Osober

10. WOOD LARK fings.

* RING DOVE cones. +

14. WOOD LARK fings.

22. WOODCOCK, 104.

Some afb-trees ftill green.

go to the rye

lands.

mallow and feverfew.

MILTON.

NATURAL

Extracts from Mr. PENNANT's British

T

Zoology.

§1. The HORSE.

HE breed of horses in Great Britain is as mixed as that of its inhabitants: the frequent introduction of foreign horfes has given us a variety, that no fingle country can boast of: most other kingdoms produce only one kind, while ours, by a judicious mixture of the feveral species, by the happy difference of our foils, and by our fuperior kill in management, may triumph over the rest of Europe, in having brought each quality of this noble animal to the highest perfection.

In the annals of Newmarket, may be found inftances of horfes that have literally out-ftripped the wind, as the celebrated M. Condamine has lately fhewn in his remarks on those of Great Britain. Childers

HISTORY.

is an amazing inftance of rapidity, his speed having been more than once exerted equal to 82 feet in a fecond, or near a mile in a minute: the fame horse has alfo run the round course at Newmarket (which is about 400 yards lefs than 4 miles) in fix minutes and forty feconds; in which cafe his fleetnefs is to that of the swifteft Barb, as four to three; the former according to Doctor Maty's computation, covering at every bound a space of ground equal in length to twenty-three feet royal, the latter only that of eighteen feet and a half royal.

Horfes of this kind, derive their origin from Arabia; the feat of the pureft, and moft generous breed.

The fpecies ufed in hunting, is a happy combination of the former with others fuperior in ftrength, but inferior in point of fpeed and lineage: an union of both is neceffary: for the fatigues of the chace muft

be fupported by the spirit of the one, as well as by the vigour of the other.

No country can bring a parallel to the ftrength and fize of our hories deftined for the draught; or to the activity and strength united of thofe that form our cavalry.

In our capital there are inftances of fingle horses that are able to draw on a plain, for a small space, the weight of three tons; but could with eafe, and for a continuance draw half that weight, The pack-horfes, of Yorkshire, employed in conveying the manufactures of that country to the moft remote parts of the kingdom, ufually carry a burden of 420 pounds; and that indifferently over the highest hills of the north, as well as the mott level roads; but the moit remarkable proof of the ftrength of our British horfes, is to be drawn from that of our mill-horfes: fome of thefe will carry at one load thirteen measures, which at a moderate computation of 70 pounds each, will amount to 910; a weight fuperior to that which the leffer fort of camels will bear: this will appear lefs furprifing, as thefe horfes are by degrees accustomed to the weight; and the distance they travel no greater than to and from the adjacent hamlets.

Our cavalry in the late campaigns (when they had opportunity) fhewed over thofe of our allies, as well as of the French, a great fuperiority both of strength and activity: the enemy was broken through by the impetuous charge of our fquadrons; while the German horfes, from their great weight and inactive make, were unable to fecond our efforts; though thofe troops were actuated by the nobleft ardour.

The prefent cavalry of this ifland only fupports its ancient glory; it was eminent in the earliest times: our fcythed chariots, and the activity and good difcipline of our horses, even struck terror into Cæfar's legions: and the Britains, as foon as they became civilized enough to coin, took care to represent on their money the animal for which they were fo celebrated. It is now impoffible to trace out this fpecies; for those which exist among the indigena of Great Britain, fuch as the little hories of Wales and Cornwall, the hobbies of Ireland, and the fhelties of Scotland, though admirably well adapted to the uses of thofe countries, could never have been equal to the work of war; but probably we had even then a larger and ftronger breed in the more fertile and luxuriant parts of the island. Those we employ for that purpose

or for the draught, are an offspring of the German or Flemish breed, meliorated by our foil, and a judicious culture.

The English were ever attentive to an exact culture of thefe animals; and in very early times fet a high value on their breed. The efteem that our horfes were held in by foreigners fo long ago as the reign of Athelstan, may be collected from a law of that monarch prohibiting their exportation, except they were defigned as prefents. Thefe mult have been the native kind, or the prohibition would have been needlefs, for our commerce was at that time too limited to receive improvement from any but the German kind, to which country their own breed could be of no value.

