54 OBSERVATIONS IN 



victor than of the vanquished. The vanquished would seem to possess 

 an envious fear. However, these principles, on both sides, lessen by 

 the animals being kept together. This principle is greatly lessened by 

 habit ; for no animal that comes into the world comes witb any other 

 principle than self-preservation. They have neither the desire of offence 

 or defence, but they soon get this ; first for defence and then for offence. 

 As they are gradually reduced to a sociable state, in the same degree 

 they lose the other principle ; or, perhaps, we should rather say the 

 other principle is not allowed to grow so strong as it otherwise would 

 do ; so that they are insensibly deprived of it towards their acquaint- 

 ances ; but they still retain it towards entire strangers, although not so 

 strongly as if they never had been brought up in a social state. 



That this principle can be lessened by habit is well known by those 

 who delight in seeing one animal destroy another ; for, to bring the 

 animal entirely out of this social habit and allow him to fall into the 

 natural habit, which he will do, they keep their gladiators from the 

 sight of any of their own kind, till they have totally forgot one another 

 or anything like themselves. They go so far as to keep them in the 

 dark, that they may become still more ignorant, and, as it were, 

 astonished, and have no idea left but the present object in question ; 

 so that they only seem to have this combative principle left. This is the 

 practice of cockfighters, dogfighters, &c. From habit, then, this dis- 

 position lessens, and the effects become less violent ; and, when once an 

 animal finds himself conqueror, fear is removed ; he finds himself easy 

 and uncontrolable ; which, in its turn, produces a benign disposition, 

 and a desire for sociability. Cats, if brought up from their infancy 

 with birds and mice, never once attempt to kill them ; I have seen a 

 hawk and a pigeon in one cage. ' I have likewise seen a tiger, a cat, a 

 dog and a guinea-pig, all lying together in one den. 



On the Combative Principle in Animals. 



I believe that the animals that are most disposed to fight, are those 

 that are not beasts of prey : therefore, fighting has no tendency to- 

 wards food. Animals which have the greatest disposition to fight, have 

 it towards their own species, not with others ; the dog is a kind of 

 exception. 



Animals which are either subject to be pursued or to fight with their 

 hind feet, generally have their eyes placed on the side of the head, and 

 projecting so as to throw the eye backwards. A hare, rabbit, many 

 squirrels, &c., are instances of the first; the horse, deer, &c, are of 

 the second. 



