Chapter VII: Introduction: Science (6)

Washington Irving tells the following story of a greyhound's affection for his master. "An officer named St. Leger, who was imprisoned in Vincennes (near Paris) during the wars of St. Bartholomew, wished to keep with him a greyhound that he had brought up, and which was much attached to him; but they harshly refused him this innocent pleasure, and sent away the greyhound to his house in the Rue des Lions Saint Paul. The next day the greyhound returned alone to Vincennes, and began to bark under the windows of the tower, where the officer was confined. St. Leger approached, looked through the bars, and was delighted again to see his faithful hound, who began to jump and play a thousand gambols to show her joy. He threw a piece of bread to the animal, who ate it with great good will; and, in spite of the immense wall which separated them, they breakfasted together like two friends. This friendly visit was not the last. Abandoned by his relations, who believed him dead, the unfortunate prisoner received the visits of his greyhound only, during four years' confinement. Whatever weather it might be, in spite of rain or snow, the faithful animal did not fail a single day to pay her accustomed visit. Six months after his release from prison St. Leger died. The faithful greyhound would no longer remain in the house; but on the day after the funeral returned to the castle of Vincennes, and it is supposed she was actuated by a motive of gratitude. A jailor of the outer court had always shown great kindness to this dog, which was as handsome as affectionate. Contrary to the custom of people of that class, this man had been touched by her attachment and beauty, so that he facilitated her approach to see her master, and also insured her a safe retreat. Penetrated with gratitude for this service, the greyhound remained the rest of her life near the benevolent jailor. It was remarked, that even while testifying her zeal and gratitude for her second master, one could easily see that her heart was with the first. Like those who, having lost a parent, a brother, or a friend, come from afar to seek consolation by viewing the place which they inhabited, this affectionate animal repaired frequently to the tower where St. Leger had been imprisoned, and would contemplate for hours together the gloomy window from which her dear master had so often smiled to her, and where they had so frequently breakfasted together."

The Lurcher.

"The rough, large-boned, ill-looking Lurcher," says Mrs. Bowdich, "is said to have descended from the rough greyhound and the shepherd's dog. It is now rare; but there are some of its sinister-looking mongrel progeny still to be seen. They always bear the reputation of being poachers' dogs, and are deeply attached to their owners. They have a fine scent; and a man confessed to Mr. Bewick, that he could, with a pair of lurchers, procure as many rabbits as he pleased. They never give tongue, but set about their work silently and cautiously, and hunt hares and partridges, driving the latter into the nets of the unlawful sportsmen." He is a dog to whom a bad name has been given, and who has found a bad name but one step from hanging.

The Bloodhound.

The Bloodhound (_Canis Sanguinarius_) whether because less needed now than formerly or not, is less cultivated and is therefore more rare. Mr. Bell's description of the breed is as follows:--"They stand twenty-eight inches high at the shoulder; the muzzle broad and full; the upper lip large and pendulous; the vertex of the head protuberant; the expression stern, thoughtful, and noble; the breast broad; the limbs strong and muscular; and the original colour a deep tan, with large black clouds. They are silent when following their scent; and in this respect differ from other hounds, who are generally gifted with fine deep voices. Numbers, under the name of sleuth-hounds, used to be kept on the Borders; and kings and troopers, perhaps equally marauders, have in olden times found it difficult to evade them. The noble Bruce had several narrow escapes from them; and the only sure way to destroy their scent was to spill blood upon the track. In all the common routine of life they are good-natured and intelligent, and make excellent watch-dogs. A story is related of a nobleman, who, to make a trial whether a young hound was well instructed, desired one of his servants to walk to a town four miles off, and then to a market town three miles from thence. The dog, without seeing the man he was to pursue, followed him by the scent to the above-mentioned places, notwithstanding the multitude of market-people that went along the same road, and of travellers that had occasion to come; and when the bloodhound came to the market town, he passed through the streets without taking notice of any of the people there, and ceased not till he had gone to the house where the man he sought rested himself, and where he found him in an upper room, to the wonder of those who had accompanied him in this pursuit."

The Scent of the Bloodhound.

A strong characteristic of the Bloodhound is of course his remarkable scent for blood.

"Bloodhounds," says Bingley, "were formerly used in certain districts lying between England and Scotland, that were much infested by robbers and murderers; and a tax was laid on the inhabitants for keeping and maintaining a certain number of these animals. Some few are yet kept in the northern parts of the kingdom, and in the lodges of the royal forests, where they are used in pursuit of deer that have been previously wounded. They are also sometimes employed in discovering deer-stealers, whom they infallibly trace by the blood that issues from the wounds of their victims. A very extraordinary instance of this occurred in the New Forest, in the year 1810, and was related to me by the Right Hon. G. H. Rose. A person, in getting over a stile into a field near the Forest, remarked that there was blood upon it. Immediately afterwards he recollected that some deer had been killed, and several sheep stolen in the neighbourhood; and that this might possibly be the blood of one that had been killed in the preceding night. The man went to the nearest lodge to give information; but the keeper being from home, he was under the necessity of going to Rhinefield Lodge, which was at a considerable distance. Toomer, the under-keeper, went with him to the place, accompanied by a bloodhound. The dog, when brought to the spot, was laid on the scent; and after following for about a mile the track which the depredator had taken, he came at last to a heap of furze fagots belonging to the family of a cottager. The woman of the house attempted to drive the dog away, but was prevented; and on the fagots being removed a hole was discovered in the ground, which contained the body of a sheep that had recently been killed, and also a considerable quantity of salted meat. The circumstance which renders this account the more remarkable is, that the dog was not brought to the scent until more than sixteen hours had elapsed after the man had carried away the sheep."

