But, when we came to
offer the bones of partridges to the two Chinese dogs, they
devoured them with much greediness, and licked the platter clean.
No sporting dogs will flush woodcocks till inured to the scent and
trained to the sport, which they then pursue with vehemence and
transport; but then they will not touch their bones, but turn from
them with abhorrence, even when they are hungry.
Now, that dogs should not be fond of the bones of such birds as
they are not disposed to hunt is no wonder; but why they reject and
do not care to eat their natural game is not so easily accounted for,
since the end of hunting seems to be, that the chase pursued should
be eaten. Dogs again will not devour the more rancid water-fowls,
nor indeed the bones of any wild-fowls; nor will they touch the
foetid bodies of birds that feed on offal and garbage: and indeed
there may be somewhat of providential instinct in this
circumstance of dislike; for vultures,* and kites, and ravens, and
crows, etc., were intended to be messmates with dogs** over their
carrion; and seem to be appointed by nature as fellow-scavengers
to remove all cadaverous nuisances from the face of the earth.
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