But when our intercourfe with the other parts of Europe was enlarged, we foon laid hold of the advantages this gave of improving our breed. Roger de Bellefme, Earl of Shrewsbury, is the first that is on record: he introduced the Spanish stallions into his eftate in Powifland, from which that part of Wales was for many ages celebrated for a fwift and generous race of horfes. Giraldus Cambrenfis, who lived in the reign of Henry II. takes notice of it; and Michael Drayton, cotemporary with Shakespeare, fings their excellence in the fixth part of his Polyolbion. This kind was probably deftined to mount our gallant nobility, or courteous knights for feats of chivalry, in the generous contefts of the tilt-yard. From thefe fprung, to fpeak the language of the times, the Flower of Courfers, whofe elegant form added charms to the rider; and whofe activity and managed dexterity gained him the palm in that field of gallantry and romantic ho

nour.

Notwithstanding my former fuppofition, races were known in England in very early times. Fitz-Stephen, who wrote in the days of Henry 11. mentions the great delight that the citizens of London took in the diverfion. But by his words, it appears not to have been defigned for the purposes of gaming, but merely to have sprung from a generous emulation of fhew. ing a fuperior skill in horfemanship.

Races appear to have been in vogue in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and to have been carried to fuch excefs as to injure the fortunes of the nobility. The famous George Earl of Cumberland is recorded to have wafted more of his eftate than any of his ancestors; and chiefly by his extreme love to horfe-races, tiltings, and 3Y 3

other

other expenfive diverfions. It is probable that the parfimonious queen did not approve of it; for races are not among the diverfions exhibited at Kennelworth by her favourite Leicester. In the following reign, were places allotted for the fport: Croydon in the South, and Garterly in Yorkfhire, were celebrated courfes. Camden alfo fays, that in 1607 there were races near York, and the prize was a little golden bell.

Not that we deny this diverfion to be known in these kingdoms in earlier times; we only affert a different mode of it, gentlemen being then their own jockies, and riding their own horfes. Lord Herbert of Cherbury enumerates it among the fports that gallant philofopher thought unworthy of a man of honour." The exercife (fays he) I do not approve of, is running of "horfes, there being much cheating in that "kind; neither do I fee why a brave man "fhould delight in a creature whofe chief "ufe is to help him to run away."

The increase of our inhabitants, and the extent of our manufactures, together with the former neglect of internal navigation to convey thofe manufactures, multiplied the number of our horfes: an excess of wealth, before unknown in thefe iflands, increafed the luxury of carriages, and added to the neceffity of an extraordinary culture of these animals: their high reputation abroad, has also made them a branch of commerce, and proved another caufe of their vaft increafe.

As no kingdom can boast of parallel circumftances, fo none can vie with us in the number of thefe noble quadrupeds, it would be extremely difficult to guefs at the exact amount of them, or to form a periodical account of their increase: the num ber feems very fluctuating: William FitzStephen relates, that in the reign of king Stephen, London alone poured out 20,000 horsemen in the wars of thofe times: yet we find that in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's reign, the whole kingdom could not fupply 2000 horfes to form our cavalry: and even in the year 1588, when the nation was in the most imminent danger from the Spanish invafion, all the cavalry which the nation could then furnish amounted only to 3000; to account for this difference we muft imagine, that the number of horses which took the field in Stephen's reign, was no more than an undifciplined rabble; the few that appeared under the banners of Elizabeth, a corps

well formed, and such as might be opposed to fo formidable an enemy as was then expected: but fuch is their prefent increase, that in the late war, the number employed was 13,575; and fuch is our improvement in the breed of horses, that most of those which are ufed in our waggons and carriages of different kinds, might be applied to the fame purpofe: of thofe, our capital alone employs near 22,000.

The learned M. de Buffon has almost exhaufted the fubject of the natural history of the horse, and the other domeftic animals; and left very little for after-writers to add. We may obferve that this most noble and ufeful quadruped, is endowed with every quality that can make it fubfervient to the ufes of mankind; and thofe qualities appear in a more exalted, or in a lefs degree, in proportion to our various neceffities.

Undaunted courage, added to a docility half reasoning, is given to fome, which fits them for military fervices. The fpirit and emulation fo apparent in others, furnish us with that fpecies, which is admirably adapted for the courfe; or, the more noble and generous pleasure of the chace.

