THE ANIMALS OF SIAM.
Provided with a tropical climate, the forests
and jungles, the air and the water of Siam,
teem with animal life. The elephant heads the
list. It is said that the king can muster thousands
of trained elephants for service in war.
Tigers and bears, rhinoceri, deer, wild goats and
porcupines are numerous. The bones of the tiger
are sold as a tonic, and rhinoceros-horns sell in
Bangkok for more than their weight in silver.
The cattle are small, and are used only to tread
out the grain or with pack-saddles to transport
rice, silk or army supplies. The buffalo, or ungainly
water-ox, takes the place of our oxen.
The Siamese have no milch cattle, and know
nothing of butter or cheese, and their religion
forbids them to slaughter for food.
While the Siamese have great veneration for the white elephant, the white monkey, the white squirrel and some other white animals, they have a great dislike to a white cat. Their cats differ from ours in color. Some have long tails and some short ones; some have curled tails that look
