TRESPASSING ANIMALS 213 



which is partly true, and is in some degree an 

 apology for intrusion. It is this which tempts people 

 to invade the nice shady lawns of riverside houses ; to 

 stray off footpaths into the mowing grass ; and to walk 

 into cool college quads, where they imagine (wrongly) 

 that they are trespassing. It even led to Mr. Pickwick 

 being wheeled to the pound. There are those who say 

 that the knowledge that the invader has no right to 

 be there adds to the pleasure of trespass. We doubt 

 it greatly. But we have no doubt at all that many 

 animals are perfectly aware of the illegal side of 

 trespass ; that they know that it is naughty and dis- 

 allowed, and that in doing so they are contravening 

 the rights of property. This, of course, involves the 

 supposition that animals understand property not only 

 in things but land. There are many ' leading cases ' 

 to prove this, the commonest being the vigour with 

 which dogs drive any strange animal out of their 

 master's garden. Dogs are so well aware of the whole 

 moral and legal aspects of trespass, that when once they 

 have made up their minds to it they actually trade on 

 the knowledge that their owner has a conscience, though 

 they have not. We have noticed this in great perfec- 

 tion in the case of canine trespass on the grass circles 

 in the front of a semi-public building in London. 

 This delectable piece of grass is divided from the road 

 by a high railing, but the gate usually stands open. 



