THE ANIMAL MIND 



each moment. Other birds are scratchers or probers 

 or drillers, and they are under the tyranny of their 

 organization in the same way. The hog must root, 

 the hawk must strike, the skimmer must skim. It 

 is a hampering thing to have one's tools and weap- 

 ons a grown part of one's self, but the advantage is 

 that one does not have to be taught how to use 

 them. 



HI 



Considering the gulf that separates man from the 

 lower orders, I often wonder how, for instance, we 

 can have such a sense of companionship with a dog. 

 What is it in the dog that so appeals to us? It is 

 probably his quick responsiveness to our attention. 

 He meets us halfway. He gives caress for caress. 

 Then he is that light-hearted, irresponsible vaga- 

 bond that so many of us half -consciously long to be 

 if we could and dared. To a dog, a walk is the best 

 of good fortunes; he sniffs adventure at every turn, 

 is sure something thrilling will happen around the 

 next bend in the path. How much he gets out of it 

 that escapes me! — the excitement of all the dif- 

 ferent odors that my sense is too dull to take in. 

 The ground to him is written over with the scent 

 of game of some sort, the air is full of the lure of 

 wild adventure. How human he is at such times! 

 he is out on a lark. In his spirit of hilarity he will 

 chase hens, pigs, sheep, cows, which ordinarily he 

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