196 The Carnivora. 
critical journal, devoted to the interests of animals, happened 
to come in the same evening, and, on hearing what had oce- 
curred, wrote an account of it, as a marvellous instance of 
“instinct” in an animal which had been taken by rail into 
Essex, and subsequently found its way back to Hampstead. 
In vain I pointed to the incontestable evidence, from the 
condition of the dog’s feet, and urged him to wait until some 
information could be obtained. This story was published, 
and no doubt accepted by hundreds of readers as an unques- 
tionable instance of the exercise of a wonderful faculty which 
no. one can explain! With some little trouble, I ascertained 
that the dog had remained quite contentedly at his new 
home in Essex, being allowed his liberty after the second 
day; that he did not satisfy his owner as a house dog; that 
on the eventful tenth day, he had been brought up to 
London, and sold to a publican; that he escaped the same 
day, and, as we have seen, arrived at Hampstead in the after- 
noon. For two years previously he had been in the habit of 
strolling about London just as he pleased. I met him myself 
once in Holborn, and he was frequently seen in other parts 
of London—his master, who was employed all day in the 
City, exercising no control over him whatever. This con- 
firmed vagabond, when he escaped, was no doubt within ken 
of some place familiar to him, and took the first opportunity 
of going back to his old friends. Hundreds of similar cases 
could be as easily and certainly explained, if someone would 
take the pains to pick up the missing links. 
The following account was given me by my friend, Mr. 
W. B. Challice, of his fox terrier, Miss Muffet, one of, the 
most devoted and intelligent animals I have ever known: 
“We were living in Wimpole-street, and Miss Muffet was 
only eight months old, when she was taken out one Saturday 
night, in May, 1873, by a servant, while the streets were 
crowded, on account of the illuminations all over the West- 
end, in commemoration of the Queen’s birthday, and lost at 
the bottom of the Haymarket. Nothing more was heard of 
