FEAR AND CONFIDENCE. 197 



fishes watch the least approach of man. Often have I 

 stood on a rock in Jamaica, and seen the little shoals 

 come playing and nibbling at my feet, apparently all 

 unconscious of the monster that was watching them ; but 

 the least movement of the hand towards them was 

 sufficient to send them like arrows in all directions. And 

 how often have I been tantalised by the excessive prudence 

 of some fine butterfly that I eagerly desired to capture, 

 when, day after day, I might see the species numerous 

 enough at a particular part of the forest, and by no means 

 shy of being seen, playing in the air, and alighting con- 

 tinually on the leaves of the trees, and continuing there, 

 opening and closing their beauteous wings in the sun, 

 and rubbing them together with the most fearless uncon- 

 cern, though I walked to and fro with upturned face 

 below, yet invariably taking care to keep themselves just 

 out of the reach of my net ! 



This power of judging of actual danger, and the free- 

 and-easy boldness which results from it, are by no means 

 uncommon. Many birds seem to have a most correct 

 notion of a gun's range, and, while scrupulously careful 

 to keep beyond it, confine their care to this caution, 

 though the most obvious resource would be to fly quite 

 away out of sight and hearing, which they do not choose 

 to do. And they sometimes appear to make even an 

 ostentatious use of their power, fairly putting their wit 

 and cleverness in antagonism to that of man, for the 

 benefit of their fellows. I lately read an account, by a 

 naturalist in Brazil, of an expedition he made to one of 



