TOUCH. 203 



(Vanellus cristatus, MEYER), " which a clergyman 

 kept in his garden ; it lived chiefly on insects; but 

 as the winter drew on these failed, and necessity 

 compelled the poor bird to approach the house, from 

 which it had previously remained at a wary distance ; 

 and a servant hearing 1 its feeble cry, as if it were 

 asking charity, opened for it the door of the back 

 kitchen. It did not venture far at first, but it became 

 daily more familiar and emboldened as the cold 

 increased, till at length it actually entered the kitchen, 

 though already occupied by a dog and a cat. By 

 degrees it at length came to so good an understand- 

 ing with these animals, that it entered regularly at 

 night-fall, and established itself at the chimney corner, 

 where it remained snugly beside them for the night. 

 But as soon as the warmth of spring returned, it 

 preferred roosting in the garden ; though it resumed 

 its place at the chimney corner the ensuing winter. 

 Instead of being afraid of its two old acquaintances, 

 the dog and the cat, it now treated them as inferiors, 

 and arrogated to itself the place which it had pre- 

 viously obtained by humble solicitation. This 

 interesting pet was at last choked by a bone which 

 it had incautiously swallowed *." 



These birds, we think, manifested more intelligence, 

 instinct, or whatever it may be called, than occurs in 

 an animal much wiser in appearance, the Barbary 

 ape (Macacus sylvanus, LACEPEDE), which, though 

 a native of Africa, has established a colony on the 

 rock of Gibraltar. Here it is occasionally so cold in 

 winter, that these poor apes are fain to huddle about 

 any chance fire that may be lighted ; but though they 

 are seen sitting close to the dying embers, they have 

 never been known to add a single chip of fuel to con- 

 tinue the firef, a circumstance not a little singular. 

 * Antoine, Animaux Celebres, i. 70. 

 Scott, Intellectual Philosophy iv. I. 



