animus revertendin.

1617 F. Moryson Itinerary ii. 276 Either the Queene shal not serue her owne turne by him, if shee keepe him prisoner, or he will serue his turne if he liue at liberty, and euer haue (Animum reuertendi) an affection to relapse.

1688 P. Pett Happy Future State of Eng. 248 If the whole Earth were violently removed, it would..very soon return to its Polary position again, and resemblingly in any new forced over-balance of those Church Lands, the very dull Earth's Animus revertendi, to the just libration of States and Kingdoms would soon be apparent.

1791 J. Paul Laws rel. to Landlords & Tenants (ed. 7) viii. 104 Replevin also, will lie for things wild by nature, if made tame or reclaimed;..for they possess the animus revertendi, and though they rove at large, they return to the dominion of their owner.

1894 Times 21 Mar. 3/2 No animus revertendi being shown, it was held that there had been a disruption of the husband's residence.

1907 Yale Law Rev. 17 51 It can hardly be claimed the deer in the present case have this animum revertendi and their wild nature is little if any changed.

2000 Virginia Law Rev. 86 544 You do not possess wild animals until you trap or kill them unless the animal has animus revertendi, that is, the habit of returning, which makes him like a domestic animal.