The Project Gutenberg EBook of Book about Animals, by Rufus Merrill

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Title: Book about Animals

Author: Rufus Merrill

Release Date: January 18, 2004 [EBook #10737]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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BOOK
ABOUT
ANIMALS.

CONCORD, N. H.

RUFUS MERRILL.

1850.

[Illustration: Laplander Travelling.]

ABOUT ANIMALS.

[Illustration: Elephant.]

THE ELEPHANT.

Is the biggest of all land animals. He is more than five times as big
as an ox. But he is a harmless creature, for all that. When he is
wild, and lives in the woods, he will run away, if you attempt to go
near him. When he is tame, he will take a piece of cake out of your
pocket, and let you ride upon his back.

[Illustration: Ourang Outang.]

The Ourang Outang is a species of the ape; it has long arms and hands,
with very long fingers. It is much larger than the ape, and some have
been found about six feet high, when standing erect. It is capable of
walking nearly erect; but the usual gait on the ground is like a
cripple who supports himself on his hands, and draws his body forward.
Its home, like the monkey family, seems to be on the trees. The hair
is of a brownish red color, and covers his back, arms, legs, and the
outside of his hands and feet. The face has no hair except whiskers on
its side. He inhabits Malacca, Cochin China, and particularly the
island of Borneo.

[Illustration: Opossums.]

The Opossum is an American animal, having a head like the fox, and
large eyes. The head is mostly white, and the body is covered with
long black-and-white hairs. He climbs up trees with great facility,
hides himself in the leaves to catch birds, or hangs himself by the
tail from a branch. It seeks its food in the night, and lives on
fruit, insects, and birds' eggs. Its teeth are fifty in number. The
most remarkable circumstance in the natural history of this animal is
the pouch which is formed under the belly of the female, in which it
carries its young ones when they are small. If the little creatures
are frightened when absent from their