188 THE PLAY OF ANIMALS. 



ticing what he does; always ready to serve him, he is the 

 right kind of eye-servant. If his master takes up a 

 ninepin ball, he seizes one between his paws, gnaws at 

 it, and is evidently annoyed that he can not take it up 

 too. When his master looks for geological specimens, 

 he hunts stones too, and digs with his paws when he 

 sees digging going on. The master sits at a window 

 admiring the view, the dog springs up on the bench 

 near by, lays his paws on the window sill, and gazes, 

 though not absorbedly, at the beauties of the scene. 

 He always wants to carry a stick or basket when he 

 sees his master or the cook carry one." * 



There is probably something of playful imitation, 

 too, in the howling of dogs when they hear music, for 

 the dog which, for instance, accompanies the piano with 

 mournful wails is often not compelled to listen to the 

 music, but comes into the room voluntarily. I have 

 said that I am doubtful whether the howling of dogs is 

 always a sign of distress, and I am almost sure that it 

 frequently is not when they howl to music; on the con- 

 trary, they seem to take pleasure in it. Moreover, there 

 are cases on record where a rude attempt to imitate the 

 music is apparent, though it is very easy to be mistaken 

 about that. A friend of mine had, when he was a stu- 

 dent, a female poodle named Rolla, with which he often 

 gave performances for the entertainment of his friends. 

 When he sang in a high falsetto voice the dog accom- 

 panied him with howls that unmistakably adapted them- 

 selves to the pitch of the notes. While there was, of 



* Scheitlin, Thierseelenkunde, ii, p. 257. It will be noticed that 

 not everything mentioned in this instance can be attributed to 

 imitation. Opening doors is another instance of the same kind ; 

 there may be something imitative about it, but it is principally the 

 result of effort to get out or in by scratching or pushing. 



