33 6 HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS. 



before him on a journey, often going over the fame 

 ground; on coming to crofs-ways, Hops, looks backhand 

 waits to obferve which of them he takes ; fits up and 

 begs ; and, when it has committed a theft, flinks away, 

 with its tail between its legs ; is an enemy to beggars 

 and ill-looking people, and attacks them without the lead 

 provocation; is alfo faid to be fick at the approach of bad 

 weather. — We cannot, however, agree with the learned 

 naturalift, when he afferts, that the male puppies refera- 

 ble the Dog, and the female the Bitch ; or that it is a 

 character common to the whole fpecies, that the tail al- 

 ways bends to the left fide. To thefe we may add, as 

 equally void of foundation, a remark of M. Buffon, that 

 a female Hound, covered with a Dog of her own kind, 

 has been known to produce a mixed race, confuting 'o£ 

 Hounds and Terriers. — We barely mention thefe, to 

 fhew, that too much caution cannot be ufed in forming- 

 general characters or fyftematic arrangements ; and we 

 leave it to the experience of the moil inattentive obferver 

 to detect fuch palpable abfurdities. 



