496 LIABILITY TO ERROR. 



2. The dog that rolls itself in putrid carcases only at- 

 tracts fl,ies to torment it (Houzeau). 



3. Lemmings drowning themselves in vast numbers. 



4. Midges, butterflies, or other insects immolating them- 

 selves in flame. 



5. And a host of other cases, some of which are enume- 

 rated in the chapter that treats of ' Unsolved Problems in 

 Comparative Psychology.' 



The errors of animals are constantly taken advantage of, 

 on the one hand by each other, and on the other, by man. 

 In particular, these mistakes are of great practical impor- 

 tance to man in the capture of animals, for his various 

 purposes. Mistaken confidence in man is fatal to many 

 birds and other animals. The whole system of decoy, as used 

 by man in the capture of animals, is based on their liability 

 to error. The song bird, in listening to, and following 

 man's ' calls ; 5 the wild duck, or elephant, that allows itself 

 to be lured by the trained decoy ; the emu, that is deceived 

 by the Australian black, who imitates its appearance and gait j 

 the fish that fails to distinguish the real from the artificial 

 fly, or that is fascinated by the glare of some artificial light 

 commit errors of observation, attention, or reflection, 

 or all three errors that subserve man's purpose in their 

 capture. 



Monkeys that are trapped or captured by means of mon- 

 key-pots the seed vessels, or fruit, of a large Brazilian forest 

 tree sacrifice their liberty or life to their errors of over- 

 eagerness, want of reflection, greed or stupidity (Buckland, 

 Hooker). This "occurs only, however, or mainly, in the 

 young and inexperienced. When tempted with cocoa-nut 

 shells filled with rice, the unwary animals insert their paws, 

 fill them with the rice, and not having the sense to extricate 

 their hands by simply emptying and straightening them, or 

 resolved not to part with their booty, which they hold in 

 the fastest grip, literally and figuratively they are obliged to 

 drag about the heavy, cumbersome, full nuts, which become 

 impediments of so serious a kind to progression, that the 

 easy capture of the greedy, stupid animals is the result. 



The natives of the Fiji, and other South-Sea Islands, 



