THE EFFECT OF HEAT ON ANIMALS 143 



extended, to admit the air to as much of the skin as 

 possible, instead of lying curled up to exclude air, as 

 in winter. Some seek a draughty passage, or lie at an 

 open window, and nearly all revel in a bathe. Curiously 

 enough, however much a dog enjoys a swim in hot 

 weather, it scarcely ever goes off of its own accord 

 away from the house to take one. The writer once 

 owned a setter which would do this. But as a rule, 

 though they know where the water is, and will in dry 

 localities run away half a mile when out for a walk in 

 order to take a dip, they do not leave the house by 

 themselves to have a bathe. Cats never bathe,* though 

 tigers do so regularly in the Indian heats, and will sit 

 for a long time up to their necks in water. But the 

 cat seems to rejoice in any degree of heat, and to be 

 willing'to sit in a cucumber-frame or a greenhouse, or 

 on a lead roof, on the hottest days of the year. On the 

 other hand, they become very thirsty in such weather, 

 and need water. Mr. Hagenbeck, the owner of the 

 Thier Park at Hamburg, has found that his Polar 

 bears actually enjoy the hottest sun of midsummer, and 

 lie out exposed to its rays when other animals are 

 distressed by the heat. On the hottest day which he 

 remembers to have felt in Hamburg he went round the 

 gardens at mid-day to see if the animals needed any 



* A correspondent writes to say that he had a cat which did 

 this ; but I leave the words as above. 



