DOG— EMOTIONS AND COMMUNICATION OE IDEAS. 445 
clusively proved than by the fact of his behaviour in 
pretending to catch the fly. Mr. Darwin observes : 6 Dogs 
show what may be fairly called a sense of humour, as dis- 
tinct from mere play ; if a bit of stick or other such ob- 
ject be thrown to one, he will often carry it away for a 
short distance ; and then squatting down with it on the 
ground close before him, will wait until his master comes 
close to take it away. The dog will seize it and rush 
away in triumph, repeating the same manoeuvre, and 
evidently enjoying the practical joke .’ 1 
General Intelligence . 
I have very definite evidence of the fact that dogs are 
able to communicate to one another simple ideas. The 
communication is always effected by gesture or tones of 
barking, and the ideas are always of such a simple nature 
as that of a mere 6 follow me.’ According to my own 
observations, the dogs must be above the average of 
canine intelligence, and the gesture they invariably em- 
ploy is a contact of heads, with a motion between a rub 
and a butt. It is quite different from anything that 
occurs in play, and is always followed by a definite course 
of action. I must add, however, that although the in- 
formation thus conveyed is always definite, I have never 
known a case in which it was complex — anything like 
asking or telling the way, which several writers have said 
that dogs can do, being, I believe, quite out of the question. 
One example will suffice. A Skye terrier (not quite 
pure) was asleep in the room where I was, while his son 
lay upon a wall which separates the lawn from the high 
road. The young dog, when alone, would never attack a 
strange one, but was a keen fighter when in company 
with his father. Upon the present occasion a large 
mongrel passed along the road, and shortly afterwards 
the old dog awoke and went sleepily downstairs. When 
he arrived upon the door- step his son ran up to him and 
8 Descent of Man, p. 71. 
