THE PLAY OF ANIMALS. 219 



around their necks all sorts of wild animals, attracted 

 by curiosity, come to look at them and are cap- 

 tured.* 



That curiosity is a play closely connected with some 

 of the primary instincts, such as flight and feeding, 

 seems probable from the fact that it is found in some 

 of the lower orders. Indeed, there are many facts in 

 support of this view. Eimer tells us that the boys of 

 Capri take advantage of the curiosity of lizards to catch 

 these elusive creatures. " They make a slipknot in the 

 pliable end of a long, slender straw and, lying down, 

 hold the straw in front of a crevice where the lizard 

 has just disappeared. Curiosity so torments the little 

 creature that it comes nearer and nearer to examine 

 the knot, until the boy seizes his chance to slip it over 

 the head and secure his prize. To excite their curiosity 

 the boys sometimes make their noose of coloured mem- 

 brane and wet the knot." f ^- James says of young 

 crocodiles that swarmed around him curiously, that they 

 fled terrified at the slightest movement, but came back 

 again directly.;}; 



Romanes, speaking of fish, says: "Curiosity is 

 shown by the readiness, or even eagerness, with which 

 fish will approach to examine any unfamiliar object. 

 So much is that the case that fishermen, like hunters, 

 sometimes trade upon this faculty: 



' And the fisher, with his lamp 

 And spear, about the low rocks damp 

 Crept, and struck the fish which came 

 To worship the delusive flame.' "* 



* J. E. Tennent, Natural History of Ceylon, p. oG. 

 f Eimer, Die Entstehung der Arten, i, p. 258. 

 X W. James, Principles of Psychology, ii, p. 429. 

 « Romanes, Animal Intelligence, p. 247. 



