Chap. I. SERVICEABLE ASSOCIATED HABITS. 43 



other hard surface, generally turn round and round and 

 scratch the ground with their fore-paws in a senseless 

 manner, as if they intended to trample down the grass 

 and scoop out a hollow, as no doubt their wild parents 

 did, when they lived on open grassy plains or in the 

 woods. Jackals, fennecs, and other allied animals in 

 the Zoological Gardens, treat their straw in this man- 

 ner; but it is a rather odd circumstance that the keepers, 

 after observing for some months, have never seen the 

 wolves thus behave. A semi-idiotic dog — and an ani- 

 mal in this condition would be particularly liable to 

 follow a senseless habit — was observed by a friend to 

 turn completely round on a carpet thirteen times before 

 going to sleep. 



Many carnivorous animals, as they crawl towards 

 their prey and prepare to rush or spring on it, lower their 

 heads and crouch, partly, as it would appear, to hide 

 themselves, and partly to get ready for their rush; and 

 this habit in an exaggerated form has become heredi- 

 tary in our pointers and setters. Now I have noticed 

 scores of times that when two strange dogs meet on an 

 open road, the one which first sees the other, though 

 at the distance of one or 

 two hundred yards, after 

 the first glance always 

 lowers its head, generally 

 crouches a little, or even 

 lies down; that is, he 

 takes the proper attitude 

 for concealing himself and 



for making a rush Or Pie. 4.— Small dog watching a cat on a 

 1xl lii i table. From a photograph taken 



spring, although the road by Mr EejlaBder . 

 is quite open and the dis- 

 tance great. Again, dogs of all kinds when intently 

 watching and slowly approaching their prey, frequently 



