the horsemen prepare to attack them, and de. scending in the form of a widely-extended crescent, hunt them in all directions. After a while they become so jaded and weary, that they seem ready to sink under their fatigue, but the hunters, still urging them to the flight by their loud cries, drive them at last from the field. Such as are unable to exert the necessary speed for escape, are slaughtered. The sagacity which these animals exhibit in defending themselves against the attacks of wolves, is admirable. When they scent the approach of a drove of those ravenous creatures, the herd throws itself into the form of a circle, having the weakest in the middle, and the strongest ranged on the outside, thus presenting an impenetrable front of horns. When however, they are taken by surprise and have recourse to flight, numbers of those that are fattest and most weak, infallibly perish. There is (says Mr. Turner, who resided long in America,) a singular and affecting trait in the character of this animal when a calf. When. ever a cow bison falls by the hand of the hun. ters, and happens to have a calf, the helpless young one, far from attempting to escape, stays by its fallen dam, with signs expressive of strong natural affection. The dam thus secured, the hunter makes no attempt on the calf, (knowing that to be unnecessary,) but proceeds to cut up the carcase: then laying it on his horse, he returns home, followed by the poor calf, which thus instinctively attends the remains of its dam. I have seen a single hunter ride into the town of Cincinnati, between the Miamis, followed in this manner by three calves, all of which had just lost their dams." THE ASS THE form of this patient, humble, domestic is so well known, that any description of its figure would be superfluous; we shall therefore pro ceed at once to mention the use it is of to those who travel over the steep and almost inaccessible sides of the Andes in South America; as it there appears to have obtained that rank, to which, if its services were duly appreciated, it is entitled every where. The account is given by a traveller of veracity, and however extra ordinary it appears, it may be relied on as authentic. Those stupendous mountains, running almost the whole length of South America, may literally be said to hide their heads in the clouds: the storm often rolls, and the thunder bursts,beneath their summits; which, though last exposed to the rays of the sun, in the very centre of the torrid zone, are covered with everlasting snows, The manner in which the asses descend the precipices of these Alps, is truly astonishing, In the passes of the mountains, there are often on one side steep eminences, and on the other, frightful abysses; and as these generally follow the direction of the mountain, the road, instead of lying on a level, forms at every little distance, steep declivities of several hundred yards. These can be descended only by asses or mules; and the animals themselves seem sensible of the danger, by the caution they use. When they come to the edge of one of the descents, they stop of themselves, without being checked by the rider; and if he inadvertantly attempts to spur them on, they continue immoveable. They seem all this time ruminating on the danger which lies before them, and preparing them. selves for the encounter. They not only attentively view the road, but tremble and snort at the danger. Having prepared for the descent, they place their fore-feet in a posture as if they were stopping themselves; they then put their hinder feet together, but a little forward, as if they were about to lie down. In this attitude, having taken a survey of the road, they slide down with the swiftness of a meteor. In the mean time, all the rider has to do is to keep himself fast on the saddle, without checking the rein; for the least motion is sufficient to disturb the balance of the ass; in which case, both must unavoidably perish. But their address in this rapid descent is truly wonderful; for, in their swiftest motion, when they seem to have lost all government of themselves, they follow exactly the different windings of the road, as if they had previously settled in their own minds, the rout they were to follow, and taken every precaution for their safety. In this journey, the natives, who are placed along the sides of the mountains, and secure themselves by the roots of |