ii 4 



HARDW1CKE' S SCIENCE-GO SSIP. 



have paid much attention to dogs, is the noise made 

 by one when it is pleased, or when it is welcoming 

 its master. 



The sound commonly called whining is usually 

 made by dogs when they are in some trouble. In 

 certain cases it might perhaps be taken as an 

 equivalent for crying or sobbing ; but it may gene- 

 rally be regarded as an appeal for help. Thus a dog 

 that is shut up, or chained up, will whine to be 

 released. Frequently, too, a dog will whine when 

 something that it wants is out of its reach, although, 

 as we have already said, a bark is often used at such 

 a time. 



The "yelp" is a shrill kind of bark, or what one 

 might term a cross between bark and whine. It is 

 often used in conjunction with, or instead of, the 

 latter ; but it probably indicates a greater amount of 

 excitement or anxiety, the degree of excitement 

 regulating to a great extent the rapidity of the yelp- 

 ing. For instance, when a dog is excitedly chasing 

 a cat or a rat under circumstances which make it fear 

 that it may lose its prey, it will give vent to a rapid 

 succession of yelps, whereas, when appealing for its 

 release from captivity, the yelping is usually slow, 

 the cries, separated by more or less prolonged in- 

 tervals, being quite distinct from each other. 



The majority of people are apt to look upon 

 growling as a sign of ill-temper ; but in reality dogs 

 make two distinct sounds, which, although somewhat 

 similar, are nevertheless of very different import. 

 One, it is true, indicates rage, or growing anger, and 

 is the growl which precedes a bite. It is a low note 

 with a good deal of vibration. The other growl 

 is generally in a somewhat higher key,, with a 

 more or less pronounced nasal sound, and is in- 

 dicative, not of surliness, but of good temper, for it 

 is used only when the animal is at play. 



The "squeak" or "squeal" is never used except 

 when the dog is subjected to sudden fear or pain, and 

 is probably an involuntary sound, synonymous with 

 the human scream — a cry common, no doubt, to all 

 mankind — which, uttered under like circumstances, is 

 equally involuntary. 



We have not classified the easily recognisable cry 

 uttered by dogs while they are fighting. It is, in fact, a 

 mixture of barking, yelping, growling, and squeaking, 

 doubtless an involuntary venting of the passionate 

 emotions that might possibly be regarded as a canine 

 counterpart of the profane swearing occasionally in- 

 dulged in by man himself when similarly engaged. 



From the foregoing examples — which, by the way, 

 are only a few of those that might be given — the 

 reader will easily understand that a dog is capable of 

 giving utterance to a far greater variety of sounds 

 than are comprised in the conventional bark. It will 

 be seen, too, that the canine language, if it can be so 

 called, is one in which sounds that are practically 

 almost identical may not always convey the same 

 meaning, while on the other hand several different 



cries may be used for the same purpose. It will be 

 found, however, on careful observation, that the tone 

 of a dog's voice is in a great measure the key to the 

 meaning which that animal wishes to convey by the 

 sounds to which it gives utterance, the latter being 

 in many cases adapted to circumstances, at times, in 

 fact, being employed somewhat as one might regulate 

 the use of certain words for the purpose of giving 

 more or less force to an expression. 



In studying the significance of the sounds that dogs 

 are capable of making, it is not always easy for us to 

 tell how far those sounds have been the result of 

 intentional or accidental training. The language of 

 man himself may be regarded as an acquirement 

 rather than a natural gift, and possibly the only 

 sounds which may be considered natural to him 

 would be common to the human race generally, and 

 expressive of such simple emotions as pleasure, anger, 

 fear, or pain. Similarly, certain sounds emitted by a 

 dog may be considered as artificially acquired, and 

 capable of more or less cultivation, though in a much 

 less degree than is the case with man. Thus, it is 

 said, that wild dogs never bark ; but that barking 

 has been acquired in the domesticated state, as though 

 it were an attempt on the part or our canine friends 

 to hold intercourse with us and make themselves 

 to some extent understood. A dog can easily be 

 trained to bark on particular occasions, and in a 

 particular way ; and it will, moreover, evidently be 

 well aware what such barking is for, and the results 

 that are likely to follow. Thus we may without 

 difficulty teach a dog to bark for its food, and evi- 

 dently knowing well the reward it will probably get 

 for so doing, it generally barks when it sees anything 

 edible that it may take a fancy to. ' 



How far this process of linguistic cultivation can 

 be carried, and to what extent it can be transmitted 

 to subsequent generations in the case of dogs, we are 

 not prepared to say. "With man himself it would 

 seem to be practically unlimited, and.it is probably 

 not • impossible that some patient -and persevering 

 individual may eventually succeed in producing 

 remarkable developments in "dog talk," even though 

 the latter may fall far short of the ordinary conception 

 of language. 



SPIDERS' WEBS FROM SIERRA LEONE. 



IN the woods of the Sierra Leone peninsula — 

 there and throughout West Africa called 

 "bush," in contradistinction to the term "jungle," 

 used in the East Indies — I noticed webs built by two 

 species of spiders, photographs of which I enclose, 

 and a short description of which may be of interest to 

 some of your readers. 



Fig. 72 represents the centre of a web, the general 

 construction of which is similar to that of our home 

 garden-sp*ider, Epeira diadema. This centre is woven 



