[iii] There are many Stories told of the Craft of the Fox, to compass his Prey; of which Ol. Magnus hath many such, as, feigning the barking of a Dog, to catch Prey near Houses; feigning himself dead, to catch such Animals as come to feed upon him; laying his Tail on a Wasp-Nest, and then rubbing it hard against a Tree, and then eating the Wasps so killed: Ridding himself of Fleas, by gradually going into Water, with a Lock of Wool in his Mouth, and so driving the Fleas up into it, and then leaving it in the Water; By catching Crab-Fish with his Tail, which he saith he himself was an Eye-Witness of; Vidi & ego in Scopulis Norvegia Vulpem, inter rupes immissâ caudâ in aquas, plures educere Cancros, ac demum devorare. Ol. Mag. Hist. l. 18. c. 39, 40. But Pliny’s fabulous Story of the Hyæna out-does these Relations of the Fox, Sermonem humanum inter pastorum stabula assimulare, nomenque alicujus addiscere, quem evocatum foràs laceret. Item Vomitionem hominis imitari ad sollicitandos Canes quos invadat. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 30.
[kkk] This do Ducks, Woodcocks, and many other Fowls, which seek their Food in dirty, moorish Places. For which Service they have very remarkable Nerves reaching to the end of their Bills. Of which see [Book VII. Chap. 2. Note (e).]
[lll] Swine, and other Animals that dig, have their Noses made more tendinous, callous, and strong for this Service, than others that do not dig. They are also edged with a proper, tough Border, for penetrating and lifting up the Earth; and their Nostrils 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, so hath its Organs in every respect curiously adapted to that way of Life; particularly its Nose made sharp, and slender, but withal tendinous and strong, &c. But what is very remarkable, it hath such Nerves reaching to the end of its Nose and Lips, as Ducks, &c. have, mentioned above in [Note (kkk).] Which Pair of Nerves I observed to be much larger in this Animal than any other Nerves proceeding out of its Brain.
[nnn] Predacious Creatures, as Wolfs, Foxes, &c. will discover Prey at great Distances; so will Dogs and Ravens discover Carrion a great way off by their Smell. And if (as the Superstitious imagine) the latter flying over and haunting Houses be a sign of Death, it is no doubt from some cadaverous Smell, those Ravens discover in the Air by their accurate Smell, which is emitted from those diseased Bodies, which have in them the Principles of a speedy Death.
[ooo] Thus Hawks and Kites on Land, and Gulls and other Birds that prey upon the Waters, can at a great Height in the Air see Mice, little Birds and Insects on the Earth, and small 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 Chrysaëtos caudâ annulo albo cinctâ. Hujus Nidus Ann. 1668. in sylvosis prope Derwentiam, &c. inventus est è bacillis seu virgis ligneis grandioribus compositus, quorum altera extremitas rupis cujusdam eminentiæ, altera duabus Betulis innitebatur,—Erat Nidus quadratus, duas ulnas latus.—In eo pullus unicus, adjacentibus cadaveribus unius agni, unius leporis, & trium Grygallorum pullorum. Synops. Method. Avium, p. 6. And not only Lambs, Hares, and Grygalli, but Sir Robert Sibbald tells us, they will seize Kids and Fawns, yea, and Children too: Of which he hath this Story of an Eagle in one of the Orcades Islands, Quæ Infantulum unius anni pannis involutum arripuit (quem Mater tessellas ustibiles pro igne allatura momento temporis deposuerat in loco Houton-Hed dicto) cumque deportâsse per 4 milliaria passuum ad Hoiam; quâ re ex matris ejulatibus cognitâ, quatuor viri illuc in naviculâ profecti sunt, & scientes ubi Nidus esset, infantulum illæsum & intactum deprehenderunt. Prod. Nat. Hist. Scot. l. 3. p. 2. p. 14.
[qqq] See in [Book VII. Chap. 1. Note (l).] the Characteristicks of the Wood-Pecker-kind.
[rrr] The Contrivance of the Legs, Feet and Nails [of the Opossum] seems very advantagious to this Animal in climbing Trees (which it doth very nimbly) for preying upon Birds. But that which is most singular 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 side of the Vertebræ of the Tail; are a wonderful Piece of Nature’s Mechanism. The first three Vertebræ had none of these Spines, but in all the rest 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. For when the Tail is twirled or wound about a Stick, this Hook of the Spinæ easily sustains the Weight, and there is but little labour of the Muscles required, only enough for bowing or crooking the Tail. This, and more to the same purpose, see in Dr. Tyson’s Anat. of the Oposs. in Phil. Trans. No. 239.
[sss] See before [Chap. 2. Note (z), (aa), (bb).]