536 DECEPTION. 



ingly seek safety in flight, or hesitate in their attack. But 

 other dogs, more intelligent, good readers of human charac- 

 ter, and well acquainted with all shades of their master's 

 humour, find out in their own way that when a man goes 

 through the pretended action of throwing a stone, he has 

 none in his hand to throw, knowing, in certain cases, that 

 there being no stones at hand to throw, there cannot be one 

 in his hand (Houzeau). And the natural result of such be- 

 lief or knowledge is that they do not take the trouble to get 

 out of his way, showing, on the contrary, perfect unconcern. 

 When, therefore, a master affects anger at some escapade, 

 some amusing misdemeanour of a favourite dog, and makes 

 believe to throw a stone at it, while, in truth, he is laugh- 

 ing at it, the dog probably realises at once that its master 

 is 'just in fun.' 



While there is a correct interpretation of man's natural 

 tone of voice by the dog, or other animals, they are apt to be 

 misled by his assumed tones, by his make-believe anger, 

 reproof or harshness. But this is usually the case only for 

 a time. In proportion as the animals know their master 

 thoroughly, and are in the habit of closely observing all his 

 habits of look, tone, and action, they become less and less 

 liable to be deceived by his pretences. 



The success of man's deceptions depends, on the one 

 hand, on the unwariness, or stupidity, want of observation 

 or reflection, of his dupe ; and, on the other, on the excellence 

 of his imitations of nature, of natural objects and sounds, 

 of insects, in artificial flies, of bird-notes, in his artificial calls, 

 of gait and appearance, in decking himself with skins, or 

 covering himself with herbage, and in strutting, running, or 

 moving like this or that animal. He has occasion to resort 

 to a great variety of ingenious devices, as when he paints an 

 ass's skin, so as to resemble a zebra's ; or when he cheats 

 the wary spider with sand grains, used as artificial midges. 

 Miss Gordon Cumming tells us of an Indian ornithologist 

 * so perfectly skilled in imitating the calls of different rare 

 birds, that the deluded victims respond, and coming close to 

 the beguiling voice, pay the penalty of their curiosity.' 



