130 ANECDOTES OF ANIMALS. 



almost all destroyed. The extent to -which this illicit 

 commerce was carried was enormous. Dogs' notions 

 of property, however, are often very scrupulous. A 

 lady at Bath found her way impeded as she walked, by 

 a dog, who had discovered the loss of her veil, though 

 she had not. The animal had left his own master to 

 seek it for her ; he found it, and then returned to his 

 owner. They often show a presentiment of danger, and 

 gave notice of the earthquake at Gabaluasco in 1835, by 

 leaving the town ; also at Concepcion, in the same manner. 



Some dogs have a great antipathy to music, others 

 only to certain tones, and I have known a dog who 

 always set up a howl at particular passages. There 

 was one who, before the great Revolution in France, 

 used to inarch with the band at the Tuileries because 

 he liked it, and at night frequent the opera and other 

 theatres. 



The most surprising histories told of dogs are con- 

 cerning their speech. Liebnitz reported to the French 

 Academy of Sciences that a dog had been taught to 

 modulate his voice, so that he could distinctly ask for 

 coffee, tea, and chocolate. After this we may believe 

 that a dog was learning to say Elizabeth. I have often 

 watched for such sounds from energetic, clever dogs, 

 who have evidently tried viva voce to make me ac- 

 quainted with some circumstance, but never heard any- 

 thing intelligible, and cannot imagine that the organs 

 of speech are bestowed upon a favoured few, without 

 which the articulation of words must be impossible. 



Yolumes might be filled with these anecdotes of dogs, 

 but I will here conclude my list with the picture given 

 by Mr. St. John of his pets, portraying a happiness 

 which contrasts strongly with the miserable condition 



