Sect. XVI. 1 1 . I . OF INSTINCT. 1 % 1 



circumference of any part of their own bodies. With this in- 

 ftrument, I conceive, by a little experience, they can at once de- 

 termine, whether any aperture amongft hedges or fhrubs, in 

 which animals of this genus live in their wild ftate, is large 

 enough to admit their bodies ; which to them is a matter of 

 the greateft confequence, whether purfuing or purfued. They 

 have likewife a power of erecting and bringing forward the whif- 

 kers on their lips ; which probably is for the purpofe of feeling, 

 whether a dark hole be further permeable. 



The antennae, or horns of butterflies and moths, who have 

 awkward wings, the minute feathers of which are very liable to 

 injury, ferve, I fuppofe, a fimilar purpofe of meafuring, as they 

 fly or creep amongft the leaves of plants and trees, whither their 

 wings can pafs without touching them. 



I this morning faw a terrier bitch repeatedly lick her paws, 

 and wafh her face on both fides, and over her eyes, exactly as cats 

 do ; from whom I fuppofe me had acquired this art, as fhe liv- 

 ed in the parlour with two of them. 



Mr. Leonard, a very intelligent friend of mine, faw a cat 

 catch a trout by darting upon it in a deep clear water at the 

 mill at Weaford, near Litchfield. The cat belonged to Mr. 

 Stanley, who had often feen her catch fijfh in the fame manner 

 in fummer, when the mill-pool was drawn fo low 1 that the fi(h 

 could be feen. I have heard of other cats taking filh in (hallow 

 water, as they flood on the bank. This feems a natural art of 

 taking their prey in cats, which their acquired delicacy by do- 

 meftication has in general prevented them from ufing, though 

 their defire of eating fifh continues in its original ftrength. 



Mr. White, in his ingenious Hiftory of Selbourne, was wit- 

 nefs to a cat's fuckling a young hare, which followed her about 

 the garden, and came jumping to her call of affection. At El- 

 ford, near Litchfield, the Rev. Mr. Sawley had taken the young 

 ones out of a hare, which was fhot ; they were alive, and the 

 cat, who had juft loft her own kittens, carried them away, as it 

 was fuppofed, to eat them ; but it prefently appeared, that it 

 was affection not hunger which incited her, as (he fuckled 

 them, and brought them up as their mother. 



Other inftances of the miftaken application of what has been 

 termed inftinct may be obferved in flies in the night, who mis- 

 taking a candle for day-light, approach and periih in the flame. 

 So the putrid fmell of the ftapelia, or carrion-flower, allures the 

 large flefh-fly to depofit its young worms on its beautiful petals, 

 which periih there for want of nourifliment. This therefore 

 cannot be a neceflary inftinct., becaufe the creature miftakes the 

 application of it. 



Vol. I. R Though 



