t> o o 
1 876.] Conscience in Animals. 153 
tions, all who have the opportunity should make a point of 
observing whether any indications of conscience are percep- 
tible in monkeys, elephants, or intelligent dogs. My own 
opportunities of observation have been restricted to the last 
of these animals alone, so I shall conclude this article by 
giving some instances which appear to me very satisfactorily 
to prove that intelligent and sympathetic dogs possess the 
rudiments of a moral sense. 
I have a setter just now which has been made a pet of 
since a puppy. As he has a very fine nose, and is at liberty 
to go wherever he pleases, he often finds bits of food which 
he very well knows he has no right to take. If the food he 
finds happens to be of a dainty description, his conscientious 
scruples are overcome by the temptations of appetite ; but 
if the food should be of a less palatable kind, he generally 
carries it to me in order to obtain my permission to eat it. 
Now, as no one ever beats or even scolds this dog for 
stealing, his only objedt in thus asking permission to eat 
what he finds must be that of quieting his conscience. It 
should be added that when he brings stolen property to me 
it does not always follow that he is allowed to keep it. 
This same animal, when I am out shooting with him, some- 
times of course flushes birds. When he does so he imme- 
diately comes to me in a straight line, carrying his head 
and tail very low, as if to ask for pardon. Although I speak 
reproachfully to him on such occasions, I scarcely ever chas- 
tise him ; so it cannot be fear that prompts this demeanour. 
One other curious fadt may here be mentioned about this 
dog. Although naturally a very vivacious animal, and, 
when out for a walk with myself or any other young person, 
perpetually ranging about in search of game, yet if taken 
out for a walk by an elderly person he keeps close to heel 
all the time— pacing along with a slow step and sedate 
manner, as different as possible from that which is natural 
to him. This curious behaviour is quite spontaneous on his 
part, and appears to arise from his sense of the respedt 
that is due to age. 
The writer of the article on “ Animal Depravity” makes 
the following quotation from an article of mine in “ Nature ” 
(vol. xii., p. 66) : — “ The terrier used to be very fond of 
catching flies upon the window-panes, and if ridiculed when 
unsuccessful was evidently much annoyed. On one occasion, 
in order to see what he would do, I purposely laughed immo- 
derately every time he failed. It so happened that he did 
so several times in succession. — partly, I believe, in conse- 
quence of my laughing,—*and eventually he became so 
