178 HISTORY OF 



which naturally seems adapted to heat. His ene- 

 mies of the forest are but few, for none but the 

 greater kinds will venture to attack him ; any 

 one of these he is singly able to overcome, while 

 at the same time he is content to find safety in 

 society; for the wild horses of those countries 

 always herd together. 



In these countries, therefore, the horses are 

 often seen feeding in droves of five or six hun- 

 dred. As they do not carry on war against any 

 other race of animals, they are satisfied to remain 

 entirely upon the defensive. The pastures on 

 which they live satisfy all their appetites, and all 

 other precautions are purely for their security in 

 case of a surprise. As they are never attacked 

 but at a disadvantage, whenever they sleep in the 

 forest, they have always one among their num- 

 ber that stands as sentinel, to give notice of any 

 approaching danger ; and this office they take by 

 turns.* If a man approaches them while they are 

 feeding by day, their sentinel walks up boldly 

 near him, as if to examine his strength, or to in- 

 timidate him from proceeding ; but if the man 

 approaches within pistol-shot, the sentinel then 

 thinks it high time to alarm his fellows : this he 

 does by a loud kind of snorting, upon which they 

 all take the signal, and fly off with the speed of 

 the wind ; their faithful sentinel bringing up the 

 rear.t 



It is not easy to say from what country the 

 horse came originally. It should seem that the 



* Dictionnaire Universel des Animaux, p. 1 9. 

 f Labat, tome vii. 



