Barbekark took his in due order, and then, cunningly slipping out of his place when his master had passed on, forced his way in a little further on in the circle, to receive another; repeating this manœuvre so often as to be fed three or four times while Mr. Hall made the circle once, securing at least three turns for one. When made aware by being repeatedly passed over, that his trick was detected, he broke from the circle, and, crouching at his owner's feet, endeavoured to manifest his contrition and obtain pardon."

The Newfoundland dog is well known to us, and is a general favourite. He belongs to the group of spaniels, all of which appear to be possessed of considerable mental powers, and to be capable of instruction to a degree that is rarely met with in animals. In its native land it is shamefully treated, being converted into a beast of burden. In this country, however, it is rightly appreciated, and many a time has it more than repaid its master for his friendship by rescuing him from mortal peril. Not only have solitary lives been saved by this dog, but a whole ship's crew have been delivered from certain destruction by the mingled sagacity and courage of a Newfoundland dog, that took a rope in its mouth and carried it from the ship to the shore.

As is the case with most of the large dogs, the Newfoundland permits the lesser dogs to take all sorts of liberties without showing the least resentment; and if it is worried by some forward puppy, looks down with calm contempt and passes on its way. Sometimes a conceited little animal presumes too much, and in that case is sure to receive some quaint punishment for its insolence. Did you ever see a picture in ‘Punch' of a page-boy who is holding an enormous mastiff by the collar, and addressing three ladies, "Please ladies, was you a looking for a little spannel?"-Ladies. "O yes, a most beautiful little spaniel."-Buttons. "Ah, then it's master's big dog here wot's been and swallered of it." I have little doubt that the wretched little "spannel" had been pampered and spoiled by those three ladies until he had become over

poweringly saucy and disagreeable, and so was justly and deservedly swallowed. Still I note with satisfaction that the swallower was a mastiff. Had he been a Newfoundland, he would have served the little beast as the great Carlo served the small snob Towzer at Newcastle once upon a time. Towzer was always barking at his heels, till endurance was worn out. Carlo took him quietly up, walked with great deliberation to the bridge, and calmlydropped him in. Few great dogs will bite a child. I knew a mastiff once, a regular savage brute, that everybody was afraid to go near except a boy of four, who would crawl into his house, drag him out by the chain, and defy him in every way with impunity.

The attachment of these magnificent dogs to mankind in general is almost unaccountable, for they have often been known to undergo the greatest hardships in order to bring succour to a person whom they had never seen before. Sometimes, however, this affection is more praiseworthy than agreeable, as the following anecdote will prove. A friend of mine saw one a short time since who was justly valued by his master for his strength, but still more for his noble courage. Master and dog were walking together on the Chain Pier at Brighton, when Ponto spied a gentleman bathing a long distance out. He hesitated not, but plunged in, and to the gentleman's intense disgust, and, to the boundless delight of the bystanders, paused not until he had dragged him safely to shore by the leg.

The dogs peculiar to England, most of them, are very familiar to us, and their various valuable qualities well known; the swiftness of the greyhound, the keen scent of other hunting dogs, the courage of the bull-dog, and the beauty and intelligence of the little spaniel and other petdogs. Anecdotes might be told by hundreds. We read of one learning to fetch the milk in a can, and never spilling any. Another carried a lantern before his master, and if the gentleman did not come home by his usual time, the dog would go in search of him with the lantern, calling at every house which he had seen his master enter,

The most useful variety of the canine species is that sagacious creature on whose talent and energy depends the chief safety of the flock. It is hardly possible to overrate the marvellous intelligence of a well-taught sheepdog; for if the shepherd were deprived of the help of his dog, his office would be almost impracticable. The sheep understand the dog better than they comprehend the shepherd; for the dog being in intelligence the superior of his charge, and the inferior of his master, he is equally capable of communicating with either party. I will conclude with an anecdote given by the Rev. J. G. Wood. One of these dogs performed a feat which would have been, excusably, thought impossible, had it not been proved true. A large flock of lambs took a sudden alarm one night, as sheep are wont to do, and dashed off among the hills in three different directions. The shepherd tried in vain to recal the fugitives; told his dog that the lambs had all run away, and then set off himself in search of the lost flock. The remainder of the night was passed in fruitless search, and the shepherd was returning to his master to report his loss. However, as he was on his way, he saw a number of lambs standing at the bottom of a deep ravine, and his faithful dog keeping watch over them. He immediately concluded that his dog had discovered one of the three bands which had started off in the darkness; but on visiting the recovered truants he found, to his equal joy and wonder, that the entire flock was collected in a ravine, without the loss of a single lamb.

