EDWARD BURGESS. 79 



yards, then entered it and swam up, dashing from side 

 to side and making a great commotion in the water. He 

 then landed near where the men stood and where the 

 bird was shot, and explored diligently for a short dis- 

 tance up and down the reedy bank. Finding nothing, he 

 crossed over, soon struck the trail, disappeared among 

 the rushes, and in a few moments reappeared with the 

 bird. 



It seems that the dog had learned in Australia — from 

 which place he had been sent to his present owner — that 

 a wounded duck, after diving, always goes down stream, 

 swimming a considerable distance under water before 

 making for the shore, when he will steal out and hide in 

 the bank. To prevent this the dog had run down, en- 

 tered the stream below, and thrashed it up so as to drive 

 out the duck nearly at the point where he dived, know- 

 ing that he would not swim up stream but take to the 

 shore. This would make it easy to find the trail, as only 

 a short distance on either side would have to be tracked; 

 whereas, had the bird swam down stream thirty yards or 

 more, as he might have done, or landed immediately, as 

 he might have done also, that whole distance must have 

 been covered by the dog with much greater chance of the 

 game escaping him. Instinct had nothing to do with 

 this — it was an elaborate and invalued piece of reasoning, 

 acquired of course by experience. 



Of the affection and tender solicitude which dogs dis- 

 play for those to whom they are attached or who are en- 

 trusted to their care, there are numerous stories. I can 

 only quote one. This relates to a Newfoundland dog 

 belonging to a Mr. W. F. Hooper. One day, as usual, 

 he went out with the nursemaid, who was carrying the 

 baby in her arms. The wind beginning to blow she 

 turned back to return, wrapping the shawl around the 

 baby to protect it from the air. Presently the dog 

 placed himself across her path, and would not let her 



35 



