f'S on animal instinct. March 7. 



the appearance of reasoning, that it is no wonder if 

 we fliould sometimes confound the one with the o- 

 ther. Not to mention the various and beautiful con- 

 trivances for securing nests from the attacks of ene- 

 mies, which are better exemplified in warmer cli- 

 mates than here, it is well known that when a 

 pointer steals upon a covey of young partridges, the 

 mother rises a little, and tumbles as if wounded, sd 

 as scarcely to get out of the way of the dog, in or- 

 der to induce him to pursue, in hopes of catching 

 the mother, who continues thus fluttering and 

 •tumbling, gradually alluring him to pursue her, till 

 he has lost sight of the young. No sort of reaso- 

 ning could produce a conduct better calculated to 

 answer the end in view. It is, indeed, too well 

 calculated for that purpose for me to rank it under 

 the chapter of ri.ison ; instinct, in general, being 

 much more certain of effecting the ends for which 

 nature intended it than reason. 



On this principle, I fliould be inclined to range 

 this act under the head of instinct ; and I once had 

 an opportunity of being convinced, that I here reason 

 justly from the following fact. I was travelling on 

 a road, bounded by a ditch and a hedge on each side, 

 which ran in a straight direction for a great way ; 

 it was pretty early in the morning, and a wild duck 

 had led her young into one of the ditches where 

 there was a little water. When I approached, the 

 mother flew off slowly, hardly rising from the 

 ground and letting her feet hang down as if 

 wounded 5 freqiiently alighting and tumbling, as if 

 unable to proceed. I rode on, following her, and 