Patience and prefervance appear ftrongly in that most useful kind defined to bear the burdens we impofe on them; or that employed in the flavery of the draught.

Though endowed with vaft strength, and great powers, they very rarely exert either to their mailer's prejudice; but on the contrary, will endure fatigues even to death, for our benefit. Providence has implanted in them a benevolent difpofition, and a fear of the human race, together with a certain confcioufnefs of the services we can render them. Most of the hoofed quadrupeds are domeftic, because neceffity compels them to feek our protection : wild beafts are provided with feet and claws, adapted to the forming dens and retreats from the inclemency of the weather; but the former, deftitute of these advantages, are obliged to run to us for artificial fhelter, and harvested provifions: as nature, in thefe climates, does not throughout the year fupply them with neceffary food.

But ftill, many of our tame animals muft by accident endure the rigour of the feafon: to prevent which inconvenience their feet (for the extremities fuffer first by cold) are protected by ftrong hoofs of a horny fubftance.

The tail too is guarded with long bushy hair, that protects it in both extremes of

weather;

weather; during the fummer it ferves, by its pliancy and agility, to brush off the fwarms of infects which are perpetually attempting either to fting them, or to depofit their eggs in the rectum; the fame length of hair contributes to guard them. from the cold in winter. But we, by the abfurd and cruel cuftom of docking, a practice peculiar to our country, deprive thefe animals of both advantages: in the laft war our cavalry fuffered fo much on that account, that we now feem fenfible of the error, and if we may judge from fome recent orders in respect to that branch of the fervice, it will for the future be corrected.

Thus is the horse provided against the two greatest evils he is fubject to from the feafons: his natural difeafes are few: but our ill ufage, or neglect, or, which is very frequent, our over care of him, bring on a numerous train, which are often fatal. Among the diftempers he is naturally fubject to, are the worms, the bots, and the ftone: the fpecies of worms that infect him are the lumbrici, and afcarides; both these resemble thofe found in human bodies, only larger: the bots are the eruca, or caterpillars of the oeftrus, or gadfly: these are found both in the rectum, and in the ftomach, and when in the latter bring on convulfions, that often terminate in death.

The ftone is a difeafe the horse is not frequently fubject to; yet we have feen two examples of it; the one in a horse near High Wycombe, that voided fixteen calculi, each of an inch and a half diameter; the other was of a stone taken out of the bladder of a horfe, and depofited in the cabinet of the late Dr. Mead; weighing eleven ounces. These ftones are formed of feveral crufts, each very finooth and gloffy; their form triangular; but their edges rounded, as if by collifion against each

other.

making the bottoms of chairs, floor-cloths, and cords; and to the angler in making lines.

§ 2. The Ox.

The climate of Great Britain is above all others productive of the greatest variety and abundance of wholefome vegetables, which, to crown our happiness, are almost equally diffufed through all its parts: this general fertility is owing to thofe clouded skies, which foreigners mistakenly urge as a reproach on our country; but let us chearfully endure a temporary gloom, which clothes not only our meadows but our hills with the richeft verdure. To this we owe the number, variety, and excellence of our cattle, the richness of our dairies, and innumerable other advantages. Cæfar (the earliest writer who defcribes this island of Great Britain) fpeaks of the numbers of our cattle, and adds that we neglected tillage, but lived on milk and flesh. Strabo takes notice of our plenty of milk, but says we were ignorant of the art of making cheese, Mela informs us, that the wealth of the Britons confifted in cattle: and in his account of Ireland reports that fuch was the richness of the pastures in that kingdom, that the cattle would even burst if they were fuffered to feed in them long

at a time.