The Stag-Hound.

"The stag hound," says Colonel Smith, "was a large stately animal, equal or little less than the blood hound, and originally, like that race, slow, sure, cautious and steady." "The modern hound is perhaps still handsomer, though somewhat smaller; and the breed having been crossed with the fox hound is now much faster." The stag hunt having declined in public favour they have ceased to be bred in packs for hunting purposes.

A Stag-Hunt.

"Many years since," says Captain Brown, "a very large stag was turned out of Whinfield Park in the county of Westmoreland, and was pursued by the hounds till, by accident or fatigue, the whole pack was thrown out with the exception of two dogs which continued the chase. Its length is uncertain, but the chase was seen at Red Kirk near Annan in Scotland, distant by the post road about forty-six miles. The stag returned to the park from which he had set out, so that considering the circuitous route which it pursued, it is supposed to have run over not less than one hundred and twenty miles. It was its greatest and last achievement, for it leapt the wall of the park and immediately expired; the hounds were also found dead at no great distance from the wall which they had been unable to leap. An inscription was placed on a tree in the park, in memory of the animals, and the horns of the stag, the largest ever seen in that part of the country, were placed over it."

The Fox-Hound.

"In giving a description of the various breeds of dogs," says Mr. Jesse, "everyone must be aware, that by crossing and recrossing them many of those we now see have but little claim to originality. The fox-hound, the old Irish wolf-dog, and the Colley or shepherd's dog, may perhaps be considered as possessing the greatest purity of blood." Mr. Jesse then refers to a picture of a pack of hounds in Wilkinson's "Manners and Customs of the Egyptians," a picture which was copied from a painting found in one of the tombs of the Pharaohs, in which "every individual hound is characteristic of the present breed." If this be so, as Mr. Jesse says, "this breed must be considered of a much more ancient date than is generally supposed." The Fox-hound is described by Colonel Smith as "somewhat lower at the shoulders and more slenderly built" than the stag-hound. His colour is "white, but commonly marked with larger clouds of black and tan, one on each side the head, covering the ears, the same on each flank and one at the root of the tail." The Fox-hound has great strength and endurance, and will run ten hours in pursuit of the fox.

The Fox-hound's Tenacity.

Many extraordinary stories are told of the Fox-hound's ardour for sport. According to Mr. Jesse, a bitch was on one occasion taken in labour while in the hunting field, and after giving birth to a pup took it in its mouth and pursued the chase. Another bitch, whose eye had been struck from the socket accidentally by the lash of the whipper-in who did not believe her challenge, pursued the fox alone for a great distance with her eye pendant, until the rest of the pack came up and the fox was killed. Perhaps one of the most remarkable instances of tenacity of purpose in an animal is that quoted by Mr. Jesse from the supplement to Mr. Daniel's "Rural Sports." "The circumstance took place in the year 1808, in the counties of Inverness and Perth, and perhaps surpasses any length of pursuit known in the annals of hunting. On the 8th of June in that year, a fox and hound were seen near Dunkeld in Perthshire, on the high road, proceeding at a slow trotting pace. The dog was about fifty yards behind the fox, and each was so fatigued as not to gain on the other. A countryman very easily caught the fox, and both it and the dog were taken to a gentleman's house in the neighbourhood, where the fox died. It was afterwards ascertained that the hound belonged to the Duke of Gordon, and that the fox was started on the morning of the 4th of June, on the top of those hills called Monaliadh, which separate Badenoch from Fort Augustus. From this it appeared that the chase lasted four days, and that the distance traversed from the place where the fox was unkennelled to the spot where it was caught, without making any allowances for doubles, crosses, etc., and as the crow flies, exceeded seventy miles."

The Harrier.

"The Harrier," says Colonel Smith, "so called from being usually applied to hare hunting is smaller than the fox-hound, not exceeding eighteen inches at the shoulder. It is entirely an artificial breed and is often confounded with the beagle."

The Beagle.

The Beagle is called by Mr. Jesse, "a Fox-hound in miniature," and he adds nothing can well be more perfect than the shape of these small dogs. "In Queen Elizabeth's reign," says Colonel Smith, "the fanciers bred a race so small, that a complete cry of them could be carried out to the field in a pair of panniers. That princess had little singing beagles which could be placed in a man's glove! At present they are about twelve or fourteen inches at the shoulders, stout and compact in make, with long ears, and either marked with a bright streak or spot of white about the neck on a dark brown coat, or white with spots like a harrier, of black and red. They are slow but persevering, and are sufficiently sure of killing their game."

