July 13, 1895.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



31 



DARWIN ON THE DOG. 



In many of his writings Darwin refers to the dog in an 

 interesting and instructive manner, both in respect to 

 the qualities absolutely possessed by the dog and in 

 respect to others as they relate to "those of different 

 species. 



The full force of Darwin's remarks on the dog cannot 

 be gathered from the quotations detached from their 

 context. There is a mass of testimony of which the 

 reference to the dog is but a trilling detail. Many of 

 his remarks have a direct bearing on the possession of 

 reason by the dog and on his power to communicate 

 with his fellows through the medium of language, mat- 

 ters which have been treated in Forest and Stream re- 

 cently. The following excerpts are taken from the 

 chapter on mental powers in his famous work, "The 

 Descent of Man :" 



'"Desor has remarked that no animal voluntarily imi- 

 tates an action performed by man, until in the ascending 

 scale we come to monkeys, which are well known to be 

 ridiculous mockers. Animals, however, sometimes imi- 

 tate each other's actions; thus, two species of wolves, 

 which had been reared by dogs, learned to bark, as does 

 sometimes the jackal; but whether this can be called vol- 

 untary imitation is another question. Birds imitate the 

 songs of their parents and sometimes of other birds, and 

 parrots are notorious imitators of any sound which they 

 often hear. Dureau de la Malle gives an account of a dog 

 reared by a cat who learned to imitate the well-known 

 action of a cat licking her paws and thus washing her 

 ears and face; this was witnessed by the celebrated natur- 

 alist Audubon. I have received several confirmatory ac- 

 counts; in one of these a dog had not bepn suckled by a 

 cat, but had been brought up with one, together with 

 kittens, and bad thus acquired the above habit, which he 

 ever afterward practiced during his life of thirteen years. 

 Dureau de la Malle's dog likew se learned from the kitten 

 to play with a ball by rolling it about with his forepaws 

 and springing on it. A correspondent assures me that a 

 cat in his house used to put her paws into jugs of milk 

 having too narrow a mouth for her head. A kitten of 

 this cat soon learned the same trick, and practiced it 

 ever afterward whenever there was an opportunity. 



'•The parents of many animals, trusting to the prin- 

 ciple of imitation in their young, and more 

 especially to their instinctive or inherited ten- 

 dencies, may be said to educate them. We see 

 this when a cat brings a live mouse to her kittens; 

 and Dureau de la Malle has given a curious account of 

 his observations on hawks which taught their young 

 dexterity as well as judgment of distances by first drop- 

 ping through the air dead mice and sparrows, which the 

 young generally failed to catch, and then bringing them 

 live birds aud letting them loose. 



"Hardly any faculty is more important for the 

 intellectual progress of man than attention. Animals 

 clearly manifest this power, as when a cat watches by a 

 hole and prepares to spring on its prey. Wild animals 

 sometimes become so absorbed when thus engaged that 

 they may be easily approached. Mr.Baf tlett has given me a 

 curious proof how variable this faculty is in monkeys. A 

 man who trains monkeys to act in plays used to purchase 

 common kinds from the Zoological Society at £5 for 

 each; but he offered to give double the price if he might 

 keep tt-iee or four of them for a few-rdays in order to 

 select one. When asked how he" could possibly learn so 

 soon whether a particular monkey would turn out a good 

 actor, he answered that it all depended on their power of 

 attention. If when he was talking and explaining any- 

 thing to a monkey its attention was easily distracted, as 

 by a fly on the wall or other trifling subject, the case was 

 hopeless. If he tried by punishment to make an inat- 

 tentive monkey act, it turned sulky. Oq the other hand, 

 a monkey that carefully attended to him could always be 

 trained. 



"It is almost superfluous to state that animals have ex- 

 cellent memories for persons and places. A baboon at the 

 Cape of Good Hope, as I have been informed by Sir 

 Andrew Smith, recognized him with joy after an absence 

 of nine months. I had a dog who was savage and averse 

 to all strangers, and I purposely tried his memory after an 

 absence of five years and two days. I went near the stable 

 where he lived and shouted to him in my old manner; he 

 showed no joy, but instantly followed me out walking 

 and obeyed me exactly as if I had parted with him only 

 half an hour before. A train of old associations, dormant 

 during five years, had thus been instantaneously awakened 

 in his mind. Even ants, as P. Huber has clearly shown, 

 recognized their fellow ants belonging to the same com- 

 munity aftor an absence of four months. Animals can 

 certainly by some means judge of the intervals of time 

 between recurrent events. 



