38 HABITS AND INSTINCTS OP ANIMALS. CHAP. I. 



animal memory, however, differs from that of man, 

 inasmuch as the former cannot possess the power of 

 calling up ideas at pleasure, which would he, at once, 

 to grant them reflection ; those of the past being evi- 

 dently spontaneous, and excited by present sensations, 

 or other circumstances, independent of any proper will 

 of the animals." 



(46.) We may term that to be false instinct, which 

 impels an animal to perform an act diametrically op- 

 posite to that which it would do, were it gifted with the 

 slightest degree of reason, or of the reflective or dis- 

 criminative power consequent thereon. Innumerable 

 instances might be cited to illustrate this fact, afforded 

 by animals which, in other respects, evince a very high 

 development of instinct. The buffalo of India, in its 

 attacks upon the tiger, which is its deadly enemy, 

 conducts its assaults with a degree of address and sub- 

 tlety which the utmost effort of reason could not 

 surpass ; and yet, from the following anecdote, the very 

 same animal appears to be sometimes so stupid, as 

 not to know what he is fighting with. (( As I was 

 hunting with a party near Daudpore, a hog that we 

 were chasing led us, through a heavy cover, into a 

 plain thinly overspread with water, where, about a 

 hundred yards to the left, we suddenly saw a herd of 

 wild buffaloes. We still, however, pushed on after our 

 game, but not without observing that the animals were 

 throwing out signals for a general attack. A servant, 

 who happened to be upon a grey horse, attracted the 

 attention of three of the herd in particular, which 

 galloped after him. The poor fellow was extremely terri- 

 fied, as, indeed, we all were, and roared out lustily 

 for that assistance which, unfortunately, we could not 

 give him. His horse was not less frightened, and made 

 every exertion ; but it did not appear he would have 

 succeeded in his flight, had not the buffaloes confined 

 their attention to the man's turban, which was red, and 

 which, upon being called to by us, he had thrown from 

 his head. We had the pleasure to find this device 



