370 GENEKAL ADAPTIVENESS. 



themselves underneath (Gillmore). Hens wait and watch 

 patiently the splitting up of firewood for the sake of the 

 embedded larvse (Houzeau). A bear in Asia Minor, accord- 

 ing to Dr. van Lennep, found access to a flock of sheep 

 penned in a stable by descending the chimney. After killing 

 several and gorging himself, c he piled their bodies in the 

 wide fireplace, and climbing thereon escaped unperceived.' 



Much contrivance is expended on the obtaining access 

 to or procuring of food. A siskin belonging to a friend, and 

 the performances of which I have myself seen, pulls up 

 on a wheel and axle a thimble-full of seed that it cannot 

 otherwise reach and tilts it up, when the last seeds are 

 left, so as to capsize them on the floor of the cage. In this 

 case there was no tuition of the bird. No doubt pulley and 

 thimble, with its supply of coveted provender, are provided. 

 But the bird has taught itself to use the pulley and get at 

 the seeds in its own way, and in the proper way the way 

 that man himself, if intelligent, would choose under com- 

 parable circumstances. As the result of its own reflection 

 probably as the result also of experiment the sagacious 

 bird devised the appropriate means for the given end. 



Again, a wood-pigeon helped itself and a companion to 

 food from a pheasant's feeding-box by both of them sitting 

 on the lid, so as to open it by their joint weight. One 

 had tried it but failed, its single weight being insufficient. 

 Judging it, however, a mere question of weight, the aid of 

 another individual was asked and obtained. The first comer 

 must have ascertained for itself the c trick ' of the box the 

 means by which it was, or might be, opened and it over- 

 came the difficulty of insufficient weight by resorting to 

 co-operation. 



One of the most ingenious and effective means of pro- 

 curing food-supply is the ringing of bells for it by the goat, 

 dog, cat, or other animals (Watson), an expedient that has 

 frequently also as its object access to a house or room. 

 A cat belonging to Archbishop Whately's mother was in the 

 habit of ringing the parlour bell ' whenever it wished the 

 door to be opened' (Macaulay). 



Various animals stupify, without killing, their prey, in 



