26 MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHAP. II. 



apparently calculated to do so. There is a curious case 

 illustrative of this in the life of the celebrated physiologist, 

 John Hunter. This gentleman had among a collection of 

 animals two leopards, which by some accident escaped one 

 day. Hunter was aroused from his studies by their noise 

 in endeavouring to get away ; and on running down, found 

 them attempting to scale the walls of the court-yard. He 

 courageously sprang forwards, grasped each by the neck, 

 dragged them back to their den, and secured them ; but on 

 retiring again to his study, he was so struck with the risk he 

 had run, and the extreme hazard of the attempt, that the 

 thought almost maddened him. The longer he thought, 

 the more forcibly was he struck with the thought of what 

 danger he had been exposed to. To adduce another case, 

 in one of the autumnal months a summer or two ago, 

 walking along one of the tributary streams of the Tweed, 

 I was struck with the appearance of an old castle near the 

 river. This castle (the Drochil) being in excellent preser- 

 vation, I walked up to it, and after viewing its external 

 excellences, began to examine the internal accommodation 

 of the donjon-keeps. Looking into one, I saw it had a 

 hard, firm floor, and jumped down through the window to 

 examine it. Unfortunately I had made a very great mistake 

 as to the consistence, and instead of landing on solid 

 ground, I descended to my knee in a mass of mud and 

 green weeds and water. Immediately on feeling myself 

 sinking, I made a convulsive spring at the window, and 

 grasping the stone lintel with supernatural energy, raised 

 myself with the utmost ease from this quagmire, although 

 unassisted by the desperation of the moment, I believe I 

 could not have made my way as I did. My first feeling on 

 reaching solid ground was amazement, succeeded by in- 

 voluntary laughter at the absurd mistake of thinking a ditch 



