The Scottish Naturalist. 249 



(4.) His hearty Laughter at his own Practical Jokes, such as 

 suddenly biting unwary and admiring strangers. 



" Jack," The Truefitt Spaniel, is also a " character " in his 

 way, exhibiting many of the typical Feats that are performed by 

 trained intelligent dogs. For instance — 



(1.) His patience, obedience, and Self-control — a distinct 

 knowledge of what is permitted, and what forbidden, and in 

 that sense of Right and wrong — are illustrated by his sitting on 

 his hind legs in a begging attitude, with a piece of biscuit on 

 his nose for any length of time, not eating it till permission is 

 given, and allowing another bit of biscuit to lie before it within 

 easy reach, or to be snapped up by other dogs before his face, 

 without moving or remonstrance. 



(2.) His knowledge of Number, or at all events of signs; 

 barking once if one finger of his master is held up ; twice, if 

 two ; thrice, if three, and so on — to what limit, however, I 

 omitted to inquire. 



(3.) His recognition of Differences in personality, and his 

 corresponding very different behaviour to his master and to 

 strangers. 



The "New Moon," for November, 1873, a monthly 4to. 

 published in Dumfries, contained a short anonymous account 

 of the doings of "An Eccentric Starling." The editor, Dr. 

 Gilchrist of Dumfries, to whom I put the usual question 

 whether, and how far, the Facts recorded were true, replied, of 

 date November 25, 1873, — "As to the Starling every word is 

 literally true, as I am ready to swear before a Justice of the 

 Peace." 



A common and instructive feature now-a-days of all the 

 better classes of serials — newspapers included — is their Reviews 

 of works of Natural History or Zoology, by competent critics, 

 whose comments are frequently as valuable as the quoted obser- 

 vations of the authors criticised. In other words, such Reviews, 

 which are themselves also anonymous, frequently embody much 

 valuable original information of a thoroughly trustworthy kind. 

 This sort of Reviewing is prominent occasionally in Chambers's 

 Journal — for instance in the notice of Dr. Saxby's " Birds of 

 Shetland," in the Number for October, 1874; and it is no less 

 characteristic of the " Daily Telegraph" and other newspapers, 

 as of the " Quarterly" and other Reviews. 



(To be continued. ) 



