34 ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE 



etc. The fact that each individual of a pack of hounds 

 will respond to his own name is also significant. The 

 observation that, as noticed by one member, his dog 

 would answer sometimes to names very similar, as 

 " Dick " and " Vick," was not without parallel in the 

 case of men, and was explicable either by imperfect 

 hearing or by inattention. 



The case, as instanced by a terrier that seemed to 

 hunt equally well for rats, whether " cows " or " rats " 

 was the inciting term, did not furnish a wholly valid 

 objection it was thought, for in all such instances the 

 accompaniments of the utterance of the mere word were 

 of more significance than the word itself. I shall have 

 evidence to present to you during this year which I 

 think will make it clear that at least many dogs really 

 do know their names in the same sense as very young 

 children, if not even in a higher sense. 



Frequently, during the past two years, the influence 

 of breed, of the individuality of the owner or trainer 

 of the animal, of food, and general treatment has been 

 under discussion. 



These questions are not only of the highest theoretical 

 interest, but of the greatest practical importance. At 

 one of our meetings certain members advanced a view 

 favourable to a course of severity in dealing with certain 

 horses, such, for example, as the " bucking " ponies of 

 the prairies. The President believed that it was of the 

 utmost importance that such a view should not be 

 entertained by veterinary surgeons, and that efforts 

 should be made to eradicate it from the public mind in 

 so far as it really exists. 



Most of the difficulty experienced in managing 

 animals arises from their not understanding what is re- 

 quired of them, or from mental associations which have 

 been established by previous unwise or cruel treatment. 

 I cannot here refrain from stating the opinion of an 



