standing it to be rather numerous," writes Mr. Steedman, "in the neighbourhood of the Vanstaden River" (near Algoa Bay), "and being desirous of obtaining a specimen, I accompanied a farmer in search of the burrows. We soon discovered the spoor or track of these animals quite fresh; and following it for some distance over sandy hillocks thickly covered with bushes, we at length found their retreat, which, to all appearance, they had recently quitted. It was a subterraneous cave, with several holes, each leading to one principal cell. It seemed that these holes were intended to facilitate escape in case of attack, the animal being extremely timid. In proof of this, I may mention the circumstance of the farmer who accompanied me having, upon one occasion, ventured to take away the young, without any apprehension of being interrupted by the old ones, which had fled at his approach. After a day spent in fruitless search, we were unable to get even a sight of this curious animal. The farmer informed me that, on moonlight nights, he had frequently seen as many as ten or fifteen of them together, prowling among the hills in pursuit of prey, and raising a most frightful howl."* Levaillant mentions occasionally distinguishing the howl of some quadruped, besides that of the Hyæna and that of the Cape Jackal, about his encampments at night, which his Hottentots informed him was the Aard-Wolf: whatever it might be, he adds, it fed along with the Jackals and Hyænas.† The Protle is stated to prey on very young Lambs, and to attack the massive fatty protuberance on the tails of the African Sheep.+ No doubt it also feeds on very putrid carrion, so far decomposed as to require no further division than can be effected by tugging at it with the canines; a supposition which, indeed, is favoured by the circumstance of the lower canines being a little curved. Its dental system must, of course, incapacitate it for severing flesh, except that of exceedingly tender young animals. Having now disposed of all the known existing species of Hyæninæ, and described them somewhat in detail, we trust that we have also disposed of the statement that the teeth constitute the essential character of Mammalia, upon which the group might even be exclusively constructed; inasmuch as it appears that the dental system is subject to adaptive modifications which might occur alike. * Wanderings in South Africa, vol. i., p. 308. † Narrative of second expedition, English translation, ii., 323. Is. Geof. St. Hilaire. VOL. X., NO. XXVIII. 10 in genera not especially allied together. Thus, the Hyenas and Cats present a somewhat analogous dentition, in consequence of the abbreviation of the muzzle, coincident with a development of the scissor-teeth, displacing the tuberculous molars, so that one only is retained above and none below, and that single one is much reduced in size, presenting a narrow transverse form at most. The Hyænas and Cats have, accordingly, been erroneously approximated, as they possess little else in common that does not apply to the Digitigrada generally. The Hyænas, moreover, pertaining to a natural family -the Viverrida-the members of which are only partly carnivorous, retain a vegetable-feeding propensity, notwithstanding the loss of the tuberculous portion of their grinders; which renders it necessary to modify another general proposition, to the effect that the teeth determine the regimen: the truth being, that the ordained regimen determined the modification of the teeth in the first instance, though, to whatever extent that modification may be carried, in species framed on any particular sub-type, a hankering after the normal regimen of that sub-typical group generally will still be manifested; of which the Hyænas afford, perhaps, as remarkable an example as could be adduced.* * The foregoing descriptions of the Hyanina are somewhat abridged from a manuscript general work on the Mammalia, by the author of the Sketches, which is now in a very forward state, and will be published in a single thick octavo volume, as soon as he has sufficiently studied the contents of the principal continental museums. A similar work on Birds is likewise in progress, which will probably extend to two volumes. [Page 52, last line, for Eupleres, Jourdan, read Eupleres, Doyére; and append, as a note, the following: Since writing the above, we have seen the figure and description of this animal published in the Annales des Sciences Naturelles (new series, vol. iv, p. 270), and are satisfied that it is a true member of the Insectivora, Cuv. allied to Tupaia and Gymnura. In approximating it to Cryptoprocta, we were misled by Prof. de Blainville's arrangement of the Carnivora, in vol. viii. of the same work, p. 279.] 75 THE MONK; A STORY OF THE ALPS. THE pass of the great St. Bernard has been more than once recorded in the page of history, as the scene where persevering enterprise, combined with daring ambition, and supported by bold execution, was enabled to conquer apparently insurmountable obstacles, and to render vain even the barriers opposed by nature to the completion of man's designs; and the celebrated Hospice, situated near the summit of the mountain, has 'for ages been a perpetuating monument of the power of generous sympathy and warm benevolence to defy the chills of perennial snows, and the desolation of dreary solitude. Though this pass is devoid of many of the magnificent features that characterize some other of the Alpine tracts, yet its wild and rugged paths cannot be traversed without feelings of deep interest; the memory will revert to the period when Hannibal* led his Carthaginian warriors over the stupendous Alps, as some maintain, by this pass, and poured down his legions with resistless fury on the richly cultivated plains of Lombardy, then teeming with wealth and luxury that, ere long, was to enervate even the hardy veterans of Africa, and compel them to yield to the magic spell of the soft skies, the cooling fountains, and the love-breathing groves of Italy's genial clime. Since that period small bodies of troops have occasionally crossed the St. Bernard; but the transit of forty thousand * The ascent of the Alps by Hannibal and his army is described as having occupied nine days. In addition to the obstacles presented to their advance by the rugged nature of the ground, the hardy mountaineers disputed