46 TRAINING THE PIUNTING DOG 



parts of life from his own experience, and by observ- 

 ing the doings of his fellows, but he learns only from 

 opportunity. 



Dogs are imitative. They readily learn by ob- 

 serving the doings of older, wiser and more experi- 

 enced dogs. They have a limited language by which 

 they can convey certain ideas, and they interpret 

 quite intelligently the significance of certain actions 

 of each other and of their masters. 



With a purpose to give the reader some ideas on 

 this point, as well as to evoke more serious thought 

 in respect to it, the following frDm "The Descent of 

 Man," by Darwin, is presented. Treating of lan- 

 guage, he remarks : "This faculty has justly been 

 considered as one of the chief distinctions between 

 man and the lower animals. But man, as a highly 

 competent judge, Archbishop Whately remarks, 'is 

 not the only animal that can make use of language to 

 express what is passing in his mind, and can under- 

 stand more or less what is so expressed by another.' 

 In Paraguay the Cebus azara, when excited, utters at 

 least six distinct sounds, which excite in other 

 monkeys similar emotions. The movements of the 

 features and the gestures of monkeys are understood 



