The ‘‘ Homing” Instinct in Dogs. 195 
two miles at least from the place where I lost him—I found 
him waiting, anxiously expectant, by the dead log on which 
we used to sit at breakfast, and with every appearance of 
having arrived there some time before. He must, when lost, 
and finding it impossible to foot me over the wet mud, 
have made up his mind to come to this place, reflecting on 
the probability of our going to a spot connected with a 
certain routine in the day’s sport, where an event of im- 
portance to him always occurred—that welcome drink of 
fresh water after four or five hours of hard work. 
I do not intend here to discuss the “homing” instinct 
in dogs, having said all that I am able to say on that 
subject when considering it in the case of cats, p. 50 et seq. 
There are now before me a large number of examples pub- 
lished in the correspondence columns of the Field, Nature, 
and other periodicals of high reputation. While there is 
no ground for impugning .the veracity of the narrators, 
their knowledge of the particular habits of the animals 
of which the stories are told is obviously deficient, and 
there is, besides, a large element of uncertainty in the 
accounts. I will, however, give two instances within my 
own knowledge. 
A gentleman living in the same house with myself at 
Hampstead gave away his dog—of breed indescribable, but 
a knowing character—and he was taken away under the seat 
of a phaeton, and by rail, far down into Essex, all commu- 
nication with home being thus completely severed. Ten 
days afterwards, Master Don quietly walked into the old 
house as if nothing had happened. I was naturally very 
much surprised. As far as I or anyone else knew, he might 
have come straight up from Essex by himself. On examin- 
ing his feet, however, I felt convinced that he had not 
made a long journey. The nails were not worn, and the 
hair between the toes was long. This was conclusive against 
his having travelled any distance within the time of his 
absence. A friend connected with a respectable but not over 
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