The Dalmatian Dog.

Colonel Smith places the Dalmatian dog with the hounds on the ground of similarity of general structure. Elegant in form and beautiful in making it is said to be less keen in scent and less sagacious than other dogs. Sagacious or not, it was one of these dogs that Lord Maynard found awaiting him at his house in England after having lost him in France.

The Turnspit.

"The Turnspit," says Captain Brown, "derived its name from the service in which it was engaged before the invention of machinery to do the same work, and, what is remarkable, now that the office is extinct, so also has nearly become the species which used to perform it." "I have now in my kitchen," said the Duke de Laincourt, to M. Descartes, "two turnspits which take their turns regularly every other day in the wheel: one of them, not liking his employment, hid himself on the day he should have wrought, when his companion was forced to mount the wheel in his stead; but crying and wagging his tail, he intimated that those in attendance should first follow him. He immediately conducted them to a garret, where he dislodged the idle dog, and killed him immediately." Another instance is recorded by Captain Brown as follows: "When the cook had prepared the meat for roasting, he found that the dog which should have wrought the spit had disappeared. He attempted to employ another, but it bit his leg and fled. Soon after, however, the refractory dog entered the kitchen driving before him the truant turnspit, which immediately of its own accord went into the wheel." It is easy to see from these stories that the occupation was not a popular one and it is well that it is no longer a necessary one.

The Pointer.

The pointer (_Canis avicularis_) as resembling the race of hounds, more than any other of the shooting or gun dogs is placed next to them in the classification of Colonel Smith, who says: "In their present qualities of standing fixed and pointing to game, we see the result of a long course of severe training; and it is a curious fact, that by a succession of generations having been constantly educated to this purpose, it has become almost innate, and young dogs of the true breed point with scarcely any instruction: this habit is so firm in some that the late Mr. Gilpin is reported to have painted a brace of pointers while in the act, and that they stood an hour and a quarter without moving." A smooth dog, resembling the fox-hound in his markings, though sometimes entirely black, the pointer is used by sportsmen to point them to the spot where the game is to be found. "It ranges the fields," says Mr. Wood, "until it scents the hare or partridge lying close on the ground. It then remains still as if carved in stone, every limb fixed, and the tail pointing straight behind it. In this attitude it remains until the gun is discharged, reloaded, and the sportsman has reached the place where the bird sprang."

The Pointer as a Sportsman.

The pointer is a keen sportsman and will "point" without tiring while worthily supported by the gun, but many stories are told of his disgust at a bad shot and his refusal to "point" for unskilful sportsmen. The following amusing story is told by Captain Brown and is quoted as follows by Mr. Jesse: "A gentleman, on his requesting the loan of a pointer-dog from a friend, was informed by him that the dog would behave very well so long as he could kill his birds; but if he frequently missed them, it would run home and leave him. The dog was sent, and the following day was fixed for trial; but, unfortunately, his new master was a remarkably bad shot. Bird after bird rose and was fired at, but still pursued its flight untouched, till, at last, the pointer became careless, and often missed his game. As if seemingly willing, however, to give one chance more, he made a dead stop at a fern-bush, with his nose pointed downward, the fore-foot bent, and his tail straight and steady. In this position he remained firm till the sportsman was close to him, with both barrels cocked, then moving steadily forward for a few paces, he at last stood still near a bunch of heather, the tail expressing the anxiety of the mind by moving regularly backwards and forwards. At last out sprang a fine old blackcock. Bang, bang, went both barrels, but the bird escaped unhurt. The patience of the dog was now quite exhausted; and, instead of dropping to charge, he turned boldly round, placed his tail between his legs, gave one howl, long and loud, and set off as fast as he could to his own home." The pointer has been known to lie down without bidding beside game which has been dropped from a bag, after a long day's shooting, and watch it faithfully until relieved on the following day, when the missing birds were searched for and found.

The Setter.

The Setter (_Canis Index_) divides with the pointer the duty of attending the sportsman on his shooting expeditions. According to Captain Brown he was "originally derived from a cross between the Spanish pointer and the large water spaniel and was justly celebrated for his fine scent." Many crossings have considerably varied the breed, of which the Irish is now considered purer than the English and Scotch breeds. "In figure," says Colonel Smith, "they participate of the pointer and the Spaniel, though larger than the latter. In England they are white, or white with black or brown marks." They are intelligent, affectionate and docile, and often show great sagacity outside the domain of sport.

The Scent of the Setter.

Col. Hutchinson says, "I was partridge-shooting the season before last with an intimate friend. The air was soft, and there was a good breeze. We came upon a large turnip-field, deeply trenched on account of its damp situation. A white setter, that habitually carried a lofty head, drew for awhile, and then came to a point. We got up to her. She led us across some ridges, when her companion, a jealous dog (a pointer), which had at first backed correctly, most improperly pushed on in front, but, not being able to acknowledge the scent, went off, clearly imagining the bitch was in error. She, however, held on, and in beautiful style brought us up direct to a covey. My friend and I agreed that she must have been but little, if at all, less than one hundred yards off when she first winded the birds; and it was clear to us that they could not have been running, for the breeze came directly across the furrows, and she had led us in the wind's eye. We thought the point the more remarkable, as it is generally supposed that the strong smell of turnips diminishes a dog's power of scenting birds."

