158 A PIG AND BADGER USED AS POINTERS. 



ing up the lid of a box ; which^ though more common, 

 is equally curious. A friend of mine/' continued he, 

 " Mrs. Attersal, of Crab Tree, near Fulham, had a 

 pug-dog which learned to pull the bell whenever he 

 wanted to be fed." I remarked, that these actions, 

 so contrary to the habits of the animals in a state of 

 nature, ought to be attributed to the power of acquir- 

 ing new habits from instruction, and associating with 

 man in a domestic state, rather than to instinct. 

 " Your observation," replied the gentleman, " reminds 

 me of a pig, which was brought up by the late Sir 

 Henry Mildmay's gamekeeper amongst the puppies, 

 at his seat in Hampshire, and, from imitation, learned 

 to point ; and afterwards assimilated his manners so 

 much to those of the dogs with whom he had lived, 

 that he became a destroyer of sheep. And, as a fur- 

 ther proof of the capacity of different animals to re- 

 ceive new habits from education, I remember a badger 

 at Lord Belmour's, which also points, and accompa- 

 nies his lordship on his shooting expeditions. He 

 is likewise useful in a way more congenial to his 

 nature: he fishes for his master, and brings the 

 salmon out of the water without offering to eat 

 them." 



This entertaining conversation was concluded by 

 the relation of an affecting incident that happened 

 some years ago, near Amboy, in the Jerseys, in 



