40O THE PHILOSOPHY 



amples of animal artifice, which may both amufe and inform fome 

 readers. 



When a bear, or other rapacious animal, attacks cattle, they in- 

 ftantly join and form a phalanx for mutual defence. In the fame 

 circumftances, horfes rank up in lines, and beat off the enemy with 

 their heels. Pontopidon tells us, that the fmall Norwegian horfes, 

 when attacked by bears, inftead of ftriking with their hind-legs, rear, 

 and, by quick and repeated ftrokes with their fore-feet, either kill the 

 enemy, or oblige him to retire. This curious, and generally fuccefF- 

 ful defence, is frequently performed in the woods, while a traveller 

 is fitting on the horfe's back. It has often been remarked, that troops 

 of wild horfes, when fleeping either in plains or in the foreft, have 

 always one of their number awake, who adls as a centinel, and gives 

 notice of any approachiag danger. 



Margraaf informs us, that the monkeys in Brazil, while they ara 

 fleeping on the trees, have uniformly a centinel to warn them of tha 

 approach of the tiger or other rapacious animals ; and that, if ever 

 this centinel is found fleeping, his companions inftantly tear him in 

 pieces for his negle£t of duty. For the fame purpofe, when a troop 

 of monkeys are committing depredations on the fruits of a garden, a 

 centinel is placed on an eminence, who, when any perfon appears, 

 makes a certain chattering noife, which the reft underftand to be, a 

 fignal for retreat, and immediately, fly off and. make their efcape.. 



The deer-kind are remarkable for the arts they employ in order 

 to deceive the dogs. With this view the fl:ag often returns twice 

 or thrice upon his former fteps. He endeavours to raife hinds or 

 younger flags to follow him, and to draw off the dogs from the im.. 

 mediate objed of their purfuit. If he fucceeds in this attempt, he 

 then flies off with redoubled fpeed, or fprings off. at a. fide,, and lies 



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