f5B THE PHILOSOPHY 



their excrements : One of them immediately turns round, 

 elevates its hind parts above the edge of the neft, makes the 

 proper effort, and the mother, before the dung is half protrud- 

 ed from the anusj lays hold of it with her bill, drags it out, 

 carries it off, and drops it at a diftance from the neft. In all 

 thefe operations, men recognife the intentions of Nature ; but 

 they are hid from the animals who perform them. 

 3ff, The fpider, the dermeftes, and many infers of the beetle 

 kind, exhibit an inilin6l of a very uncommon nature. When 

 put in terror by a touch of the finger, the fpider runs off with 

 great fwiftnefs : But, if he finds, that, whatever diredion h^ 

 takes, lie is oppofed by another finger, he then feems to def- 

 pair of being able to efcape, contrads his limbs and body, 

 lies perfedlly motionlefs, and counterfeits every fymptom of 

 death. In this fituation I have pierced fpiders with pins, and 

 torn them to pieces^ without their difcovering the fmalleft 

 mark of pain. This fimulation of death has been afcribed to 

 a ftrong convulfion, or ftupor, occafioned by tenor. But this 

 fblution of the phenomenon is erroneous. I have repeatedly 

 tried the experiment, and uniformly found, that, if the obje<El 

 of terror be removed, in a few feconds the animal runs off 

 with great rapidity. Some beetles, when counterfeiting 

 death, fuffer themfelves to be gradually roafted, without 

 moving a fmgle joint. 



It is unneccffary to give more examples of pure inffin^ls. 

 I flull therefore proceed to the fecond clafs, namely, 



]I. Of IrJlhiBs 'which can accommodate themfelves to peculiar 

 v" circumflances and fituat'ions . 



To this clafs n?any human inftinfts may be referred. But, 

 as thefe inftinflive propenfities are likewife highly improveable 

 by experience and obfervation, examples of tbem will fall more 

 naturally to be given under the third clafs. 



