On instinct / [Philip Bury Duncan].

  • Philip Bury Duncan
Date:
1820?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On instinct / [Philip Bury Duncan]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    clefts of trees* suspend their nests upon slender twigs* and by this ingenious device elude the rapa¬ city of their enemies. Mr. Smellie had a cat which frequented a closet* the door of which was fastened by a common iron latch. A window was situated near the door. When the door was shut, the cat gave itself no uneasiness : as soon as she was tired of her con¬ finement* she mounted on the frame of the win¬ dow* and with her paw dexterously lifted up the latch and came out. Dr. Gall says that dogs learn to understand* not merely separate words, or articulate sounds, but whole sentences expressing many ideas. Dr. Elliot- son* the learned translator of Blumenbach’s Physio¬ logy* quotes the following passage from Gall’s treatise sur les Fonctions du Ce7'veaui without expressing any doubt of the truth of the circumstance: “ I “ have often spoken intentionally of objects which “ might interest my dog, taking care not to men- “ tion his name* or make any intimation or gesture “ which might awaken his attention. He however “ shewed not less pleasure or sorrow, as it might be; “ and indeed manifested by his behaviour that he “ had perfectly understood the conversation which “ concerned him. I had taken a dog from Vienna “ to Paris ; in a very short time it comprehended “ French as well as German, of which I satisfied “ myself by repeating before it whole sentences in “ both languages.” We have heard an instance of this quickness in the comprehension of language which is very re¬ markable. A mongrel, between a shepherd’s dog and b 3
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