Climatic Charige. 119 



tancous impulse, saving the animal, he knows not 

 how. 



There are many instinctive powers ascribed to 

 animals the existence of which is not certainly es- 

 tablished — as the power of perceiving the change of 

 weather. Some animals may possess this power as 

 an Instinct, but there is need of more observation 

 on the point, before it can be accepted as estab- 

 lished. Undoubtedly they are influenced by cli- 

 matic change, as men are, and many of them proba- 

 bly to a much greater degree ; but a careful exam- 

 ination may show that many acts now referred to 

 Instinct,are simply the result of physical exhilaration 

 or depression, through climatic influence, and that 

 these are therefore reflex, rather than instinctive, 

 acts. Certain it is, that Instinct is not a perfect 

 guide in reference to climatic change ; for many an- 

 imals perish every year because heat or cold, or 

 moisture or drought, are more severe than their In- 

 stinct had provided for. Under the impulse of the 

 Instinct of migration, birds often come north in 

 spring to perish by storms of snow and cold, which 

 would not happen if Instinct were the perfect weath- 

 er prophet which it sometimes has the credit of 

 being. 



It is supposed by some, that the severity of the 

 coming winter can be predicted from the character 

 of the walls of the houses which the Muskrats build. 

 After carefully observing the work of these ani- 

 mals for more than twenty-five years, and compar- 

 ing the predictions with the results, I cannot be- 

 lieve that the Muskrat knows any thing, beforehand. 



