106 The Naturalist in La Plata. 
Leaving it, she returned a second time, in the same 
cautious manner, and taking another, ran with it to 
the same spot, and concealed it along with the first. 
It was curious that the first young mouse had 
continued squealing after being hidden by the 
mother, for I could hear it distinctly, the air being 
very still, but when the second mouse had been 
placed with it, the squealing ceased. A third time 
the old mouse came, and then instead of going to 
the same spot, as I had expected, she ran off in an 
opposite direction and disappeared among the dry 
weeds ; a fourth was carried to the same place as 
the third; and in this way they were all removed 
to a distance of some yards from the nest, and 
placed in couples, until the last and odd one 
remained. In due time she came for it, and ran 
away with it in a new direction, and was soon out 
of sight; and although I waited fully ten minutes, 
she did not return; nor could I afterwards find any 
of the young mice when I looked for them, or even 
hear them squeal. 
Ihave frequently observed newly-born lambs on 
the pampas, and have never failed to be surprised 
at the extreme imbecility they display in their 
actions; although this may be due partly to 
inherited degeneracy caused by domestication. 
This imbecile condition continues for two, some- 
times for three days, during which time the lamb 
apparently acts purely from instincts, which are far 
from perfect ; but after that, experience and its 
dam teach it a better way. When born its first 
impulse is to struggle up on to its feet ; its second 
