THE MAMMALIA— MAN AND BEASTS. 



53 



to hold it down steadily with his paws, and he is ten or twelve months old before he 

 hides his superfluous food. The latter Instinct is also seen, according to Azara, 

 in the Puma (Felis Concolor), and in several other wild Animals of Paraguay. 



Many of the domestic animals, but especially the Dog, express their Contempt or 

 Aversion for any object by rolling themselves over it. If they find the carcass of a 

 Mole, a Shrew (Sorex), or other Insectivora, they immediately roll over it, which 

 they never do upon the carcass of a Ruminant or Solipede, of which they are very 

 fond. M. de La Malle had two Spaniels, which devoured with pleasure the bones of 

 "Woodcock and Snipe ; but when he threw into their mouths the gizzards of these 

 Birds, which had a very strong marshy flavour, they rejected them with well express- 

 ed signs of disgust, and when the gizzards fell upon the floor, they immediately rolled 

 over them. On attempting to urge them by commands and threats to eat the gizzards, 

 they smelt them and rolled over them as before, nor could they be diverted from this 

 Instinctive action either by the presence or injunctions of their master. This ex- 

 periment was repeated several times, and always with the same result. 



A remarkable instance of the force of Imitation is related by i\J. de La Malle of his 

 Dog, named Fox. This gentleman had a male kitten, aged six months, when the 

 Scotch Terrier, Fox^ then two months old, was given to him. It was of that variely 

 with long and rough hair, with straight ears directed forwards, which attaches itself 

 to Horses, and is used for Fox-hunting. This Dog, when two years old, had never 

 been out of the house where he was allowed to run at large ; he had never seen other 

 Dogs, and had received his education solely from the three daughters of the porter, 

 and from the Cat. The latter was the companion of his sports, and was with him con- 

 tinually ; hence these animals had acquired a singular affection for each other. The 

 Dog had adopted the mildness and timidity of the females, who took charge of him ; 

 but the Cat, being older than Fox^ was his master in point of muscular force, and the 

 Dog showed, in a marked manner, the influence of his preceptor. He bounded like 

 the Cat, and rolled a ball or a mouse with his fore-paws in the same manner. He 

 even licked his paw, and rubbed it over his ear just as he had observed in his in- 

 structor. The imitation was striking ; it might have been expected that, in this itate 

 of isolation, the Dog being the more intelligent animal, would have acquired the 

 greater influence over his companion ; but the contrary happened. This circum- 

 stance is easily explained from the power of Imitation being greater in the Dog than 

 in the Cat. But although Fox had showed such an attachment to his friend, it was 

 not powerful enough to overcome his aversion to the species. If a strange Cat present- 

 ed itself in the garden, Fox immediately put it to the rout. The Cat also manifested 

 his hatred to a strange Dog, which M. de La Malle brought for the first time into the 

 hoase. The visitor could not be taught to endure the caresses of Fox, but ex- 

 hibited the utmost astonishment and aversion for his unnatural and Feline accomplish- 

 ments. "We are informed that M. Audouin had a Dog, which died in the year 1831, 

 and had acquired all the manners of a Cat, particularly that one of licking his paw 

 and passing it over the ears. 



It is well known that Dogs can open a latched door, and ring the bell for the por- 

 ter ; this proves the facility with which they imitate the actions of Men. Many Cats 

 are known to leap upon the bell-rope when they wish to have the room-door opened. 

 M. de La Malle had another Dog, which was brought to Paris when eight years old. 

 On the day of its arrival, it went out of the house, but being fatigued it wished to 

 return, and barked at the entrance for a long time without effect. At length a 

 stranger rapped at the door by raising the knocker. The Dog observed the action, 

 and came in along with him. That same day M. de La Malle saw it come in six times 

 by raising the knocker with its paws. It must be observed, that there were no 

 knockers at that gentleman's country-seat, where the Dog had been brought up from 

 its birth ; and also that it had not previously been absent from home. 



