DOGS*. THEIR MANAGEMENT. 391 



actions is at this time so conspicuous, that I have re- 

 peatedly lingered to watch them ; and he who has never 

 witnessed her conduct on such occasions, might be enter- 

 tained by observing it. 



The animal subsequently requires little attention, 

 beyond a change of bed and a fair supply of nutritive 

 food. She does best when least noticed ; but it is well 

 to see that she takes a sufficiency of exercise. On the 

 following day she should be taken out ; and on every 

 day after that she ought to be about pretty much as 

 before. Some bitches, however, are such devoted mo- 

 thers as to sacrifice health, and occasionally life itself, to 

 enjoy the pleasure of being with their young ones. This 

 excess of affection must be controlled ; for if not checked 

 it will seriously injure both parent and offspring. All 

 animals, however, are not thus distinguished. Some 

 bitches cannot be induced to suckle the pups they have 

 given birth to ; and others, though less frequent, will 

 eat their progeny. The disposition to desert or destroy 

 their young seems to prevail among the parentage of 

 this world. In the female of the dog the maternal in- 

 stinct is most powerful ; but under certain conditions 

 of the- animal's body, the natural impulse seems to be 

 perverted, and she takes the life she would else have 

 perished to preserve. 



It is painful, knowing this, to reflect that on his own 

 species man inflicts the highest punishment, for an act 

 that possibly may be, in the human being as in brutes, 

 the consequence of a mental excitement accompanying 



