1 76 ANIMAL KINDERGARTEN 



it will keep up with him or keep him in sight for half 

 a mile or more, and never recover its dam. ... I have 

 seen a lamb, about two days old, start up from sleep, 

 and at once make off in pursuit of a puff-ball about as 

 big as a man's head, carried past it over the smooth 

 turf by the wind.' 



The uneducated instinct in the case of these lambs is 

 of disservice in place of service. The * following ' 

 impulse, obeyed without discrimination, makes them 

 lose their mothers, and the same want of knowledge 

 makes them shun the very creature whose advance they 

 should most desire. The old sheep is therefore obliged 

 to devote herself during the first week of her lamb's 

 existence to * unteaching ' instinct and substituting 

 sense, which she does mainly by convincing the lamb 

 that she, and no other creature, is to be followed. 

 This first lesson once learnt, the rest follows easily. 

 The fawn of the common pampas deer is born equipped 

 with instinct for concealment similar to that which the 

 young plover has on leaving the egg. But it is at once 

 educated by the doe to use this to the best advantage. 

 She teaches it to improve upon the original instinct. 

 * When the doe with a fawn is approached by a horse- 

 man with dogs she stands perfectly motionless, gazing 

 fixedly at the enemy, the fawn motionless at her side. 

 Suddenly, as if by some signal, the fawn rushes away 

 from her at utmost speed ; and going to a distance of 



