Weekly Trinity journal., 1870-03-12
NUMBER 10.
Instinct of Animals.


more than twenty miles from land. This cir
cumStauee may throw some light on the fact Of
dogs, which have been sent to France or Ireland
from England, finding their way back. The
Earl of l. sent some drafted hounds from
his kennel in Cumberland to Ireland, where they
were safely received, and receipt given for
them to the person who brought them over.
three weeks afterward two of these hounds made
their appearance at Lord LIS kennel, though
in very exhausted state. gentleman also in-
formed me that pointer dog which had been
left at Calais made its way over to England. But
the most amusing fact of this kind that kaow
OF is one that was related to me by gentleman
on whose varocty can place most implicit re-
lance and though it may appear to some of my
readers TO border upon the marvellous, | think
it too entertaining to withhold it. He informed
me that Il friend of his, officer in the forty
fourth regiment, who had occasion, when in
Paris to pass one of the bridges across tue Seine
had his boots, which had been previously well
polished, dirted by poodle dog rubbing against
them lie in consequence went to man who
was stationed the bridge and had them
cleaned. The same circumstance having oc-
CARED more than once, his curiosity was excited,
aud he watched the dog. lie him roll him
self in the mud of the river, and then watch for
person with well l-polished boots, against which
he contrived 10 rub. Finding that the shoe-bla
was the owner of the dog, he taxed him with the
artfce; aud after little hesitation he confessed
II
procure customers for himself The officer, be-
ing much struck with the dogs sagacity, pur-
chased him at high price, and brought him to
England. He kept him tied up in London some
time, and then released him. The dog remained
| there for a day or two, aud then made his es-
! cape. fortnight afterwnrd he was found with
his former master, pursuing his old trade at the
bridge.
! Nor is a dog the only animal which has shown
an extraordinary faculty in finding his way home.
The following anecdoie is mentioned in a note in
Messrs. Kirby and Spence's Entomology who
state that they had it from Lieutenant Anderson
of the royal engineers, who was personally
quanted with the facts
In March, 1916, an ass was shipped at Gibral-
tar on board the Bter frigate, Captain Forrest
which was bound for Malta. The vessel having
struck on the sands of the Point de CAT, at some
distance from the shore, the ass was thrown
overheard, to give it II chance of swimming to
land-a poor one, for the sea was running so
high that IL boat which left the ship was lost
few days AFTER however, when the gates of
Gibraltar were opened in the morning, the
presented himself for admission, and proceeded
to the stable which he had formerly occupied, to
the no small surprise of its former owner, who
imagined that from some accident the animal
had never been shipped on board the ister On
the return of this vessel to repair, however, the
mystery was explained; and it turned out that
NalRnte $50 the ass was Called) had not only
pass, or travelling map, had found his way from
Point de Cat to Gibraltar, n distance OF more
than two hundred miles, which he had never
traversed before, through mountainous and in
tricate country, iutcrsected by streams, aud in
so short period that he could not have made
one false turn. His not having been stopped on
the road was attributed to the circumstance of
his having been formerly used to whip criminals
upon, which was indicated to the peasants, who
have superstitious horror of such asses, by tho
holes in his ears, to which the persons tiogged
were tied.
have also been assured that a favorite cat
belonging to nubeman, which was sent to u
cOuntry-seat more than hundred miles FROM
London, found her way back to his house ia
town. Nothing can be more extraordinary than
the way in which bees dCd their way back to
their hive. Place II amongst hundreds of others,
exactly similar in outward appearance, or at the
:op of house in London, or concealed in the
thickest wood and the bee will regain il with
out the slightest apparent difficulty. Huber
says they fly to it with extreme rapidity, and
as straight as n ball from musket. Nothing
can show more forcibly the wonderful instinct
which has been given to these insects. If they
experienced any difficulty in finding their homes,
how much time would be lost, and how made
quate would all their ldbors aud industry be, TO
furnish sufficient store Of honey to exist upon
during the winteri 1 have always observed that
when fresh hive has been brought to my gar
selves on FIRST leaving H., net in collecting honey,
but in making themselves acquainted with all
the neighbOring objects, and these objects may
possibly to guide them to their respective homes.
Some naturalsts are OF opinion that this recog-
milton of home by animals is the result OF
memory. Perhaps in some instances 1t IS so,
bat memory could not have guided poor Valiante
over two hundred miles of country, which he
had never passed before and the same unex-
planned instinct which brought him back to his
stable at Gibraltar, may guide the bee to his
hive,
This instructive sagaciy appears in some
animals to whom should have been less dis
posed to attribute it, Some pigs which had
been brought in sack fifteen miles through an
American wood, by the next morning found their
way back, from their new to their old home.
have also been assured that Welsh sheep have
been known to fnd their way back from the
nelghborhood OF London, to their native noun
tains 1t Is no uncommon thing for dogs who
have been taken great distance in carriages, TO
make their way home again, and that in very
short space of time. gentleman took poin-
ter dog in his carriage, to some shooting ground
in Scotland more than hundred miles from his
house. Upon receiving someeeorrection from
his master, he left him, and made his way back
to his kennel.
A friend of mine had poodle dog possessed
of more than ordinary sagacty, but very little
| under command To keep him in better order,
bis master purchased small whip, with which
he corrected him twice during walk.
On his return the whip was put on the table in
the hall, and the next morning it was missing
IL was soon afterwards found in an ut-buildng,
and again made use of in correcting the dog
It again lost, and again found hidden in
another place. On watching the dog, who was
suspected on being the culprit, he was seen to
take the whip from the hall table, aud make off
with it to another hiding place.
The White Pine News says One of the most
important discoveries made by modern research,
is the fact that the live oak of California con-
tains an essential oil the most valuable, potent