The General Genteel Preceptor |
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Common terms and phrases
alfo almoft alſo animal belly bill birds birds of prey body breaft brown claws climates cloſe colour covered creature deftroy devour diftinguiſhed eafily eggs eyes faid fame fcales feathers feed feek feems feen feet feize feldom female feparate ferpents ferves feven feveral fharp fhell fhort fhould fide fifh filk fins firft firſt fiſh fize fkin fleſh fmall fmaller foft fome fometimes fomewhat foon four fpecies fpots frogs ftate ftomach ftrength ftrong fubftance fuch fummer fupply furface furniſhed fwallow fwimming hair head himſelf hole horns inches long increaſes infects inhabitants itſelf kind largeſt lefs legs live male moft moſt mouth neck neft nofe oviparous pectoral fins prey purfued quadrupeds refembles reft rife round ſcarce ſeems ſkin ſmall ſome ſpots tail teeth thefe themſelves theſe thick thofe thoſe toes trees ufually uſed viviparous whofe wings worms young
Popular passages
Page 237 - In this manner, they lived with him above six months: but, at a time, when he expected to see a new colony formed, he unfortunately forgot to tie up their cage to the ceiling at night, to preserve them from the rats, and he found in the morning, to his great mortification, that they were all devoured.
Page 62 - ... the seller was to forfeit to the buyer the third part of its value. If any one stole or killed the cat that guarded the prince's granary, he was to forfeit a milch ewe, its fleece and lamb ; or as much wheat as, when poured on the cat suspended by its tail (the head touching the floor) would form a heap high enough to cover the tip of the former.
Page 17 - She is seen at times with a numerous retinue, marching from cell to cell, plunging the extremity of her body into each of them, and leaving in each an egg. A day or two after this egg is deposited, the grub is excluded from the shell, having the shape of a maggot rolled up in a ring, and lying softly on a bed of a whitish-coloured jelly, on which it begins to feed.
Page 169 - It goes very swiftly, and seems assisted in its motion by a kind of tubercle behind, like a heel, upon which, on plain ground, it treads very securely: in its course it uses a very odd kind of action, lifting up one wing, which it keeps elevated for a time, till, letting it drop, it lifts up the other.
Page 61 - ... its muscles very strong, as being formed for rapine; the tail is of a moderate length, but very thick and flat, marked with alternate bars of black and white, the end always black ; the hips, and hind part of the lower joints of the leg are always black; the fur is very soft and fine: the general colour of these animals, in England, is a yellowish white, mixed with a deep gray.
Page 391 - They are alfo extremely tenacious of life, and will live for a moft remarkable time out of water. An experiment has been made by placing a carp in a net, well wrapped up in wet mofs, the mouth only remaining out, and then hung up in a cellar, or fome cool place ; the fiih is frequently fed with white bread and milk, and is bcfides often plunged into water.
Page 314 - The fore-legs had the same parts and conformation as the arms of a man, both within and without. The hands, if they may be. so called, had five fingers; the two last of which had no nails, and were of a conical figure. The hinder legs, including the thigh and paw, were two feet two inches long; the paws, from the joint to the extremity of the longest claws, were above nine inches ; they were divided into four toes, of which three were armed with large claws, the longest of which was an inch and a...
Page 52 - The cubs are brought forth, like those of the bitch, with the eyes closed ; the dam suckles them for some weeks, and teaches them betimes to eat flesh, which she prepares for them by chewing it first herself. Some time after she brings them stronger food, hares, partridges, and birds yet alive. The young wolves begin by playing with them, and end by killing them. The dam then strips them of their feathers, tears them in pieces, and gives to each of them a share.
Page 316 - ... in its throat, the Negro has time to give it several stabs under the throat; and the water also getting in at the mouth, which is held involuntarily open, the creature is soon bloated up as big as a tun, and expires. To us who live at a distance from the rapacity of these an im;ils, these stories appear strange, and yet most probably are true.
Page 167 - The next row is black and white ; and of the small feathers, on the back and belly, some are white and others black. There are no feathers on the sides, nor yet on the thighs, nor under the wings. The lower part of the neck, about half way, is covered with still smaller feathers than those on the belly and back ; and those, like the former, also are of different colours. All...