The Setter's Sagacity.

Mr. Huet tells the following story of the sagacity of the setter. "The gamekeeper had, on one of the short days of December, shot at and wounded a deer. Hoping to run him down before night, he instantly put the dog upon the track, which followed it at full speed, and soon was out of sight. At length it grew dark, and the gamekeeper returned home, thinking he should find the setter arrived there before him; but he was disappointed, and became apprehensive that his dog might have lost himself, or fallen a prey to some ravenous animal. The next morning, however, we were all greatly rejoiced to see him come running into the yard, whence he directly hastened to the door of my apartment, and, on being admitted, ran, with gestures expressive of solicitude and eagerness, to a corner of the room where guns were placed. We understood the hint, and, taking the guns, followed him. He led us not by the road which he himself had taken out of the wood, but by beaten paths half round it, and then by several wood-cutters' tracks in different directions, to a thicket, where, following him a few paces, we found the deer which he had killed. The dog seems to have rightly judged that we should have been obliged to make our way with much difficulty through almost the whole length of the wood, in order to come to the deer in a straight direction, and he therefore led us a circuitous but open and convenient road. Between the legs of the deer, which he had guarded during the night against the beasts of prey that might otherwise have seized upon it, he had scratched a hole in the snow, and filled it with dry leaves for his bed. The extraordinary sagacity which he had displayed upon this occasion rendered him doubly valuable to us, and it therefore caused us very serious regret when, in the ensuing summer, the poor animal went mad, possibly in consequence of his exposure to the severe frost of that night, and it became necessary for the gamekeeper to shoot him, which he could not do without shedding tears. He said he would willingly have given his best cow to save him; and I confess myself that I would not have hesitated to part with my best horse upon the same terms."

The Spaniel.

There are many varieties of the Spaniel of which the Water Spaniel, the King Charles Spaniel, the Blenheim and the Maltese Spaniels are the best known. The Water Spaniels figure on some of the later monuments of Rome and so prove their antiquity. Colonel Smith describes the Spaniel as a small setter, with silky hair and fine long villous ears; black, brown pied, liver coloured, white and black-and-white, the water spaniel differing from the other species chiefly in his readiness to hunt and swim in the water and the hair being somewhat harder to the touch. The spaniel has a great affection for his master and is never tired of testifying his appreciation of his kindness. Colonel Smith mentions a dog allied to the spaniel race, who at the time of his writing (April 1840) had been lying on the grave of his mistress for three days, refusing all food, and was on that day being forcibly removed. Spaniels are often very intelligent, displaying the same sagacity as other and larger dogs and in the same way. Mr. Jesse mentions a King Charles spaniel who was locked by his master in a room in Vere St. Clare Market, one afternoon about half past five, while he went with his family to Drury Lane theatre. About eight o'clock in the evening the dog escaped his confinement and found his way to the theatre where he discovered his master in the midst of the pit, though it was crowded at the time. The Blenheim spaniel is similar to the King Charles breed, though somewhat different in its markings, fuller about the muzzle and shorter in the back. Blenheims have been known to show great intelligence and affection. A story is told of one who upon being attacked by two cats, obtained the assistance of a third cat, waylaid his enemies one at a time and, with the assistance of his friend, taught them better manners. The Maltese dog is another favourite species, much admired and petted by ladies.

The Sagacity of the Water Spaniel.

Captain Brown gives the following from a letter written by a gentleman at Dijon in France, to his friend in London, dated August 15, 1764:

"Since my arrival here a man has been broken on the wheel, with no other proof to condemn him than that of a water-spaniel. The circumstances attending it being so very singular and striking, I beg leave to communicate them to you. A farmer, who had been to receive a sum of money, was waylaid, robbed, and murdered, by two villains. The farmer's dog returned with all speed to the house of the person who had paid the money, and expressed such amazing anxiety that he would follow him, pulling him several times by the sleeve and skirt of the coat, that, at length, the gentleman yielded to his importunity. The dog led him to the field, a little from the roadside, where the body lay. From thence the gentleman went to a public-house, in order to alarm the country. The moment he entered, (as the two villains were there drinking), the dog seized the murderer by the throat, and the other made his escape. This man lay in prison three months, during which time they visited him once a-week with the spaniel, and though they made him change his clothes with other prisoners, and always stand in the midst of a crowd, yet did the animal always find him out, and fly at him. On the day of trial, when the prisoner was at the bar, the dog was let loose in the court-house, and in the midst of some hundreds he found him out (though dressed entirely in new clothes), and would have torn him to pieces had he been allowed; in consequence of which he was condemned, and at the place of execution he confessed the fact."

The Terrier.

