CRIMINALITY IN ANIMALS. 251 



as among the insects and ampkibise, and the cuckoo, take no care at 

 all of their young, although they mate ardently. 



Other animals, as with ants and bees, do not exercise the act of 

 propagation at all, yet they very assiduously take care of the eggs 

 and larvre. The same author insists upon individual differences, and 

 cites cases, the counterparts of which would be called in human socie- 

 ties abandonment of children, abduction of minors, seduction, infanti- 

 cide, etc. 



Some cows, mares, and dogs bear the loss of their young with a 

 degree of indifference ; others even abandon them regularly. Pigeons 

 generally, male as well as female, appear indifferent to their broods, 

 while the rail and the corn-crake are so devoted to them that their 

 heads are frequently cut off by the reaper's sickle. When a house in 

 which storks have a nest takes fire, the father and the mother stork 

 will fall into the flames rather than abandon their young. Boerhaave 

 has made the same observation with respect to the chimney-swallow. 

 The female partridge loves her own young with a strong affection, but 

 she chases away and kills the young of other partridges. The pheas- 

 ant, on the other hand, shows much less affection for her own young, 

 and does not mind the loss of those which stray from her, while she 

 receives joyfully and takes under her protection little pheasants that 

 are strangers to her. 



Gall tells of mares that have such a passion for colts that they 

 kidnap the foals from other mares, and take care of them with a jeal- 

 ous fondness ; and Espinas notices the same fact among asses. Pier- 

 quin had a dog of a Scotch breed, which was shy of the male, but 

 would capture every puppy it met, and was in the habit of stealing 

 out of the house to go hunting for them. 



Among facts of an opposite character, we cite the case of a friend's 

 dog which bore three or four litters, of which it would take proper 

 care during the first three months, and would then carry them away 

 into the mountain and leave them. We must also take notice of that 

 inexplicable aberration that leads many females among our domestic 

 animals to suffer their progeny to die, or kill them ; while other animals, 

 dogs, for example, become thieves during the whole time that they are 

 taking care of their young. Females of the larger domestic species 

 frequently refuse to let their young suck them, with the result that 

 the young die. This is most remarked of animals bearing for the first 

 time. The most astonishing fact is that of infanticide, which is almost 

 the rule with certain species, notably with swine. 



4. Acts of Offense committed by Animals under the Influ- 

 ence of the Destructive Instinct. This instinct acts when ani- 

 mals are urged to overcome the obstacles that oppose the satisfaction 

 of their desires. Thus they become murderous in time of heat ; they 

 seem to have gained new force ; their nature has become irascible and 

 furiously disposed ; and contests of the most bloody character take 



