334 The Naturalist in La Plata. 



poncho, and instantly she charged him furiously : 

 with a quick movement to one side he escaped 

 her horns, and after we had driven her back, re- 

 sumed his former position and challenged her again 

 in the same way. The experiment was repeated 

 not less than half a dozen times, and always with 

 the same result. The cattle were all in a savage 

 temper, and would have instantly charged him on 

 his placing himself before them on foot without the 

 display of scarlet cloth, but their fear of the mounted 

 men, standing with lassos in their hand on either 

 side of him, kept them in check. But whenever 

 the attention of any one individual among them was 

 forcibly drawn to him by the display of vivid colour, 

 and fixed on him alone, the presence of the horse- 

 men was forgotten and fear was swallowed by rage. 

 It is a fact, I think, that most animals that 

 exhibit angry excitement when a scarlet rag is 

 flourished aggressively at them, are easily excited to 

 anger at all times. Domestic geese and turkeys may 

 be mentioned among birds : they do not fly at a 

 grown person, but they will often fly at a child that 

 challenges them in this way ; and it is a fact that 

 they do not at any time fear a child very much and 

 will sometimes attack him without being challenged. 

 I think that the probability of the view I have 

 taken is increased by another fact namely, that 

 the sudden display of scarlet colour sometimes 

 affects timid animals with an extreme fear, just as, 

 on the other hand, it excites those that are bold 

 and aggressive to anger. Domestic sheep, for instance, 

 that vary greatly in disposition in different races 

 or breeds, and even in different individuals, may be 



