Parental and Early Instincts. 107 



to suck, but here it does not discriminate like the 

 newly-hatched bird that picks up its proper food, 

 for it does not know what to suck. It will take 

 into its mouth whatever comes nea.r, in most cases 

 a tuft of wool on its dam's neck ; and at this it 

 will continue sucking for an indefinite time. It is 

 highly probable that the strong-smelling secretion 

 of the sheep's udder attracts the lamb at length to 

 that part ; and that without something of the kind 

 to guide it, in many cases it would actually starve 

 without finding the teats. I have often seen lambs 

 many hours after birth still confining their attention 

 to the most accessible locks of wool on the neck or 

 fore legs of the dams, and believe that in such 

 cases the long time it took them to find the source 

 of nourishment arose from a defective sense of 

 smell. Its next important instinct, which comes 

 into play from the moment it can stand on its feet, 

 impels it to follow after any object receding from 

 it, and, on the other hand, to run from anything 

 approaching it. If the dam turns round and 

 approaches it from even a very short distance, it 

 will start back and run from her in fear, and will 

 not understand her voice when she bleats to it : at 

 the same time it will confidently follow after a man, 

 dog, horse, or any other animal moving from it. A 

 very common experience on the pampas, in the sheep- 

 country, is to see a lamb start up from sleep and 

 follow the rider, running along close to the heels of 

 the horse. This is distressing to a merciful man, 

 for he cannot shake the little simpleton off, and if 

 he rides on, no matter how fast, it will keep up 

 with him, or keep him in sight, for half a mile or a 



