Effect of Association with Man. 95 
and absolutely free from even this sign of advancing years. 
There is no apparent diminution in his activity, for he jumps 
the same height as he did at three years old—clearing a four 
foot hurdle easily with a stick in his mouth. It will be obvious 
to those who are familiar with the modern retriever that no 
judge would look twice at him on a show bench, whence it would 
perhaps be more correct to designate him a “retrieving dog.” 
Although he is small, shows some tan on legs, and has a 
feathered tail, and in no respect approaches the modern stan- 
dard of perfection, which, I understand, is sometimes obtained 
by the help of a poodle strain, one of the most distinguished 
judges in this country has pronounced him to be “a noble 
specimen of a dog.” Moreover, a more perfect workman, both 
as a pointing and retrieving dog, could not be found, “mon- 
grel” as he is, with the blood of Irish setter, Irish water 
spaniel, and retriever in his veins. 
In a feral condition the members of the genus canis are as 
savage as those of the genus felis, yet the former have come 
easily and almost voluntarily under our dominion, while the 
latter are still wild animals in all essential respects. Some 
writers have ascribed the association of the dog with man in 
the first instance to curiosity—to a desire to find out what so 
remarkable a being can be about in his various works and 
ways. Oapture of the wild young was necessarily the first 
step towards this association; but after that, it is contended, 
the dog became so interested in his captor that he remained 
to see the end of it, and finally elected to take up his per. 
manent abode with man. In that there may be much truth, 
although no one can suppose that any wild dog come to years 
of discretion ever walked out of a wood, sat down before 
the wigwam of a savage, and then and there entered into 
partnership with him. Wild dogs do undoubtedly evince 
the keenest and also the most intelligent interest in the 
works of man, and refuse to be beguiled by them when 
they take the form of traps, spring guns, or any kind 
of snare whatever. This, at least, is quite certain, the 
