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SHORT COMMUNICATIONS. 







A WHITE Donkey. — In the village of Hampton Wick, a 

 poor man is possessed of a young female donkey, perfectly 

 white, without spot or shade of any kind : it is a lively sport- 

 ive animal, now about six weeks old. The only peculiarity 

 observable in its formation is a remarkably small and narrow 

 mouth, more like the mouth of a sheep than of an ass : its coat, 

 of which much care is taken, is full and soft. The queen lately 

 sent for it to Windsor, and was much pleased with the little 

 creature. It is likely to prove a valuable acquisition to its 

 poor master, who, in addition to the donkey, is blessed with a 

 wife and nine small children. (Literary Gazette, June 2. 



Monstrosity in a Calf. — A cow belonging to a small 

 farmer, near Macclesfield, recently produced a calf with 

 two heads, five legs, and two tails, and double back : it lived 

 about two hours. (Birmingham Journal, June 9. 1832.) 



A Dog that reasoned Biding to be preferable to Walking. — 

 Sir, I was lately a witness to a most striking instance of canine 

 sagacity. Whilst an omnibus was waiting to receive passengers 

 at the Blue Coat Boy, April 28. 1832, a dog, of the setter breed, 

 forced his way into the omnibus, much against the consent of 

 the conductor and passengers, as the dog did not belong to 

 either, and who used every means to entice him out, which he 

 constantly resisted, in the most surly manner, so much so 

 that they were in danger of being bitten, if they endeavoured 

 to force him. These attempts were repeated each time the 

 omnibus stopped, until they arrived at the Eagle, in the City 

 Road, when the door was opened, and he then made his exit, 

 apparently as much at home there as if he had purposely 

 taken a ride to the spot. This instance is in accordance with 

 Mr. Blaine's ideas of the instinct of dogs, in his Treatise on 

 Canine Pathology, new edition, p. 37, 38. As you may have 

 noticed, he says, " Innumerable actions are daily performed 

 by them ; all of which are totally unconnected with these great 

 instinctive principles. It must be, therefore, self-evident, that 

 all such action must be extra-instinctive, and the result of 

 rational operations of the brute mind." — I am, Sir, &c. 

 — Cattus. 



About fourteen years ago, a strong but simple piece of 



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