314 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY. [Book VIII. 1 



death, together with his slaves, for the affair of Nero, the son of 

 Germanicus, it was found impossible to drive away a dog which 

 belonged to one of them from the prison ; nor could it be forced 

 away from the body, which had been cast down the Gemitorian 

 steps ;^* but there it stood howling, in the presence of vast 

 multitudes of people ; and when some one threw a piece of bread 

 to it, the animal carried it to the mouth of its master. After- 

 wards, when the body was thrown into the Tiber, the dog 

 swam into the river, and endeavoured to raise it out of the 

 water ; quite a throng of people being collected to witness this 

 instance of an animal's fidelity. 



Dogs are the only animals that are sure to know their masters ; 

 and if they suddenly meet him as a stranger, they will instantly 

 recognize him. They are the only animals that will answer 

 to their names, and recognize the voices of the family. They 

 recollect a road along which they have passed, however long 

 it may be. Next to man, there is no living creature whose 

 memory is so retentive. By sitting down on the ground, we 

 may arrest their most impetuous attack, even when prompted 

 by the most violent rage. 



In daily life we have discovered many other valuable quali- 

 ties in this animal ; but its intelligence and sagacity are more 

 especially shown in the chase. It discovers and traces out the 

 tracks of the animal, leading by the leash ^-^ the sportsman who 

 accompanies it straight up to the prey ; and as soon as ever it 

 has perceived it, how silent it is, and how secret but significant 

 is the indication which it gives, first by the tail and afterwards 

 by the nose ! ^^ Hence it is, that even when worn out with 

 old age, blind, and feeble, they are carried by the huntsman 

 in his arms, being still able to point out the coverts where 

 the game is concealed, by snuffing with their muzzles at the 

 wind. The Indians raise a breed between the dog and the 

 tiger, ^^ and for this purpose tie up the females in the forests 



1* More commonly called tlie Gradus or Scalae Gemoniae, " the stairs of 

 wailing ;" a place down which the bodies of the criminals were thrown, 

 when executed in prison. — B. 



15 " Lorum," the leather thong by which the dogs were held until the 

 proper moment, when they were " let slip" upon their prey. 



16 This is mentioned by Gratian, Cyneget. 1, 237.— B. 



1' This practice is mentioned by Aristotle, Hist. Anim. B. viii. c. 33, 

 and Diodorus Siculus, B. xvii. But Cuvier informs us, that neither the 

 tiger nor the panther are capable of generatinc 



