fuch Animals, whofe Food is not fo eafily come at, a Variety of wonderful Inftinct may be met with, fufficient to entertain the moft curious Obferver. With what entertaining Power, and Artifice do fome Creatures hunt (bbb), and pursue their Game and Prey! And others watch and way-lay theirs (iii)! With what prodigious Sagacity do others grope

for

rum. Omnia enim qua intus inclufa funt, ita nata, atque ita locata funt, ut nihil eorum fupervacaneum fit, nihil ad vitam rerinendam non neceffarium. Dedit autem eadem Natura belluis & fenfum, & appetitum, ut altero conatum haberent ad naturales paftus capeffendos; altero fecernerent peftifera à falutaribus. Cic. de Nat. Deor. 1. 2. c. 37. See Book IV. Chap. 4.

(bhh) It would be endless to give Inftances of my own and others Obfervations of the prodigious Sagacity of divers Animals in Hunting, particularly Hounds, Setting-Dogs, &c. one therefore fhall fuffice of Mr. Boyl's, viz. A Person of Quality to make a Trial, whether a young Blood-Hound was well inftrutted, caufed one of his Servants -to walk to a Town four Miles off, and then to a Market-Town three Miles from thence. The Dog, without feeing the Man he was to purfue, followed him by the Scent to the abovementioned Places, notwithstanding the Multitude of Market-People that went along in the fame Way, and of Travellers that had occafion to cross it. And when the Blood-Hound came to the chief Market-Town, he paffed through the Streets, without taking notice of any of the People there, and left not till he had gone to the House, where the Man he fought refted himself, and found him in an upper Room, to the wonder of those that followed him. Boyl. determ. Nat. of Effluv. Chap. 4.

(ii) There are many Stories told of the Craft of the Fox, to compass his Prey; of which Ol. Magnus hath many fuch, as, feigning the barking of a Dog, to catch Prey near Houses; feigning himself dead, to catch fuch Animals as come to feed upon him; laying his Tail on a Wafp-Neft, and then rubbing it hard against a Tree, and then eating the Wasps fo killed: Ridding himfelf of Fleas, by gradually going into Water, with a Lock of Wool in his Mouth, and fo driving the Fleas up into it, and then leaving it in the Water: By catching Crab- Fish with his Tail, which he faith he himfelf was an Eye-Witnefs of; Vidi & ego in Scopulis Norve gia Vulpem, inter rupes immiffâ cauda in aquas, plures educere Cancros, ac demum devorare. Ol. Mag, Hift. 1, 18. c. 39, 40.

But

for it under Ground, out of Sight, in moorish Places, in Mud and Dirt (kkk); and others dig and delve for it, both above (I), and under the Surface of the drier Lands (mmm)! And how curious and well defigned a Provifion is it of particular large Nerves in fuch Creatures, adapted to that ef pecial Service!

What an admirable Faculty is that of many Animals, to discover their Prey at vaft Distances; fome by their Smell fome Miles off (nnn); and fome by their fharp and piercing Sight, aloft in

But Pliny's fabulous Story of the Hyana out-does thefe Relations of the Fox, Sermonem humanum inter paftorum ftabula affimulare, nomenque alicujus addifcere, quem evocatum foràs laceret. Item Vomitionem hominis imitari ad follicitandoș Canes quos invadat. Plin. Nat. Hift. 1. 8. c. 30.

(kkk) This do Ducks, Woodcocks, and many other Fowls, which feek their Food in dirty, moorifh Places. For which Service they have very remarkable Nerves reaching to the end of their Bills. Of which fee Book VII. Chap. 2. Note (e),

(lll) Swine, and other Animals that dig, have their Nofes made more tendinous, callous, and ftrong for this Service, than others that do not dig. They are allo edged with a proper, tough Border, for penetrating and lifting up the Earth; and their Noftrils are placed well, and their Smell is very accurate, to discover whatsoever they pursue by digging.

