68 ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE 



mind : May not this condition assumed by insects be a 

 peculiarity with which natural selection has nothing to 

 do a sort of imperfection of their nervous system, if 

 it exposes them to enemies, the reverse if it conceals 

 them at all events, not necessarily connected with 

 natural selection, for animals survive in spite of 

 peculiarities and imperfections ? In fact, the conception 

 that any animal is perfectly adapted to its surroundings 

 is unwarrantable, otherwise such an animal should 

 continue to live in perpetuum. 



Preyer would ascribe the so-called shamming death 

 of insects wholly to cataplexy, which seems highly 

 probable. Couch, who is quoted by Komanes, would 

 explain certain behaviour of wolves, foxes, and some 

 other animals, usually set down to deliberate feigning, 

 by an effect analogous to cataplexy. He thinks their 

 senses are stupefied by surprise, terror, etc., so that they 

 are unable to escape. 



The transfixing effect of fear in man has been well 

 described by the poets, including Shakespeare him- 

 self: 



Whilst they, distill'd 

 Almost to jelly with the act of fear, 

 Stand dumb, and speak not to him." 



Komanes inclines to give weight to the views of 

 Preyer and Couch so far as vertebrates are concerned. 

 He says : " A fox would never have so good a chance of 

 escape from an enemy by remaining motionless as it 

 would by the use of its legs." But if man is to be 

 reckoned among the enemies of this animal, then, 

 according to instances given by Eomanes in the same 

 chapter, foxes have escaped from their enemies by 

 feigning death. 



I have often noticed how one dog has escaped the 

 attack of another by lying down and assuming an 