"The imagination is one of the highest prerogatives of 

 man. By this faculty he writes former images and ideas 

 independently of the will and thus creates brilliant and 

 novel results. A poet, as Jean Paul Richter remarks, 

 'who must reflect whether he shall make a character say 

 yes or no — to the devil with him, he is only a stupid 

 corpse.' Dreaming gives us the best notion of this power; 

 as Jean Paul again says, 'The dream is an involuntary art 

 of poetry.' The value of the products of our imagination 

 depends of course on the number, accuracy and clearness 

 of our impressions, on our judgment and taste in select- 

 ing or rejecting the involuntary combinations, and to a 

 certain extent on our power of voluntarily combining 

 them. As dogs, cats, horses and probably all the higher 

 animals, even birds, have vivid dreams, and this is shown 

 by their movements and the sounds uttered, we must ad- 

 mit that they have some power of imagination. There 

 must be something special which causes dogs to howl in 

 the night, and especially during moonlight, in that re- 

 markable and melancholy manner called baying. All dogs 

 do not do so; according to Houzeau, they do not then look 

 at the moon, but at some fixed point near the horizon. 

 Houzeau thinks that their imaginations are disturbed by 

 the vague outlines of the surrounding objects, and conjure 

 up before them fantastic images; if this be so, their feel- 

 ings may almost be called superstitious. 



"Of all the faculties of the human mind it will, I pre- 

 sume, be admitted that reason stands at the summit. 

 Only a few persons now dispute that animals possess 

 some power of reasoning. Animals may constantly be 

 seen to pause, deliberate and resolve. It is a significant 

 fact that the more the habits of any particular animal 

 are studied by a naturalist, the more he attributes to 

 eason and the less to unlearned instincts. In future 



chapters we shall see that some animals extremely low 

 in the scale apparently display a certain amount of rea- 

 son. No doubt it is often difficult to distinguish between 

 the power of reason and that of instinct. For instance, 

 Dr. Hayes, in his work on the 'Open Polar Sea,' repeat- 

 edly remarks that his dogs, instead of continuing ,to draw 

 the sledges in a compact body, diverged and separated 

 when they came to thin ice, so that their weight might 

 be more evenly distributed. This was often the first 

 warning which the travelers received that the ice was 

 becoming thin and dangerous. Now, did the dogs act thus 

 from the experience of each individual or from the ex- 

 ample of the older and wiser dogs, or from an inherited 

 habit — that is, from instinct? This instinct may possibly 

 have arisen since the time, long ago, when dogs were 

 first employed by the natives in drawing sledges; or the 

 Arctic wolves, the parent stock of the Esquimau dog, 

 may have acquired an instinct impelling them not to at- 

 tack their prey in a close pack when on thin ice. 



* * * * * * * 

 "The following cases relate to dogs: Mr. Colquhoun 



winged two wild ducks which fell on the further side of 

 a stream ; Mb retriever tried to bring over both at once, 

 but could not succeed; she then, though never before 

 known to ruffle a feather, deliberately kilied one, brought 

 over the other and returned for the dead bird. Colonel 

 Hutchinson relates that two partridges were shot at once, 

 one being killed, the other wounded; the latter ran away 

 and was caught by the retriever, who, on her return, 

 came across the dead bird; 'she stopped, evidently greatly 

 puzzled, and after one or two trials, finding she could not 

 take it up without permitting the escape of the winged 

 bird, she considered a moment, then deliberately mur- 

 dered it by giving it a severe crunch, and afterward 

 brought away both together. This was the only known 

 instance of her having wilfully injured any game.' 

 Here we have reason, though not quite perfect, for the 

 retriever might have brought the wounded bird first and 

 then returned for the dead one, as in the case of the two 

 wild ducks; I give the two above cases as resting on the 

 evidence of two independent witnesses, and because in 

 both instances the retrievers after deliberation broke 

 through a habit which is inherited by them (that of kill- 

 ing the game retrieved), and because they show how 

 strong their reasoning faculty must have been to over- 

 come a fixed habit. 



* * * * * * * 

 "Our domestic dogs are descended from wolves and 



jackals, and though they may not have gained in cun- 

 ning, and may have lost in wariness and suspicion, yet 

 they have progressed in certain moral qualities, such as 

 affection, trustworthiness, temper and probably in general 

 intelligence. 



