298 LANGUAGE IN OTHER ANIMALS. 



4. Preferring requests to him to do some desired thing. 



That all this is frequently done is illustrated by the dog's 

 behaviour when its master is murdered or meets with some 

 accident. It not only instantly communicates intelligence 

 of the event in the proper quarter, but it solicits immediate 

 aid spares no effort in obtaining it, and will take no denial. 

 It does all this inter alia by the 



1. Anxiety, earnestness, or seriousness, not only of its 

 look, but of its whole demeanour. 



2. Persistency or pertinacity of its barking or whining, 

 as well as its unusual character or its occurrence at unusual 

 times and in unusual places. 



3. Unusual character of its other voice-sounds, such as 

 moans. 



4. Restlessless or eccentricity of its movements, unusual 

 excitement, agitation, or action, including incessant and 

 wild leaping or running round or about a room or place, 

 or round a person apparently without immediate aim, but 

 obviously not in or from joy. 



5. Catching the dress of a master or mistress, and 

 peremptorily dragging, pulling, or tugging him or her in a 

 particular direction thereby. 



6. Scampering off in a fixed direction when it finds itself 

 likely to be followed by those whose aid it has solicited. 



7. Going in front when it finds itself so followed 

 leading or showing the way to a given locality. 



8. Looking behind, however, now and again, to make sure 

 that it is being duly followed, and by the proper parties. 



9. Stopping at a given spot, and pointing, scratching, 

 tearing, or barking, as circumstances may require. 



10. Frequency of visits unaccompanied to the same 

 spot. 



By some such means by an intelligent dog many 

 a murder has been discovered, many a tipsy or wounded 

 master rescued, many lost articles recovered. Again, a dog 

 guarding a sleeping child summons the absent nurse, on 

 the infant's awaking, by searching for and discovering her 

 in some other apartment, pulling at her dress, and so draw- 

 ing her towards the nursery all just as a child itself would 

 do under similar circumstances. 