There are many varieties of terrier including numerous celebrated breeds. The English, Scotch, Skye, Bull and Fox terriers being the best known. Innumerable stories of the intelligence and sagacity of the various breeds might be told if space permitted, but it must suffice to say that for sportsmanlike qualities, for general intelligence and sagacity, and for affection for his master, the terrier of whatever breed will hold his own against any other dog. Dogs are said to have natural antipathies, and that of the Bull-dog for the bull is an obvious illustration. An equal antipathy is shown by the English terrier for the rat and by the Fox-terrier for the cat, though the latter is perhaps as much a matter of education as of nature. Terriers are, however, among the best known of dogs and therefore need the less description.

The Mastiff.

The Mastiff is said to be of an original breed indigenous to England, whence some were exported to Italy in the days of the Roman emperors. The breed has since been crossed by stag and blood hounds and the present is a magnificent animal of great power and noble character. The ancient breed was brindled yellow and black, the present is usually deeper or lighter buff with-dark muzzle and ears. The mastiff is sometimes twenty-nine or thirty inches in height at the shoulder.

The Mastiff's Fidelity.

The Mastiff is the best of watch dogs, for he brings an intelligence to bear upon his duty which is in the highest degree surprising. He has been known to walk by the side of an intending thief "forbidding his laying hands upon any article, yet abstaining from doing him any bodily harm, and suffering his escape over the walls," but leaving his master's property intact. A mastiff who had been left by his master, who was a sweep, in charge of his bag of soot in a narrow street in Southampton, refused to leave it either for coaxings or threats, and rather than desert his duty allowed himself to be run over and killed.

The Mastiff's Discrimination.

The mastiff has a powerful scent, and remarkable skill in discovering the lost property of his master. Captain Brown gives the following extract from a letter from St. Germains: "An English gentleman some time ago came to our Vauxhall with a large mastiff, which was refused admittance, and the gentleman left him in the care of the body-guards, who are placed there. The Englishman, some time after he had entered, returned to the gate and informed the guards that he had lost his watch, telling the sergeant, that if he would permit him to take in the dog, he would soon discover the thief. His request being granted, the gentleman made motions to the dog of what he had lost, which immediately ran about amongst the company, and traversed the gardens, till at last he laid hold of a man. The gentleman insisted that this person had got his watch; and on being searched, not only his watch, but six others, were discovered in his pockets. What is more remarkable, the dog possessed such a perfection of instinct as to take his master's watch from the other six, and carry it to him."

The Mastiff as Protector.

Mr. Jesse gives the following story which he reprinted from a contemporary newspaper:

"A most extraordinary circumstance has just occurred at the Hawick toll-bar, which is kept by two old women. It appears that they had a sum of money in the house, and were extremely alarmed lest they should be robbed of it. Their fears prevailed to such an extent, that, when a carrier whom they knew was passing by, they urgently requested him to remain with them all night, which, however, his duties would not permit him to do; but, in consideration of the alarm of the women, he consented to leave with them a large mastiff dog. In the night the women were disturbed by the uneasiness of the dog, and heard a noise apparently like an attempt to force an entrance into the premises, upon which they escaped by the back-door, and ran to a neighbouring house, which happened to be a blacksmith's shop. They knocked at the door, and were answered from within by the smith's wife. She said her husband was absent, but that she was willing to accompany the terrified women to their home. On reaching the house, they heard a savage but half-stifled growling from the dog. On entering they saw the body of a man hanging half in and half out of their little window, whom the dog had seized by the throat, and was still worrying. On examination, the man proved to be their neighbour the blacksmith, dreadfully torn about the throat, and quite dead."

The Bull-Dog.

The Bull-dog (_Canis Anglicus_), is said to be an original English breed, and Colonel Smith suggests that this dog rather than the mastiff was the one which flourished in England in Roman times. Not indeed the breed as it at present exists, but "one little inferior to the mastiff," "but with the peculiar features of the bull form more strongly marked." "The bull-dog," says Colonel Smith, "differs from all others, even from the mastiff, in giving no warning of his attack by his barking, he grapples his opponents without in the least estimating their comparative weight and powers. We have seen one pinning an American Bison and holding his nose down till the animal gradually brought forward its hind feet and crushing the dog to death tore his muzzle out of the fangs, most dreadfully mangled. We have known another hallooed on to attack a disabled eagle; the bird unable to escape, threw himself on the back, and as the dog sprang at his throat, struck him with his claws, one of which penetrating the skull, killed him instantly, and caused his master the loss of a valued animal and one hundred dollars in the wager." "The bull-dog is possessed of less sagacity and less attachment than any of the hound tribe; he is therefore less favoured, and more rarely bred with care, excepting by professed amateurs of sports and feelings little creditable to humanity. He is of moderate size, but entirely moulded for strength and elasticity." He never leaves his hold, when once he has got it, while life lasts, hence he has become the type of obstinate pertinacity; and unflinching courage.

The Poodle Dog.

The Poodle dog while possessing many natural qualities which endear it to its owner, is capable of great cultivation and is for this reason much affected by those who train dogs for public performances. Of the clever tricks the poodle has been trained to perform many stories are told, among which the following from M. Blaze's "History of the Dog," as quoted in Mr. Jesse's "Anecdotes of Dogs," is one of the most amusing.

