Eccentricities of the Animal Creation.

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Eccentricities of the Animal Creation is a fascinating book written by John Timbs that explores the strange and unusual behaviors of various animals. The book is divided into several chapters, each focusing on a different group of animals, such as birds, insects, and mammals. Within each chapter, Timbs provides detailed descriptions of the peculiar habits and characteristics of these creatures, often accompanied by illustrations or photographs.Readers will learn about the incredible mimicry skills of the lyrebird, the bizarre mating rituals of the anglerfish, and the unusual defense mechanisms of the horned lizard. Timbs also delves into the history and mythology surrounding certain animals, such as the phoenix and the unicorn.Throughout the book, Timbs' writing style is engaging and informative, making this a great read for anyone interested in the natural world. The book is suitable for both adults and children, and would make a great addition to any nature lover's bookshelf.1869. curiosities of zoology; rhinoceros in England; stories of mermaids; is the unicorn fabulous; mole at home; great any bear; curiosities of bats; hedgehog; lion talk; bird life; birds' eggs and nests; Epicure's ortolan; talk about toucans; eccentricities of penguins; pelicans and cormorants; talking birds, instincts, etc.; owls; weather wise animals; fish talk; fish in British Colombia; tree climbing crab; musical lizards; chameleons and their changes; running toads; song of the cicada; stories about the barnacle goose; leaves about bookworms; boring marine animals and human engineers. Illustrated.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

ECCENTRICITIES OF THE ANIMAL CREATION.

Name: Eccentricities of the Animal Creation.
Author: John Timbs

BY JOHN TIMBS.

AUTHOR OF "THINGS NOT GENERALLY KNOWN."

WITH EIGHT ENGRAVINGS.

SEELEY, JACKSON, AND HALLIDAY, 54, FLEET-STREET. LONDON. MDCCCLXIX.

The right of translation is reserved.

CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTORY.—CURIOSITIES OF ZOOLOGY.

Natural History in Scripture, and Egyptian Records, 11.—Origin of Zoological Gardens, 12.—The Greeks and Romans, 12.—Montezuma's Zoological Gardens, 13.—Menagerie in the Tower of London, 14.—Menagerie in St. James's Park, 14.—John Evelyn's Notes, 15.—Ornithological Society, 15.—Continental Gardens, 16.—Zoological Society of London instituted, 16; its most remarkable Animals, 16.—Cost of Wild Animals, 18.—Sale of Animals, 20.—Surrey Zoological Gardens, 20.—Wild-beast Shows, 21.

THE RHINOCEROS IN ENGLAND.

Ancient History, 22, 23.—One-horned and Two-horned, 25, 26.—Tractability, 25.—Bruce and Sparmann, 27.—African Rhinoceros in 1868, 27.—Description of, 29.—Burchell's Rhinoceros, 30.—Horn of the Rhinoceros, 31, 32.

STORIES OF MERMAIDS.

Sirens of the Ancients, 33.—Classic Pictures of Mermaids, 34.—Leyden's Ballad, 35.—Ancient Evidence, 36, 37, 38.—Mermaid in the West Indies, 39.—Mermaids, Seals, and Dugongs, 41.—Mermaids and Manatee, 42.—Test for a Mermaid, 43.—Mermaid of 1822, 43.—Japanese Mermaids, 44.—Recent Evidence, 47, 48.

IS THE UNICORN FABULOUS?

Ctesias and Wild Asses, 65.—Aristotle, Herodotus, and Pliny, 50.—Modern Unicorns, 50.—Ancient Evidence, 51.—Hunting the Unicorn, 52.—Antelopes, 53, 54.—Cuvier and the Oryx, 54.—Tibetan Animal, 55.—Klaproth's Evidence, 55.—Rev. John Campbell's Evidence, 57.—Baikie on, 58.—Factitious Horns in Museums, 59.—Unicorn in the Royal Arms, 60.—Catching the Unicorn, 60.—Belief in Unicorns, 61.

THE MOLE AT HOME.

Economy of the Mole, 62.—Its Structure, 63.—Fairy Rings; Feeling of the Mole, 64.—Le Court's Experiments, 62, 65.—Hunting-grounds, 67.—Loves of the Moles, 68, 69.—Persecution of Moles.—Shrew Mole, 70.—Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd, on Moles, 71.

THE GREAT ANT-BEAR.

The Ant-Bear of 1853, 72, 73.—Mr. Wallace, on the Amazon, describes the Ant-Bear, 73.—Food of the Ant-Bear, 74.—His Resorts, 75.—Habits in Captivity, by Professor Owen, 76-80.—Fossil Ant-Bear, 80, 81.—Tamandua Ant-Bear, 82—Von Sack's Ant-Bear, 83.—Porcupine Ant-Eater, 84.—Ant-Bears in the Zoological Gardens, 84.

CURIOSITIES OF BATS.

Virgil's Harpies, 85.—Pliny on the Bat, 85.—Rere-mouse and Flitter-mouse, 86.—Bats, not Birds but Quadrupeds, 87.—Sir Charles Bell on the Wing of the Bat, 87.—Vampire Bat from Sumatra, 88.—Lord Byron and Vampire, 89.—Levant Superstition, 89.—Bat described by Heber, Waterton, and Steadman, 90.—Lesson on Bats, 91.—Bat Fowling or Folding, 91, 92.— Sowerby's Long-eared Bat, 92, 96.—Wing of the Bat, 96.—Nycteris Bat, 97.—Kalong Bat of Java, 98.—Bats, various, 100, 101.

THE HEDGEHOG.

Hedgehog Described, 102.—Habits, 103.—Eating Snakes, 105.—Poisons, 105, 106.—Battle with a Viper, 105.—Economy of the Hedgehog, 106, 107.

THE HIPPOPOTAMUS IN ENGLAND.

Living Hippopotamus brought to England in 1850, 108.—Capture and Conveyance, 111.—Professor Owen's Account, 111-115.—Described by Naturalists and Travellers, 115-118.—Utility to Man, 118-119.—Ancient History, 119.—In Scripture, 120.—Alleged Disappearance, 121.—Fossil, 122.

LION-TALK.

Character, 123.—Reputed Generosity, 125.—Burchell's Account, 125.—Lion-Tree in the Mantatee Country, 127.—Lion-hunting, 128.—Disappearance of Lions, 130, 131.—Human Prey, 132.—Maneless Lions of Guzerat, 134.—A Lion Family in Bengal, 135, 136.—Prickle on the Lion's Tail, 137-139.—Nineveh Lions, 139.—Lions in the Tower of London, 140, 141.—Feats with Lions, 142.—Lion-hunting in Algeria, by Jules Gerard, 144.—The Prudhoe Lions, 144.

BIRD-LIFE.

Rate at which Birds fly, 145, 146.—Air in the Bones of Birds, 146.—Flight of the Humming-bird, 147.—Colour of Birds, 148.—Song of Birds, 149.—Beauty in Animals, 150.—Insectivorous Birds, 151.—Sea-fowl Slaughter, 152.—Hooded Crow in Zetland, 154.—Brain of Birds, 154.—Danger-signals, 155.—Addison's Love of Nature, 156, 157.

BIRDS' EGGS AND NESTS.

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Eccentricities of the Animal Creation.

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