142 
INST 
if we look through the endlefs variety of human avoca¬ 
tions, we fhall find that the greater part of mankind feem 
deflined by God and nature to be governed in this way. 
Caterpillars, when fliaken off a tree in every direction, 
inftantly turn round towards the trunk, and climb up, 
though they had never formerly been on the furface of the 
ground. This is a driking indance of inftinCl. On the 
tree, and not upon the ground, the caterpillar finds its 
food. If therefore it did not turn and climb up the trunk, 
it would inevitably perilh. The folitary wafp digs holes 
in the "land, in each of which the depofits an egg ; die 
collects a few finall green worms, which fhe rolls up in a 
circular form, and fixes in the hole in fuch a manner that 
they cannot move. When the wafp-worm is hatched, it 
is amply dored with the food which nature has deflined 
for its fupport. The green worms are devoured in fuc- 
ceffion; and the number depofited is exactly proportioned 
to the time neceffary for the growth and transformation 
of the wafp-worm into a fly; then it ilfues from the hole, 
and is capable of procuring its own nourifbment. This 
indinCt of the parent-wafp is the more remarkable, that 
die feeds not upon fuch food herfelf. Birds of the fame 
fpecies, ttnlefs when retrained by peculiar circumdances, 
uniformly build their neds of the lame materials, and in 
the fame form and dtuation, though they inhabit very 
different climates; and the form and dtuation are always 
exactly f'uited to their nature, and calculated to afford 
them fhelter and protection. When danger, or any other 
circumitance peculiar to certain countries, renders a de¬ 
viation from the common form or fituation of neds necef- 
fa-ry, that deviation is made in an equal degree, and in 
riie very fame manner, by all the birds of one fpecies; and 
it is never found to extend beyond the limits of the 
country where alone it can ferve any good purpole. When 
removed by neceflity from their eggs, birds return to them 
with hade and anxiety, and fhift them fo as to lieat them 
equally ; and it is worthy of obfervation, that their hade 
to return is always in proportion to the cold of the cli¬ 
mate. Thus the odrich in Senegal, where the heat is ex- 
seflive, negleCts her eggs during the day, but fits upon 
them in the night. At the Cape of Good Hope, how¬ 
ever, where the degree of heat is lefs, the odrich, like 
•ether birds, fits upon her eggs both day and night. In 
countries infefted with monkeys, many birds, which in 
other climates build in buflies and clefts of trees, fufpend 
their neils upon flender twigs, and thus elude the rapa¬ 
city of their enemies. 
The following is remarkable. A cat frequented a clo- 
fet, the door of which was fattened by an iron latch. A 
window tvas iituated near the door. When the door was 
fhut, the cat gave herfelf no uneafinefs. As foon as fhe 
was tired of her confinement, fhe mounted on the fill of 
tile window, and with her paw dextereufly lifted the latch, 
and came out. This practice, which we are told con¬ 
tinued for years, mud have been the confequence of rea- 
foning in particular ideas. It could not be the efteCt of 
indin A; for inftinCl is adapted only to a date of nature, 
in which cats have neither latches to lift nor doors to 
open ; and, as it is not laid that the animal attempted to lift 
the latches of other doors, we are not authbrifed to infer 
that this particular aCtion was the confequence of reafon- 
ing in ideas enlarged by abdraetion; the cat had repeat¬ 
edly feenone door opened by an exertion which fhe was 
capable of imitating. It is well known that crows feed 
upon feveral kinds of fhell-fifli when within their reach ; 
and that they contrive to break the {hell by.raifing the 
fifh to a great height, and letting it drop upon a done or 
a rock. This may perhaps be confidered as pure inftinCl 
directing the animal to the proper means of acquiring'its 
food; But what is to be thought'of the following fact, 
communicated by a gentleman whofe veracity is unques¬ 
tioned, and who, being totally unacquainted with the 
theories of philofophers, has of courfe no favourite hype- 
thefis to fupport ? In the Spring of the year 1791, a pair 
of crows made their nelt in a tree, of which there are fe- 
I N C T. 