"A shoe-black on the Pont Neuf at Paris had a poodle dog, whose sagacity brought no small profit to his master. If the dog saw a person with well-polished boots go across the bridge, he contrived to dirty them, by having first rolled himself in the mud of the Seine. His master was then employed to clean them. An English gentleman, who had suffered more than once from the annoyance of having his boots dirtied by a dog, was at last induced to watch his proceedings, and thus detected the tricks he was playing for his master's benefit. He was so much pleased with the animal's sagacity, that he purchased him at a high price and conveyed him to London. On arriving there, he was confined to the house till he appeared perfectly satisfied with his new master and his new situation. He at last, however, contrived to escape, and made his way back to Paris, where he rejoined his old master, and resumed his former occupation."

Weasels, Otters and Badgers.

We come next to the family of the Mustelidæ which includes Weasels, Otters and Badgers, which we take as the heads of the three sub-families into which it is divided. The first of these includes the Pine Marten, occasionally found in Ireland and Scotland but more commonly in different parts of Europe; the Sable, which belongs to northern Europe and Asia; the American Sable, which supplies the English market with hundreds of thousands of skins annually; the Ermine or Stoat, still to be found in Great-Britain and familiar in the northern parts of Europe, Africa and America; the Weasel which has much the same _locale_ as the Ermine; the Ferret which hails from Africa and which is cultivated in England for its use in the destruction of vermin; and the Glutton (_Gulo luscus_) which is found principally in North America. The Polecat is also a member of this family. It is about seventeen inches long and in form resembles the weasel. Its colour is deep chocolate. It generally lives in the neighbourhood of houses on hares, rabbits, and birds. When pinched for food it will also catch and eat fish. It is remarkable for an insufferably fetid odour.

The Weasel.

The weasel though thought by some to be incapable of domestication has, like most other animals who have had the chance, shown itself amenable to kindly treatment. Mdlle. de Laistre possessed one which she kept in her chamber, dispelling its strong odours by perfumes. This weasel displayed towards her extravagant evidence of affection. "If the servant sets it at liberty before I am up in the morning," she writes, "after a thousand gambols, it comes into my bed, and reposes in my hand or on my bosom. If I am up before it is let out, it will fly to me in rapture, and spend half an hour in caressing me. The curiosity of this little pet is unbounded, for it is impossible to open a drawer or box, without its roving through every part of it; if even a piece of paper or a book is looked at, it will also examine it with attention." This weasel lived on friendly terms with both a cat and a dog who shared his mistress' favours. That the weasel can defend himself when attacked is shown by the following incident told by Mr. Bell: "As a gentleman was riding over his grounds, he saw, at a short distance from him, a kite pounce on some object on the ground, and rise with it in his talons. In a few moments, however, the kite began to show signs of great uneasiness, rising rapidly in the air, or as quickly falling, and wheeling irregularly round, whilst evidently endeavouring to free himself from some obnoxious thing with his feet. After a short but sharp contest, the kite fell suddenly to the earth. The gentleman instantly rode up to the spot, when a weasel ran away from the kite, apparently unhurt, leaving the bird dead, with a hole eaten through the skin under the wing, and the large blood-vessels of the part torn through." The length of the common weasel is about eight inches.

The Common Otter.

There are several genera of Otters. The common otter (_Lutra vulgaris_) is known throughout Europe and is not uncommon in Great Britain. The otter lives on fish, for the hunting of which he is admirably fitted. He is web-footed and has a body of great flexibility and short but remarkably muscular legs. The Otter was looked upon as a friend by the peasants living near salmon preserves years ago, for after landing his prey he was content with but a small portion for himself, and left the rest which the peasants readily appropriated.

"Otters," says Mr. St. John, "are very affectionate animals; the young anxiously seek their mother if she should be killed; and if the young are injured, the parent hovers near them till she is herself destroyed. If one of a pair be killed, the one that is left will hunt for its mate with untiring perseverance; and if one be caught in a trap, its companion will run round and round, endeavouring to set it free, on which occasions, though so quiet at other times, they make a snorting and blowing like a horse."

"A labourer going to his work, soon after five o'clock in the morning, saw a number of animals coming towards him, and stood quietly by the hedge till they came alongside of him. He then perceived four old otters, probably dams, and about twenty young ones. He took a stick out of the hedge and killed one. Directly it began to squeak, all the four old ones turned back, and stood till the other young ones had escaped through the hedge, and then went quietly themselves. Several families were thus journeying together, and probably they had left their former abode from not finding a sufficiency of food." Otters have often been tamed and taught to catch fish for their masters. Captain Brown tells of an otter which was caught when young and trained by James Campbell near Inverness. "It was frequently employed in catching fish, and would, sometimes, take eight or ten salmon in a day. If not prevented, it always made an attempt to break the fish behind the anal fin, which is next the tail; and, as soon as one was taken away, it always dived in pursuit of more. It was equally dexterous at sea fishing, and took great numbers of young cod, and other fish, there. When tired, it would refuse to fish any longer, and was then rewarded with as much as it could devour. Having satisfied its appetite, it always coiled itself round, and fell asleep: in which state it was generally carried home." Professor Steller says that on killing and skinning a female otter, which he found at a place at which he had deprived her of her young eight days previously, he found her quite wasted away from grief at the loss of her progeny.

