406 MAMMALIA. 



friendship, a more faithful memory, a stronger attachment, more 

 sincere abnegation, a mind more loj^al and frank ? The Dog does 

 not know what ingratitude is. He does not abandon his bene- 

 factor in danger or adversity. With joy he offers to sacrifice 

 his life for those who feed him. He pushes his devotion so far 

 as to forget himself. He does not recall the corrections, the 

 unkind treatment, to which he has been subjected ; he thirsts 

 for caresses, while the indifference of those who are dear to 

 him plunges him into deep distress. Noble creature ! the 

 favourite of the rich, consolation of the poor, inseparable com- 

 panion of the unfortunate; thanks to thee, the miserable in- 

 dividual who dies alone in the midst of society, counts at 

 least one friend at his melancholy funeral ; he does not descend 

 alone into the cold grave, for thou comest to shed on his tomb 

 the sincere tears of affection and regret ; and such is the excess 

 of thy grief, that no one can tear thee from that spot where 

 sleeps the corpse of him thou lovest ! 



And what intelligence ; what penetration ; what finesse is 

 there in this admirable companion of our gladness and sorrow ! 

 How well he can read countenances ; how skilfully he knows 

 liow to interpret the sentiments conveyed in gestures and 

 words ! In vain j^ou maj' threaten, in vain try to frighten 

 him. Your eye betrays you ; that smile,' which scarcely 

 appears upon your lips, has unmasked your feelings, and so 

 far from fearing and avoiding you, he comes to solicit your 

 attention. 



Volumes might be written, if desirable, relating all the extra- 

 ordinary stories of which Dogs are the heroes. Every day, in ordi- 

 narj' life, we see something of this kind, and which, although of 

 so frequent occurrence, is none the less curious. Is it necessary 

 to recall to memory the Dog of Ulysses, the model of fidelity ; the 

 Dog of Montargis, the vanquisher of crime ; of Munito, the 

 brilliant player at dominoes ? Must we mention the Newfound- 

 land Dog and the Dog of Mount St. Bernard, both of them 

 preservers of human life ? Is it necessary to speak of in- 

 telligent Dogs going for provisions for their master, and assist- 

 ing him in his duties with ability; of the shoeblack's Dog, 

 trained to plant his muddy paws on the best polished boots, 

 so as to bring more business to his master, the man of the 



