IN OTHEE ANIMALS. 179 



demeanour alike eloquently bespeak its sense of detection 

 and disgrace. It understands its master's accusation as 

 conveyed by eye, tone, word, gesture, and it either makes 

 instant effort to escape the punishment which it knows it 

 has incurred and deserved, or, if escape be hopeless, it, as 

 calmly as may be, awaits the said punishment, and does not 

 resent it, as it would did it feel it to be unmerited. A bitch 

 having once eaten a quantity of shrimps intended for her 

 master's dinner sauce, had only to be asked ever after, 

 6 Who stole the shrimps ? ' to cause her to take to ignomi- 

 nious flight ears and tail down going to bed, refusing 

 to be comforted .... the picture of shame and remorse,' 

 while we are told e she never stole again ' ( c Animal World J ). 



A young dog having committed some offence against the 

 established rules of his master's household, 'after we had 

 shaken our heads at him and turned away .... although 

 he must have been very hungry, would not touch his food, but 

 sat close to the door, whining and crying, till we made it up 

 with him by telling him he was forgiven and taking his 

 offered paw, when he ate his supper and went quietly to 

 bed.' Another dog, ' if he has done anything wrong, comes 

 up looking very much ashamed of himself and voluntarily 

 offers his paw' (Wood). Here we have decided efforts at 

 propitiation of an offended master or mistress, and after the 

 fashion of man's reconciliations by the shaking of hands, as 

 nearly as the dog can imitate this arrangement. There are 

 cases in which regret or remorse leads to the restoration of 

 stolen goods. A dog that had murdered a duck was caught 

 in the act of burying its dead body that is, of concealing the 

 evidences of his crime. ' So deeply was his conscience pricked 

 that when he found himself arrested by a bush he ran the 

 risk of dying of cold and hunger rather than allow himself to be 

 discovered ' (Wood) . When a large, magnanimous, powerful 

 dog for instance, of the Newfoundland breed has allowed 

 impulse or passion to hurry it into some rash act, such as 

 killing or too severely punishing some puny pug that has 

 been merely forward, impudent, or annoying, it frequently 

 and eloquently expresses its shame, regret, or remorse. 



As in man, conscience or conscientiousness sometimes 



N 2 