The Badger.

There are several varieties of Badger, the Indian and the American being the most important, respectively of the eastern and western worlds. The common badger (_Meles taxus_), which is found in different parts of England, feeds upon roots, bulbs, fruits, and all kinds of vegetables, as well as small animals, snails and worms. He has also a great fancy for eggs. He lives in burrows, which form passages having a central chamber and various anti-chambers, which he makes in sandy and gravelly soil. He is nocturnal in his habits. "When pursued," says Mrs. Bowdich, "he constantly impedes the progress of his enemies by throwing the soil behind him, so as to fill up the passages, while he escapes to the surface." He is a formidable opponent to his enemies, as his skin is so tough and his bite so severe, and he displays much sagacity in avoiding traps and escaping confinement. Mr. St. John placed one in a paved court for security, but before the next morning he had displaced a stone and burrowed his way out under the wall. Captain Brown tells an affecting story of the feeling of a badger for its mate. "Two persons in France killed a badger and proceeded to drag it towards a neighbouring village. They had not proceeded far when they heard the cry of an animal in seeming distress, and stopped to listen, when another badger approached them slowly. They at first threw stones at it; notwithstanding which, it drew near, came up to the dead animal, began to lick it, and continued its mournful cry. The men, surprised at this, desisted from offering any further injury to it, and again drew the dead one along as before; when the living badger, determined not to quit its companion, lay down on it, taking it gently by one ear, and in that manner was drawn into the midst of the village; nor could dogs, boys, or men induce it to quit its situation: and to their shame be it said, they had the inhumanity to kill the poor animal, and afterwards to burn it, declaring it could be no other than a witch."

The Ratel and the Skunk.

The Ratel (_Mellivora capensis_) of South and East Africa and the Skunk of Canada belong to this family. The Ratel is a small animal standing from ten to twelve inches high, with a very tough skin, which is so loose that, to quote Sparrman, "If anybody catches hold of the Ratel by the hind part of his neck, he is able to turn round, as it were, in his skin, and bite the arm of the person that seizes him." Dog-like in shape, the back and head are covered with a coat of lighter colour than that of the sides and under part of the body, giving it the appearance of a garment. The Ratel is the natural enemy of the Bees, his thick skin rendering him impervious to their attack, and he is said to show great sagacity in tracing their nests, watching at sundown, with his eyes shaded by his paws, the homeward flight of the honey makers and then following them to plunder and destroy. The Skunk is famous for its offensive smell, which according to Sir John Richardson is emitted by a deep yellow fluid which it discharges, and which is so strong that it retains its disgusting odour for many days. It is about eighteen inches in length, has short legs and a body that is broad and flat. It lives upon poultry and eggs, small quadrupeds, young birds, and wild fruits. Godman says: "Pedestrians, called by business or pleasure to ramble through the country during the morning or evening twilight, occasionally see a small and pretty animal a short distance before them in the path, scampering forward without appearing much alarmed, and advancing in a zigzag or somewhat serpentine direction. Experienced persons generally delay long enough to allow this unwelcome traveller to withdraw from the path; but it often happens that a view of the animal arouses the ardour of the observer, who, in his fondness for sport, thinks not of any result but that of securing a prize. It would be more prudent to rest content with pelting this quadruped from a safe distance, or to drive it away by shouting loudly; but almost all inexperienced persons, the first time such an opportunity occurs, rush forward with intent to run the animal down. This appears to be an easy task; in a few moments it is almost overtaken; a few more strides and the victim may be grasped by its long and waving tail--but the tail is now suddenly curled over the back, its pace is slackened, and in one instant the condition of things is entirely reversed;--the lately triumphant pursuer is eagerly flying from his intended prize, involved in an atmosphere of stench, gasping for breath, or blinded and smarting with pain, if his approach were sufficiently close to allow of his being struck in the eyes by the pestilent fluid of the Skunk."

The Raccoon and the Coati.

Our next concern is with the family of the procyonidæ which includes several bear-like animals, the Raccoon and the Coati being the best known. The raccoon belongs to North America, the coati to Central and Southern America. The raccoon is an expert swimmer, about the size of a fox, and of nocturnal habits. "His food," says the Rev. J. G. Wood, "is principally small animals and insects. "Oysters are also a very favourite article of its diet. It bites off the hinge of the oyster, and scrapes out the animal with its paws. Like a squirrel, when eating a nut, the raccoon usually holds its food between its fore-paws pressed together and sits upon its hind quarters while it eats. It is said to be as destructive in a farm-yard as any fox, for it only devours the heads of the murdered fowl. When taken young it is easily tamed but very frequently becomes blind soon after its capture. The coati (_Nasua nasica_) is distinguished from the raccoon by a pointed nose. In size it resembles the cat, its tail being as long as its body. Like the cat it is a good climber, and preys upon birds. When domesticated, as it is in Paraguay, the coati is kept in tether, as its climbing habits render it dangerous to ornaments and furniture. The Kinkajou (_Cercoleptes caudivolvulus_) of Demerara belongs to this family. The Panda (_Ælurus fulgens_) constitutes another family. It is cat-like in the face, but otherwise resembles the bear. It lives in the dense forests which clothe the declivities of the Himalayas.

