continues a great part of the day, and breeds up its young. Previous to the time of parturition, the female enlarges her apartment, and makes a warm and comfortable bed with a quantity of wool, which she pulls from her own body. During the whole of the first two days, she never leaves her young, except when pressed by hunger; and then she eats with surprising quickness, and immediately returns. She always conceals them from her consort, lest he should devour them; and therefore, when she goes out, she covers up the hole so carefully, that its place is scarcely perceptible: yet, when they are brought by the mother to the mouth of the hole, to eat such vegetables as she gets for them, the male seems to acknowledge them as his offspring, takes them betwixt his paws, smooths their hair, and carresses them one after another with great tenderness. The maternal attentions continue only one month; as at the expiration of that time, the young are able to provide for themselves.

The domestic rabbit is of various colours-white, brown, black, and variegated. It is somewhat larger than the former; but its flesh is not so good, being softer and more insipid.-Its food is generally cabbage-leaves, cole-wort, blades of corn, sour-dock, and other succulent plants: but sweet short hay, with a little clean oats, and water, make the best diet.

The fur of this animal is principally used in the manufacture of hats; being mixed in certain proportions with the fur of the beaver.

THIS httle animal, though a native of Brazil, lives and propagates in temperate, and even in cold climates, when protected from the inclemency of the seasons.-Great

numbers are kept in a domestic state, but for what purpose can hardly be determined; they have neither beauty nor utility to recommend them; their skins are of little good; and their habits and dispositions are equally unpleasant and disgusting. Void of attachment even to their own offspring, they suffer them to be devoured the moment they are brought forth, without making the smallest attempt to defend them. The males frequently destroy their own young; and are so stupid, as to allow themselves to be killed by cats, without resistance. They pass their whole lives in sleeping, eating, and in the propagation of their species. They are by nature gentle and tame; they do no mischief, but seem to be equally incapable of good.-Rats are said to avoid the places where they reside.

The guinea-pig is considerably less than the rabbit; its upper lip is only half divided; it has two cutting-teeth in each jaw; large and broad ears; its hair is of different colours, white varied with orange and black, in irregular patches; it has no tail; it is a restless animal; feeds on bread, grains, and vegetables; and makes a noise like the grunting of a pig.-It is capable of breeding at the age of two months, and produces from four to twelve at a time.

THE SPOTTED CAVY.

THIS animal is about the size of a hare, but its body is much thicker, plumper, and fatter. The colour of the hair on the back is dark brown, or liver-coloured; it is lighter on the sides, which are beautifully marked with lines of white spots, running in parallel directions from its throat to its rump; those on the upper part of the body are perfectly distinct; the belly is white. Its head is large; its ears short and naked; its eyes full, and placed high in its head, near the ears; it has two strong yellow cutting-teeth in each jaw; its mouth is small, and its upper lip is divided; it has long whiskers on its lips, and on each side of its head, under the ears; its legs are short; it has four toes on the fore, and three on the hind foot: it has no tail.

When pursued, it takes to the water, and escapes by diving. If attacked by dogs, it makes a vigorous defence. Its flesh is esteemed a delicacy by the natives of Brazil.

THIS beautiful little animal is equally admirable for the neatness and elegance of its formation, as for its liveliness and activity. Its disposition is gentle and harmless. Though naturally wild, it is soon familiarized to confinement and restraint; and though excessively timid, it is easily taught to receive with freedom, the most familiar caresses from the hand that feeds it.-It usually lives in woods, and makes its nest of moss or dry leaves in the hollow of trees.-It seldom descends upon the ground, but leaps from tree to tree with great agility.

Its food consists of fruits, almonds, nuts, acorns, &c. of which it acumulates great stores for winter provision, and secures them carefully in its nest. In the summer, it feeds on buds and young shoots, and is particularly fond of the cones of the fir and pine trees.

The squirrel is of a bright brown colour, inclining to red; the breast and belly are white; the ears are ornamented with long tufts of hair; the eyes are large, black, and lively; the fore feet strong and sharp; the fore legs are curiously furnished with long stiff hairs, which project on each side like whiskers.-When it eats, it sits erect, and uses its fore feet as hands to convey food to its mouth.

Of the squirrel there are several varieties, some of which are to be found in almost every country; but they chiefly abound in northern and temperate climates.

In the spring, the male pursues the female, and exhibits wonderful proofs of agility; whilst the latter, as if to avoid him, makes a variety of entertaining sallies, and, like a true coquet, feigns an escape, by way of enhancing the value of the conquest.-They bring forth four or five young ones at a time.

THIS little animal is less than a common squirrel, and larger than a field mouse. Its skin is very soft, and elegantly adorned with a dark fur in some places, and light grey in others. Its teeth are very sharp; its ears small; and its eyes black and sparkling. It is said to partake of the nature of the squirrel, the rat, and the dormouse; but that in which it is distinguished from all other animals, is in its peculiar conformation for taking those leaps that almost resemble flying. It is assisted in these surprising bounds by a peculiar formation of the skin, which extends from the fore feet to the hinder; so that when the animal stretches out its legs, this skin is spread out between them, somewhat like that between the legs of a bat; and the surface of the body being thus increased, the squirrel keeps buoyant in the air until the force of its first impulsion is expired, and it then descends.

These quadrupeds are more numerous in America than in Europe, but not commonly seen in either. Like the common squirrel, it inhabits the tops of trees, but is of a more torpid disposition, and frequently becomes the prey of the pole-cat, the martin, and other enemies. It may be easily tamed, but is apt to break away whenever it finds an opportunity. It does not seem fond of nuts, or almonds, like other squirrels ; but is chiefly pleased with the young sprouts of the birch, and the cones of the pine.

In Virginia, there is another of this species, called the hooded-squirrel: the lateral membrane begins at the chin and ears, where it forms a kind of hood, and extends, like that of the former, from the fore to the hind legs. Its body is a redish colour above, and of a yellowish ash beneath. It is a species, as yet, but little known.

THIS animal is about the size of a young rabbit; its ears are short, and not tufted at the ends; its hair is grey, mixed with black; on each side there is a red streak, which runs lengthwise: its tail is long and bushy, of a grey colour, variegated with black and white.-In Sweden and other cold countries, it changes its colour in the winter. It make its nest in hollow trees with moss, straw, wool, &c. and lays up its stores of provision in holes made in the ground, for its winter sustenance. These hoards are often destroyed by swine.-Its fur is very valuable, and is imported under the name of petit-gris.

THE ground-squirrel is very numerous in the forests of North-America and Asia. It burows in the ground, and makes two entrances to its habitation; that, if one should be stopped up, it may have access by the other. Its hole is formed with great skill, having several branches from