

THE TONGUE. 175 



different manners or attitudes in which the dog runs afford pleasing and 

 satisfactory illustrations of the nature of the scent. Sometimes they will 

 be seen galloping with their noses in the air, as if their game had flown 

 a,way, and, an hour or two afterwards, every one of them will have his 

 muzzle on the ground. The specific gravity of the atmosphere has changed, 

 and the scent has risen or fallen in proportion. 



A westerly wind stands next to a southerly one, for a hunting morning. 

 This is all simple enough, and needs not the mystification with which it 

 has been surrounded. A valuable account of this may be found in John- 

 son's Shooting Companion, a work that is justly and highly approved. 



Mr. Delme Radcliffe has also, in his splendid work on " the noble 

 science," some interesting remarks on the scent of hounds. He says that 

 there is an idiosyncracy, a peculiarity, in their several dispositions. Some 

 young hounds seem to enter on their work instinctively. From their first 

 to their last appearance in the field they do no wrong. Others, equally 

 good, will take no notice of anything ; they will not stoop to any scent 

 during the first season, and are still slack at entering even at the second ; 

 but are ultimately distinguished at the head of the pack ; and such usually 

 last some seasons longer than the more precocious of the same litter. 



THE TONGUE. 



The manner of drinking is different in the different animals. The horse, 

 the ox, and the sheep do not plunge their muzzles into the water, but 

 bring their lips into contact with it and sip it gradually. The dog, 

 whose tongue is longer, plunges it a little way into the fluid, and, curving 

 its tip and its edges, laps, in the language of Johnson, with a " quick 

 reciprocation of the tongue." The horse sucks the water that is placed 

 before him, the dog laps it ; and both of them are subject to inflamma- 

 tion of the tongue, to enlargement of that organ, and to a considerable or 

 constant flow of saliva over it. 



Extending from the base to the tip of the tongue there is on either side 

 a succession of tendons, which help to retain the tongue in the mouth, and 

 to curve the edge of it, so as to convey the food or the water to the 

 posterior part of the mouth. These all spring from one central cord, and 

 ramify over the membrane of the tongue. On opening the mouth, and 

 keeping it open by means of two pieces of tape, one behind the upper 

 canine teeth, and the other behind the lower ones, and drawing the tongue 

 from the mouth and exposing its under surface, a cuticular fold or ridge 

 will present itself, occupying a middle line from the base of the tongue to 

 its very point. If this is opened with a lancet, a minute fibrous cord will 

 be exposed through its whole extent. It is the cord which governs the 

 motions of the tongue. 



This cord is, sometimes, foolishly and uselessly detached from its 

 adhesions, so far as we can effect it, and drawn forward with a tenaculum 

 and divided. There is one abominable course pursued in effecting this. 

 The violence used in stripping down the tendon is so great, and the 

 acerated fibrous substance is put so much on the stress, and its natural 

 elasticity is so considerable, that it recoils and assumes the appearance of 

 a dying worm, and the dog is said to have been wormed. For the sake 

 of humanity, as well as to avoid the charge of ignorance, it is to be hoped 

 that this practice will speedily cease. 



