192 OF INSTINCT. SECT. XVI. ir 



inflincl, becaufe the creature miftakes the applica- 

 tion of it. 



Though in this country horfes fhew little veftiges 

 of policy, yet in the defarts of Tartary, and Siberia, 

 when hunted by the Tartars they are feen to form a 

 kind of community, fet watches to prevent their 

 being furprifed, and have commanders, who direct, 

 and haften their flight, Origin of Language, Vol. I. 

 p. 2 i 2. In this country, where four or five horfes 

 travel in a line, the firft always points his ears for- 

 ward, and the lad points his backward, while the 

 intermediate ones leem quite carelefs in this refpet; 

 which feems a part of policy to prevent furprife. As 

 all animals depend moft on the ear to apprize them 

 of the approach of danger, the eye taking in only 

 half the horizon at once, and horfes poflefs a great 

 nicety of this fenfe ; as appears from their mode of 

 fighting mentioned No. 8. 5. of this Section, as well 

 as by common obfervation. 



There are fome parts of a horfe, which he cannot 

 conveniently rub, when they itch, as about the 

 fhoulder, which he can neither bite with his teeth, 

 nor fcratch with his hind fool ; when this part itches, 

 he goes to another horfe, and gently bites him in 

 the part which he wifhes to be bitten, which is im* 

 mediately done by his intelligent friend. I once 

 observed a young foal thus bite its large mother, 

 who did not choofe to drop the grafs fhe had in her 

 mouth, and rubbed her nofe againfl the foal's neck 

 initead of biting it ; which evinces that fhe knew 

 the defign of her progeny, and was not governed 

 by a necefiary inftind to bite where fhe was bitten, 



Many of our fhrubs, which would otherwife af- 

 ford an agreeable food to horfes, are armed with 

 thorns or prickles, which fecure them from thofe 

 animals; as the holly, hawthorn, goofeberry, gorfe. 

 In the extenfive moorlands of Staftbrdfhire, the 



horfe 



