908 Quadrupeds. 



ticated facts, on the death or removal of some kind friend or master, 

 to pine and fret, and even to refuse all food and sustenance until 

 death has arrived from starvation. When we look at these things, 

 can we say that a creature, susceptible of such feelings, is one with- 

 out reason, and actuated by mere sensual appetite or instinct? If 

 they knew no other pleasure than what they could derive from the 

 momentary gratification of appetite, they could never evince traits of 

 feelings such as I have mentioned. In that case, a favour would be 

 just as agreeable to them conferred by one hand as another, and, pro- 

 vided their sensual desires were satisfied, they would not care by 

 whom or how, nor could they know or wish for anything beyond. 

 This, I repeat, is clearly not the case. " Often," says Burchell, in 

 allusion to his dogs, in his ' Travels in Africa,' " in the middle of the 

 night, when all my people have been fast asleep around the fire, have 

 I stood to contemplate these faithful animals, lying by their side, and 

 have learnt to esteem them for their social inclination towards man- 

 kind. When wandering over pathless deserts, oppressed with vexa- 

 tion and distress at the conduct of my own men, I have turned to 

 these, my only friends, and felt how much inferior to them was man, 

 when actuated only by selfish views." 



That animals have also a most intimate knowledge of cause and 

 effect, which is a very principal, if not the chief ingredient in intellect, 

 few, who will take the trouble of observing their actions, can doubt. 

 In illustration of this, I will mention an anecdote which was related 

 to me a short time ago by a clergyman of high respectability and 

 undoubted veracity, and which came under his own personal obser- 

 vation. Whilst staying at the house of his brother, who possessed a 

 beautiful little dog of the spaniel breed, my friend, together with the 

 rest of the family, was alarmed about the middle of the night, by the 

 violent ringing of a bell in the house. Every one was, of course, in 

 consternation, and on a search being instituted, the dog was found in 

 the dining-room, pulling away at the bell-cord with his teeth. On 

 examining him he was found to be very ill, and had adopted this sin- 

 gular mode of acquainting the family with his distress, and procuring 

 relief. This could not be said to have been the effect of habit or 

 tuition, as he had never been known to do anything of the sort before. 

 What, then, can we call it, but an evident and decided proof of the 

 dog's knowledge of cause and effect, or, in other words, of his reasoning 

 power. 



That dogs are also acute physiognomists is certain. How many 

 have I known which, on seeing a frown overspread the countenance of 



