The fact is, that in Asia, especially in Palestine
and Syria, asses were in great repute, and used in preference to
horses. We must see an animal in its own climate to form a true
estimate of its value."
"Does climate, then, make so great a difference?" said William.
"Of course it does, not only with animals, but with trees, plants, and
even man, until he is accustomed to the change. With respect to
animals, there are some which can bear the different varieties of
climate, and even change of food. The horse, for instance, although
originally indigenous to Arabia, lives as well in the Temperate, and
even in the Frigid Zones it may be said, for they endure the hard
winters of Russia and North America; so will domestic cattle, such as
cows, sheep, pigs, &c. It is a curious fact that, during the winter in
Canada, a large proportion of the food of cattle consists of fish."
"Fish, papa! Cows eat fish?"
"Yes, my dear boy, such is the fact. It is a remarkable instance of a
graminivorous or grass-eating animal being changed for a time into a
flesh-eating, or rather into fish-eating animal. But there are other
animals which can live under any temperature, as the wolf, the fox, the
hare, and rabbit.
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