OBSERVATIONS ON RABBITS EATING THEIR YOUNG. 167 



have been sold me cheap, in consequence of this 

 seeming proneness to eat their young, which I have 

 entirely avoided by allowing the animal some short 

 time anterior, at the time, and for a week or so after 

 parturition, to drink freely of cold water ; and when 

 I have taken this precaution, no such propensity 

 ever evinced itself in the least ; and that cold water 

 is in no way injurious, and the animal appears won- 

 derfully gratified by it." 



" The preceding remarks go to prove, that the pro- 

 pensity is in fact one which has necessity for its ori- 

 gin ; and that of the most imperious nature. Hence 

 it is recommended to all who may have suffered 

 from this cause, to supply the parturient animals 

 with as much cold liquid as they require or can 

 drink." 



However plausible this theory of Mr. Brown may 

 be, and however occasionally useful, it must not be 

 received as generally correct. We must look deeper 

 for the real exciting cause of this apparently unna- 

 tural, perhaps inscrutable act, in females of various 

 genera of animals, than thirst, and the mere want of 

 drink, since it is well known to take place, when 

 there is no such want, particularly in the rabbit, the 

 least liable to thirst, the sow, the cat, the ferret, and 

 others. The cow also devours her after-burden, in 

 a field of grass, and in reach of the pond at which 

 she is daily accustomed to drink. There are, more- 

 over, formidable objections to this hypothesis of 

 Mr. Brown ; no light one in the solidity of the sub- 

 stance chosen to allay thirst, better calculated, one 

 would suppose, to appease hunger ; and another 

 8 



