DECEPTION. 529 



soil or clay simply is the covering The wily creature, 



with his characteristic craft and cunning, selects what will 

 suit (his purpose) at some distance, comparatively speaking , 

 from the scene of his operations and brings it to his home 

 and plants it.' 



As e an instance of how observant these animals are of 

 peculiarities of situation, and of their power of exact imitation 

 of these peculiarities,' he mentions a nest that occurred in a 

 line of holes in the ground, made by rain drops. * This cun- 

 ning observer completes the series by adding one at its proper 

 distance at the corner, which exactly imitates such holes. 

 So complete was the deception, that though I and others 

 must have seen this hole scores of times during a course of 

 years, being in a much frequented and prominent position, 

 we never thought it was anything else than a raindrop-hole, 

 and it was not till the accident of my having dropped some- 

 thing at the spot led me to examine the hole narrowly, that 

 I discovered it was in reality a trap-door spider's nest.' He 

 speaks, in short, of the door of such a nest and its outer 

 covering as a ' marvellous piece of deception,' and remarks 

 that 'the simplicity and prominence of its mode of con- 

 struction was the very perfection of concealment.' 



With other specific and sufficient ends in view, the other 

 artifices of the lower animals are both numerous and varied. 

 Thus, in order to the capture of prey, some highly ingenious 

 devices are exhibited. Reynard, in pursuit of his favourite 

 prey ducks sometimes immerses himself in water up to his 

 head, which he covers with a leafy bough, and, so disguised, 

 slowly swims towards the unsuspecting birds ( Watson, ' Ani- 

 mal World '). He also baits fowls with grain, so as to render 

 them unsuspicious, or intent on their feeding, and to bring 

 them within his range ( c Animal World '). A Nicaraguan 

 wasp, in hunting spiders, makes a sudden dart at the web. 

 This has the effect of so startling or frightening the spider 

 that it falls to the ground that is, becomes free of its web, 

 and is then pounced upon (Belt). 



In the various games or sports of animals, and especially 

 of the young, pretended or make-believe races and fights, 

 trials of strength or speed, are not uncommon. Puppies at 



VOL. I. MM 



