CANINE SECOND SIGHT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1587, 17 June 1887, Page 3

CANINE SECOND SIGHT.

TII9 observer of psychological phenonrenan, as well as those who are close studants of the organization of the dog, will be interosted m the following narrative, taken from " Chambers' Journal."

It has often been sal<f that an'mals have aa keen a peroeption and as quiok an appreciation aa man hlmeelf of anything out of the usual Older of thlDge, or partaking m any way of a preternatural character. Whether the whole animal creation are endowed with this singular sagacity it is impossible to cay, and would be equally Impossible to prove, but n regards doga and horses, at any rate— lf we are to believe the many stories which have been related on the vety best authorities — it la certain that those animals have been the first to.recognlee— and to testify by their fright and terror the force of Bach recognition-— that they are m the presence of something beyond their ken ; and tho next step is, with true animal sagacity, to seek safety m flight, with the usual accompaniment of sr-ror) looks, dropped tails and ears and dropped heads.

In the following curious narrative, a remarkable instance is given of a dog having evidently seen something not Been by either his master or m'atresßj which evidently at first caused him great delight, but which, on o'.oser investigation, turned out to be empty apace, and produced m the dog all ei»ra of sbjeofc fear. The peculiar circumstances of the story, which were related to the writer by s friend whoso word he can have no reason to doubt, are simply these : A young lady, Miss F. , was m a visit to a family of name and position. Colonel and Mrs G— — , who occupied a large mansion m one of the home counties They possessed a favorite setter, a pet of everybody*, but e«pc cially of Miss F— — », who was as fond of the dog oa the dog waa of her. Wherevar Mia* F , vent walking, driving or iiding, Flora wbb sure to be close at hand. And m the drawing room the dog would sit by Miss F— 'b tide, lay her long white noao on the lady's knee, and look up earnestly In her face, making that peculiar sort of snoring In the nose which pet dogs often attempt, either to attract attention or to express love. If however. Flora wes accidentally shut out from any room m which Mies F— , happened to be, she would scratch at the door and whine and cry m a pitiful monner until the door was opened. Mies F— — had been staying with Colonel and Mrs G— — about three or four weeks, when ahe became buddenly ill, and determined to return without delay to her borne In the adjoining cennty. Thither she was removed In an urvftU'd carriage j but although jshe received' every possible care atd attention, she appeared to get no better ; her malady was evidently increasing daily.

About a month after Mies F had left Colonel G-— 'b home, he and his wife were one day fn their morning room, which looked out upon an extensive lawn. The bolls of the neighboring village church had begun to ring for the ÜBual daily matinß, the time being a quarter before tan, and the Oolonel and his wife were preparing to attend, according to their regular custom* when they obLerved Fk a — who wlb lying apparently asleep, clone to tbe open &lob 3 doors leadirg to the lawn — rahe her head quickly, and, with cocked ears and attained eyca, look Intently down the lawn, as if Bhe saw something there which attracted her nttention. All at once she jumped up, bounded over tbe grcs and commenced leaping up two or three times, expressing all those s'gne of it t9nse canito joy utujtlfy exhibited on meeting, after an at3enro, acme bptcialiy loved object. In a moment, however, the dog ceased her geisturc , dropped her tail atd head, manifesting every sign of abject fear, and, turning round, ruehed tack to the house. Into the room, and crawled under the sofa, whence neither calling nor coaxing on the p^rt of Mra Q— — could Induce her to Btir.

Thla peculiar conduot on the. part of Flora, who wrb remarkable for high trainlog and perfect obedienoe, surprised and perplexed both the Colonel and h'l wife quite as much rs the violent manifestations of joy, followed Immediately by. every algn of the moßt orouching f orror, all of which were wholly unaccountable. About two hou r 8 later m the day a tele* gram was received by Mrs G , containing the sad and unexpected intelligence of the death of Mica F at a quarter to (on m the morning. It may fairly be asked what could have caused the dog suddenly to start up and rush down the lawn, with all the outward demonstrations of intense joy usually exhibited on seeing and meeting a loved fr.'end. Flora, without doubt, mUQf/ have seen something, or fancied aho saw something though invisible to the eye 3 of man; but finding it had no tangible substance, her canine inslluofc taught her; that it vrr t unnatural and unusual, and henc3 fear took the place of joy, and Bhe sought refuge In flight. That the obj^ot of these tokens of love on the part of tbe dog should have passed to her lest and at the identioal moment they were exhibited by the faithful and attrched Flora is a coincidence regarding which we will not pretend to offer an opinion*