******* 



"Language. — This faculty has justly been considered 

 as one of the chief distinctions between man and the 

 lower animals. But man, as a highly competent judge, 

 Archbishop Whately remarks, 'is not the only animal 

 that can make use of language to express what is passing 

 in his mind, and can understand, more or less, what is so 

 expressed by another.' In Paraguay the Cebus azarce 

 when excited utters at least six distinct sounds, which 

 excite in other monkeys similar emotions. The move- 

 ments of the features and gestures of monkeys are under- 

 stood by us, and they partly understand ours, as Rugger 

 and others declare. It is a more remarkable fact that the 

 dog, since being domesticated, has learned to bark in at 

 least four or five distinct tones. Although barking is a 

 new art, no doubt the wild parent-species of the dog ex- 

 pressed their feelings by cries of various kinds. With the 

 domesticated dog we have the bark of eagerness, as in 

 the chase; that of anger as well as growling; the yelp or 

 howl of despair, as when shut up; the baying at night; 

 the bark of joy, as when starting on a walk with his 

 master; and the very distinct one of demand or supplica- 

 tion, as when wishing for a door or window to be opened. 

 According to Houzeau, who paid particular attention to 

 the subject, the domestic fowl utters at least a dozen 

 significant sounds. 



******* 



"The feeling of religious devotion is a highly complex 

 one, consisting of love, complete submission to an exalted 

 and mysterous superior, a strong sense of dependence, 

 fear, reverence, gratitude, hope for the future and per- 

 haps other elements, No being could feel so complex an 

 emotion until advanced in his intellectual and moral 

 faculties to at least a moderately high level. Neverthe- 

 less, we see some distinct approach to this state of mind 

 in the deep love of a dog for his master, associated with 

 complete submission, some fear and perhaps other feel- 

 ings. The behavior of a dog who returned to his master 

 after an absence, and, as I may add, of a monkey to his 

 beloved keeper, is widely different from that toward 

 their fellows. In the latter case the transports of joy ap- 

 pear to be somewhat less, and the sense of equality is 

 shown in every action. Prof. Braubach goes so far as to 

 maintain that a dog looks on his master as a god. 



* * * * * * -X- 



"Sociability,— Animals of many kinds are social; wefind 

 some distinct species living together; for example, some 

 American monkeys and united flocks of rooks, jackdaws 

 and starlings. Man shows the same feeling in the strong 

 love for the dog, which the dog returns with interest. 

 Everyone must have noticed how miserable horses, dogs, 

 sheep, etc., are when separated from their companions, 

 and what strong mutual affection the two former kinds 

 at least show on their reunion. It is curious to specu- 

 late on the feelings of a dog who will rest peacefully for 

 hours in a room with his master or any of the family, 

 without the least notice being taken of him; but if left for 

 a short time by himself, barks or howls dismally. * * * 

 The most common mutual service of the higher animals 

 is to warn one another of danger by means of the united 

 senses of all. Every sportsman knows, as Dr. Jaeger 

 remarks, how difficult it is to approach animals in a herd 

 or troop. Wild horses and cattle do not, I believe, make 

 any danger signal; but the attitude of any one of them 

 who first discovers an enemy warns the others. Rabbits 

 stamp loudly on the ground with their hindfeet as a 

 signal; sheep and chamois do the same with their forefeet, 

 uttering likewise a whistle. Many birds and some 

 mammals post sentinels, which in the case of seals 

 are said generally to be females. The leader of a 

 troop of monkeys acts as the sentinel, and utters 

 cries expressive both of danger and of safety. 

 * * * Wolves and some other beasts of prey hunt in 



packs, and aid one another in attacking their victims. 

 Pelicans fish in concert. The Hamadryas baboons turn 

 over stones to find insects, etc., and when they come to a 

 large one, as many as can stand around turn it over 

 together and share the booty. Social animals mutually 

 defend each other. Bull bisons in North America, when 

 there is danger, drive the cows and calves into the middle 

 of the herd, while they defend the outside. In Abyssinia, 

 Brehm encountered a great troop of baboons who were 

 crossing a valley; some had already ascended the opposite 

 mountain and some were still in the valley; the latter were 

 attacked by the dogs, but the old males immediately hur- 

 ried down from the rocks, and with mouths widely 

 opened roared so fearfully that the dogs quickly drew 

 back. They were again encouraged to the attack ; but by 

 this time all the baboons had reascended the heights, 

 excepting a young one about six months old, who, loudly 

 calling for aid, climbed on a block of rock and was sur- 

 rounded. Now one of the largest males, a true hero, 

 came down again from the mountain, slowly went to the 

 young one, coaxed him, and triumphantly led him 

 away — the dogs being too much astonished to make 

 an attack. * * * Many animals, however, certainly 

 sympathize with each other's distress or danger. This 

 is the case even with birds. Captain Stansbury found 

 on a salt lake in Utah an old and completely blind 

 pelican, which was very fat and must have been well fed 

 for a long time by his companions. Mr. Blyth, as he in- 

 forms me, saw Indian crows feed two or three of their 

 companions which were blind; and I have heard of an 

 analagous case with the domestic cock. We may, if we 

 choose, call these actions instinctive; but such cases are 

 much too rare for the development of any special instinct. 

