G CASSELL'S POPULAR NATURAL HISTORY. 



of the chase, will exhibit these points tlie, unvarying characteristics of canine strength and 

 energ\ . 



Mr. T. A. Knight, in a paper addressed, soinu years ago, to the Royal Society, remarks: "In all 

 animals it is observable that they inherit the acquired habits of their parents, but in the dog this peculiarity 

 exists to a wonderful extent. The offspring appears, indeed, to inherit, not only the passions and propen- 

 sities, but even the resentments, of the family from which it springs. 1 ascertained that a terrier, 

 \\hose parents had been in the habit of fighting with polecats, will instantly show every mark of anger 

 \\lien he n'ains first the scent of that animal, though the animal itself be wholly concealed. A young 

 spaniel, brought up with the terriers, showed no marks of emotion at the scent of a polecat, but it 

 pursued a woodcock, the lirst time it saw one, with clamour and exultation ; and a young pointer, 

 which I am certain had never seen a partridge, stood trembling with anxiety, its eyes fixed, and its 

 muscles rigid, when conducted into the midst of a covey of these birds. Yet each of these dogs is merely 

 a variety of the same species, and to that species none of these habits are given by nature. The 

 peculiarities of character can, therefore, be traced to no other source than the acquired habits of the 

 parents, which are inherited by the offspring, and become what I call -in.it !/ictive hereditary 

 propensities." 



At the period at which Mr. Knight's experiments commenced, well-bred and well-taught springing 

 spaniels were abundant, and he readily obtained possession of as many as he wanted. At first, he had 

 no other object than that of obtaining dogs of great excellence ; but, in a very short time, his attention 

 was arrested by some remarkable facts. In several instances, young and wholly inexperienced dogs 

 appeared verv nearly as expert in finding woodcocks as their experienced parents. The woods in 

 which he was accustomed to shoot did not contain pheasants, nor much game of any other kind, and 

 he therefore resolved to shoot only at woodcocks, supposing that, by so doing, hereditary propensities 

 would become more obvious and decided in the young and untaught animals. He had subsequently 

 the satisfaction of seeing, in more than one instance, the result he expected. Some of the young ones 

 found as many woodcocks, and gave tongue as correctly, as the best of his older dogs. 



Nor is this hereditary power manifest only in the spaniel race. The pointer, whose parents have 

 for generations been trained for purposes of sport, will take to pointing almost without any instruction, 

 further than what is necessary to quell the exuberance of youth, whilst one, descended from parents 

 which had not been so exercised, will require great care and pains to teach it its duties. It is said that 

 dogs do not bark, but only howl, in the wild state, and that the bark is an imitation of the human 

 voice ; but the pup of the tame dog barks, though it may never have heard a similar sound. 



Other instances are equally, or still more, remarkable. Dogs that have been trained to hunt the 

 peccary* have offspring that seem, from the first attempt, to understand the proper and very peculiar 

 mode of attack required, whilst another dog is destroyed at once by this savage creature. A St. Bernard 

 dog, born in London, began to track footsteps in the snow, after the manner of its Alpine parents. A 

 puppy, taken from its mother at six weeks' old, who, although never taught to bi>y an accomplishment 

 which its mother had been taught spontaneously took to begging for everything he wanted, when 

 about seven or eight months' old. He would beg for food, beg to be let out of the room, and one day 

 was found opposite the rabbit-hutch begging for the rabbits. 



The park of dogs taken by Mr. Burchell in his travels in South Africa, consisted of about five- 

 and-twenty, of various sorts and sizes. This variety, though not altogether intentional, as he was 

 obliged to take any that could be procured, was of the greatest service in such an expedition, as he 

 observed that some gave notice in one -way, and some in another. Some were disposed to watch 

 t men, and others against wild beasts. Some discovered an enemy by their quickness of hearing, 

 others by that of scent. Some were useful only for their vigilance and barking, others for speed in 

 pursuing game, and others for their courage in holding ferocious animals at bay. 



So large a pack was not, indeed, maintained without adding greatly to the cave and trouble of 

 tlte traveller, in supplying them with meat and water, for it was som. -times difficult to obtain for them 



enough of the latter ; but their services were invaluable, as they ofiei ntributed to his safety, and always 



to In Bft8e, by their constant vigilance, as he felt confident (Lii no d.inger could approach at night 

 without being announced by their barking. No circumstances could render the value and fidelity of 



