UNDERSTANDING OF HUMAN LANGUAGE. 351 



nothing good about themselves. Hogg, the Ettrick shepherd, 

 who studied so intelligently and lovingly the character, in- 

 tellectual and moral, of his companion and servant collies, 

 gives several striking illustrations of the correct interpre- 

 tation of their master's remarks made in conversation with 

 Iris wife, family, or friends. 



' If one calls out, for instance, that the cows are in the 

 corn or the hens in the garden, the house collie needs no 

 other hint, but runs and turns them out.' Hector, over- 

 hearing its master propose leaving it behind on a journey, 

 went off alone and in advance, meeting its master at his 

 destination. Sirrah, hearing him lament the loss of three 

 flocks of lambs, without order 'set off in quest of them, and 

 in the darkness of night collected the whole 700. Another 

 family dog (bitch), on overhearing the day of her master's 

 home-coming mentioned, never failed to go to meet him. 

 ' She could only know of his home-coining by hearing it men- 

 tioned in the family' (Macaulay). 



Further illustrations are to be found in the numerous 

 cases of the sudden, temporary, or permanent disappearance 

 of sporting or other dogs that have accidentally uninten- 

 tionally as regards man overheard that 



1. They were not to accompany a master or mistress to 

 church, to walk, or to sport ; 



2. They were to be destroyed by shot, drowning, or 

 poison ; 



3. They were to be punished for some misdemeanour 

 as well as in the shame shown by their retirement from 

 a room on hearing a discreditable anecdote of themselves 

 narrated (Scott). 



The parrot, too, not only recognises its own name, both 

 when spoken of and spoken to, but it understands agreeable 

 or disagreeable, favourable or unfavourable, commendatory 

 or disparaging news or comments, communicated or made in 

 its presence (Houzeau). Like the dog, also, it appreciates 

 the significance of the tone of voice, the look, or the gesture 

 of its human visitors. 



A single word uttered, and especially if emphatically so in 

 the course of man's conversation, from the train of associa- 