(mmm) The Mole, as its Habitation is different from that of other Animals, fo hath its Organs in every respect curiously adapted to that way of Life; particularly its Nofe made fharp, and flender, but withal tendinous and ftrong, e. But what is very remarkable, it hath fuch Nerves reaching to the end of its Nofe and Lips, as Ducks, &c. have, mentioned above in Note (kkk). Which Pair of Nerves I obferved to be much larger in this Animal than any other Nerves proceeding out of its Brain.

(nnn) Predacious Creatures, as Wolfs, Foxes, &c. will difcover Prey at great Diftances; fo will Dogs and Ravens difcover Carrion a great way off by their Smell. And if (as the Superftitious imagine) the latter flying over and haunting Houses be a fign of Death, it is no doubt from fome cadaverous Smell, thofe Ravens dicover in the Air by their accurate Smell, which is emitted from thofe difeafed Bodies, which have in them the Principles of a speedy Death.

the Į

the Air, or at other great Distances (000)! An Inftance of the latter of which GOD himself giveth, (Job xxxix. 27, 28, 29.) in the Inftinct of the Eagle: Doth the Eagle mount up at thy Command, and make her Neft on high? She dwelleth and abideth on the Rock, upon the Crag of the Rock, and the strong Place (ppp). From thence fhe feeketh her Prey, and ber Eyes behold afar off. What a commodious Provifion hath the Contriver of Nature made for Animals, that are neceffitated to climb for their Food; not only in the Structure of their Legs and Feet, and in the Strength of their Tendons and Mufcles, acting in that particular Office (999); but also in the peculiar Structure of the principal Parts, acting in the Acqueft of their Food (rrr)! What a

Provi

(000) Thus Hawks and Kites on Land, and Gulls and other Birds that prey upon the Waters, can at a great Height in the Air fee Mice, little Birds and Infects on the Earth, and fmall Fishes, shrimps, &c. in the Waters, which they will dart down upon, and take.

(PPP) Mr. Ray gives a good Account of the Nidification of the Chrysaetos cauda annulo albo cinéta. Hujus Nidus Ann. 1668. in fylvofis prope Derwentiam, &c. inventus eft è bacillis feu virgis ligneis grandioribus compofitus, quorum altera extremitas rupis cujufdam eminentia, altera duabus Betulis innitebatur, Erat Nidus quadratus, duas ulnas latus. In eo pullus unicus, adjacentibus cadaveribus unius agni, unius leporis, & trium Grygallorum pallorum. Synopf. Method. Avium, p. 6. And not only Lambs, Hares, and Grygalli, but Sir Robert Sibbald tells us, they will feize Kids and Fawns, yea, and Children too: Of which he hath this Story of an Eagle in one of the Orcades Iflands, Qua Infantulum unius anni panis involutum arripuit (quem Mater teffellas uftibiles pro igne allatura momento temporis depofuerat in loco Houton-Hed dicto) eumque deportále per 4 milliaria paffuum ad Hoiam; quâ reex matris ejulatibus cognità, quatuor viri illuc in naviculâ profetti funt,& fcientes ubi Nidus effet, infantulum illafum & intaitum deprehenderunt. Prod. Nat. Hift. Scot. 1. 3. P. 2. p. 14. (999) See in Book VII. Chap. I. Note (1). the Characterifticks of the Wood-Pecker-kind.

(rrr) The Contrivance of the Legs, Feet and Nails [of the Opoffum] feems very advantagious to this Animal in climbing

Tres

Provifion alfo is that in nocturnal Birds and Beafts, in the peculiar Structure of their Eye (s), (and we may perhaps add the Accuracy of their Smell too) whereby they are enabled to discover their Food in the Dark? But among all the Inftances we have of natural Inftinct, thofe Inftincts, and efpecial Provifions made to fupply the Neceffities of Helpless Animals, do in a particular Manner demonftrate the great Creator's Care. Of which I fhall give two Inftances.

