EDUCATION OF ANIMALS BY EACH OTHER. 275 



not to eat its own excrement, as well as how to drink, accord- 

 ing to Spalding, who describes the awkwardness of its first 

 attempts at eating and drinking. 



Falcons teach their young to catch and eat their prey in the 

 air, using at first dead mice, then wounded individuals, and 

 lastly living and lively ones. Here is a good instance of the 

 use of graduated or progressive lessons, and a satisfactory proof 

 of intention in instruction. Ants teach their young to open 

 their mouths for food (Houzeau). Parent partridges show 

 their young 'the food suitable for them, and teach them 

 how to procure it by scratching the earth with their claws ' 

 ('Animal World'). The cat teaches her kitten its future 

 duties in mouse-catching and hunting, greediness being 

 sometimes reproved ; and the bitch treats its pups similarly 

 in regard to rats, as has been depicted on canvas in one 

 of Landseer's celebrated paintings. 



Young sea-lions have at first a great aversion to water, 

 and are taught to swim by their mothers (Clarke). The 

 eider duck too gives its offspring lessons in swimming, the 

 sea swallow in fishing, the eagle in flight, the horse and mule 

 in the application of cautiousness and adroitness in the 

 avoidance of obstacles. The cat developes muscular agility 

 in her kittens by leading them to play with her tail. 



The cow and goat instruct their young in the use of the 

 head as a weapon of offence and defence, teaching them, as 

 a fencing master would his pupils, how to make and avoid 

 thrusts. Parent rooks teach their young first to hop and 

 then to fly ; the young make experimental voyages, and they 

 are encouraged to effort by sounds and gestures in their 

 parents (White). 



Here too we have graduated lessons, and procedure on the 

 part of the mother teacher suitable to the age and progress 

 of her pupils. The swift teaches her young alertness or 

 alacrity (White). In the swallow there is systematic tuition 

 or training by parents (' Percy Anecdotes, 3 Wingel) . It is the 

 special business of the neuters among the Hymenoptera to 

 instruct the young (Houzeau). 



Among other animals that educate their young in such 

 useful qualities or accomplishments as industry, food-selec- 



T 2 



