410 Evolution and Adaptation 



feigning instinct in higher animals, and attributes it to violent 

 emotion, or fear, that produces a sort of swoon. He describes 

 the gaucho boys' method, in La Plata, of catching the silver- 

 bill by throwing a stick or a stone at it, and then rushing 

 toward the bird, "when it sits perfectly still, disabled by 

 fear, and allows itself to be taken." He also states that one 

 of the foxes (Cams azara) and one of the opossums (Didelphys 

 azarce) " are strangely subject to the death-simulating swoon." 



Hudson remarks that it seems strange that animals so 

 well prepared to defend themselves should possess this "safe- 

 guard." When caught or run down by dogs, the fox fights 

 savagely at first, but after a time its efforts stop, it relaxes, 

 and it drops to the ground. The animal appears dead, and 

 Hudson states that the dogs are " constantly taken in by it." 

 He has seen the gauchos try the most barbarous tricks on a 

 captive fox in this condition, and, despite the mutilations to 

 which it was subjected, it did not wince. If, however, the 

 observer draws a little away from the animal, " a slight open- 

 ing of the eye may be detected, and finally, when left to 

 himself, he does not recover and start up like an animal that 

 has been stunned, but cautiously raises his head at first and 

 only gets up when his foes are at a safe distance." Hudson, 

 coming once suddenly upon a young fox, saw it swoon at his 

 approach, and although it was lashed with a whip it did not 

 move. 



The common partridge of the pampas of La Plata (Hotliura 

 maculosa) shows this death-feigning instinct in a very marked 

 degree. "When captured, after a few violent struggles to 

 escape, it drops its head, gasps two or three times, and to all 

 appearance dies." But if it is released it is off in an instant. 

 The animal is excessively timid, and if frightened, may actually 

 die simply from terror. If they are chased, and can find no 

 thicket or burrow into which to escape, " they actually drop 

 down dead on the plain. Probably when they feign death in 

 their captor's hand they are in reality very near to death." 



