jumping to her call of affection. At Elford, near Lichfield, the Rev. Mr.
Sawley had taken the young ones out of a hare, which was shot; they were
alive, and the cat, who had just lost her own kittens, carried them away,
as it was supposed, to eat them; but it presently appeared, that it was
affection not hunger which incited her, as she suckled them, and brought
them up as their mother.

Other instances of the mistaken application of what has been termed
instinct may be observed in flies in the night, who mistaking a candle for
day-light, approach and perish in the flame. So the putrid smell of the
stapelia, or carrion-flower, allures the large flesh-fly to deposit its
young worms on its beautiful petals, which perish there for want of
nourishment. This therefore cannot be a necessary instinct, because the
creature mistakes the application of it.

Though in this country horses shew little vestiges of policy, yet in the
deserts of Tartary, and Siberia, when hunted by the Tartars they are seen
to form a kind of community, set watches to prevent their being surprised,
and have commanders, who direct, and hasten their flight, Origin of
Language, Vol. I. p. 212. In this country, where four or five horses travel
in a line, the first always points his ears forward, and the last points
his backward, while the intermediate ones seem quite careless in this
respect; which seems a part of policy to prevent surprise. As all animals
depend most on the ear to apprize them of the approach of danger, the eye
taking in only half the horizon at once, and horses possess a great nicety
of this sense; as appears from their mode of fighting mentioned No. 8. 5.
of this Section, as well as by common observation.

There are some parts of a horse, which he cannot conveniently rub, when
they itch, as about the shoulder, which he can neither bite with his teeth,