 I have myself seen a dog who never passed a cat who lay 

 sick in a basket and was a great friend of his without 

 giving her a few licks with his tongue, the surest sign of 

 kind feeling in a dog. It must be called sympathy that 

 leads a courageous dog to fly at any one who strikes his 

 master, as he certainly will. I saw a person pretend to 

 beat a lady who had a very timid little dog on her lap, 

 and the trial had never been made before; the little 

 creature instantly jumped away, but after the pretended 

 beating was over it was really pathetic to see how perse- 

 veringly he tried to lick his mistress's face and comfort 

 her. Brehm states that when a baboon in confinement 

 was pursued to be punished, the others tried to protect 

 him. * * * Besides love and sympathy, animals ex- 

 hibit other qualities connected with the social instincts 

 which in us would be called moral; and I agree witb 

 Agassiz that dogs possess something very like a conscience 

 Dogs possess some power of self-command, and this does 

 not appear to be wholly the result of fear. As Braubach 

 remarks, they will refrain from stealing food in the ab- 

 sence of the master. They have long been accepted as 

 the very type of fidelity and obedience." 



ALOPECIA AREATA. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



"Alopecia areata is a disease of the pillary follicles, 

 characterized by the sudden occurrence of general and 

 asymmetrical or partial and asymmetrical baldness, the 

 latter exhibited in distinctly circumscribed smooth 

 patches, which are in typical cases entirely destitute of 

 hair." 



The symptoms of this disease, according to Dr. Jas. 

 Nevins Hyde, A. M., M. D., in his work on diseases of the 

 skin, may be at its outset accompanied by symptoms of 

 ill health, such as malaria, loss of appetite, mal-nutrition, 

 etc. 



In the three cases I have met with in canine practice 

 none of the above symptoms have been present, and in 

 fact to all appearance the animals have been in excellent 

 health when presented to me for treatment, and in cases 

 1 and 2 the cisease manifested itself by the sudden and 

 complete loss of hair in round or nearly circular patches, 

 and presented the appearance of having been scalded, so 

 completely bare were the parts affected. 



Hyde aesenbes it in human practice as presenting 

 roundish, or oval, or irregularly shaped patches, varying 

 in size from a small coin upward, and states that they 

 may be so numerous as to disfigure the entire scalp, and 

 while they may touch at the borders when thus numerous 

 they can scarcely be said to coalesce, as the line of de- 

 marcation is recognizable; and he states that in point of 

 abnormal sensations, temperature or signs of disease of 

 the surface from which the hairs have fallen as a rule 

 show complete absence of symptoms, and that the skin 

 when the disease is in complete evolution is usually normal 

 to the touch, but occasionally antemic, thinned and more 

 movable in the affected parts than in the parts not touched 

 by the disease. The latter or anaemic condition I have 

 found in cases presented to me, but whether from the dis- 

 ease or from the effect of previous unsuccessful medica- 

 tion I could not say. 



The cause of the disease seems to be obscure. Accord- 

 ing to all authorities it is not transmitted by heredity or 

 contagion, and yet it is claimed it is not due to a parasite, 

 and the neurotic explanation is now generally accepted 

 as fait accumulate bearing on its etiology. This 1 can 

 hardly reconcile myself to believe is the cause of the 

 disease in the dog, and while I cannot give a 

 probable, satisfactory explanation of its cause, I do from 

 observation believe it is parasitic; and further, that while 

 authorities claim it is not infectious, I am inclined to be- 

 lieve it is, from the fact that such history as I could obtain 

 regarding the cases showed that, while it appeared in two 

 or three patches simultaneously, it invariably affected 

 adjoining parts in the course of a few weeks, which were 

 caused I believe by subcutaneous infection. 



Pathology. — The anatomical lesions which produce 

 alopecia have not been recognized. The hairs fallen 

 from the surface, according to Hyde, when examined by 

 a microscope, appear to be atrophied in the bulb and 

 shaft, and he states that no parasite can be discovered in 

 uncomplicated cases; but that he had in one instance 

 detected spores and mycliaof the trichopyton in the hairs. 

 His diagnosis alopecia areata is distinguishable from 

 ringworm, and favors by the suddenness of its onset the 

 absence of all stumps of hairs, scales, crusts or evidences 

 of irritation in the parts involved, and the complete bald- 

 ness and smoothness. 



'Treatment. — According to the author above referred to 

 he states that one must necessarily view with distrust all 

 treatment for a disease which, while continuing for 

 months or years, usually terminates in spontaneous 

 recovery, and in the meantime bids defiance to each and 



