A CURIOUS TRAIT 199 



steps from hiding and secures and pinions the second 

 crow. These two catch two more, the four catch four 

 more, and so on, until there are enough for dinner, or 

 to take into a town, where the crow-catcher stands 

 before some respectable Hindu shop and threatens to 

 kill the bird he has in his hand unless the Hindu pays 

 for its liberation." 



It is a well-known fact that cattle almost invariably 

 attack and gore to death one of their companions 

 which is in great distress. The case of the crows kill- 

 ing their shaven and painted companion is almost 

 certainly to be explained by supposing that they mis- 

 take it for some strange bird. They mob it for the same 

 reason that they mobbed the cockatoo. 



It seems to me that the attacks of animals on their 

 companions in sore distress may be accounted for in 

 the same way. The crows, or the cattle, or whatever 

 be the animal in question, do not recognize their com- 

 panion on account of its strange antics ; they take it 

 for some enemy and attack it. 



It may seem highly improbable that animals should 

 make such mistakes. We must, however, bear in mind 

 that the attacking animals are at the time so excited as 

 to be almost beside themselves. The cries of a fellow 

 in distress exert a most extraordinary effect on the 

 species. The howls of a companion will often drive a 

 dog almost mad. 



I have sometimes been looking at a pariah dog, 

 which for no apparent reason suddenly begins to howl. 

 The other dogs of the village rush up excitedly, but, 

 seeing no enemy, they begin to attack one another. 



