74 WILD NEIGHBORS CHAP, 
where he lies flat down within view of a herd of 
guanacos that are feeding towards him, and hold- 
ing up the end of his tail (which is nearly black) 
lets it tremble there. It is sure to attract the at- 
tention of the animals, who are certain to approach, 
led by curiosity, near enough to give the big cat a 
certain capture of one if not more of their number. 
The tails of creatures that swim or fly perform 
a very important service in these methods of loco- 
motion; while in many cases this is a helpful or 
even indispensable member in progression upon 
land. The tremendous leaps of the minute skip- 
jack beetles, and of the agile sand-fleas, are made 
by springing from the bent hinder parts of their 
body, and not by leg-force, as in the cases of the 
grasshopper and true fleas. Certain fishes, like 
the file-fish, are accustomed to poise themselves 
upon their tails, almast motionless, for long peri- 
ods, when it is well-nigh impossible to distinguish 
one of them from the ribbons of the eel-grass in 
the midst of which they dwell; while the ecls and 
many serpents are able to stand crect upon almost 
the very tip of the tail, or to hang thereby, and 
some can even spring off from it, if we may be- 
lieve the statement of Professor Owen, though I 
do not know of any snake quite so acrobatic. 
It is related in the older books of natural history 
that the kangaroo sits, when reared up, upon his 
massive tail and strong hind limbs, as upon a tri- 
pod; and that it is by the elastic force of the tail 
