GERMAN PIGS AND FLEAS. 205 



why, then, should not the skins of animals be similarly 

 influenced? This, in Meyer's opinion, explains why 

 horses and asses rub themselves, shake their heads, and 

 snuff the air by turning up their noses ; why asses bray 

 much and jump about ; why cattle scrape up the earth 

 and stamp with their feet ; and why swine, though not 

 hungry, eat greedily, and dig up the earth a great 

 deal with their snouts. Our learned instructor from 

 Gottingen may think so ; we have our doubts, and 

 beg to enter a special caveat against the libel on pigs, 

 " Eat greedily, though not hungry." We believe they 

 have more sense. They have good appetites, let us 

 be thankful, otherwise we should not have such good 

 hams. If Gottingen swine behave like gluttons on the 

 approach of rain, we can only say that our magnificent 

 pig has no such evil custom, anQ. eats his meals, foul 

 day or fair day, with an equanimity which makes us 

 envious. 



As to the pre-sensation of rain inferred from the in- 

 creased biting of fleas, of that also we have no personal 

 experience. We admire the modesty which prompts the 

 declaration, " This we cannot explain, as the natural 

 history of this and other similar insects is as yet too 

 obscure." This modesty makes us benevolently hope 

 that rain does not fall in excess at Gottingen, and that 

 the liveliness of fleas is consequently not discomposing 

 to the natives. As to the pre-sensation which animals 

 have of storms, our German Doctor is surely quite astray 

 when maintaining that hitherto this has been observed 

 only amongst the most perfect of mammalia namely, 

 man and the dog ; and we doubt not that he was dream- 

 ing in the clouds pipe-begotten when generalising 

 thus: "It appears, in general, that the more imper- 

 fect animals remark only the approach of dry weather, 

 the more perfect the approach of rain, and the most per- 

 fect the approach of storms." 



'* The dog, on the approach of rainy weather, ex- 

 presses signs of uneasiness, scratches himself, because 



