Cunning Spaniels. 97 



ment, and soon became so dexterous as to pull a fish 

 out almost the instant her nose went under water. 

 The jack was always the most difficult to catch, but 

 she managed to conquer him sooner or later. When 

 returned to the trough, however, she was done — the 

 water was too deep. Scarcely anything could be 

 imagined apparently more opposite to the hereditary 

 intelligence of a pointer than this ; and certainly no 

 one attempted to teach her, neither did she do it for 

 food. It was an original motion of her own : to what 

 can it be compared but mind proceeding by experi- 

 ment ? They can also adjust their conduct to cir- 

 cumstances, as when they take to hunting on their 

 own account : they then generally work in couples. 



If a spaniel, for instance, one of those allowed to 

 lie loose about farmhouses, takes to hunting for her- 

 self, she is almost always found to meet a canine friend 

 at a little distance from the homestead. It is said 

 that spaniels when they go off like this never bark 

 when on the heels of a rabbit, as they would do if a 

 sportsman was with them and the chase legitimate. 

 This suppression of what must be an almost uncon- 

 trollable inclination shows no little intelligence. If 

 they gave tongue, they would be certainly detected, 

 and as certainly thrashed. To watch the sneaking 

 way in which a spaniel will come home after an un- 



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