so WESLEY MILLS ON 



tliat smell is essential that a puppy shall reach its dam's teats soon after hirtli, I cannot believe 

 from the many observations I have made. 



Pail). — That a puppy in the first hour of its existence feels discomfort cannot be doubted ; 

 but I regret that I did not make some , definite experiments on the subject of pain on the 

 first day, even in the first hour. This will be made good in part by brief extracts from a 

 diary kept of a litter of Bedlington terriers, to be introduced later. Such experiments are 

 necessary, as the discomfort one witnesses in young puppies might be due in certain cases to 

 internal and not to skin sensations. 



Tactile Sensibility. — Very striking indeed are the eftects on a puppy of any age up to 

 two months (and noticeable even in mature dogs) of stroking, smoothing movements with 

 the hand. In some very young animals as birds I find a similar effect, due to placing the 

 hand on them or over them. In this case the eftect is largely due to the heat of the hand ; 

 in young puppies the gentle tactile stimulus is the principal but not the sole cause of the 

 quieting effect. In this way a puppy may, when very j'oung, soon be put to sleep, i.e., the 

 activity of the nervous centres is inhibited by tactile sensations, so that the frequent lickings 

 of the dam not only cleanse but soothe the puppies. There is, after the eyes are opened, a 

 very rapid increase in the acuteness of tactile sensibility, well shown in the readiness 

 with which a slight touch on the lips will induce motor response, especially well seen in 

 sucking movements, etc. 



Temperature Sense. — Experiments in this subject were unfortunately not made in the 

 early days. However, I tested a kitten five days old with an iron warmed and also with 

 ice, getting decisive results of a positive kind. I think that it is likely that the temperature 

 sense is well marked from the first, though the squirming, cries, etc., of young animals are 

 not of themselves conclusive as to this. 



The Muscular Sense. — On this subject a few words will suffice. Considering how 

 numerous and perfect are the co-ordinated muscular movements of comparatively young 

 puppies this sense must be early present and finally well developed. 



Sense of Support. — I have found in the case of all puppies and several other kinds of 

 animals examined that even on the first day of birth they will not creep off a surface on 

 which they rest if elevated some little distance above the ground. When they approach the 

 edge they manifest hesitation, grasp with their claws or otherwise attempt to prevent them- 

 selves falling, and it may be cry out, giving evidence of some profound disturbance in their 

 nervous system. 



It would seem that there is no more urgent psychic necessity to young mammals than 

 this sense of being supported. All their ancestral experiences have been associated with terra 

 fir mo,, so that it is not very surprising that when terra firnia seems about to be removed they 

 are so much disturbed. To my own mind this is one of the most instructive and striking 

 psychic manifestations of young animals, though I am not aware that any attention has 

 been called to it before ; and instead of referring to it under any of the usual divisions of 

 sense as the muscular sense, pressure sense, etc., I prefer to treat the subject under the 

 above general heading for it seems to me that the feeling is a somewhat complex one. 



It is interesting to note that a water tortoise I have had for some years, will at any 

 time walk off a surface on which he is placed. But this is not a creature that always is on 

 terra Ji.rrna in the same sense as a dog, but it frequently has occasion to drop off logs, etc. 

 into water. But again, I find this sense of support well marked in birds that drop them- 



