The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-10-09
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. The
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 docilc, have
taken pos session 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
a trough containing milk which has
been placed there for their
use. Toe 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 confederation 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 lis retreat
among the mountains of Scotland and
the northern counties of England and
of Wales and Ireland. the larger woods
being its place of concealmcnt. 1t has
been called the "British Tiger" One
was killed in Cumberland which meas
ured five feet from the nose to the end
of the tail. When Christopher Colum-
bus discovered America hunter
brought him one which he found in the
woods The hedgehog has been said to
be proof against poison. A German
gave it prussic acid. but it took no ef-
feet; neither did arsenic, opium nor
corrosive sublimate. 1t has been found
to eat hundred cantharides without
injury. Plutarch mentions the case OF
of n man who discovered that Il hedge
hog generally has its burrow
open at various points and warned
by the instinct of atmospheric change,
stopped up the opening next the quarter
whence the wind would blow, and thus
predicted to certainty to which
quarter the wind would shift.
Moles show changes of weather.
The temperature or dryness oil
the air governs that underground
worker in his motions as to the depth al
which it lives or works; though this
unquestionably is partly due, no doubt,
to its want of food or inability to bear
cold or thirst The weasel has been
known to become domesticated. The
method adopted to obtain this end is to
stroke them gently over the back, and
to threaten or beat them when they at
tempt to bite. 1t has been found that
when their teeth have been rubbed with
garlic all inclination to bite has been
removed. Their bite is generally fatal;
a hare or rabbit once severely bitten
never RECEIVERS. BuAon gives the case
of weasel being found with three
young ones in the carcass of wolf
that was grown putrid, and that had
been hung up by the hind legs as a ter
ror to others. In this strange and hor-
rid retreat the weasel had retired to
bring forth her young: she had fur
nished the cavity with hay, grass and
haves; and the young ones were just
brought forth when they were discov-
cred by a peasant passing that way
Chambers Journal