196 THE MONKE Y FAMIL Y. 



that I entertain no rancorous feeling against him. But, on the con- 

 trary, should he accept my invitation to Walton Hall, I will shake 

 him by the hand, and offer him good old English hospitality, until 

 we set out in quest of monkeys possessing the power of throwing 

 stones, or of hurling any projectile whatever. So no more at present, 

 my pretty Pet, from thy affectionate Parent, 



" CHARLES WATERTON. 

 "WALTON HALL, July 1858." 



THE DOG TRIBE. 



" Canibusque Sagacior Anser" 



THE above quotation informs us, that the Roman poet Ovid, evi- 

 dently considered the goose to be superior in sagacity to the dog. 

 We, wiser in our generation, have been taught otherwise ; for, when 

 a man cannot exactly comprehend our meaning, we lose temper and 

 call him a goose ; but when a man shows brain in ferreting out a 

 dubious case, we declare that he has the sagacity of a hound. It 

 appears then, in our times, that as far as sagacity is concerned, the 

 dog is superior to the goose. 



I propose not to give a detailed account of the dog family, even 

 were it in my power, and I had the time to spare ; because this 

 family is most numerous, whilst its varieties may be considered as 

 nearly endless. My object is to treat the subject incidentally, 

 avoiding the introduction of hard names, and repudiating refined 

 classification ; which last I willingly leave to those learned naturalists, 

 whose unwearied researches and consummate knowledge will enable 

 them to decide why a sparrow hops and why a wagtail walks. I merely 



