ANIMAL KINDERGARTEN 175 



La Plata, recorded some very interesting observations 

 on the education of the young of animals common on 

 the plains. The half-wild lambs of the pampas remain 

 almost ' imbecile ' for three days. They are not sense- 

 less and helpless like blind puppies, but are equipped 

 with certain instincts which do not answer the pur- 

 pose for which they were apparently intended. The 

 instances which Mr. Hudson gives of the unsatisfactory 

 working of instinct which in these lambs is properly 

 so called, for it is prior to education and experience 

 show how their existence, intended to benefit the young 

 creature, may actually retard education in the animal 

 Kindergarten. The pampas lamb has three instincts 

 when born. One is to suck, the second to run after 

 anything moving away from it, and the third to run 

 away from anything advancing towards it. It is in the 

 second and third of these impulses that instinct is of 

 disservice to the lamb. ' If the mother turns round 

 and approaches it, even from a very short distance, it 

 will turn round and run from her in fear, and will not 

 understand her voice when she bleats to it ; at the 

 same time it will confidently follow a dog, horse, or 

 man moving from it. It is a very common experience 

 to see a lamb start up from sleep and follow the rider, 

 running close to the heels of the horse. This is dis- 

 tressing to a merciful man who cannot shake the little 

 simpleton off" ; and if he rides on, no matter how fast, 



