238 NATURE AND WOODCRAFT. 



Gip's kennel companion, Sir Windem, a 

 Laverock Setter, is even more a dog of habit than 

 Gip. And this is somewhat strange, as he is 

 come of an aristocratic line through Grouse, 

 Heather Ranger. Sir Percival, Lord Raglan, 

 Count Howard, and the rest of them. Sir 

 Windem's fine feathering in the field — his 

 pointing, backing, and down-charging— is only 

 an elaboration of what Gip does daily. 



Gip is what the sporting ones call "death" 

 on Cats. If a strange pussy presents herself on 

 the garden fence, he watches her intently, in- 

 variably keeping one of his fore-legs lifted the 

 while. Most dogs do this, and it is doubtless 

 that they may be ready for the next cautious 

 step when they see or hear what they consider 

 their legitimate prey. But that the action is 

 often meaningless may be deduced from the fact 

 that Darwin has seen a dog at the foot of a 

 high wall, listening attentively to a sound on 

 the opposite side with one leg lifted, and when 

 of course there could be no intention of making 

 a cautious approach. 



Seeing that Gip's supply of bones is con- 

 stant, it might be thought that there was no 

 reason to bury superfluous ones. Yet this he 



