The Iola register., 1886-01-01
THE SENSE OF SMELL.


i
uew . Dog Ferns Opinio.s aaa Jadsss
Mans Character.
4 mans sense Of enjoyment and hia
means Of comprehension, though in
some ways vastly superior to those ol
the lower animals, are in other direo.
tions immensely inferior. Take, for
instance. the sense Of smelling; q man,
says recent writer, may walk for miles
without once being actually conscious
that he possesses such . sense as smell
beyond the general sensation Of being
in pure and fresh atmosphere. Hall
dozen times, perhaps, in his walk he
wakes up to it. A bean field in bloom,
or bank of violets, or burning weeds,
or new-mowd hay. or some bfossoming
woodbine, or the wallAowers or migno-
nette in cottage garden-some one or
other of these may arrest his attention
at rare intervals by their fragrance, and
SO steal into notice; but the man does
not look for them, and he is quite con-
tent to begin and finish his waikiki it so
happen-without any Of them. How
1ifferent with the dog who has set out
with aim, and has been enjoying his
walk side by side with his master, re-
ceiving impressions from the same sur
roundings and under the same circum-
stances! What completely different
aspect things have had for him! His
sense of enjoyment has been-like his
misunderstanding to his capacity; but
what different influences have appealed
to him! II, when they reach home, the
dog were able to make known his i'm
pressions, and spread them out side by
side with his masters, they would prob
ably be as opposite as the poles-just as
unlike as if they had been received,
these on this earth, and the others
among the mountains of the moon.
Watch the dog for an instant, and see
what his interest is centered in, what
sense it is that engrOsses his attention
most. He has an exceedingly quick eye
and ear, and it would be difficult for
even mouse of lightest foot to emerge
from its hole and creep round the old
stump close by and in ag ain without be-
ing detected. The faintest rustic of leaf
the slightest movement would be sufii-
cient to betray its presence. Either
through eye or ear, very likely through
both at the same instant. the dog will
be made conscious of the interesting
little circumstance. But. quick as all
his senses are. it is to that of smell,
above all, that the dog trusts. This is
the final arbitaer-the test to which all
difficult problems are subjected, and by
which all doubts are solved. 1t is in
world of scents that q dog lives and
moves and has his being. What a Gu
rious scent this bramble leaf has! and
this spot in the road! and that last net
tie he passed-how interesting! How
unlike all other nettles he ever met
with! He must return and investigate.
And. doing so. he becomes. for few
moments. SO engr0ssed that his masters |
can scarcely persuade him to |
leave it. And then, as to Judging of |
let a reader who possesses q |
dog say whether he knows Of any test
that can be for one moment compared |
with the test supplied by the bundle of
nerves that spread themselves out at the
lip of dogs nose. If a pun may be
pardoned, 1 would express my belief
hat by no other known means can so
correct diagnosis of a mans character
Dc obtained. At all events, all will
lgree that dog depends upon it with
'ut any reserve whatever, and no
.mount of flattery will serve to alter
be opinion he has by such means ar
lived at. And who does not remember
low, when Ulysses returned home, af-
er his many years absence, disguised
IS beggar, neither length of time nor
hange of appearance and clothing
erved for a moment to deceive his
aithful hound. While every other
member of the household was regard
ng him as stranger. his dog came up
nd instantly discovered his IDENTITY
,hriStian Union.