C86 THE DOG. 



tended crimes, when, to human eye, nothing indicated an 

 evil design. When Henry III. of France fell by the dagger 

 of a monk, history records that a dog of the household mani- 

 fested extraordinary fury towards the assassin as he ap- 

 proached his victim, the animal, doubtless, observing some- 

 thing in the demeanour of the villain which indicated his 

 purpose. The ancients record instances of this kind, which 

 they ascribe to supernatural power, and which the moderns 

 sometimes endeavour to explain by assuming the existence 

 of some senses in the lower tribes unknown to us ; but the 

 more natural hypothesis, in the case of the Dog, is, that his 

 acute senses, and surpassing faculty of observation, enable 

 him to discover what escapes our cognizance. 



The promptitude and precision with which dogs adapt 

 means to an end, are worthy of our admiration. A child, 

 falling into a river, was hurried down the stream with fright- 

 ful rapidity, and in a few moments would have been out of 

 reach. A little dog standing near the bank flew to the rescue, 

 but instead of swimming to the child in the water, in which 

 case his utmost powers would have been unavailing to over- 

 take it, he ran farther down, plunged into the stream, and 

 intercepted it. 



When persons are engaged in endeavouring to effect some 

 given purpose, it is surprising how quickly dogs divine their 

 intentions, and with what sagacity they lend their aid. A dog, 

 seeing the ineffectual attempts made to communicate with a 

 stranded vessel, has seized the rope, and swum with it so 

 that the crew might catch it. In one of the mountainous parts 

 of m Scotland, the only child of a poor peasant had wandered 

 from home, lost its way, and strayed farther and farther from 

 the path. Night came on, and the anxious parents, assisted 

 by their neighbours, searched every corner round and round 

 in vain. The search was continued throughout the night, 

 and as the miserable parents were about to abandon it in 

 despair, they heard the barking of a dog in the distance, 

 who, unknown to them, had likewise set out in the search. 



