DOG EMOTIONS AND COMMUNICATION OF IDEAS. 445 



clusively proved than by the fact of his behaviour in 

 pretending to catch the fly. Mr. Darwin observes : ' Dogs 

 show what may be fairly called a sense of humour, as dis- 

 tinct from mere play ; if a bit of stick or other such ob- 

 ject be thrown to one, he will often carry it away for a 

 short distance ; and then squatting down with it on the 

 ground close before him, will wait until his master comes 

 close to take it away. The dog will seize it and rush 

 away in triumph, repeating the same manoeuvre, and 

 evidently enjoying the practical joke.' l 



General Intelligence. 



I have very definite evidence of the fact that dogs are 

 able to communicate to one another simple ideas. The 

 communication is always effected by gesture or tones of 

 barking, and the ideas are always of such a simple nature 

 as that of a mere 'follow me.' According to my own 

 observations, the dogs must be above the average of 

 canine intelligence, and the gesture they invariably em- 

 ploy is a contact of heads, with a motion between a rub 

 and a butt. It is quite different from anything that 

 occurs in play, and is always followed by a definite course 

 of action. I must add, however, that although the in- 

 formation thus conveyed is always definite, I have never 

 known a case in which it was complex anything like 

 asking or telling the way, which several writers have said 

 that dogs can do, being, I believe, quite out of the question. 

 One example will suffice. A Skye terrier (not quite 

 pure) was asleep in the room where I was, while his son 

 lay upon a wall which separates the lawn from the high 

 road. The young dog, when alone, would never attack a 

 strange one, but was a keen fighter when in company 

 with his father. Upon the present occasion a large 

 mongrel passed along the road, and shortly afterwards 

 the old dog awoke and went sleepily downstairs. When 

 he arrived upon the door-step his son ran up to him and 



1 Descent of Man, p. 71. 