THE CAT.

CATS have been domestic pets for many hundred, nay, for many thousand years. In Egypt they were held in such veneration, that when a cat died the family went into mourning (that is to say, they shaved their eyebrows according to the custom of that country), and if the animal

was killed through malice, the murderer was put to death. This veneration on one occasion cost the Egyptians dear. A Persian king, who once invaded Egypt, gave each of his soldiers a live cat to hold before him instead of a shield. The Egyptians suffered themselves to be conquered rather than run the risk of killing their favourites. Great numbers of skeletons and mummies of cats have been found in Egypt. The Turks of the present day are also partial to cats; a traveller recently saw an hospital exclusively for them in Damascus. This partiality is probably owing to the tradition that Mahomet used to let his cat lie in his sleeve, and that wanting to move on one occasion whilst she was sleeping there, he cut the sleeve off rather than disturb her.

The cat is probably not a native of England, originally, but was brought from beyond the seas, and settled here. There was an Act of Parliament in Wales in olden time which fixed the price of a blind kitten at one penny; afterwards, till it could catch a mouse, twopence; after that fourpence. Anybody who killed his neighbour's cat had to pay him as much wheat as would quite hide the cat hung up by the tip of her tail, her nose touching the ground. The question whether the domestic cat is a variety of the wild cat or not, is one upon which “much has been said on both sides." On the whole it seems probable that they are distinct, for the following reasons:(1.) The shape of their tails-one being long and tapering, the other short and blunt; (2.) Their sizethe tame cat is smaller than the wild, whereas domestication generally increases the bulk of animals; (3.) The fact that the wild cat is always of the colour of the tiger, pale yellow with dark streaks upon it. On the whole, the reasons are sufficiently strong to lead us to the supposition that we have here two distinct species; and moreover that our tame cat was originally brought from Egypt. The cat belongs to the feline tribe, as do lions, tigers, leopards, and some smaller animals. The claws of these animals, as everybody knows, are retractile, that is, they are shut up

in a sheath when they are not being used, and thus are kept sharp; while, moreover, as only the soft parts of the foot come in contact with the ground, the animal treads noiselessly, and not patter, patter, like the dog. The roughness of the tongue is caused by a multitude of little horny lumps (very strong in lions and tigers), by which the animal is able to keep itself clean; very important to cats, inasmuch as if they had the least smell about them, their prey would detect their presence.

The skin of the cat is loose, almost baggy, in order that its movements in every direction may be free and unrestrained. And its joints are loose also, thereby enabling it to get through small holes, to leap great heights, and to fall on its feet without hurting itself.

Here is a funny story which Mr. Wood tells about two cats that lived in Mincing Lane in the City. One was a cunning old black fellow, who had learned by sad experience to keep out of the way of heavy boots and packing-cases. His ribs had been often fractured and mended imperfectly, for he was rough and knotty all over. To him Cat Junior was introduced, and they swore eternal friendship. Senior put Junior up to a thing or two concerning good hunting-grounds, and the way to avoid bumps. Junior repaid these good offices by exchanging mice, which his friend was too old to catch, for an equivalent quantity of cat's meat. And so day by day the spectators were both touched and amused to see Junior emptying his game-bag, and Senior licking his lips as he watched the other eat double cat's meat. Senior could carry a bottle of champagne from one end of the cellar to the other, fifty yards. The way was this. You approached him with treacherous proffer of friendship, and suddenly seized him by the tail and lifted him from the ground. His forefeet sprawled in the air, ready to lay hold of anything. The bottle of wine was then held to him judiciously, which pussy seized with despairing grip. By means of the aforesaid tail you carefully carried cat, bottle, and wine. Pussy, however, soon became disgusted