572 On the Counterfeiting of Death 



sion that first law of nature, as it has been termed, the 

 instinct of self-preservation, is so extremely apt, even in the 

 human race, to get the better of reason ; or indeed, at any 

 time, in the particular instance of the fox, which, itself a 

 preyer on deceased animals, could only reason that its own 

 defunct carcass would serve for a meal : from all which con- 

 siderations I cannot otherwise than conclude, that the feigning 

 of death is in every instance a manifestation of pure instinct. 



As I delight to bring together scattered notices of facts 

 which have a mutual bearing, or tend to illustrate some ge- 

 neral position, or which are simply analogous, I will here 

 annex to Dr. Weissenborn's statement, that the fox, even 

 when severely pressed by hunger, constantly refuses to eat 

 the flesh of birds of prey, although most other birds are its 

 greatest dainties, and it feeds indiscriminately on weasels and 

 other beasts of prey, the assertion of Gilbert White, that 

 " spaniels, as all sportsmen know, though they hunt partridges 

 and pheasants, as it were by instinct, and with much delight 

 and alacrity, yet will hardly touch their bones when offered 

 as food ; nor," it is added, " will a mongrel dog of my own, 

 though he is remarkable for finding that sort of game. But, 

 when we came to offer the bones of partridges to the two 

 Chinese dogs, they devoured them with much greediness, and 

 licked the platter clean." 



It had previously been remarked, of the latter, that " when 

 taken out into a field, the bitch showed some disposition for 

 hunting, and dwelt on the scent of a covey of partridges till 

 she sprang them, giving her tongue all the time. The dogs 

 in South America are dumb : but these bark much in a short 

 thick manner, like foxes ; and have a surly savage demean- 

 our like their ancestors, which are not domesticated, but bred 

 up in sties, where they are fed for the table with rice meal 

 and other farinaceous food. These dogs, having been taken 

 on board as soon as weaned, could not learn much from their 

 dam ; yet they did not relish flesh when they came to Eng- 

 land. In the islands of the Pacific Ocean, the dogs are 

 bred upon vegetables, and would not eat flesh when offered 

 them by the circumnavigators. 



" No sporting dogs," continues White, " will flush wood- 

 cocks till inured to the scent, and trained to the sport, which 

 they then pursue with vehemence and transport ; but then 

 they will not touch their bones, but turn from them with ab- 

 horrence, even when they are hungry. 



\\ Now, that dogs should not be fond of the bones of such 

 birds as they are not disposed to hunt, is no wonder; but 

 why they reject, and do not care to eat, their natural game is 



