THE DOG. 39 



instead of the finder stealing off after it on his 

 own account, is an illustration of this ; and if 

 one ot the pack is attacked by the hunted animal 

 at bay or by an enemy, his howls and excited 

 outcry are instantly responded to by all within 

 hearino-. 



Every one has noticed the uncontrollable power 

 of this instinct when the yells and shrieks of a 

 canine street-brawl are heard. Dogs from all 

 sides rush to the spot and immediately take part 

 in the quarrel. The result generally is a confused 

 free fight of a very irregular description, and each 

 dog is apparently ready to bite any of the others. 

 It will easily be seen that this confusion is owing 

 to a disarrangement of natural politics, caused by 

 the disturbing and arbitrary influence of human 

 institutions. If two of the combatants happen to 

 be comrades, they will hold together and treat all 

 the rest as enemies. In the wild state the sound 

 of strife would mean either a faction fight or a 

 combat with some powerful enemy of the pack ; 

 and probably in the former case every dog within 

 hearing would be a member of one or other of the 

 contending parties. By adopting dogs into our 

 families, and separating them from their fellows, 

 we upset canine political economy in many ways ; 



