12 OH animal instinct. March 7, 



was carried from home, the poor chicken vvauclered 

 about in search of him incefsantly, in melancliuly 

 mood, and when he returned, they flew together 

 ■with the most evident tokens of mutual satisfaction. 

 The hen picked up her food, by the horse's side, and 

 the horse lifted up his feet, and mored himself with 

 the most cautious attention, least he ftiould acciden- 

 t ally hurt his diminutive companion. This affords 

 a proof of the strong power of the gregarious prin- 

 ciple. But nothing of that kind can be^alleged of the 

 dog. He voluntarily deserts his own species for 

 man ; and only afsociates for a fhort time with the 

 female, who receives but a few casual' visits, while 

 his general happinefs seems to be centered in the 

 company of the person to whom he has attached him- 

 self. 



All animals seem to Itave an instinctive knowledge 

 of the best manner of employing the powers that na- 

 ture has bestowed upon them for self-defence. The 

 calf, before its horns have begun to bud, opposes its 

 head to any annoying object,, as if conscious of the 

 arms that nature had intended for it ; but r^ever does 

 the foal think of making a similar defence ; his little 

 hoof makes unavailing strokes, a sure presage o£ 

 the force his heel will acquire at a future period. 



In a wild state animals drscov^r their natural in- 

 stincts much more perfectly than when they are ta- 

 med, so that such animals as we have domesticated 

 lose, in a great measure, all their natural faculties. 

 Being accustomed to be fed by man, they lose the 

 faculty of discriminating food, and of searching for 

 it themselves which they strongly pofsefs in their na- 



