HOW OUR MEANING IS CONVEYED TO ANIMALS.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—The following anecdote may interest some of your readers: —Some years ago, when starting for a foreign tour, I entrusted my little Scotch terrier, "Pixie," to the care of my brother, who lived about three miles distant from my house. I was away for six weeks, during the whole of which time "Pixie" remained contentedly at his new abode. The day, however, be- fore I returned, my brother mentioned in the dog's hearing that I was expected back the next day. Thereupon, the dog started off, and was found by me at my bed-room door the next morn- ing, he having been seen waiting outside the house early in the morning when the servants got up, and been admitted by them. " Pixie" is still alive and flourishing, and readily lends himself to experiments, which, however, yield no very definite result. He certainly seems to understand as much of our meaning as it concerns his own comfort to understand, but how he does it I cannot quits determine. I should be sorry to affirm, clever as he is, that he understands French and German, yet it is certainly a fact that lie will fall back just as readily if
I say " Zurfick !" as if I say " To heel !" and advance to the sound " En avant !" as well as to " Hold up !" As in both cases I am careful to avoid any elucidatory gesture or special tone of voice, I am inclined to think that there must be here a species of direct thought-transference. At the same time, I am bound to add that without the spoken word I am unable to convey the slightest meaning to him. This, however, may be due to what I believe to be a fact, that it is almost impossible without word or gesture to formulate the will with any distinct. nese. If this theory be correct, the verbal sounds used would convey the speaker's meaning, not in virtue of the precise sounds themselves, but of the intention put into them by the speaker. I should be glad to know of the experience of others tends to confirm this theory, which I do not remember to have seen snggested before.—I am, Sir, &e.,
50 Terrace Royal, Nottingham. A. EuBrLE-Evexs-
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