48 MENTAL DEVELOPMENT IN ANIMALS 
One phase of mimicry is spoken of as “ feigning 
death.” Beetles and moths commonly have recourse 
to it, and it is said that birds occasionally allow themselves 
to be handled without making an effort to free themselves. 
I have not seen it amongst birds, but most old bushmen 
know how cunningly a native dog will lie as though dead, 
when he has fallen into the hands of his pursuers. I do 
not pretend to be able to explain such tricks, for that 
it is a trick, cannot be doubted. In the case of the dingo, 
it seems to be fear that excites his cunning, for so well 
are his devices understood, that his hamstrings are often 
cut before he is left to himself. It does not seem possible 
that he can understand the meaning of death. 
Some years ago a curious case came under my notice, 
and I may as well place it upon record here. In some 
paddocks near Gympie which I at one time rented, was 
a roan milker that I had had brought down with other cattle 
from my Rodd’s Bay Station. Her dam was a fairly 
well-bred Durham cow, her sire a three-quarter bred 
Durham and Devon, the latter predominating. After 
she had been in the Theresa Vale paddocks for eighteen 
months or two years, she gave birth to “identical twin ” 
heifers. Oddly enough, these in their genetal character 
were like the wild Chilingham Park catt]e. In colour, 
they were creamy-white, with black muzzles ; the inside 
of the ears and about a third of the outside from the tip 
downwards was red; the horns, as the calves grew up, 
were white, with black tips turned upwards, and they were 
small in diameter; a distinct case of atavism. The 
mother was unused to taking care of more than one calf 
at a time, but at first she took kindly to both. When 
two or three days old, however, one of the calves crawled 
through the paddock fence, and wandered away with some 
other cattle. Two days later, my stockman, Phil Rafferty 
found the waif, and brought it in, but the mother then 
refused to let it come near her. The forlorn little creature 
was therefore allowed to take milk from its mother when 
she was in the bail: this she resented, and always tried 
to kick and butt the unfortunate when she had a chance. 
Having other milkers, old Phil let the calf suck them also 
when they were in the bail, and it soon grew and equalled 
