THE EMOTION OF GRIEF IN ANIMALS 79 



not only the author of a defence of the Continental 

 pronunciation of the classics against the Erasmian 

 change, but a skilful physician, and rigorous head of 

 the college which he founded. Gesner probably 

 expected from such a quarter a learned dissertation 

 on the anatomy and history of the dog. But his 

 correspondent was so wholly and so quaintly absorbed 

 in the moral and mental qualities of the animals, 

 with the present merits and ancient history of which 

 he shows a most minute acquaintance, that he supplied 

 Gesner with a series of character sketches of English 

 dogs, as a supplement to a scientific list of the British 

 fauna and flora, which he had previously placed at 

 his disposal. This is his estimate of the emotion of 

 grief, or, as he calls it, ' love ' in the dog : ' This 

 kind of dogges, called " defending dogges," hath 

 principall property engrafted in them, that they love 

 their masters liberally, and hate strangers despight- 

 fully if it chaunce that their master be op- 

 pressed, either by a multitude, or by the greater 

 violence, and so be beaten downe that he be grovelling 

 on the ground, it is proved true by experience that 

 this Dogge forsaketh not his master, no, not when he 

 is starcke dead ; but induring the force of famishment, 

 and the outrageous tempests of the weather, most 

 vigilantly watcheth, and carefully keepeth the dead 

 carkasse many dayes, endeavouring, furthermore, to 



