204 histinct. 



self outwitted in the end. The fox will dig out 

 his trap and spring it, and then take all the bait 

 Such old fellows have been caught by turning the 

 trap upside down, so that the fox was evidently 

 caught, as he dug under the trap, to spring it. 

 When an animal thus gives a trapper extra trouble, 

 he knows well before it is caught, that it is an old 

 one, — one which, in addition to the instinctive cun- 

 ning and knowledge common to the species, as 

 their necessary outfit in life, has a good fund of ex- 

 perience gained, as men gain theirs, by hardships 

 and dangers. 



There is one fact connected with the fear of 

 enemies among animals, that is worthy of attention, 

 though we do not feel sure, at all, that we have any 

 satisfactory explanation for it. 



That individual animals should become wild, by 

 being hunted, is easily accounted for ; but all the 

 animals of a particular district soon become wild 

 after men begin to hunt there. The character of 

 the whole species, in that place, seems to be changed. 

 This is observed to be true, even, of fishes. When 

 the western counties of Massachusetts were first 

 settled, the trout were easily taken in the streams ; 

 but now their whole character seems to be changed, 

 to a degree very difficult to be accounted for, on 

 the theory of individual experience ; so that we 

 are driven to the conclusion, either that there is a 

 method of communication among these low ani- 

 mals, or that the timidity of the parent, acquired 

 from danger, and a particular form of danger, is 

 very readily transmitted to the young. This latter 