every pass with them, and frequently broke their disciplined ranks, or obliged them to retreat; but at length, by stratagem and perseverance, the Carthaginian general succeeded in gaining the summit of the mountain, where he permitted the soldiers to rest two days, after which they commenced the descent, which was found extremely difficult, owing to the steepness of the declivity. At one point a precipice of one thousand feet in depth seemed to bar their farther progress; and here it was that the well-known artifice of heating the rocks by fire and dissolving them with vinegar, was resorted to. From whence the vinegar was obtained, and by what solvent property it was enabled to reduce primitive granite, the historian omits to mention; possibly the effervescing wine, for which the valley of Aosta is famous, may be here signified. This, if given to the soldiers, might, by its refreshing properties, have stimulated their exertion, and enabled them to overcome the opposing barriers. regularly disciplined soldiers, with cavalry, baggage, and two hundred pieces of artillery over this pass, was reserved for the giant genius and master spirit of Napoleon to accomplish. It is impossible for any one to form even a faint idea of the magnitude of this undertaking, without visiting its scene. The broken nature of the ground, the narrowness of the path, the abrupt precipices, and the deep beds of torrents to be passed over, with the snow, which, at that early season of the year (in April) was many feet thick for a considerable part of the route, would all seem to render the undertaking impracticable; but an end was to be gained, and this end (if in human power) Napoleon determined should be effected. His design succeeded; he accomplished the pass, and the field of Marengo bears bloody evidence how completely the manœuvre succeeded. During the early ages of Christianity great numbers of devotees, performing pilgrimages, used to pass into Italy by this road; and it was principally to aid and relieve these absolution-seeking sinners that the Hospice established by Bernard, about the tenth century, was founded. The monks of this monastery are of the order of St. Augustine; their self-devotion, in thus voluntarily residing, throughout the perpetual winters of this sterile wilderness, for the purpose of rendering assistance to weary travellers of whatever description or country, their active zeal, their benevolent charity, and, above all, their indefatigable exertions in rescuing from destruction the unfortunate wayfarer who may have been overwhelmed by the snow-storm, cannot fail to call for universal gratitude and admiration. Formerly the monks were possessed of considerable property, and their funds were amply sufficient to entertain gratuitously all the travellers who took shelter under their hospitable roof; but the spoliation consequent upon revolutionary changes in the states and empires where their lands lay, has materially depreciated their revenues; and at the present time they gladly receive any contributions which generosity or philanthrophy may dictate to the visitor. During a short stay in Switzerland, in the year 18—, I had occasion to visit the Hospice of St. Bernard, and to become personally acquainted with some of its inmates. It was on a bright morning in the early part of the month of November (a month sometimes unjustly libelled; for, notwithstanding its general gloom, it is not always productive of clouds and despondence alone; there are occasionally cheering gleams, bright oases, and sunny hours, when nature seems to throw off the veil of mist that has been spread over her beautiful face, and to smile even on the "seared and yellow leaves" which lie scattered on her bosom, whilst the birds sing blithely as in the first break of early spring)— I set out for the small town of Martigny, with the intention of resting one night at the Hospice, and proceeding the next day on my journey into Italy. I took with me two stout peasants to act as guides; we were all mounted on mules, that being the most convenient mode of ascending the pass. The extraordinary sagacity and more than human foresight of these animals, when in the perils of the mountain tracts, render their services of the highest value to the traveller. It was advisable to take every precaution; for though the weather was now clear and open, this could not be relied on beyond the present hour, particularly at such an advanced season of the year. Should a storm overtake the traveller whilst on his way, unless he has some person thoroughly acquainted with the mountain paths to direct him, there is every danger of losing the track and perishing in the storm. The road, for some time, passes along the banks of the river Drance, which rushes impetuously down a narrow rocky channel, sometimes dashing over perpendicular ledges many feet in height, or foaming amongst the broken fragments of stone which everywhere strew its bed. We halted for three hours at the village of Liddes, in order to recruit the mules for the remaining part of the ascent, which, from this place, becomes steeper and more broken. We here learned that a considerable quantity of snow had fallen during the previous days, and that there was much difficulty and some danger in proceeding; but as I was determined, if possible, to reach the Hospice that evening, and it was now but mid-day, I procured another guide to accompany us on foot, and assist in case of any accident; after replenishing our brandy-flasks, we set out with stout hearts and warm cloaks on our perilous journey. The road lies up a deep valley bounded on either side by bold rocks and snowcovered peaks, from which the sunbeams were reflected with almost painful vividness. After leaving the hamlet of St. Pierre, all vestiges of habitation cease; the paths wind for a short distance through a forest of pine and larch, which, however, soon ceases, and the alpine rose, a species of Rhododendron, alone blooms in the solitude; the stream assumes the character of a brawling torrent; the path becomes narrow and rugged; and the whole scene presents as wild and desolate an appearance as it is possible to imagine. After about two leagues we passed a small chalet, where, in the summer, milk and other refreshments may be procured. We now began to find the journey extremely troublesome, and made but slow pro |