BEHAVIOUR OF ANIMALS 145 



hindrance, perfectly. But when man appears 

 on the scene he forthwith upsets nature's 

 arrangements, because his knowledge (ac- 

 quired), though general, lacks the perfection 

 of instinct. The animal, on the other hand, 

 having no independent reasoning powers, is 

 at one and in sympathy with nature. When 

 considering nature this fact must be borne in 

 mind, namely, that animals have no sense of 

 reasoning. 



Had salmon the power of reflection, however 

 limited, the angler would meet with even less 

 success than at present attends his efforts. 



Unwittingly, for the most part, the angler 

 takes advantage of this fact, namely, the 

 salmon's incapacity for reflection. But of 

 this we shall see later. In the meanwhile, we 

 will again consider the behaviour of animals 

 in general under certain incidental circum- 

 stances which perhaps may throw a light on 

 the subject. 



All creatures, as we have seen, are provided 

 with one or more means for self-protection, 

 without which they could not compete in the 

 struggle for existence. 



The weaker ones, those who possess no 

 actual weapons of defence, rely on wing power 

 and swiftness of foot. These are mostly of a 

 shy and timid order, and when suddenly 



