THE GREAT DOG-SUPERSTITION 289 



barred zebra-like, or spotted, or with the colours 

 disposed in strange patterns, beautifully harmonious. 

 As in the lemurs, and surpassing them, here are 

 brilliant luminous eyes and great strength of 

 sinew ; but these are not of peace : the serpent- 

 like silence of the movements and fateful stillness 

 of the lithe form, and the round watchful orbs that 

 seem like the two fiery gems set in a carved figure 

 of rich stone — these betray the deadly purpose. 

 Yet their hearts may also be conquered with 

 kindness. The domestic cat is a proof of it ; she 

 is found in most houses, and whether we make a 

 pet of her or not, long familiarity has given her a 

 place in our affections. But when we go from home 

 and visit regions infinitely richer in life than our 

 own, it surprises and offends us to meet with the 

 same cat still ; for it looks as if man had failed, in 

 the midst of so much variety, to find anything 

 better or equally good. Nature abhors monotony ; 

 why should we force it on her to our own dis- 

 advantage ? 



Here then we have a few mammalian forms 

 gathered at random from several widely separated 

 families, each as it were the final and highest effort 

 of Nature in one particular direction — " the bright 

 consTunmate flower " in a group, the other members 

 of which seem by comparison coarse and unfinished. 

 We boast to be lovers of the beautiful, and it is 

 here in its highest form. Birds may be said to 

 have a greater beauty, but it is different in kind ; 

 and they are winged and far from us. They are 



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