WHAT MAY ANIMALS BE TAUGHT? 171 



too large for liim. Now, when I call to mind the expression of the dog 

 when he showed me the bone without getting an answer from me, I 

 could not help thinking that he must at that moment have had a 

 very poor opinion of my understanding." 



It is evident from this incident that Houston knew explicitly that 

 the bone would be easier to manage if it was split, and that I alone 

 had means of splitting it ; and he had a clear and precise idea in antici- 

 pation of what he expected from me. Finally, he manifested his de- 

 sire to me by the only means within his power. How much better 

 could a deaf-mute do than he did ? 



But it is one thing to think by resemblances, and another thing to 

 think by symbols. A story was recently published by M. Dubuc, of 

 a pointer which had learned after a few years that its master went 

 hunting every Sunday, while on the other days he went to business ; 

 and M. Dubuc concluded that the animal had learned to count up to 

 seven. 



This conclusion is not legitimate ; it may even be said to be 

 wrong. The dog distinguished Sunday by some features that were 

 peculiar to it ; by the movements about the house, the behavior and 

 Sunday dress of the servants, the dress of the master, or any one or 

 more of a number of things that make Sunday different from the 

 other days of the week ; but we may say without contradiction that 

 it did not count seven. AYe ourselves, if we were restricted to a life 

 absolutely uniform, would not be able to distinguish the seventh day 

 without mnemotechnic aids, and as a rule we seldom recollect the 

 day or the elate except by the assistance of intrinsic circumstances. 



My dog, which was habitually on the watch, perfectly understood 

 whether I was going out to my lectures or for a stroll. For some 

 time, he went with me to the university, when I sent him back. But 

 he very soon took in the signs characteristic of the days and hours 

 when I went to my duty the regularity, my breakfast habit, my 

 dress, the books under my arm, the direction I took, and my thoughtful 

 air. We all know how observing animals are, and every one who has 

 a dog has remarked how readily they learn that they are to be invited 

 to go with us. 



My Mouston was a great vagabond. He would go off in the morn- 

 ing as soon as the door was opened, and would sometimes not return 

 till evening ; but if I said to him, " Mouston, we are going to take a 

 walk," he would stay around the house and watch my every motion. 



The fondness of dogs for going walking with their masters is 

 worthy of remark. The three dogs I had had the freedom of the 

 street, but it was a great treat to them all to go with me. Probably 

 the pleasure of coming up every once in a while to smell their mas- 

 ter's legs goes a great way to compensate them for the restraint of 

 following a fixed road and the often-repeated annoyance of the sud- 

 den interruption of interesting conversations that have hardly been 



