374 GENEEAL ADAPTIVENESS. 



common fly by simply tiring it out by its* greater pertinacity. 

 ' By seizing a wing or leg, and holding on till the fly is tired 

 out J (Livingstone), it overcomes superior size and strength 

 another illustration of the fact that in other animals, as in 

 man, there is frequently a dominance of mind over matter in 

 the practical affairs of life that * knowledge is power,' and 

 can be applied as such. 



Various animals afford aid to each other when wounded, 

 or otherwise in need of it, in a great variety of appropriate 

 ways. Thus certain sparrows that failed, by seizing its 

 wings with their bills, to lift a wounded companion, so as to 

 convey it to a position of safety, got a twig, and while the 

 maimed bird took hold of its centre by its bill, two of its 

 companions seized, one each of the ends, so raised the help- 

 less sparrow from the ground, and removed it to a safer place 

 ('Animal World'). 



Many other arrangements for mutual advantage or aid 

 involve adaptiveness. Thus titi monkeys cuddle together as 

 children do for mutual warmth and companionship (Gas- 

 sell), and mice, as well as probably many other animals, 

 creep together for mutual heat. Mice, moreover, clean each 

 other's fur. 



Equally ingenious and successful are the means adopted 

 frequently for their own personal advantage or comfort for 

 instance, in easing themselves of their burdens, or of light- 

 ening them when they cannot throw them off. The expe- 

 dients of the horse, ass, and mule to get rid of a rider are 

 too familiar incidents to require more than reference. But 

 there are endless other instances of similarly effective inge- 

 nuity. Thus mules lighten their burdens by soaking them 

 in water when they have reason to believe they consist of 

 substances such as sugar or salt that will dissolve readily 

 in water, distinguishing such substances from others such 

 as cotton or woollen goods that will become more weighty 

 by the absorption and retention of water (Watson). 



This category includes the devices resorted to for the 

 preventing of irritation or galling of the neck or other special 

 parts of the body, or general inconvenience from chains or 

 collars, in the ape, dog, buffalo, raven, and other animals 



