THE SETTER, 171 
apprehension of men, not only pointing the chickens and 
pigeons, in the stable yard or in the street, but backing 
one another in their points. 
Now backing is entirely, and from the beginning, a bit 
of tuition. There is no movement resembling it in the 
natural action of a dog, nor, if there were, could it be of 
any service to him ina state of nature, but rather the 
reverse. 
It is assumed, no one can say with how much plausi- 
bility or truth, that the assumption and retention of a 
stationary attitude, on coming upon a hot scent, is merely 
an adaptation to our uses, by the breaker, of a natural 
peculiarity of the dog intended by nature for his own 
behoof. 
On scenting his game and crawling up as he still does, 
almost on his belly, and elbows, to the immediate prox- 
imity of it, the animal naturally, it is said, paused, in 
some instances couched—as does the cat or leopard— 
in order to collect its energies and contract its muscles for 
the fatal spring. This pause, it is added, man has seized ; 
taught the animal to prolong it; and so adapted it to his 
own purpose. It surely can be no native instinct implanted: 
by the Creator in the dog from the beginning; since no 
animal possesses an instinct, which to possess would be 
useless, much more injurious to itself. 
How a dog standing stock still, as if in a half catalep- 
tic state, with eyes glaring, lips slavering, tail rigid, back 
bristling, and limbs quivering with excitement, motion- 
less and attempting to effect nothing for ten minutes, or 
haif an hour, until the bevy of birds takes to its wings and 
