34 
PASSIONS OP ANIMALS. 
of any sound or vibration proceeding from the earth. The 
beaver has the power, w hen diving, to fold its ear backwards 
on its head ; and the water-shrew, for the same purpose, has 
three distinct flaps, which close the orifice, in the same manner 
that many diving and burrowdng animals are furnished with 
flaps to the nose, by w 7 hich they close the entrance to all 
injurious bodies. The hippopotamus, which remains for 
lengthened periods beneath the surface of the water, is also 
provided with a valve-like apparatus. Hares and rabbits, 
w 7 hich squat close on the ground, and w 7 hich might be more 
readily discovered w\ere any projecting point of their bodies 
visible, fold their ears flat backwards. In all, this sense is 
remarkably keen, and with horses it is only exceeded by that 
of the smell ; they hear sounds and are restless long before 
the rider can perceive an animal or a human being in the 
distance. The carrier horses in Switzerland hear the fall of 
an avalanche, and warn their master of the danger, by their 
terror, and by refusing to advance, and even by turning in 
an opposite direction. The acute sensibility of this organ is 
somewhat obstructed by the bushy hairs which grow in the 
outer sheath, and thus horse-dealers cut them out from 
horses they have for sale, in order that sounds, striking 
on the nerves with greater force, may, by exciting the ani- 
mals, give them a more lively appearance. 
ijs ;jc :jc 
e: The dog remembers his master and the members of his 
family after an absence of years, and the persons of those 
who have ill-treated it. One which M. d’Obsonville took 
with him from Pondicherry on a journey of upwards of three 
hundred miles, through a country hardly intersected by a 
road, and w 7 hich occupied three weeks to traverse, having 
lost its master, returned at once to Pondicherry. Similar 
instances of the powder of memory, and of finding their way 
through strange districts, are of daily occurrence, and it is 
astonishing with what speed they return to their homes 
from remote distances. The dog of an officer who fell in 
battle in Poland, found its way back to his estate near 
Leipzig in an inconceivable short space of time. The dog 
of a little Savoyard being sold and carried to Rome, w 7 as 
shut up for safety, but it soon succeeded in making its 
escape, and reached its former home after a few days in a 
most emaciated state. The hunted fox, driven by the chase 
far beyond its accustomed haunts, finds its w 7 ay back to them 
in the course of a few hours. 
K These cases may be multiplied to any extent; and the 
numerous facts that are recorded are familiar to almost 