1. The Provifion made for young Creatures. That Erogy, that natural Affection, fo connatural to all, or moft Creatures towards their Young (ttt), what an admirable noble Principle is it, implant

ed

Tres (which it doth very nimbly) for preying upon Birds. But that which is moft fingular in this Animal, is the Structure of its Tail, to enable it to hang on Boughs. The Spines, or Hooks in the middle of the under fide of the Vertebræ cf the Tail; are a wonderful Piece of Nature's Mechanism. The first three Vertebræ had none of thefe Spines, but in all the reft they were to be observed. They were placed just at the Articulation of each Joynt, and in the middle from the Sides. For the performing this Office [of hanging by the Tail] nothing, I think, could be more advantagiously contrived. Tail is twirled or wound about a Stick, this Hook of the Spinæ eafily fuftains the Weight, and there is but little labour of the Mufcles required, only enough for bowing or crooking the Tail. This, and more to the fame purpose, fee in Dr. Tyson's Anat. of the Opoff. in Phil. Tranf. No. 239.

For when the

(f) See before Chap. 2. Note (z), (aa), (lb).

(ttt) Quid dicam quantus amor beftiarum fit in educandis cuftodiendifque iis, que procreaverint, ufque ad eum finem, dum poffint feipfa defendere? And having inftanced in fome Animals, where this Care is not neceffary, and accordingly is not employed, he goes on, Jam Gallina, avefque reliqua, &quietum requirunt ad pariendum locum, & cubilia fibi, nidofque conftruunt, eofque quàm poffunt molliffimè fubfternunt, ut quàm facillimè ova ferventur. Ex quibus pullos cùm excluferint, ita tuentur, ut & pennis foveant, ne frigore ladantur, fi eft calor, à fole fe opponant. Cic. de Nat. Deor. 1. 2. C. 51, 52.

Το

ed in them by the wife Creator? By Means of which, with what Alacrity do they tranfact their parental Miniftry? With what Care do they nurse up their Young; think no Pains too great to be taken for them, no Dangers (uuu) too great to be ventured upon for their Guard and Security? How carefully will they lead them about in Places of Safety, carry them into Places of Retreat and Security; yea, fome of them admit them into their own Bowels (www)? How will they carefs

To this natural Care of Parent-Animals to their young, we may add the Returns made by the young of fome towards the old ones. Pliny faith of Rats, Genitores fuos feffos fenecta, alunt infigni pietate. Nat. Hift. 1. 8. c. 57. So Cranes, he faith, Genitricum feneclam invicem educant. L. 10. c. 23.

This St. Ambrofe takes Notice of in his Hexameron, and Ol. Magnus after him, Depofiti patris artus, per longavum feneEtutis plumis nudatos circumftans foboles pennis propriis fovet, collatitio cibo pafcit, quando etiam ipfa natura reparat difpendia, ut hinc inde fenem fublevantes, fulcro alarum fuarum ad volandum exerceant, & in priftinos ufus defueta membra reducant. For which Reafon this Bird is denominated Pia. Vid. Ol. Mag. Hift. l. 19. c. 14.

Hereto may be added alfo the conjugal Erogy of the little green Ethiopian Parrot, which Mr. Ray defcribes from Clufius. Famellea fenefcentes (quod valdè notabile) vix edere volebant, nifi cibum jam à mare carptum, & aliquandiu in prolobo retentum, & quafi coctum roftro fuo exciperent, ut Columbarum pulli à matre ali folent. Synopf. Meth. Av. p. 32.

(uuu) The moft timid Animals, that at other Times abfcond, or hastily fly from the Face of Man, Dogs, &c. will, for the fake of their young, expofe themselves. Thus among Fowls, Hens will affault, inftead of fly from fuch as meddle with their Brood. So Partridges, before their young can fly, will drop frequently down, firft at leffer, and then at greater Distances, to dodge and draw off Dogs from purfuing their young.

(www) The Opoffum hath a curious Bag on purpose for the fecuring and carrying about her young. There are belonging to this Bag two Bones (not to be met with in any other Skeleton) and four Pair of Mufcles; and fome fay the Teats lie therein alfo. Dr. Tyfon, Anat. of the Opoff. in Phil.

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