The Bear.

After the lion and the tiger the bear is probably the most popular animal in legend and story. Dr. Gray divides the bears into three classes: the sea bear, the land bear, and the honey bear. The polar bear is the sea bear; the brown bear, the black bear, and the grizzly are land bears, and the Malayan bear is the honey bear. Mr. Wood says, "Bears and their allies are mostly heavy, and walk with the whole foot placed flat on the ground, unlike cats and dogs who walk with merely their paws or toes. They are omnivorous, that is, they can eat either animal or vegetable food, so that a leg of mutton, a pot of honey, a potatoe, or an apple are equally acceptable." The bears of Kamtchatka live principally on fish, which they are adepts in catching. The bear is found in the polar regions, in Siberia, the Caucasus, the Pyrenees, the Himalayas, in various parts of Western Asia, in Canada, and the United States.

The Polar Bear.

The Polar Bear is eight or nine feet long, and a little more than four feet in height. He has a long nose, short ears, large legs, and a short tail. His body and neck are long, and he has five sharp claws on each foot. His colour is a yellowish white; his hair long and shaggy. He inhabits Greenland and Lapland, as far north as eighty degrees. He lives on fish and seals and the bodies of whales, which are thrown ashore or which he finds in the sea. Dr. R. Brown deprecates the stories of the polar bear's ferocity which he regards as greatly exaggerated, though he admits, that when enraged, or suffering from hunger, they are formidable foes. That they are wary animals the following story quoted from Captain Brown will show. "The captain of a Greenland whaler, being anxious to procure a bear without injuring the skin, made trial of a stratagem of laying the noose of a rope in the snow, and placing a piece of kreng within it. A bear, ranging the neighbouring ice, was soon enticed to the spot by the smell of burning meat. He perceived the bait, approached, and seized it in his mouth; but his foot, at the same time, by a jerk of the rope, being entangled in the noose, he pushed it off with his paw, and deliberately retired. After having eaten the piece he had carried away with him, he returned. The noose, with another piece of kreng, having been replaced, he pushed the rope aside, and again walked triumphantly off with the bait. A third time the noose was laid; but, excited to caution by the evident observations of the bear, the sailors buried the rope beneath the snow, and laid the bait in a deep hole dug in the centre. The animal once more approached, and the sailors were assured of their success. But Bruin, more sagacious than they expected, after snuffing about the place for a few moments, scraped the snow away with his paw, threw the rope aside, and again escaped unhurt with his prize."

The polar bear displays a great love for its young and many pathetic stories are told of its rage and grief at the loss of them. The following is from Captain Brown's "Anecdotes of Animals." "A Greenland bear, with two cubs under her protection, was pursued across a field of ice by a party of armed sailors. At first, she seemed to urge the young ones to increase their speed, by running before them, turning round, and manifesting, by a peculiar action and voice, her anxiety for their progress; but, finding her pursuers gaining upon them, she carried, or pushed, or pitched them alternately forward, until she effected their escape. In throwing them before her, the little creatures are said to have placed themselves across her path to receive the impulse, and, when projected some yards in advance, they ran onwards, until she overtook them, when they alternately adjusted themselves for another throw."

The Black Bear.

The Black Bear (_Ursus Americanus_) is about four and a half feet long and three feet high. He has long feet terminating in five claws each. His body is short with longish legs, and he has a large head, with small eyes, and a sharp nose. He has long, soft and woolly hair. His food is chiefly fruit, such as acorns, chestnuts, grapes, and corn; but when hungry he will feed on flesh, and attack other animals with courage and fierceness. He climbs trees, and uses his paws like hands. In winter he retires to his den, which is usually a hollow in some decayed tree, where he hybernates until spring. Though of a wild disposition, he can be tamed, and taught various tricks, in which he displays a good deal of sagacity and docility. The following story is quoted by Captain Brown from Captains Lewis' and Clarke's travels to the source of the Missouri, as a striking instance of the astonishing physical powers of the bear. "One evening, the men in the hindmost of the canoes, discovered a large bear lying in the open grounds, about three hundred paces from the river. Six of them, all good hunters, set out to attack him; and, concealing themselves by a small eminence, came unperceived within forty paces of him. Four of them now fired, and each lodged a ball in his body, two of them directly through the lungs. The enraged animal sprang up, and ran open-mouthed at them. As he came near, the two hunters who had reserved their fire, gave him two wounds, one of which, breaking his shoulder, retarded his motion for a moment; but, before they could reload, he was so near, that they were obliged to run to the river, and, when they reached it, he had almost overtaken them. Two jumped into the canoe; the other four separated, and, concealing themselves in the willows, fired as fast as each could load. They struck him several times, which only exasperated him; and he at last pursued two of them so closely, that they leaped down a perpendicular bank of twenty feet into the river. The bear sprang after them, and was within a few feet of the hindmost, when one of the hunters from the shore shot him in the head, and killed him. They dragged him to the banks of the river, and found that eight balls had passed through his body."