This preference of pafturage to tillage was delivered down from our British anceftors to much later times; and continued equally prevalent during the whole period of our feodal government: the chieftain, whofe power and fafety depended on the promptnefs of his vaffals to execute his commands, found it his intereft to encourage thofe employments that favoured that difpofition; that vaffal, who made it his glory to fly at the first call to the ftandard of his chieftain, was fure to prefer that employ, which might be transacted by his family with equal fuccefs during his abfence. Tillage would require an attendance incompatible with the fervices he owed the baron, while the former occupation not only gave leifure for thofe duties, but furnished the hofpitable board of his lord with ample provifion, of which the vaffal was equal partaker. The reliques of the larder of the elder Spencer are evident proofs of the plenty of cattle in his days; for after his winter provifions may have been fuppofed to have been mostly confumed, there were found, fo late as the

3 Y 4

month

month of May, in falt, the carcafes of not fewer than 80 beeves, 600 bacons, and 600 muttons. The accounts of the feveral great feafts in after times, afford amazing inftances of the quantity of cattle that were confumed in them. This was owing partly to the continued attachment of the people to grazing; partly to the preference that the English at all times gave to ani. mal food. The quantity of cattle that appear from the latest calculation to have been confumed in our metropolis, is a fufficient argument of the vaft plenty of thefe times; particularly when we confider the great advancement of tillage, and the numberlefs variety of provifions, unknown to patt ages, that are now introduced into thefe kingdoms from all parts of the world.

Our breed of horned cattle has in general been fo much improved by a foreign mixture, that it is difficult to point out the original kind of these islands. Thofe which may be supposed to have been purely Bri tish, are far inferior in fize to thofe on the northern part of the European continent; the cattle of the highlands of Scotland are exceeding fmall, and many of them, males as well as females, are hornlefs: the Welsh runts are much larger; the black cattle of Cornwall are of the fame fize with the laft. The large fpecies that is now cultivated through most parts of Great Britain are either entirely of foreign extraction, or our own improved by a crofs with the foreign kind. The Lincolnshire kind derive their jize from the Hollein breed; and the large hornlefs cattle that are bred in fome parts of England come originally from Poland,

About two hundred and fifty years ago there were found in Scotland a wild race of cattle, which were of a pure white colour, and had (if we may credit Boethius) manes like lions. I cannot but give credit to the relation; having feen in the woods of Drumlanrig in North Britain, and in the park belonging to Chillingham caftle in Northumberland, herds of cattle probably derived from the favage breed. They have loft their manes; but retain their colour and fiercenefs: they were of a middle fize; long legged; and had black muzzles, and ears; their horns fine, and with a bold and elegant bend. The keeper of thofe at Chillingham faid, that the weight of the ox was 38 tones: of the cow 28: that their hides were more efteemed by the tanners than thofe of the tame; and they

would give fix pence per ftone more for them. These cattle were wild as any deer: on being approached would inftantly take to flight and gallop away at full speed: never mix with the tame fpecies; nor come near the house unless constrained by hunger in very severe weather. When it is neceffary to kill any they are always shot: if the keeper only wounds the beait, he muit take care to keep behind fome tree, or his life would be in danger from the furious attacks of the animal; which will never defift till a period is put to its life.

Frequent mention is made of our favage cattle by hiftorians. One relates that Robert Bruce was (in chafing thefe animals) preferved from the rage of a wild Bull by the intrepidity of one of his courtiers, from which he and his lineage acquired the name of Turn-Bull. Fitz Stephen names thefe animals (Uri Sylveftres) among thofe that harboured in the great foreft that in his time lay adjacent to London. Another enumerates, among the provifions at the great feast of Nevil archbishop of York, fix wild Bulls; and Sibbald affures us, that in his days a wild and white fpecies was found in the moun tains of Scotland, but agreeing in form with the common fort. I believe thefe to have been the Bijontes jubati of Pliny, found then in Germany, and might have been common to the continent and our islands; the lofs of their favage vigour by confinement might occafion fome change in the external appearance, as is frequent with wild animals deprived of liberty; and to that we may afcribe their lofs of mane. The Urus of the Hercynian foreft, described by Cæfar, book VI. was of this kind, the fame which is called by the modern Germans, Aurochs, i. e. Bos fylveftris.

The ox is the only horned animal in thefe islands that will apply his strength to the fervice of mankind. It is now generally allowed, that in many cafes oxen are more profitable in the draught than horses; their food, harnefs, and fhoes being cheaper, and fhould they be lamed or grow old, an old working beaft will be as good meat, and fatten as well as a young one.

There is fcarce any part of this animal without its ufe. The blood, fat, marrow, hide, hair, horns, hoofs, milk, cream, butter, cheefe, whey, urine, liver, gall, fpleen, bones, and dung, have each their particular ufe in manufactures, commerce, and medicine.

The