1894.] Psychology. 967 
to carrion. It isa mistake to suppose that carnivora prefer carrion, 
though the exegencies of their lives in their struggle for existence often 
compels them to eat it. Dogs will occasionally take it, but sparingly, 
and apparently as a relish, just as we ourselves eat certain odoriferous 
cheeses. Carnivora and insectivora would rather do their own butch- 
ery; hence, when they come upon their prey seemingly dead, they will 
leave it alone and go in search of other quarry, unless they are very 
hungry. Tainted flesh is a dangerous substance to go into most stom- 
achs, certain ptomaines rendering it, at times, virulently poisonous. 
Long years of experience have taught this fact to animals, therefore, 
most of them let dead or seemingly dead creatures severely alone.” 
The larv: of many of the moths and butterflies are pronounced 
letusimulants. In fact, I may say that all edible larvæ practice this 
cunning trick. -Take a caterpillar in the fingers, or touch it with a 
stick, and it will at once curl up and feign death. They invariably 
assume that shape which rigor mortis occasions in real death. Mr. 
George D. Mattingly, of Owensboro, Ky., related to me the following 
instance of letusimulation in a caterpillar : This larva had fallen acci- 
dently into a conical depression in a sand-heap. 1t attempted to crawl 
up the north side of the pit, but, owing to the rolling of the sand 
beneath its feet, slipped back. It then tried the west side, and almost 
reached the top. Here, however, it dislodged a lump of agglutinated 
sand-grains, and rolled, together with the lump, to the bottom of the 
hole. The caterpillar, imagining the clod of sand to be an enemy, at 
once curled up and feigned death. It remained quiescent for several 
minutes, then tried the south side, mounted safely to the top, and went 
on its way rejoicing. The fact that this larva tried three different. 
routes before reaching the top, shows a high degree of conscious deter- 
mination. Many of the thousand-legs have this habit, and practice it 
whenever the occasion demands. The toad is a gifted letusimulant ; 
when it sees that it cannot escape its enemy, it ducks its head, draws 
in its legs close to its body, and feigns death. It may be turned upon 
its back, or thrown to some little distance, or handled freely, yet it will 
give no sign of life, unless pain be inflicted. 
Some of the snakes have acquired this habit, notably the moccasin 
CAneistrodon). Last August I discovered a moccasin in an open field 
where there were no sheltering rocks, bushes, weeds, etc. I teased it. 
for quite a while with my stick, driving it back whenever it attempted 
to escape. Suddenly it bent its body backwards and seemingly in- 
flicted a severe bite on its own back. Immediately it turned over on 
its back, belly upwards, to all appearances dead. I retired some little 
