DOGS ON THE HIGHWAY 231 



hares are so numerous that as many as forty have 

 been counted feeding at once, it was at one time quite 

 dangerous to ride a bicycle at night-time ; for the hares, 

 attracted by the lamp, would hop into the road right 

 in the cyclist's path, apparently unconscious of danger. 

 Now the hares have become more cautious, and very 

 few dogs get into collision with bicycles in these days. 

 But they have not yet learnt to appreciate the power 

 and speed of the motor-car. The dog on the race- 

 course is a byword ; still, it must have been a most 

 adventurous or extraordinarily stupid animal which 

 chose to watch the motor-racing at Blackpool from 

 the middle of the asphalt track. But one really did 

 so, and lost its life in consequence. 



The first new and dangerous contrivances to which 

 dogs had to grow used were carts and carriages 

 Scotid, " machines " for the old waggons and sledges 

 were too slow to make much difference to their safety. 

 In countries where dogs draw carts themselves they 

 may understand the danger of being run over naturally. 

 Here they always have to learn, first, that danger exists, 

 and next how to avoid it, and are often far less quick 

 to do so than are very small children. It is not 

 till they have learnt to take care of themselves on 

 ordinary country roads that they may be considered 

 " grown-up." An old exciseman of our acquaintance 

 always declared that next to the illicit makers of 

 malt, the " taxable " puppies gave him most trouble. 

 They were not liable to be paid for until six months 

 old, and as there was no register of canine births, 

 many of them never seemed to reach this age. Finally 



