ON THE HABITS OF ANIMALS. 133 



ferocity, although when single they are per- 

 fectly harmless. Rats and mice are also known 

 to migrate ; but always by night. Speaking of 

 rats, I may tell you that a gentleman in Here- 

 fordshire laid up about two bushels of walnuts, 

 and on the following morning he found that 

 they had all been carried away by rats. 



But I should tire you if I were to continue 

 longer the subject of instinct in animals, al- 

 though I might pursue it to a great extent. In 

 many cases it amounts so nearly to reason, which 

 latter faculty is supposed to be possessed only 

 by the human race, that it is difficult to define 

 where instinct begins and reason ends. You 

 may judge for yourselves when I give you the 

 following anecdotes : 



A fox, partly tamed, was kept fastened by a 

 chain to a post in a court-yard, and was chiefly 

 fed on boiled potatoes. Many fowls also were 

 kept in the same yard, but had sense enough 

 not to come within reach of the fox. He was, 

 however, too cunning for them, as you will find. 

 Having bruised and scattered the boiled pota- 

 toes which he had received for his dinner at the 

 extremity of the space the chain would reach, he 

 retired to an opposite direction, and put on the 