Signor Bennati, — a learned physiologist of Milan, who has written a curious me- 

 moir on the mechanism of the voice during singing, and received the favorable 

 notice of the Baron Cuvier in May 1830, — had a Water- Spaniel, which always came 

 near the Piano -forte whenever the S. Bennati struck the chords, and seemed to show 

 a taste for music. The learned Doctor, himself a skilful musician, was then studying 

 the merits of Dr Gall's system of Phrenology, and accordingly searched the Dog's 

 cranium very carefully for the bump of music, but without the slightest success. Not 

 discouraged by this important circumstance, he tried to leach the gamut to the Dog. 

 He began with the Piano, but failed; he then tried the Violincello, the Flute, and 

 the Clarionet, also without success. At length he recollected that Dogs usually bark 

 when a Bell is rung, and, therefore, concluded that Bells exert a peculiar action 

 upon the Acoustic nerve of Dogs. He procured seven diatonic Bells; and, by 

 making them vibrate with the bow of a Violin, succeeded in making the quadruped- 

 musician sing the gamut very correctly after nine days' lessons. He even brought 

 the musical education of the Water-Spaniel as far as to make him sing an accompani- 

 ment in thirds to his own voice, which is one of very considerable power. 



These several facts show that we are still very far from being able to point out 

 limits to the intelligence of animals possessed of this remarkable faculty of imitation ; 

 and, at the same time, they serve to exhibit the influence of a rational course of edu- 

 cation upon domestic races so intelligent and so capable of improvement as our Dogs. 

 The intelligent powers of the domestic animals are thus capable of undergoing a 

 much greater degree of development than is commonly imagined; and this improve- 

 ment is not confined merely to the faculty of Imitation, but extends also to the other 

 powers of Memory, Judgment, and Reasoning. The facts observed during the train- 

 ing of Pointers, Setters, Shepherd Dogs, and Water- Spaniels, are evident proofs of 

 that development of intelligence which increases with time, and may be induced by 

 the care and skill of their instructor. 



One instance of intelligence in a Dog belonging to M. de La Malle may be men- 

 tioned here, as it shows that the animal, judging from the impressions of its senses, 

 combined their relations, and drew a just conclusion from the appearances and facts 

 which he had observed : — " I reside," says that gentleman, ** when in the country, 

 in a tolerably large Chateau, with a great number of windows, as well in the dwelling- 

 house itself as in the offices. The Spaniel, named Pyramus, to which I allude, sleeps 

 in an open niche in the wall at the end of a very large court-yard, and I am in the 

 habit of introducing him into ray room during the night. This animal always finds 

 14 



some food in my room, and a fire in the winter; he is, therefore, fond of his master, 

 for Dogs, as well as Men, love society. I usually rise at midnight during winter, 

 for I then retire to rest at five o'clock in the evening. As soon as I have risen and 

 have lighted my lamp, I hear the Dog Pyramus under my window whining and 

 howling gently. If I delay in opening the window, his cries become louder, with an 

 occasional bark to give me notice of his presence. On opening the window, and on 

 telling him that I am going to let him in, he is silent ; but if I forget my promise, or 

 am long in performing it, he begins in about half an hour his plaintive howls and 

 barking. I have often observed him by moonlight, and when there is no light in the 

 room, sitting with his eyes fixed on my window, but always remainino- silent, and 

 neither expressing his wishes by cries nor any other sound. From these facts I 

 draw the following conclusions : — 1st, That the Dog, by means of the sense of sight, 

 combined the appearance of the light \vith the idea of his master, and of the aoree- 

 able things he was in the habit of getting from him ; 2d, The absence of light indi- 

 cated that his master either slept or was absent, and that then his cries would be 

 superfluous. I may add, that my room is on an upper story, and though the Dog 

 cannot get at it, except by a staircase and a long gallery with many turnint's, yet 

 this animal never mistakes the position of my window, although it is exactly the same 

 as twelve others in front. And whether there be a light in my room or not, he re- 

 gularly places himself at the same hour under my window, always silent when he 

 perceives no light in the room, but calling me and asking to be let in whenever he 

 observes the light." 



It would be going too far to assert that well-educated Dogs can acquire notions 

 either of Delicacy or Decency ; but there cannot be the least doubt that they possess 

 powers of Memory, Reflection, Judgment, and Association of Ideas. They can even 

 combine Relations, and draw just inferences from the notions received directly from 

 the sense of sight. Many of their perceptions of sight are also acquired. If a pup 

 of two or three months old be called from an upper story when lying in a court, he 

 knows not how to direct his eyes in the direction of the sound which strikes his ear. He 

 must first learn to combine the relations of these two senses, which in this respect 

 have an intimate connexion. But when once he has by chance directed his eyes to the 

 quarter whence the sound proceeds, he treasures up this fact ascertained by experi- 

 ence; the result is fixed in his Memory, and he does not again make the same mis- 

 take. 



