TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION D. 1089 
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15. 
The following Report and Papers were read :— 
1. Report on the Migration of Birds.—See Reports, p. 685. 
2. Note on the Intelligence of the Dog. By Sir Joun Lussock, Bart., BS. 
The man and the dog have lived together in more or less intimate association for 
many thousands of years, and yet it must be confessed that they know comparatively 
little of one another. That the dog is a loyal, true, and affectionate friend must 
be gratefully admitted ; but when we come to consider the psychical nature of the 
animal, the limits of our knowledge are almost immediately reached. I have else- 
where suggested that this arises very much from the fact that hitherto we have 
tried to teach animals, rather than to learn from them: to convey our ideas to them, 
rather than to devise any language or code of signals by means of which they 
might communicate theirs to us. The former may be more important from a utili- 
tarian point of view—though even this is questionable—but psychologically it is 
far less interesting. Under these circumstances, it occurred to me that some such 
system as that followed with deaf mutes, and especially by Dr. Howe with Laura 
Bridgman, might prove instructive, if adapted to the case of dogs. 
I have tried this in a small way with a black poodle named Van, by taking two 
pieces of cardboard, about ten inches by three, and printing on ove of them in 
large letters the word ‘food, leaving the other blank. I then placed two cards 
over two saucers, and in the one under the ‘ food’ card I put a little bread and milk, 
which Van, after having his attention called to the card, was allowed to eat. This 
was repeated until, in about ten days, he began to distinguish between the two 
ecards. I then put them on the floor, and made him bring them to me, which he 
did readily enough. When he brought the plain card I simply threw it back, 
while when he brought the ‘food’ card I gave him a piece of bread, and in about 
a month he had pretty well learned to realise the difference. I then had some 
other cards printed with the words ‘ out,’ ‘ tea,’ ‘ bone,’ ‘ water,’ and a certain number 
also with words to which I did not intend him to attach any significance, such as 
«naught, ‘ plain,’ ‘ ball, &c. He soon learnt that bringing a card was a request, and to 
distinguish between the plain and printed cards ; it took him longer to realise the 
difference between words, but he gradually got to recognise several. If he were 
asked whether he would like to go out, he would joyfully pick up the ‘ out’ card, 
choosing it from several others, and would bring it to me, or run with it in evident 
triumph to the door. The cards were not always put in the same places, but were 
varied indiscriminately, and in a great variety of positions. Nor could the dog recog- 
nise them by scent, for they were all alike, and continually handled by us. Still I 
did not trust to that alone, but had a number printed for each word. When, for 
instance, he brought a card with ‘food’ on it, we did not put down the identical 
card, but another bearing the samme word; when he had brought that, a third, then 
a fourth, and so on. Fora single meal, therefore, eighteen or twenty cards would 
be used, so that he evidently was not guided by scent. 
No one who has seen him look down a row of cards and pick up the one he 
wanted, could, I think, doubt that in bringing a card he feels he is making a 
request, and that he can not only distinguish one card from another, but also 
associate the word and the object. This is, of course, only a beginning, but it is, I 
venture to think, suggestive, and might be carried further, though the limited 
wants and aspirations of the animal constitute a great difficulty, 
My wife has a collie which was often in the room when Van brought the food 
card and was rewarded with a piece of bread, but although the collie begged in the 
usual manner, it never once occurred to that dog to bring a card, of which, indeed, 
not the slightest notice was taken. 
1885. 4A 
