i8 Chapters on Animals. 



of them are perfectly credible, they are naturally exagger- 

 ated in transmission. I happened to be in a railway car- 

 riage where several sportsmen were telling marvellous 

 stories about their dogs, whilst an elderly man sat in his 

 corner and said nothing. 



At last he spoke : " Gentlemen," he said, " all this is 

 very remarkable, but I have a dog who is still more won- 

 derful than the most wonderful of yours. For example, 

 you see that river ; well, if I were to throw a sovereign 

 into that river, my dog would immediately plunge in and 

 bring me the change in silver." 



" Really, sir, you surprise me ! " said one of the sports- 

 men, not quick enough to see the intended sarcasm. 

 Auguste Villemott used to tell a story with a like intention 

 about a blind man's dog in Paris, which, after receiving 

 money for its master, continued the business after his 

 death, and accumulated a considerable fortune. 



Let me add a few words about the treatment of these 

 faithful friends of ours. I need scarcely protest against 

 the ignorant and stupid mutilation of dogs by cutting their 

 ears and tail. From the artistic point of view this is bar- 

 barous in the last degree, because it spoils their instru- 

 ments of expression. It is like cutting out the tongue of 

 a human being. There is a poor dog near me whose tail 

 has been amputated at the very root, and the consequence 

 is he cannot tell me the half of what he thinks. Sir Ed- 

 win Landseer was greatly pleased to meet with a dog- 

 seller who would not mutilate his animals, for the reason 

 that " Sir Edwin Landseer did not approve of it." In a 

 smaller way every one of us may exercise the same merci- 

 ful influence, and I earnestly request every reader of these 

 lines to discourage openly the mutilation of dogs and other 

 animals. It is an evil very generally prevalent and of 



