HOW MUCH ANIMALS KNOW. 45 



his foot, went to the oven and uncovered it, took out and ate the cakes, 

 re-covered the oven with the stones and grass as before, and went back 

 to his place. He could not fasten the chain again round his own foot, 

 so he twisted it round and round it, in order to look the same, and 

 when the driver returned the elephant was standing with his back to 

 the oven. The driver went for his cakes, discovered the theft, and, 

 looking round, caught the elephant's eye as he looked back over his 

 shoulder out of the corner of it. Instantly he detected the culprit, 

 and condign punishment followed. 



The well-known intelligence of the dog is seldom more curiously 

 manifested than in the cases of those who learn the use of money. A 

 gentleman in Birmingham was acquainted with a small mongrel dog 

 who, on being presented with a penny or a half-penny, would run with 

 it in his mouth to a baker's, jump on to the top of the half -door lead- 

 ing into the shop, and ring the bell behind the door until the baker 

 came forward and gave him a bun or a biscuit in exchange for the 

 coin. The dog would accept any small biscuit for a half-penny, but 

 nothing less than a bun would satisfy him for a penny. On one oc- 

 casion the baker (being annoyed at the dog's too frequent visits), after 

 receiving the coin, refused to give the dog anything in exchange, and 

 on every future occasion the latter (who declined being taken in a 

 second time) would put the coin on the floor, and not permit the baker 

 to pick it up until he had received its equivalent. 



In what may be called the chief pursuit of dogs that of game 

 they often show great ingenuity in overcoming unusual obstacles. A 

 little Skye terrier was once observed snuffing about on a wheat-stack 

 which was in the course of being thrashed, when suddenly a very large 

 rat bounced off, just from under her nose. It darted into a pit of wa- 

 ter about a dozen yards from the stack, and tried to escape. The 

 Skye, however, plunged after, and swam for some distance, but found 

 she was being left behind. So she turned to the shore again, and ran 

 round to the other side of the pit, and was ready and caught it just on 

 landing. 



Another dog, which had been sent to bring in a couple of wounded 

 ducks from across a pretty wide stream, at first attempted to bring 

 them both, but one always struggled out of his mouth ; he then laid 

 down one, intending to bring the other, but, whenever he attempted to 

 cross, the bird left fluttered into the water ; he immediately returned 

 again, laid down the first on the shore, and recovered the other. The 

 first now fluttered away, but he instantly secured it, and, standing over 

 them both, seemed to cogitate for a moment ; then, although on any 

 other occasion he never ruffled a feather, he deliberately killed one, 

 brought over the other, and then returned for the dead bird. 



An instance of sagacity indeed, amounting to reason in a French 



poodle is told by Canon . Being a guest at luncheon with the 



dog's master, the canon fed the dog with pieces of beef. After lunch- 



