GENERAL ADAPTIVENESS. 373 



observed an old bled in the act of supplying three young 

 ones with drink by squeezing the [juice of] the berry of a 

 tree into their mouths (Jesse) . Houzeau tells us of a duck 

 soaking hard bread in water, and so softening it. 



As regards the capture of prey, certain animals drive their 

 game, just as man does, in some cases into pitfalls or am- 

 buscades. The porpoise drives its prey as packs of dogs do 

 the hare in coursing (Baird), or as the collie does sheep ; and 

 the wolf, pelican, and other animals do the same. 



The somewhat common phenomenon of dogs stopping 

 runaway horses or ponies on our streets or roads illustrates, 

 inter alia 



1. The wonderful control exercised sometimes by a small 

 animal over a large one by virtue of its superior intelligence, 

 courage, and force of will ; the supremacy, in other words, 

 of mental or moral over mere physical strength ; and 



2. The recognition of the rights of property or ownership 

 for the captor at once gives up the reins it holds between 

 its teeth to the proper driver or rider of the runaway. 



The ' Animal World ' gives the case of a retriever a cer- 

 tain Jack, well known in Glasgow that stopped a runaway 

 pony in the usual way. The pony was harnessed in, and 

 had run off with, a spring cart belonging to the gamekeeper 

 at Kilmaronock, Dumbartonshire. Pursuing the runaway, 

 the said gamekeeper saw the pony suddenly drawn up, and 

 on overtaking it ' found the dog standing on his hind legs, 

 with a firm hold of the reins in his mouth, and keeping the 

 horse at a dead stand/ He at once, it is added, ' civilly gave 

 up the reins to the proper driver.' 



Another case is given in which the dog acted as a groom, 

 leading the runaway horse by the bridle (/Animal World'). 

 In like sagacious manner dogs have been known to stop the 

 drifting away of boats, and even to tow back drifting boats. 

 Thus we are told of a Labrador dog that swam after a boat 

 that had got adrift, and without any sort of direction from 

 man seized the tiller rope, that was dragging in the water, 

 and by its means towed the boat ashore against a breeze- 

 ripple. 



A certain small ant in Africa masters a much larger 



