ACQUIRED AND ABNORMAL CHARACTERS. 43 



apparently begging the rabbits to come out and 



plaj." 1 



A dog, owned bj myself several years ago, inher- 

 ited the same accomplishment from his mother, who 

 had been trained to sit in an erect position and hold a 

 stick in imitation of a soldier with a musket. 



This dog was taken from his mother when but a 

 few days old, and before it had an opportunity of 

 learning any tricks by imitation. "Without any train- 

 ing, when a few months old, he assumed the erect 

 position whenever anything was wanted, and, if that 

 did not attract attention, he would " speak," with a 

 short bark, as his mother had been in the habit of doing. 



Dr. H. B. Shank, of Lansing, informs me that a 

 cat, owned by him, had learned to open doors that 

 were secured with a latch, and all of her descendants 

 inherited the same peculiarity ; while another family 

 of cats, brought up with them, did not learn the trick, 

 although they had sufficient intelligence to ask the 

 assistance of their more expert friends when they 

 wanted a door opened. 



Girou de Buzarringues reports the frequently- 

 quoted case of " a man who had the habit, when in 

 bed, of lying on his back and crossing the right leg 

 over the left. One of his daughters had the same 

 habit from birth, and constantly assumed that position 

 in the cradle." a 



Darwin reports the interesting case of a boy who 

 " had the singular habit, when pleased, of rapidly 



1 Herbert Spencer, " Principles of Biology," vol. i., p. 247 ; Goodale, 

 ' "Principles of Breeding," p. 26. 



2 Quoted from Ribot on " Heredity," p. 8. 