veral planted round his garden; and In his rriorning- 
walks he had often been amufed by witnefling furious 
combats between them and a cat. One morning the bat¬ 
tle raged more fiercely than ufuaT, till at lad the cat gave 
way, and took fhelter under a hedge, as if to wait a more 
favourable opportunity of retreating to the houfe. The 
crows continued for a fhort time to make a threatening 
noife ; but, perceiving that on the ground they could do 
nothing more than threaten, one of them lifted a done 
from the middle of the garden, and perched with it on a 
tree planted in the hedge, where fhe fat watching the mo¬ 
tions of the enemy of her young. As the cat crept along 
under the hedge, the crow accompanied her by flying 
from branch to branch, and from tree to tree; and, when 
at lad pufs ventured to quit her hiding-place, the crow, 
leaving the trees and hovering over her in the air, let the 
done drop from on high on her back. That the crow on 
this occafion reafoned, is felf-evident; and it feems to be 
little lefs evident, that the ideas employed in her reafon- 
ing were enlarged beyond thofe which fhe had received, 
from her fenfes. By her fenfes fhe might have perceived, 
that the fhell of a fifli is broken by a fall; but could her 
fenfes inform her, that a cat would be wounded or driven, 
ob' the field by a fall of a done ? No ; from the effeCt of 
the one fall preferved in her memory, die mult have in¬ 
ferred the other by her power of reafoning. 
We have a remarkable anecdote given by the Rev Mr. 
Robinfon, of Oufby in Wedtnoreland, relative to an in¬ 
ftinCl in the crow, by which they are made the natural 
planters of all forts of wood and trees. They diflemi- 
nate the kernels upon the earth, which like nurferies bring 
them forth till they grow up to their natural llrength and 
perfection. He fays, “ About twenty-five years ago, 
coming from Rofecaftle early in the morning, I obferved 
a great number of crows very bufy at their work upon a 
declining ground of a molly furface; I went out of my 
way on purpofe to view their labour, and I found they 
were planting a grove of oaks. The manner of their 
planting was thus: they fird made little holes in the earth 
with their bills, going about and about till the hole was 
deep enough; and then they dropped in the acorn, and 
covered it with earth and mof's. The f'eafon was at the’ 
latter end of autumn, when all feeds are full ripe.” Mr. 
Robinfon feems to think that Providence had given the 
crows this inftinCl folely for the propagation of trees; 
but I imagine it was given them principally for their own. 
prefervation, by hiding provifion in time or plenty, in or¬ 
der to fupply them in a time of feafeity ; fo that fuch an 
inftinCl in thefe birds may anfwer a double purpofe ; both 
their own fupport in times of need, and the propagation 
of the trees they plant; for wherever they hide a great 
number of nuts or grains in the earth, we cannot fuppofe 
they find them all again; but that as many will remain, 
in the plot of ground they make ufe of, as can well grow 
by one another. 
A mod lingular effeCt of inftinCl may be obferved i'll 
the means by which cuckows are propagated, as detailed 
at large under the article Cuculus, vol. v. p. 432—438. 
The inftinCl which has been difeovered in ants, beavers. 
See. is too well known and admired, to need any mention 
in this place; and we fee in a great variety of birds, in¬ 
fects, and quadrupeds, a fimilar economy in laying up 
flores of provifion in time of plenty, that they might have 
accefs to it in time of need. The common daw has a pe¬ 
culiar knack of this fort; and, in houfes where they have 
been brought up tame, have frequently been known td 
hide, with their meat, money, rings, feals, lockets, and 
other finall trinkets; thereby occafioning injurious luf- 
picions of theft in fervants or others, who are perfectly 
innocent.—For many curious particulars of inltinCt in 
animals, fee the articles Brute, Cancer, and Caws, 
vol.iii. and Elephas and Eouus, vol. vi. 
It may be thought, that determinations in the mind of 
the brutes to act fo varioufly upon different occafiogs, 
can hardly be conceived without judgment or intelli¬ 
gence. 
