Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1829-06-11

~ temperature - Dut 10 AuUse duttDatS
the readiest conceptions, as
in the case ofdogs in highly civilized
country, the exercise of This faculty is
remarkable. Mr. Southey,
in his 0nniana, relates two instances
Of dogs who had acquired such
knowledge Of time as wouId enable
them to count the days of the week
He says: My grandfather had one
which lrudged two miles every Sa
turddg 10 cater for himself in the
shambles. i know another more ex
traordinary and well authenticated ex,
ample A dog which had belonged to
an Jrishmsn, and was sold by him in
England, would never touch morsel
of food upon Friday The same fac
ulty ofrecoIlecting intervals Of time ex
lists, though in more limited extent,
IN the horse. We knew a horse land
have witnessed the circumstance
which, being accustomed to be employ
ed once a week on Journey with the
newsman OF a provincial paper, always
stopped at the houses Of the several
customers, although they were sixty or
seventy 10 nomber. But further, there
were TWO persons on the route who
took one papar between them, & each
claimed the privilege Of having il first
on the alternate Sunday. The horse
soon became accustomed to this regu
lation, and although The parties lived
two miles distant, he stopped once a
fortnight at The door Of the half custom.
er at Thorpe, and once fortnight a!
that of the other half customer at Cher
sey, and never did he forget this ar
rangement, which lasted several years,
or stop UNNECESSARILY when he once
thoroughly understood the rule.
ODE Gall says, that dogs, leain to
understand not merely separate words
Or articnlate sounds, but whole senten
ccs expressing many ideas DR.. Eli
olson, the learned translator OF Blum
enbach's Physiology, quotes the fol
lowing passage from Calls Treatise
sur les Fonctions do CerUau, with.
ou. expressing any doubt OF the cir
cumslances; 1 have often spoken in.
tentionally Of objects which might in
terest my dog, taking care not to men
lion his name, or make any intonstion
or gesture which might awaken bis at
tention. He, however. showed no
less pleasure or sorrow, as it might be;
and, indeed, manifested by his beha
vior, that he had perfectly understood
the conversation which concerned
him. had taken bitch from Yer
VA to Paris; ia very short tiUIe she
comprehended French as we'll as Ger.
man, of which satisfied myself 10y re
peating before her whole sentences in
both languages We have heard an
instance OF this quIckness in the com
prehensiop of language which is very
remarkable A mongrei, between The
shepherds dog and terrier, great ia
vorte in farm house, was standing
by while his mistress was washing
some of her children. Upon asking a
boy whom she had just dressed, TO
bring his sisters clothes from the next
room, he pouied and hesitaled ooh,
them said the mother, 'Mupgo will
fetch the m She said this BY way Of
reproach to the boy, for Mungo had
not been accustomed to fetch and car
ry. But Mungo was intelligent and
ODE dent; &c without further command
he brought The cbiId's frock to his aston
ished mistress. This was an effor. of
imagination in Mungo, which dogs Ger
tainly posses in considerable degree.
lie had often observed, doubtless, the
business of dressing the children; and
the instant! he was appealed to, he i'm
agined what his mistress wanted -
Every one knows the anxiety which
dogs feel to so out with their masters
il they have been accustomed so to do.
A dog will often anticipate the Journey
ofhis owner; and guessing the road
he means to take, steal away to con.
siderable distance on that road to avoid
being detained at heIne. We have
repeatedly seen this circumstance II
is distinctly an effort OF the Imagination
if, indeed, it be not an Inference of
reasoning.
"Lineus has made it a Characters
tic of dogs that they bark at beggars;'
but beggars are ragged, and some
times have that look of widDess which