Volume 1

Buffon's Natural history, abridged. Including the history of the elements, the earth, mountains, rivers, seas, winds, whirlwinds, waterspouts, volcanoes, earthquakes, man, quadrupeds, birds, fishes, shell-fish, lizards, serpents, insects, and vegetables / [George Louis Leclerc Buffon].

  • Buffon, Georges Louis Leclerc, comte de, 1707-1788.
Date:
1792
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Buffon's Natural history, abridged. Including the history of the elements, the earth, mountains, rivers, seas, winds, whirlwinds, waterspouts, volcanoes, earthquakes, man, quadrupeds, birds, fishes, shell-fish, lizards, serpents, insects, and vegetables / [George Louis Leclerc Buffon]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    is fiiort; its ears fmall and round ; its eyes To very fmall, that they may be faid to be ufelefs; but it differs from the mole in the colour of its hair, which is of a reddifh hue, and by the number of toes, having only three to the fore feet and four to thofe behind. It feems ft ill farther to differ from it, by its flefh being good to eat. The Field Mouse of Brasil is confiderably larger than ours, being about five inches from the extremity of the fnout to the infertion of the tail, which is only two inches, and, confequently, much fhorter in proportion than that of the common field-moufe. Its fnout is pointed, and its teeth very (harp. The Aperea.] This animal, which is found in Brafil, is neither a rabbit nor a rat; yet it feems to par- take fomething of both. It is about a foot long, by feven inches in circumference. The hair is of the fame colour as our hares, but white upon the belly. It has alfo, like that animal, a flit lip, large incifive teeth, and a whifker about the mouth ; but its ears are rounded, like thofe of a rat; the fore legs are only three inches high ; thofe behind are longer. The aperea has no tail ; its head is a little longer than that of the hare, and its flefh is like that of a rabbit, which it refembles in its method of living: it con- ceals itfelf in holes, but does not burrow like a rabbit, but rather retires into the cavities of the rocks and Hones. It is very eafily taken. The Tapeti feems to be a very near fpecies, and per- haps a variety of that of the rabbit or hare. It is found at Brafil, and other parts of America. It refembles the European rabbit in figure, and the hare in fize and co- lour ; its ears are very long, and of the fame fhape; its hair is red on the forehead, and whitifh on the throat; fome have a circle of hair round their neck ; they are all white on the throat, breaft and belly; they have black eyes, and whifkers like the rabbit, but have no tail. The ta- peti refembles the hare in its method of living, fecundity, and the quality of its flefh, which is excellent food. It lives in the fields, or woods, like the hare, and does not burrow like the rabbit. « The Juda Goats (See pi. XXII, and XXVII.) are confidered by our author as only varieties of the common 2 goatv