[MILLS] PSYCHIC DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG ANIMALS 221 
bred dog His very voice on the first day of his existence may, and in 
this case did suggest this, but in nothing was it shown so much as in the 
successful manner in which he held his own among the dogs of the 
kennel, large and small. This was all shown before the puppy was two 
months old. His confidence in himself, his power to adapt to unfavour- 
able surroundings, was as advanced at this age as the St. Bernards at four 
months. He reminded me of a forward boy, lacking in all true modesty 
and due appreciation of what was due his seniors. Yet this mongrel by 
virtue of this very psychic condition succeeds in his purposes if one may 
so express it. 
In the litter of St. Bernards, the most prominent and precocious one 
could not compare with this mongrel. In the lower animals development 
is so rapid that new features in the psychic character at times seem to 
reach a comparatively complete development rather suddenly even when 
the animal is watched daily. ‘This was especially observable in the mon- 
grel puppy after a certain date and was I think all the more so because 
his development for a time seemed rather slow, which I attribute in part 
to his being the sole puppy for most of his life. 
And here I would draw special attention to facts of this character. 
The puppy's weaning was not begun till the 39th day as his dam was 
well able to supply him with milk and his nutrition was excellent ; but 
when this process, generally requiring a good deal of care and often 
attended by much derangement of health, was began there seemed to be 
no need of gradation, etc. The puppy was ready at once in every sense 
to eat all kinds of food fit for a dog. 
When he was allowed out in the yard all voluntary movements 
seemed to undergo a rapid development which was not largely due I 
think to special exercise or practice, but to the sudden development 
of elements of the nerve centres that had been functionally latent. 
As before stated this case of rapid development in different directions 
has impressed me very forcibly and seems to be in harmony with a law 
of nature of pretty wide application. 
I do not think this puppy’s intelligence was equal to that of the St. 
Bernards at three months, though superficial observation might have led 
one to conclude the reverse. Forward people often pass with the undis- 
cerning for having an ability they do not possess, because of their confi- 
dent, showy bearing, and the same remark would apply to this mongrel 
puppy. The animal is now more than four months old and I have seen 
nothing in him to lead me to alter this opinion though much to confirm 
what I have endeavoured to make clear as having impressed me as true 
of the psychic nature of mongrels as compared with pure-bred dogs. 
The characteristic physical features of the adult certainly appear in 
mongrels sooner than in all the larger breeds of dogs, in other words they 
mature sooner than these breeds both physically and psychically, though 
