THE DOG 45 



that they are, to a great extent, involuntary, and that when 

 the outcry is begun it continues in a mechanical manner, with 

 no trace of modulation arising from the conditions of the 

 moment. In other words, these actions resemble, in a way, 

 sneezing or hiccoughing in human kind ; actions which are 

 stimulated by certain states of the body, but which are not 

 at all under the control of the will. Howling or bellowing 

 doubtless represents, in a measure, a state of mind as well as 

 of body, but the action is of a general and uncontrolled kind. 

 The effect of advancing culture upon a dog has been 

 gradually to decrease this ancient undifferentiated mode of 

 expression afforded by howling and yelping, and to replace it 

 by the much more speech-like bark. There is some doubt 

 whether the dogs possessed by savages have the power of 

 uttering the sharp, specialized note which is so characteristic 

 of the civilized forms of their species. It is clear, however, 

 that if they have the capacity of thus expressing themselves, 

 they use it but rarely. On the other hand, our high-bred dogs 

 have, to a great extent, lost the habit of expressing them- 

 selves in the ancient way. Many of our breeds appear to 

 have become incapable of ululating. There is no doubt but 

 this change in the mode of expression greatly increases the 

 capacity of our dogs to set forth their states of mind. If we 

 watch a high-bred dog, one with a wide range of sensibilities, 

 which we may find in breeds which have long been closely 

 associated with man, we may readily note five or six varieties 

 of sound in the bark, each of which is clearly related to a cer- 

 tain state of mind. The bark of welcome, of fear, of rage, of 

 doubt, and of pure fun, are almost always perfectly distinct to 

 the educated ear, and this although the observer may not be 

 acquainted with the creature ; if he knows him well, he may 



