28 Chapters on Animals. 



Without hesitation the dog gave me an H, and with very 

 httle hesitation the remaining letters, O, R, S, E. 



Notwithstanding her success, the dog seemed to set 

 about her work very unwillingly and it was evidently a great 

 effort to her. The authority of the master, though very 

 gently exercised, appeared to be irresistible, exactly like 

 that of a mesmerist over his patient. Blanche complained 

 audibly the whole time with a sound between growling 

 and whining, and occasionally a short bark of uneasiness. 

 Observing this, I said that for the present that part of the 

 performance might be considered satisfactory, and we 

 would pass on to something else. M. du Rouil then told 

 us that Blanche could correct bad spelling, and invited me 

 to write a word on the slate with an intentional fault in it. 



He showed the slate to the dog, and said, " There's a 

 fault here, Blanche ; find it out, and show us first what let- 

 ter ought to be effaced." 



The word I had written was viaison (house), but I had 

 spelt it meson. The dog immediately brought the letter E. 

 Then M. du Rouil requested Blanche to show us what let- 

 ters ought to be substituted, and she fetched an A and an I. 



As Blanche seemed tired and worried with this kind of 

 work I intervened on her behalf, and she was allowed to 

 go and curl herself up in a corner, and eat cakes. Lyda 

 took her place on the table, and a set of figures were sub- 

 stituted for the alphabet. Some arithmetical problems 

 were written on the slate and she resolved them (or ap- 

 peared to resolve them) without a single misake. A very 

 pretty incident occurred at this period of the performance, 

 for the master proposed a little mental arithmetic. 



" Now, Lyda," he said, " I want to see whether you un- 

 derstand division. Suppose you had ten lumps of sugar, 

 and you met ten Prussian dogs, how many lumps would 



