OF THE INTELLIGENCE AND OF INSTINCT. 



165 



in addition, with, threads of the web, so as to afford them time 

 to pierce it with their venomous claws. 



The Archer of the Ganges, a fish living on insects, spirts 

 water on those he sees on aquatic herhs, and is said seldom 

 to miss his prey, even at the distance of several feet. 



Finally, to instinct must be ascribed most of the wiles prac- 

 tised by quadrupeds during the chase of their prey. 



Fig. 118. Common Squirrel. 



323. To the same class of instincts must be referred the 

 cumulative or store-forming habits of certain animals. The 

 common squirrel furnishes us with an example of this pro- 

 pensity to lay up a store of provisions against a scarcity, to 

 be dreaded or expected in winter ; but the propensity exists 

 where no change of season indicates the reasonableness of 

 such an event. The young commence laying up store of 

 provisions during summer in hollows of trees, which they 

 readily find in winter, even though concealed with snow. 

 The Lagomys pika, a Siberian rodent, not only lays up a 

 store for the winter, but turns the grass into hay, exactly 

 as our farmers do, before it stores it. Under each magazine 

 of hay, prepared in fine weather with the greatest care 

 and foresight, he digs a passage to his burrow, that he 



