102 The Scottish Naturalist. 



certain hour daily, some time before, in expectation of his com- 

 ing, ' Mum ' would lie near the sitting-room door, nose resting 

 on fore paws, ears erect intently listening, and would run occa- 

 sionally to the window upon hearing a passing footstep, looking 

 anxiously up and down the street. When the expected knock 

 came, he would bark and run to and fro in the utmost impa- 

 tience. The door being opened he would welcome his friend 

 with most extravagant signs of delight, run to the place where 

 my father's slippers were kept, and if he found it locked, would 

 bark and scratch at the door till it was unfastened for him, seize 

 a slipper, carry it in his mouth and place it at my father's feet, 

 then return and fetch its fellow, being unable to carry both at 

 once, as I have often seen him try to do. 



" He also proved himself a most conscientious dog ; for if any 

 of us placed on the corner of the table a piece of sugar or 

 biscuit, for which he would eagerly beg, telling him it was ' on 

 trust,' he would not take it until told by the giver that it was 

 1 paid for,' although he might be encouraged and even coaxed 

 to do so by another person ; and if we knocked the piece of 

 sugar or biscuit, by pretended accident, on to the carpet he 

 would not touch it without leave of the giver. He had a 

 strong objection to taking meals in the kitchen, and would eat 

 the same food in the dining-room he had refused below. He 

 knew the sound of his tub when being prepared for his washing, 

 and at the sight of turned up sleeves, or the mention of the 

 words 'Tub, Mum !' would hide himself for an hour or two. 



" In our walks in any place in which he had once found a 

 cat, he would always know the spot again, and would hunt for 

 pussy the next time we passed that way. Although he dis- 

 played so strong an affection for his two beloved friends, and 

 was affectionate to all but beggars and shabby people, still he 

 always recognised the authority of his mistress, and would not 

 appear at ease to do their bidding without at first, in his dumb 

 way, obtaining her permission. For instance, if invited by 

 them to go for a run, he would sit down before her, looking 

 wistfully up into her face, giving at the same time a kind of im- 

 patient stamp with his fore feet, and a low plaintive whine, and 

 when told by her he might ' go,' would trot off quite happy in 

 his mind. 



" Poor ' Mum ' died at length of some painful disease, and 

 upon his mistress going to see him in his last moments, recog- 

 nised her voice at once, stood up for a caress, wagged his tail 



