401: THE PHILOSOPHY 



oblige him to retire. This curious, and generally fuccefsful 

 defence, is frequently performed in the woods, while a trav- 

 eller is fitting on the horfe's back. It has often been re- 

 marked, that troops of wild horfes, when fleeping either in 

 plains or in the foreft, have always one of their number 

 awake, who a6ts as a centinel, and gives notice of any ap- 

 proaching danger. 



Margraaf informs us, that the monkeys in Brazil, while 

 they are fleeping on the trees, have uniformly a centinel to 

 warn them of the approach of the tiger or other rapacious 

 animals ; and that, if ever this centinel is found fleeping, 

 his companions inftantly tear him in pieces for his neglect of 

 duty. For the fame purpofe, when a troop of monkeys are 

 committing depredations on the fruits of a garden, a centi- 

 nel is placed on an eminence, who, when any perfon ap- 

 pears, makes a certain chattering noife, which the reft un- 

 derftand to be a fignal for retreat, and immediately fly off 

 rmd make their efcape. 



The deer-kind are remarkable for the arts they employ in 

 order to deceive the dogs. With this view the ftag often 

 returns twice or thrice upon his former fleps. He endea- 

 vours to raife hinds or younger ftags to follow him, and to 

 draw off the dogs from the immediate obje£l: of their purfuit. 

 If he fucceeds in this attempt, he then flies ofF with re^ 

 doubled fpeed, or fprings off at a fide, and lies down on his 

 belly to conceal hlmfelf. When in this fltuation, if by any 

 means his foot is recovered by the dogs, they purfue him 

 with more advantage, becaufe he is now confiderably fa- 

 tigued. Their ardour increafes in proportion to his feeble- 

 nefs ; and the fcent becomes ftronger as he grows warm. 

 From thefe circumftances the dogs augment their cries and 

 their fpeed *, and, though the ftag employs more arts of 

 efcape than formerly, as his fvviftnefs is diminifhed, his doub- 

 lings and artifices become gradually lefs effedual. No other 



