SECT. XVI. 9. i . OF INSTINCT. 2 , $ 



defigns upon her young. She becomes agitated with fear, and 

 ufes the natural language of that paflion, her young ones catch" 

 the fear by imitation, and in an initant conceal themfelves in 

 the grafs. 



At the fame time that (he (hews her fears by her gefture and 

 deportment, (he ufes a certain exclamation, Koe-ut, Koe-ut, and 

 the young ones afterwards know, when they hear this note, 

 though they do not fee their dam, that the prefence of their ad- 

 verfary is announced, and hide themfelves as before. 



The wild tribes of birds have very frequent opportunities of 

 knowing their enemies, by obferving the deflruclion they make 

 among their progeny, of which every year but a finall part 

 efcapes to maturity; but to our domeflic birds thefe opportuni- 

 ties fo rarely occur, that their knowledge of their diftant ene- 

 mies muft frequently be delivered by tradition in the manner 

 above explained, through many generations. 



This note of danger, as well as the other notes of the mother- 

 turkey, when fhe calls her flock to their food, or to fleep under 

 her wings, appears to be an artificial language, both as exprefled 

 by the mother, and as underftood by the progeny. Fot a hen 

 reaches this language with equal eafe to the ducklings, (lie has 

 hatched from fuppofititious eggs, and educates as her own off- 

 fpring : and the wagtails, or hedge-fparrows, learn it from the 

 young cuckoo their fofler nurfling, and fupply him with food 

 long after he can fly about, whenever they hear his cuckooing, 

 which Linnaeus tells us, is his call of hunger, (Syft. Nat.) And 

 all our domeflic animals are readily taught to come to us for 

 food, when we ufe one tone of voice, and to fly from our anger, 

 when we ufe another. 



Rabbits, as they cannot eafily articulate founds, and are form- 

 ed into focieties, that live under ground, have a very different 

 method of giving alarm. When danger is threatened, they 

 thump en the ground, with one of their hinder feet, and produce 

 a found, that can be heard a great way by animals near the fur- 

 face of the earth, which would feem to be an artificial fign both 

 from its fingularity and its aptnefs to the fituation of the animal. 



The rabbits on the ifland of Sor, near Senegal, have white 

 flefh, and are well tafted, but do not burrow in the earth, fo 

 that we may fufpecl: their digging themfelves houfes in this cold 

 climate is an acquired art, as well as their note of alarm. ( Adan- 

 fon's Voyage to Senegal). 



The barking of dogs is another curious note of alarm, and 

 would feem to be an acquired language, rather than a natural 

 fjgn : for cc in the ifland of Juan Fernandes, the dogs did not 

 attempt to bark, till fome European dogs were put among them, 



and 



