226 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE.

The sagacious animal immediately seized the young one with
her trunk, and though it groaned with agony, held it to the
ground, while the surgeon was thus enabled to dress the
wound. Day after day she continued to act in the same
way till the wound was perfectly healed.” There is surely
no stronger proof of intelligence than that afforded when
present suffering is willingly endured for the sake of future
good.
ORDER IX. The Coney is a small animal, but it is an
The Coney. animal of distinction. It has been classed with
the Rodents and with the Pachyderms but its characteristics
are so unique that it is thought better to give it a separate
order, and this is placed between the Elephants and the
Rodents. The coney resembles the rabbit in size and general
form, perhaps more than any other animal. There are a
number of species belonging to one genus, the genus Hyrax:
In Psalm crv, 18, the writer says the rocks are a refuge for
the conies, and Agur puts the coney with three other animals
which are both little and wise. “The conies are but a feeble
folk, yet they make their houses in the rocks (Proverbs xxx,
26). This description applies to the Syrian Hyrax of our day
as truly as it did to that of the Psalmists time. The coney
is found all over Africa. According to Dr. Kirk it lives
in colonies at Mozambique, where it is often trapped and
eaten.
ORDER X. ae Rodents are more numerous and various
The Rodents: than any other class of mammals: There are
Animals said to be 800 or more varieties. These are
that Gnaw. divided into two sub-orders: I, The Simplici-
dentati and, II, the Duplicidentati. Those of the first sub-
order have two incisor teeth in the upper jaw; those of the
second have four. The Simplicidentati include mice, rats,
jerboas, beavers, squirrels, chinchillas, porcupines, guinea
pigs, &c.; the Duplicidentati includes the numerous varieties of
hares and rabbits.