DOG GENERAL INTELLIGENCE. 463 



dog saw me do this in my garden, and in a few minutes after- 

 wards she appeared with the other kitten dead in her mouth ; 

 she had killed it. If that was not reasoning I do not know 

 what is. 



Mr. W. F. Hooper writes me of a Newfoundland dog 

 that was in the habit of accompanying the nursemaid and 

 baby belonging to its mistress. On one occasion a keen 

 wind began to blow, and the nursemaid drew her shawl 

 over the child : 



The nursemaid had not taken many steps towards home 

 before her progress was barred by the dog, who placed himself 

 in the centre of the path and growled whenever she advanced. 

 She was much alarmed, and tried to coax the dog to move, but 

 Leo would not, and abated nothing of the hostile display. Half 

 an hour passed, and the girl became nearly distracted. What 

 could be the matter with the dog ? Was she to be a prisoner 

 all day ? Would the animal fly at her throat 1 Was Leo suffer- 

 ing from hydrophobia 1 These and similar questions crossed the 

 girl's mind. At length a suggestion of despair it was nothing 

 more occurred to her. She thought it might win the dog 

 round to good humour if she showed it the baby ; so she removed 

 the folds of her shawl and presented it at arm's length to the 

 dog. The result was magical, and far in excess of all expecta- 

 tion, for not only did the dog cease to growl, but he began to 

 gambol and caress, and removed himself from the path altogether, 

 so that there was now a free course, and home was soon reached. 

 The explanation of the whole affair is, when the nursemaid 

 turned on her path thinking she had gone sufficiently far, the 

 dog missed sight of the baby, and believed it was gone. Under 

 this impression the dog converted himself into a sentinel, with 

 the resolve that not one step should be taken towards home 

 without the baby ; and faithfully did the animal keep watch and 

 ward until the demonstration was given that the child had not 

 been left behind, but was still in the nurse's arms alive and well. 

 I think this is an exhibition of intelligence worthy of being 

 known to you. 



I extract the following instance from Col. Hutchinson's 

 * Dog-breaking.' It is briefly alluded to in the ' Descent 

 of Man.' The observer and narrator is Mr. Colquhoun : 



I may mention a proof of his sagacity. Having a couple of 

 long shots across a pretty broad stream, I stopped a mallard 

 with each barrel, but both were only wounded. I sent him 

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