156 A CHAPTER ON INSTINCT. 



make its escape through one of these holes, and was not seized by the 

 retriever until it had gone to some little distance on the common which 

 bordered the preserve. On returning to the wall with the hare, the dog 

 endeavoured to leap the wall, as it had done when coming out in pursuit. 

 The weight of the hare in its mouth, however, rendered the endeavour 

 fruitless once and again. The dog soon discontinued its useless eflPorts; but 

 instead of returning— like a creature sans resources — to its master without 

 his game, he quietly trotted along to one of the menses, laid the hare 

 down at the outlet, pushed it as far through as he could, and then easily 

 leaping the wall, seized the hare on the other side, dragged it through, 

 and carried it to its destination. Was all this done by mere instinct? or, 

 rather, was not this judging of, and drawing conclusions from, self-evident 

 things, and truly acting for a given end, or under a given motive? 



Once again. — A gentleman connected with the Newfoundland fishery was 



possessed of a dog, of singular fidelity and sagacity. On one occasion a 



boat and crew in his employ were in circumstances of considerable peril, 



just outside a line of breakers, which, owing to some change in wind or 



weather, had, since the departure of the boat, rendered the return-passage 



through them most hazardous. The spectators on shore were quite unable 



to render any assistance to their friends afloat. Much time had been spent, 



and the danger seemed to increase rather than diminish. Our friend, the 



dog, looked on for a length of time, evidently aware of there being great 



cause for anxiety in those around. Present!}', however, he took to the 



water, and made his way through to the boat. The crew supposed he 



wished to join them, and made various attempts to induce him to come on 



boa"d; but no! he would not go within their reach, but continued swimming 



abtut a short distance from them. After a while, and several conmients on the 



peculiar conduct of the dog, one of the hands suddenly divined his apparent 



meaning: — 'Give him the end of a rope,' he said, 'that is what he wants.' 



The rope was thrown, — the dog seized the end in an instant, turned round, 



and made straight for the shore; where, a few moments afterwards, boat 



and crew, thanks to the intelligence of their four-footed friend, were placed 



safe and undamaged. Was there no reasoning here? no acting with a view 



to an end or for a given motive? or was it nothing but ordinary instinct? 



Nay, a man who had acted with such forethought and presence of mind, 



would have been thought worthy of high commendation for the intellectual 



superiority so manifested at the hour of need. And will it not savour of 



something like unfairness if we deny similar credit to the sagacious and 



intelligent dog?" 



Jt seems to me that that which is laid down as necessary to establish 

 a doctrine of the Church, that it should be "quod semper, quod obique, 

 quod ab omnibus," would do very well for a definition of Instinct. Not 



