594 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



Harmonies, confonances, progreffions, and con- 

 trails, muft, therefore, be reckoned among the 

 firft elements of Nature. To thefe we are indebted 



for 



left that I ever faw a dog completely white, or completely 

 black. White dogs always have fome fpots on their ikins, were 

 it but the tip of the fnout, of a dark colour. Such as are black 

 or brown, have ftreaksof white, or fire-coloured fpecks ; fo that 

 wherever they are, you can eafily perceive them. I have farther 

 remarked in them this inftinft, efpecially in dogs of a dufky 

 colour ; when they want to lie down, they always refort to a 

 white-coloured ground, in preference to one of any other co- 

 lour. The Ladies well know this to be the cafe ; for if there 

 happens to be a little dog, of a dark hue, in an apartment where 

 company is aflembled, he hardly ever faili to go to repofe at a 

 Lady's foot, and on her petticoats. 



The inftinft, which prompts the dog to retire to reft on white 

 fluffs, arifes from the feeling which hè himfelf has of the contrail 

 affefted by the fleas, by which he is frequently tormented. Fleas, 

 in whatever place, refort to white-coloured objefts. If you 

 enter into a room, where there are many of thofe infers, if you 

 happen to wear white ftockings, thcfe will inftantly attracl them. 

 They will even croud to a fingle flieet of white paper. And this 

 is the reafon why light-coloured dogs are much more infefted 

 by them than others. I have likewifc obferved, that wherever 

 there are dogs of a white colour, the black and the brown al- 

 ways pay court to them, and give them a decided preference as 

 play-mates, undoubtedly to get rid of the fleas at their expence. 

 In faying this, however, I do not mean to throw an imputation 

 of treachery on their profefîions of friendfliip. Were it not 

 for the inflinft of thefe minute, black, nimble, nofturnal in- 

 fers, toward the white colour, it would be impofTible to per- 

 ceive, and to catch them. 



The 



