18 AUGUST 1883, Page 17

(TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR.")

Sia,—I beg to contribute another anecdote on the subject of how our meaning is conveyed to animals. When I was in Norway with my husband, a dog belonging to the people of the house went with us in all our walks. One day a strange dog joined us, and seemed to wish to get up a fight with our dog, Pechter," who for protection kept almost under our feet; my husband said several times," Go on, Fechter,' " in English, which he immediately did, but soon came back again. At last we succeeded in driving the strange dog away, but he soon returned. Then my husband said without any alteration of tone or gesture that I was aware of, " Drive that dog away, Fechter.' " He immediately rushed at him, and we saw no more of our tronbler. I have long thought that dogs do understand, not "the precise sounds themselves, but the intention put into them by the