I902] CONCERNING THE DOGS 285 



in killing two, but the remainder of her family are just opening 

 their eyes on this strange new world and rolling about their 

 warm nest with shrill squeals. To-day "Nell" has added 

 seven to the puppy population ; they look like seven little 

 blind rats, but she guards them very jealously with ominous 

 growls when anyone approaches. We shall probably reduce 

 this last litter to four or five, and so remain the possessors of 

 about a dozen in all. 



' Each mother has her own comfortable nest under the 

 shelter of the forecastle, and gets sufficient warmth from the 

 straw and sacking which are plentifully distributed about it. 

 " Vincka " takes her maternal duties very lightly, and spends 

 the day in teasing her offspring, apparently under the impression 

 that they exist to romp with her. But her pups don't see it in 

 the same light : their small minds are seriously bent on explora- 

 tion, and they become so annoyed at their mother's levity that 

 they growl and snap at all her playful efforts, and occasionally 

 fly into paroxysms of rage. "Blanco" is a lady possessed 

 of much low cunning, which has made her very unpopular 

 with the men. It was not expected that she would prove a 

 good mother, and she certainly is not ; her three small mites 

 would find it hard to get a living without human assistance. 

 But " Nell " promises to be in all respects a model parent. 

 She has always possessed a very uncertain temper, and the 

 responsibilities of a family have rendered her absolutely fierce. 

 One has to approach her nest with great caution and be 

 extremely careful not to do anything that she may consider 

 suspicious ; but when she is assured that one's intentions are 

 friendly, she will condescend to accept ministrations to her 

 wants. 



' We have had " Brownie," another of the dogs, under 

 shelter for some time ; he is a very handsome beast, with nice 

 affectionate manners which make him rather a pet with all, 

 so that when he was found shivering violently in the cold, 

 pity was taken on him and he was brought under the fore- 

 castle. Careful observation, however, showed that he is really 

 rather a rascal, and that he is in the habit of putting on his 



