418 
ON INSTINCT, 
a mixture of the springing spaniel and setter, dropped upon 
crossing the track of a partridge, as its male parent would have 
done, and sprung the bird in silence; but the same dog, having 
within a couple of hours afterwards, found a woodcock, gave 
tongue very freely, and just as its female parent would have 
done.” 
Now, in this last instance, it will be observed, that the new 
peculiarities have an intimate relation to the habits of the animal 
in a wild state, and therefore do not attest any tendency to 
departure to an indefinite extent from the original type of the 
species ; but when we consider the attainments, as well as the 
habits and dispositions, which the retriever, greyhound, shep¬ 
herd’s dog, bull-dog, and many others inherit, it seems to be of 
a nature and extent which we can hardly explain by supposing 
them to be modifications of the natural instincts, and necessary 
for the preservation of the species in a wild state. I can only 
attribute such remarkable habits to the modifications of struc¬ 
ture. 
From the combination of various causes*, the history of no 
animal is more interesting than the dog. First, his intimate as¬ 
sociation with man, not only as a valuable servant and protector, 
but as his constant and faithful companion throughout all the 
vicissitudes of life. Secondly, from his natural endowments, 
not consisting solely in the exquisite delicacy of one individual 
sense, that fineness of olfactory nerve, by which earth and air 
send forth showers of perfumes—not merely combining memory 
with reflection, that soars above instinctive preservation or self¬ 
part of the excellent introduction to his second edition, published many 
years ago. 
Charles Lyell, Esq., author of the “ Principles of Geology,” has noticed 
*‘the effect of change of species,” in animals, in consequence of domesti¬ 
cation. “ A race-dog,” he says, ‘‘employed for hunting deer on the plat¬ 
form of Santa Fe, in Mexico, affords a beautiful illustration of a new here¬ 
ditary instinct. The mode of attack which they employ, consists in seizing 
the animal by the belly, and overturning it by a sudden effort, taking advan¬ 
tage of the moment when the body of the deer rests only upon the fore legs. 
The weight of the animal thus thrown over is often six times that of its 
antagonist. The dog of pure breed inherits a disposition to this kind of 
chase, and never attacks a deer from before while running. Even should 
the latter, not perceiving him, come directly upon him, the dog steps aside, 
and makes his assault on the flank; whereas other hunting dogs, though of 
superior strength and general sagacity, which are brought from Europe, are 
destitute of this instinct. For want of similar precautions, they are often 
killed by the deer on the spot, the vertebrae of their neck being dislocated 
by the violence of the shock.” 
* Encyclopaedia Britannica, article on Dogs, by Nimrod. 
