THE ocelot, otherwise called the tiger-cat, or catamountain, is an American quadruped, about two feet and a half in length, from the nose to the insertion of the tail. Its formation nearly resembles that of a cat; but its tail is proportionably shorter, and its robe more beautifully variegated. The fur is of a reddish hue, adorned with black spots and streaked, of an oblong figure on the back and sides, and round on the belly and paws. This animal is said to be very ferocious, and to prefer the blood of its victims to the flesh.

THE Ounce, or onca of Linnæus, is considerably less than the panther, seldom exceeding three feet and a half in length; however, its hair is much longer than that of The colour of the the panther, and its tail still more so. ounce is also apparently different, being of a light grey,

tinged with a yellow cast; but the arrangement of the spots in both animals is much alike.

The disposition of the ounce appears to be more mild and tractable than other animals of the panther kind; and in fact, it is employed all over the East for the purpose of hunting. When the game appears, he is shewn where it lies; upon which the fierce creature darts like an arrow to seize it; but should he miss it, he remains perfectly motionless, having no means of finding the object of its pursuit by the scent.

THE lynx differs from the panther kind in its tail, which is at least half as short in proportion, and black at the extremity; its fur is much longer, and the spots on the skin less livid, and confusedly mingled with the rest; its ears also are remarkably longer, and tipped at the points with a black tuft of hair; the colour round the eyes is white, and the physiognomy more placid and gentle than in most of the panther tribe. This quadruped is not above the size of the ounce, but is rather stronger built.

It climbs the highest trees of the forest, and conceals itself among the branches, in order to watch for weazels, ermines, squirrels, and other animals. It also commits great devastations among the flocks, and frequently destroys great numbers of hares and fallow-deer. It is found in all the northern parts both of the old and new continents; but is seldom seen in warm, or even temperate countries.

THE serval is a beautiful quadruped, resembling the panther in its spots, but the lynx in the shortness of its tail, in its size, and in its strong built form. It is seldom seen on the ground; but lives chiefly in trees, where it makes its nest and breeds its young.

THE CARACAL.

THE caracal resembles the lynx in size, in form, and even in the singularity of being tufted at the tips of the ears; but its hair is rougher and shorter, its tail is rather longer, its muzzle more lengthened, and its nature and physiognomy more savage. It exists only in hot climates; where it generally attends the lion, the ounce, and the panther, and subsists almost entirely on the refuse of their prey.

THE WILD CAT.

THE wild cat is somewhat larger than the domestic, and the length of its fur gives it an appearance of greater magnitude than it really possesses; its head also is bigger, its

face flatter, and its teeth and claws much more formidable. The general colour of these animals is a yellowish white, diversified with a deep grey, and disposed like the streaks on the skin of a tiger, pointing from the back downwards; the hips and hind part of the lower joints of the legs are invariably black, and the tail is marked with alternate bars of black and white.

THIS is the only quadruped of its kind which has been taken under human protection, and is, in fact, the only one whose services can more than recompence the trouble of its education, and whose strength is not sufficient to render its anger formidable.

There is no animal more pleasingly playful than this, when young, but as its age increases, it seems gradually to lose its sportive habits, and the innate treachery of its kind is then seen to prevail. From being naturally ravenous, education teaches it to disguise its appetites, and to watch a favourable moment for seizing its prey. Supple, artful, and insinuating, it conceals its intentions till it can put them into execution; and when the opportunity offers, it at once seizes upon whatever it finds, flies off with it, and remains at a distance till its offence may be forgotten. The form of its body and its temperament, corresponds with its disposition: active, cleanly, delicate, and voluptuous, it loves ease, and seeks the softest cushion to lie on. The female goes with young fifty-six days; produces about four or five at a time, and feeds them with her milk, and whatever small animals she can take by surprise.

Of all quadrupeds, those of the horse kind merit a distinguished place in natural history. Their beauty, strength, activity, and usefulness, all contribute to render them the principal objects of our curiosity and attention; a race of creatures in whose welfare we are peculiarly interested.

It is not easy to ascertain from what country the horse came originally. We must look for him, however, in a true state of nature, in the extensive deserts of Africa, in Arabia, and in those vast tracts of country which form a kind of boundary between Tartary and the more southern nations. Numerous herds of these animals are seen wild among the Tartars; they are of a small breed, remarkably fleet, and very capable of eluding their most vigilant pursuers. They will not admit a strange animal, though of their own kind, into their herd; but on a tame horse attempting to associate with them, they instantly surround him, and compel him to provide for his safety by a precipitate flight.

But the English horses are now become superior to those of every other part of the world, for size and beauty; and are capable of performing what no others ever could attain to. By a judicious mixture of the several kinds, by a happy difference of our soils, and by our superior skill in management, they are known to excel the Arabian in size and swiftness; to be more durable than the Barb, and more hardy than the Persian. An ordinary racer is known to go at the rate of a mile in'two minutes, and we