138 SUICIDE. 



favourite. Such animals, however, when a new dog, cat, or 

 other animal pet is introduced into a house by a master or 

 mistress, apparently survey their position, take a last look at 

 their old home, with all its contents and surroundings, and 

 then summarily desert it, never reappearing, never again 

 being seen or heard of. 



Thus an old retriever, unexpectedly finding its kennel 

 occupied by another dog whom its master had bought in 

 spite of a long-standing reciprocal attachment between it 

 and its said master at once left its home; paid it, however, 

 a farewell visit, and then disappeared finally, without leaving 

 any trace of what it had done with itself, or of the direction 

 it had taken, if it migrated to a distance. 1 



We have hitherto spoken of suicide in isolated indivi- 

 duals, and from ordinary and intelligible motives. But it 

 occurs also in singular epidemic forms, affecting simulta- 

 neously sometimes great numbers of animals, under circum- 

 stances that leave us in great doubt as to the nature of the 

 influencing forces. That deliberation or resolution is in- 

 volved is proved by the fact that obstacles naturally or arti- 

 ficially interposed do not deter from the suicidal act. Thus 

 the frost-fish of New Zealand insists on running itself high 

 and dry upon land, even if obstacles are artificially placed in 

 its way according to Eobson, who speaks of its committing 

 ' deliberate acts of self-iminolation. : ... it seemed to have 

 set its mind upon landing.' He describes the barracouta as 

 sometimes forcing itself on shore in the same way. In the 

 salmon-producing countries of the North, again, salmon often 

 perish in large numbers by leaping ashore. In all these 

 cases of fish voluntarily sacrificing their lives it may be that 

 they are pursued by formidable enemies, and are under the 

 influence of terror and despair. 



Captain Kennedy mentions a shoal of garfish off the 

 west coast of North America, pursued probably by some 

 dangerous fish-enemy, making f frantic leaps ' in their terror, 

 and at last dashing against a ship's boat, rushing headlong 

 on it, ' rattling on her side like a shower of grape-shot, and 

 leaving many of their number dead.' 



1 < Dundee Courier,' June 8, 1876. 



