FEIGNING DEATH. 313 



less they may induce these animals to come within grasping 

 distance. No doubt this displays an astonishing amount of , 

 deliberative inference ; but it is to be observed that the fact, | 

 if it is a fact, does not imply any abstract idea of death ; it 

 implies only the idea of imitating a previously observed 

 quiescence with the purpose of bringing about the same 

 result — approach of birds — which that quiescence had pre- 

 viously been observed to produce. Seeing that monkeys are 

 highly imitativ^e as well as highly observant animals, this 

 interpretation is not so antecedently incredible as at first 

 sight it no doubt appears. 



But now it follows that if monkeys are able consciously 

 and with deliberate intent to remain motionless for the purpose 

 of gaining a particular object, other and almost as intelligent 

 animals may do the same. Thus, notwithstanding the proba- 

 bility previously pointed out that the shamming dead of 

 wolves and foxes may be due to kataplexy, there here arises 

 a possibility of its being due to intelligent purpose. As 

 bearing on this possibility, I will quote two cases which 

 appear to have been sufficiently well observed. 



The first is one which has been recently published by 

 Brigade Surgeon G. Bidie in " Nature " (vol. xviii, p. 244). 

 He says : — 



" Some years ago, while living in Western Mysore, I 

 occupied a house surrounded by several acres of fine pasture 

 land. The superior grass in this preserve was a great tempta- 

 tion to the village cattle, and whenever the gates were open 

 trespass was common. My servants did their best to drive 

 off intruders, but one day they came to me rather troubled, 

 stating that a Brahmin-buU which they had beaten had 

 fallen down dead. It may be remarked that these bulls are 

 sacred and privileged animals — being allowed to roam at 

 large and eat whatever they may fancy in the open shops of 

 the bazaar-men. On hearing that the trespasser was dead, I 

 immediately went to view the body, and there sure enough it 

 was lying exactly as if life were extinct. Being rather vexed 

 about the occurrence in case of getting into trouble with the 

 natives, I did not stay to make any minute examination, but 

 at once returned to the house with the view of reporting the 

 affair to the district authorities. I had only just gone for a 

 short time when a man, with joy in his face, came running 

 to tell me that the bull was on his legs again and quietly 



