THE DOG. 149 



she had actually a human preference for the use of the 

 right hand), and push the door forward till the lock 

 clicked. 



" On one occasion, she could not move the door ; 

 and after sundry efforts she returned, whining in that 

 peculiar way by which she expressed embarrassment. 

 It appeared that the room was smoking, and the ser- 

 vant had opened the door to let the smoke out, and 

 placed a smoothing iron against it to keep it so. Quail 

 pondered for some time on the case, with her head on 

 one side ; when, as if the cause suddenly struck her, she 

 ran at the smoothing iron, and having dragged it away, 

 she pushed with both her feet against the door, shut it ; 

 and returned to us rejoicing. We often placed similar 

 obstructions there, but Quail was never again embarrassed 

 to find out the cause : she always, however, barked at 

 it, and shook it after she had removed it, as if to express 

 her displeasure for the trouble it gave her. 



" Her power of distinguishing persons was also very 

 great, and decided by means very different from the 

 mere instinct of smell. A circumstance of this kind 

 occurred, which highly gratified an eminent and very 

 sensible artist. Of all the inmates of our family, Quail 

 was most attached to my mother, who returned her 

 good-will, and was very kind to her. She had sat for 



