6f n-atural history, 403 



CHAPTER XV. 



5y _ Of the Artifices of Animals, 



It will be recolle£ted, that many inftanccs of th« 

 dexterity and artifices employed by different animals in va- 

 rious parts of their manners and oeconomy, have been occa- 

 fionally mentioned in feveral of the foregoing chapters. 

 This circumftance, to avoid repetitions, will neceffarily ren- 

 der the prefent chapter proportionally fhort. 



The artifices pracStifed by animals proceed from feveral 

 motives, many of which are purely inflinctive, and others 

 are acquired by experience and imitation. Their arts, in 

 general, are called forth and exerted by three great and im- 

 portant caufes, the love of life, the defire of multiplying and 

 continuing the fpecies, and that flrong attachment which 

 every animal has to its offspring. Thefe are the fources from 

 v/hich all the movements, all the dexterity, and all the fagac- 

 ity of animals originate. The principle of felf-prefervation is 

 inflin£live, and flrongly impreffed upon the minds of all ani- 

 mated beings. It gives rife to innumeriible arts of attack 

 and defence, and not unfrequently to furpriling exertions of 

 fagacity and genius. The fame remark is applicable to the 

 delire of multiplication, and to parental affe6lion. Upon 

 this fubjedl we fliall, as ufual, give fome examples of animal 

 artifice, which may both amufe and inform fome readers. 



vYhen a bear, or other rapacious animal, attacks cattle, 

 llicy inffantly join and form a phalanx for mutual defence. 

 In the fame circumftances, horfes rank upon lines, and beat 

 off the enemy with their heels. Pontopidon tells us, that 

 the fmall Norwegian horfes, when attacked by bears, inftead 

 of flriking with their hind-legs, rear, and, by quick and re- 

 peated flrokes v/ith their fore-feet, either kill the enemy, or 



