HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



167 



the said lower animals' mind. I had his words in 

 my mind when the incident I have related occurred, 

 and it seemed to give the direct negative to his 

 assertion. I should therefore be glad if he would be 

 kind enough to look at the matter again, and let us 

 have his opinion. — Baker Hudson, Middlesbrough. 



Mind in Lower Animals. — I should like to place 

 one or two facts before Dr. Keegan bearing upon the 

 above question. I had a black retriever dog from a 

 puppy. When I first had him, I had a lodger in the 

 house, and he never failed to distinguish betwixt 

 persons who came to visit me and those who came to 

 visit the lodger. My friends could go about the 

 house with impunity at any hour of the day or 

 night, but not so the friends of the lodger. He 

 manifested the most determined dislike to their 

 leaving the house after dark ; while a friend of 

 mine, whom he saw for the first time, would be 

 recognised the first day. With regard to understand- 

 ing language, he was fed much on biscuits, which are 

 always called cakes, and the word cakes always 

 roused him, however spoken. He would always be 

 close to my feet, if possible ; and many a time for the 

 amusement of others, I have introduced the word 

 " cake," into a sentence addressed not to the dog, but 

 to them, without emphasis, and with my back to the 

 dog. He never failed to show his recognition of the 

 word, even if it went no farther than looking round 

 to see whether it concerned him or not. The expres- 

 sion of his face was a study sometimes. If the word 

 was repeated he was sure to bark, having been taught 

 to ask for food in that way. But a further fact, he 

 could tell a lie. Now I think this an unquestionable 

 proof of reasoning power. I was accustomed to feed 

 him at one o'clock, and he knew the hour within ten 

 minutes. He would sit as nearly in front of me as he 

 could get, pattering with his paws, wagging his tail, 

 and looking straight in my face. If I turned away 

 he would come round to face my new position, and 

 if ordered away, would give two or three short barks, 

 but would not cease his importunities until fed. Now 

 if I was away and someone else gave him his dinner, 

 he would go through all this performance when I re- 

 turned. If told him to go away, he had had his dinner, 

 he always redoubled his exertions, and barked in a 

 manner which I perfectly understood to mean denial. 

 Several times he succeeded in duping me. The fact 

 that my dog could tell a lie was well known to a 

 number of people, and after he was found out, was 

 a source of amusement to us. How will Dr. Keegan 

 explain this without allowing some mind to exist in 

 this dog ? However, I could cite other instances of 

 other dogs quite as conclusive as this, only that I do 

 not wish to occupy valuable space. — Edwin Holmes, 

 149 Essex Road, N. 



Miscellaneous Notes. — Seeing in the pages of 

 Science-Gossip something about Paris quadrifolia, 

 I might mention that I have found it growing in a 

 wood not very far from Cockermouth, on the banks 

 of the river Derwent ; it is rather rare. I have not 

 seen it in any other district. The geological forma- 

 tion of this part of the country is mountain 

 limestone, which seems to be very rich in fossils. I 

 have collected a good many specimens of shell fossils 

 and ecrinites, &c. Could any reader give me some 

 information on mountain limestone, as I know next 

 to nothing about geology ? There are a good many 

 species of ferns growing about here, the beech fern 

 {Polypodium Pkegopteris), also the oak fern {Polypodium 

 Dryoplcris), which is very common, in some places, 

 almost carpeting the ground. The parsley fern 

 (Allosorus crispus) grows in great quantities on our 

 Fell sides. — A. Maud Dixon, Wood Hall, Cockermouth. 



Climbing Powers of the Dormouse. — Dor- 

 mice can climb, and climb well. I have seen one 

 climb up a curtain with the greatest ease, and hide 

 away under the cornice at the top of a high window. 

 Rats are expert climbers in a larder, though I know 

 that farmers build their corn-stacks on raised 

 foundations, erected on pillars, in order to prevent 

 mice and rats from getting at the grain ; but I have 

 seen both species climb a rough surface, or anything 

 like cotton or woollen stuffs to which they can cling 

 with their sharp claws, with wonderful quickness. — 

 Helen E. Watney. 



Parcels Post. — A public notice has just been 

 issued to merchants, traders, farmers, seedsmen, 

 florists, and the public generally, that the Inland 

 Parcels Post is appointed to commence on the 1st 

 of August next. As regards science, geologists and 

 mineralogists will probably benefit by this post, 

 but it is doubtful whether the rest of the fraternity 

 will reap an abundant harvest, since the measure is 

 designedly framed for the convenience of dealers in 

 glass bottles, fish, game and meat. By the way, has 

 any brother naturalist in this nation of shopkeepers 

 ever made experiment of the Sample Post, 

 "Patterns" and ichantillons sans valeur arrange- 

 ment ? Only last autumn I carried out an exchange 

 of entomological specimens with the curator of a 

 public museum in Italy. The matter was one of 

 barter, and I considered myself justified in trans- 

 mitting my butterflies and moths by the said post. 

 As chance had it, my box proved in excess of the 

 dimensions permissible, and after a detention of some 

 weeks it was supposed at the Post Office that a 

 question might originate as to the propriety of the 

 proceeding. Rather than create any unpleasantness- 

 I procured small boxes, lavished some ten shillings' 

 worth of stamps on the labels, and sent them off 

 letter post. My correspondent, allowing for the- 

 rough ordeal of the Channel passage, received the 

 consignment in a tolerable state of preservation, 

 and then having restocked the boxes, he returned 

 them to me "sans valeur" for less than that number 

 of pence. Can any statist say what is the actual 

 operation of this measure that renders possible the 

 transmission of parcels into the United Kingdom at 

 one-twelfth the charge of their transmission abroad ? 

 Perhaps I take a partial view ! — A. H. Swinton. 



NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



To Correspondents and Exchangers. — As we now 

 publish Science-Gossip earlier than heretofore, we cannot 

 possibly insert in the following number any communications 

 which reach us later than the 8th of the previous month. 



To Anonymous Querists. — We receive so many queries 

 which do not bear the writers' names that we are forced to 

 adhere to our rule of not noticing them. 



To Dealers and others. — We are always glad to treat 

 dealers in natural history objects on the same fair and general 

 ground as amateurs, in so far as the " exchanges " offered are fair 

 exchanges. But it is evident that, when their offers are simply 

 disguised advertisements, for the purpose of evading the cost of 

 advertising, an advantage is taken of our gratuitous insertion of 

 "exchanges" which cannot be tolerated. 



F. A. Steel. — Your specimen is the grape hyacinth [Muscari 

 racemosus). 



Miss T. — It is not unusual for tortoises to lay eggs in this 

 country, but we have never heard of any that were not 

 infertile. 



L. Lee. — The specimen of the plant you sent us is Evplwrbia 

 atnygdaloides. 



H. W. Kidd. — Your paper shall appear shortly. 



C. O. Lowe.— We shall be pleased to have your paper and 

 sketch. 



