Voice of the Dog. 137 
warning the quarry, with the exception of an occasional. 
yelp by a jackal. In what contrast to this is the loud 
clamour of a pack of hounds, so vividly described by 
Scott: — . 
The deep-mouthed bloodhound’s heavy bay 
Resounded up the rocky way, 
And, faint, from further distance borne, 
Were heard the clanging hoof and horn. 
Yelled on the view the opening pack, 
Rock, cliff, and cavern paid them back; 
To many a mingled sound at once 
The awakened mountain gave response. 
What sympathetic ear that has ever heard it could fail 
to be charmed by the merry minstrelsy of a pack of beagles 
or harriers racing along on a hot scent? Some of the voices 
are quite flutelike in tone, and how finely they are graduated, 
from the inquiring whimper over a doubtful scent to the 
full, rich cry of assurance! Thus, under domestication 
the dog has lost his instincts of caution, and noisily pro- 
claims his eagerness, whether in company or alone. Much 
to my astonishment once, on suddenly springing a kangaroo, 
Carlo I. forgot his sedate manners and raced off out of sight 
in full cry, though he had not the remotest chance of ever 
coming up with it, stimulated, no doubt, to this breach of 
discipline by having had no food but roast duck for two days 
previously. ; 
The acquisition of the “watchdog’s honest bark” must 
have been of the greatest service to pastoral man in early 
times, but it is of far less importance now, and cannot be 
considered an unmixed blessing. For instance, when it goes 
on all night long, excited by the multitudinaus sounds of 
modern civilisation, or by that cat who sits on a wall in 
the moonlight enjoying the impotent struggles of her enemy 
to break his chain. Some dogs have no discrimination what- 
ever in this matter, and are quite worthless as watchdogs. 
But in many cases their restlessness is due to the stupidity 
or inhumanity of their masters. Their kennels are cold or 
