The Red Cloud chief., 1888-11-30
the SCENT OF DOGS.
Qhoeo Clearly DemonstsstinK the T""s
~ Canane Aense OG s0lroo.

9ooeo Clearly 6e10nstsst'"E ,os ~
Of Cansae Sense NJ ssnrss.
Our Of smell is hardly keen
enough TO enable Us TO understand no"
Il Is possible for the dog TO do all he
can do with his nose. We al NOT. Tor
instance, distinguish by the smell o
rabbits foot from a piece OF bark.
which Il seems most to resemble
probably because the bark Is tho
stronpest-smelling substance with
which the foot usually comes IN con-
tact.
But not 80 with the hOund. or even
with many common cur dogs Not
only will they recognize the scent OF
the foot itself. but. hours after the
rabbit has passed along. they can fol-
low him unerringly by b scent
OF the spots where he touched
his light feet TO the ground What
proportion OF the OdOr oil the
foot can there be left upon a spot
where it has merely rested Tor an IN
slant? And yet a dog with a good
nose first will find an invisible track.
and then will determine. by shutting
for q few yards back and forth. which
way the animal passed. Then he viii
follow all the winnings and dOublings
which the animal has made, either In
search for food, or. after he is "up."
in escaping his pursuers.
II this be wonderful. what Is to DO
said of q dogs never confusing the
track of one rabbit with that OF an.
other? After a dog has once e that
q rabbit is dead, he will never notice its
track again. but will set of upon some
other track, which often is much fainter
than that of the n just killed. though
the two may cross each other and
be intermingled in innumerable places.
The bloodhound. which is the keenest-
scented OF all dogs. a follow his
master or his victim, no matter how
many others may thread in tho same
path.
We can hardly believe that these
things are done solely through the
sense of smell; but that is tho best
that science can make Of il as yet.
There are many other facts which
demonstrate the power OF tho dogs
scent. l once knew a hound which
would never eat bread. and yet was
quite fond of raised biscuit, the same
thing in every respect. save that it con-
tanned a little shortening. One might
take in one hand a piece OF bread half
tho size OF a pea, and in the other tho
same amount Of biscuit, and the hound
would smell of both. and never mako
q mistake i'm selecting the biscuit.
Tho power OF scent of even tho
keener-nOsed common dogs. such
rs the bulldog. IA be tested by
fastening a bit of meat TO
string and dragging it about tho
yard when the dog does not see you,
hiding it at the end Of the trail. and
then aftcrward putting him on tho
search for it where you started. II he
has q good nose, he will go over the
same path you took and find the meat.
Leave no string on the meat, however,
as it might injure him to swallow tho
string.
All hounds save the greyhound run
entirely by scent. When they come
upon too faint scent of a track they
will work along it until it grows fresh
er, and then begin TO bay or "give
tongue" There is always a cOrre-
sp0ndcnce between the baying and the
trail. An experienced hunter can tell
by the baying not only where the dog
IL, but, by the frequency and conf
dence OF the sound. how fresh tho
tran is-that is, how close upon his
game the dog is. All hunted animals
have a way Of doubling or run
ming in circles. Hence. if a hunter
observes by the baying that his dog is
going away from him. he waits pa
tiently. sometimes for minutes. some.
times for hours. until the circle is
made. and he hears the dog approach
ing. Then he is on the alert for q shot,
for the game is probably not many rods
In advance of the dog.
Abound is seldom lost. His nose is
his compass. Whenever he pleascs he
can take up his masters track and find
him, or he can retracc his own steps
Dogs do not seem TO enjoy those
odors that please us. A dog will turn
away disappointed and Indifferent from
the finest of perfumes. Except tho
scent OF those things which he would
like to eat ! have never found any
thing that seemed to delight a dogs
sense Of smell.-Thco. 3. Wilson, in st.
ASchnlns