DREAMS AND DELUSIONS. 95 



itself probably on a hearth rug before the dying embers of a 

 library fire, or within the walls of its kennel. But it speedily 

 realises its error, distinguishes between fact and fancy, the 

 imaginary and the real, becomes aware, in short, that it was 

 dreaming, and again betakes itself to repose. 



Here there is indubitably for a time, and in a sense, 

 delusion, belief in an unreality, and action determined by 

 that belief. But the delusion is quite compatible with, 

 and common in, what is assumed to be practically sanity 

 both of mind and body, though there cannot be dreaming 

 without a certain amount of disturbance, both psychical 

 and physical. It is, in short, a sane delusion, temporary, 

 corrigible, and corrected by the use of the senses and judg- 

 ment, and it is a sane delusion equally in man and other 

 animals. Were the delusion an insane one did it exist, 

 that is to say, in an insane animal the dog would actually 

 pursue an imaginary stag or hare. But it does so in the 

 case of a sane delusion of a similar kind a mere delusion of 

 sleep or dreaming only in imagination, while in a state of 

 comparative physical quiescence, and ostensibly asleep in its 

 kennel. 



This distinction between sane and insane delusions is of 

 the highest importance in regard to man as to other ani- 

 mals, and the subject will be taken up again and more, fully 

 illustrated in subsequent parts of the present chapter. 



Just as hounds or harriers chase in their dreams imagi- 

 nary game, collies or other dogs worry in their sleep imagi- 

 nary enemies, or snap presumably at imaginary flies or other 

 insect tormentors. In other words, in their sleep or dreams 

 they appear to engage in imaginary quarrels, games, pur- 

 suits, attacks. 



It has to be noted that dreaming in the horse is cha- 

 racterised sometimes by shuddering, shivering, quivering, 

 quaking, or trembling. These phenomena are concomitants 

 or results in the waking state of excitement, fear, ardour, 

 impetuosity, or impatience. Hence it has been quite le- 

 gitimately inferred by Montaigne and others that the same 

 feelings or mental conditions are developed during sleep 

 and dreaming, and are likely to be associated in the race- 