The Domestic Pig, which is brought up with us only for the market, appears, when 

 confined in its stye, to be excessively stupid and devoid of intelbgence. Yet educa- 

 tion, and the habit of living in the society of Man, develop his social character, and 

 he exhibits some amiable qualities. At the town of Brives-la-Galliarde, in France, 

 Pigs are domesticated hke Dogs, and live in society with the inhabitants. They go 

 up-stairs even in houses of three stories high, and often sleep in the same room with 

 their masters. From this treatment they have acquired singular habits of cleanli- 

 ness, which are further improved by their mistresses taking them usually twice a-day 

 to the river to be washed and rubbed. While undergoing this operation, it is curious 

 to see them going voluntarily to the water, and turning themselves first on one 

 side, then on the other, and then on their back, to assist her; and M. de La Malle 

 has seen them thank their mistress after their own fashion, when it was all over, by 

 licking her hand. The Irish Pigs have long been remarked for their intelligence, 

 and this is evidently owing to their living so much in the houses of the lower classes, 

 and associating with the children. There is, however, no instance on record of their 

 having been guilty of an equal degree of gratitude with their cleaner brethren of 

 Brives-la- Galliarde. 



The Intelligence of the Elephant is capable of undergoing a very considerable de- 

 gree of development under Domestication, An Elephant, at the Jardm du Roi, was 

 brought to understand the meaning of several words. When his guide said *' En 

 arricre" without elevating his voice or makmg the slightest gesture, the animal 

 backed immediately. A remarkable instance of foresight was observed in the War- 

 Elephants of Cochin China, which is related here on the authority of an intelligent 

 traveller, and an eye-witness of the circumstance. Seventy Elephants were ranged 

 against a Tiger ; and one of them, urged on by his Mohout or guide, advanced to 

 the attack. The Tiger waited until the Elephant was in the act of striking with his 

 tusks, and making a sudden spring, ahghted on the neck of the Elephant, with his 

 hind paws inserted on the animal's trunk. The Elephant was wounded, and fled; but 

 all the other Elephants who witnessed this conflict profited by the inexperience of 

 their companion, and advanced against the Tiger with their trunks rolled up under 

 their throats in the most careful manner, thus showing a degree of observation, fore- 

 sight, and judgment, which might not have been expected in so large and heavy an 

 animal. 



We shall only add here a few instances which serve to prove that the Domestic 

 Dogs, from their living in society with Man, have acquired the power of reflection, of 

 combining means to an end, and of foreseeing difficulties in their execution. They 

 also learn the meanings of many artificial words. They communicate their ideas to 

 each other by means of natural signs, and assign to each the part necessary to be 

 performed, in a combined plan of action — qualities which require operations of their 

 minds but Uttle inferior to the results of the Human Intellect. We shall even show 

 that they form plans when hunting by themselves, which exactly resemble those in- 

 genious devices invented by Man, and practised by him in the Art of War. 



M. de Puymaurin, a dt-putc or Member of the French Parhament, had a female 

 Water- Spaniel, whose education had been very carefully attended to, and it accord- 

 ingly showed ey.traordinary intelligence. During the occupation of Paris by the 

 allied armies in 1814, General Stewart, who lodged in M. Puymaurin's house at 

 Toulouse, remarked that the Dog would take nothing that was offered to it with 

 the left hand, and he tried to deceive the animal by crossing his arms, and even by 

 exciting its appetite by some marked difi'erence in the quahty of the food held in each 

 hand, but without effect. Being determined to subject the Dog to a very peculiar 

 experiment, he requested one of his Aides-de-camp (Colonel Cameron),' whose right 

 arm had been amputated, to offer the Dog some food. The Dog approached, and 

 without noticing the hajid containing the food, rose upon its hind-legs, and applied 

 its nose to the place where the Colonel's right arm ought to have been, as if to be 



