SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



249 



come 10 before he stirs hand or foot. Is it merely 

 a belated fox slinking home to his earth in the oak 

 grove ; or is some larger and more terrible beast — 

 some huge brindled Machairodus, or cave-bear, 

 prowling among the woods in front of him ? 

 Within a few minutes, while he stands there 

 scarcelv moving an eyelid, he has received reports 

 enough from the disturbed birds and beasts in the 

 vallev to fill a column in the "Times"; by 

 comparing the different notes of alarm which 

 teach his" ears he learns at length that there are 



two sources of provocation afoot 



These conclusions have been come to not only 

 through the gathering of innumerable facts, but 

 by means of elaborate logical processes and 

 a power of judging the comparative value of 

 evidence which would do credit to a modern Lord 

 Chancellor 



•• Whether or no this imaginary portrait is correct 

 in its details. I think we may be tolerably positive 

 as regards one particular. It was an inevitable and 

 essential mental habit with him not only to gather 

 facts but to read their meaning, both immediate 

 and remote. Now, if we are justified in ascribing 

 the delight which the study of natural history 

 gives to the fact that when we are engaged 

 in such pursuits we are obeying an inherent 

 impulse derived from our innumerable hunting 

 ancestors, it follows that the more closely such 

 primitive instincts are obeyed the more enjoy- 

 ment will the naturalist be likely to get from his 

 pursuits." 



By permission of Messrs. William Blackwood 

 and Sons, we have pleasure in reproducing Mr. 

 5. T Dadd's suggestive drawing of the author's 

 "Primitive Ancestor," and cannot help remarking 

 that Dr. Robinson ought to be proud of him. 



In dealing with the wild characters of domestic 

 animals, Dr. Robinson is at times not only 

 suggestive but happy in describing them, as will 

 be gathered from quotations from the chapters on 

 dogs and cats. 



" There are many reasons for the tail being the 

 chief organ of expression among dogs. They have 

 but little facial expression beyond the lifting of the 

 lip to show the teeth and the dilation of the pupil 

 of the eye when angry. Among the wild Canidae, 

 all of whom have stiff, erect ears, emotion is shown 

 in the head or visage even less than among domestic 

 dogs The jaws and contiguous parts are too 

 much specialised for the serious business of 

 seizing prey to be fitted for such purposes as 

 they arc in man. With dogs which hunt by 

 scent, the head is necessarily carried low, and 

 is therefore not plainly visible except to those 

 close by Hut in the case of all hunting 

 as foxhounds, or wolves which pack 

 together, the tail is carried aloft and is very free 



lly rendered more 



by the tip being white, and this is 



bly the case when the hounds are of mixed 



hen ranging the long grass of th<: prairie 



or jungle !!.■ " would often be 



all that an individual member would Me oi lii-. 



thai hound-, habitually 



front of th<:rn when 



If ;i fain! drag is dl 



the tail of the finder It 

 the q .thcrs seeing th< 



instantly join the first, and there is an assemblage 

 of waving tails before ever the least whimper is 

 heard. Should the drag prove a doubtful one the 

 hounds separate again and the waving ceases ; but 

 if it grows stronger when followed up the wagging 

 becomes more and more emphatic until one after 

 another the hounds begin to whine and give tongue 

 and stream off in Indian file along the line of scent. 

 When the pack is at full cry upon a strong scent 

 the ' sterns ' cease to wave, but are carried aloft 

 in full view. 



"Although cats live in closer association with 

 mankind than do any other domestic animals, they 

 have been less influenced by us, both as regards 

 their bodies and their mental habits, than any 

 of the creatures which we have been discussing. 

 All the rest have become man's slaves or servants, 

 although in some cases they may be said to attain 

 to a more equal and honourable relationship. 

 But the cat can scarcely be classed as a servant, 

 since it seldom yields to restraint or acts under 

 orders ; and, moreover, its co-operative relations 

 with mankind are of a very loose and limited 

 character. Even if we regard the cat as a partner 

 we must acknowledge that it takes a very free-and- 

 easy view of the bond. It comes and goes when 

 it chooses, transacts its share of the business of 

 the firm (in the rat and mouse department) strictly 

 in its own way, selects its mates with an utter 

 disregard of the views of its human colleagues, 

 and habitually keeps outrageous hours. We, 

 many of us, put up with a great deal from our 

 servants and co-workers ; but what employer or 

 member of a firm would tolerate from his associates 

 in business brawls and riotous orgies on his roof 

 at two o'clock in the morning? 



"We may expect, therefore, to find remaining 

 in the cat a great many attributes which were 

 developed, not to meet any present needs, but 

 to enable it to encounter the emergencies of a 

 wild life in the forest before it joined its fortunes 

 with those of men." 



It is neither possible, nor would it be fair to the 

 author and publishers, to continue quoting the 

 many striking observations which occur in the 

 pages of Dr. Robinson's work. Some of his 

 instances will possibly be considered " far fetched " 

 by too critical readers. They are, however, exceed- 

 ingly interesting, and may be of value in educating 

 some persons in lines of thought that may bear 

 future fruit. The chief fault in our author's work 

 is an amiable one, and readily forgiven ; it is a 

 tendency, in some instances, to make conclusions 

 fit observations. This may be corrected by the 

 reader himself using such judgment and experience 

 as he may possess. 



As a whole this book may be considered an 

 excellent contribution to popularising the Darwinian 

 theory 1 1 ■ olution, and Dr. Robinson is to be 

 congratulated on issuing, in such pleasant style, a 



i-l ;' o| o|i ,ii -. ;il inn . ..I 1 i 1 y.l.i v 'V'lil':, will) h 



will interest all his reader* He baa gathered 



many interesting facts relative to domestic animals 



whit ii are frequently overlool ed These the authoi 



has woven into a pleasanl itory, and one which 



...ill he sure to lead to aclo lei observation ol out 



id farmyard friends /. / ' arrtngton 



K 2 



