have
gradually increased until the present
number has been reached.
The wild cat finds its retreat
among the mountains of Scotland and
the northern counties of England ano
of Wales and Ireland, the larger woods
being its place of concealment. 1t has
been called the british Tiger. One
was killed in Cumberland which meas
ured five feet from the nose to the enc
of the tail. When Christopher Column
bus discovered America a hunter
brought him one which he found in th'
woods. The hedgehog has been said tt
be proof against poison. A German
physician who wished to dissect on,
gave it prussic acid, but it took no ef
! feet; neither did arsenic, opium no
corrosive sublimate. 1t has been toun'
to eat hundred cantharides withou
,, injury. Plutarch mentions the case o
of man who discovered that hedge
hog generally has its burroV
open at various points and warne
by the instinct of atmospheric change
,, stopped up the opening next the quartz
; whence the wind would blow, and thu
,, predicted to certainty to whc
quarter the wind would shift
Moles show changes of weather
The temperature or dryness Q
y the air governs that undergroun
,, worker in his motions as to the depth .
: which it lives or works; though th
. unquestionably is partly due, no doub
= to its want of food or inability to bea
cold or thirst. The weasel has bee
!. known to become domesticated. Th
method adopted to obtain this end is
:, stroke them gently over the back an
! to threaten or beat them when they a
a tempt to bite. 1t has been found tn'
v " when their teeth have been rubbed wit
= garlic all inclination to bite has bee
: removed. Their bite is generally tata
a q hare or rabbit once severely bite
% % never recovers Button gives the ca
- of weasel being found with thr'
: Young ones in the carcass of wo
- that was grown putrid, and that h'
been hung up by the hind legs as a te
ror to others. In this strange and no
rid retreat the weasel had retired
v bring forth her young; she had fu
nished the cavity with hay, grass al
,e leaves; and the young ones were lu
os brought forth when they were disco
os cred by peasant passing that way.
20 Chambers Journal