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NATURAL HISTORY READER, 



in an excited condition of joy, and the nerve-force will 

 be generated in excess, which naturally leads to actions of 

 some kind. 



5. Not one of the above movements, so clearly expressive 

 of affection, is of the least service to the animal. They 

 arc explicable, as far as I can see, solely from being in com- 

 plete opposition or antithesis to the attitude and movements 

 which, from intelligible causes, are assumed when a dog in- 

 tends to fight, and which, consequently, are expressive of 



An Affectionate Dog. 



anger. It is not a little difficult to represent by pictures 

 affection in a dog while caressing its master, for the very 

 essence of the expression lies in the wagging of the tail and 

 in the continuous flexuous movements of the body. 



-G. I will here give one instance of this antithesis in ex- 

 pression. I formerly possessed a large dog, who, like every 

 other clog, was much pleased to go out walking. He 

 showed his pleasure by trotting gravely before me with high 

 steps, head much raised, moderately erected ears, and a 

 tail carried aloft, but not stiffly. Not far from my house a 



