SAPIENT PIGS. 219 



powers to do these things — they are merely imi- 

 tators or living puppets in the hand of man, with 

 sufficient comprehension to do his bidding. I re- 

 member seeing a so-called " sapient pig," placed in 

 the centre of a large room filled with spectators, 

 within a circle of cards, by which he would tell 

 the hour of the day, the minutes and seconds, with 

 sundry other tricks of a like nature. But w^hat 

 would have been the amount of knowledge belong- 

 ing to this sapient animal without the directing eye 

 and superintendence of his master ? Nothing at all. 

 I heard of another pig that was taught to range 

 the fields and stand partridges like a pointer. 

 This pig had evidently a mind or disposition to do 

 what he was taught; but had ]iq the mind to 

 know what he was doing ? I trow not. 



But to return to the dog. What powers of 

 mind does he display as evidently emanating from 

 reasoning faculties, apart from instruction? We 

 hear of Newfoundland dogs saving men from 

 drowning ; what noble (minded is, I suppose, un- 

 derstood) animals ! They have been instructed 

 from puppyhood to bring sticks and other things 

 thrown into the water out of it ; here is no dis- 

 play of mind. Sheep-dogs on the mountains go 

 to bring home their master's sheep ; they have 

 been continually accustomed to do so, having 



