180 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE. 



to turn on their assailants and put them to speedy and 

 anxious flight. 



The Sagacity Dull though he appears to be, the ass show 

 of the Ass. himself on occasion to be possessed of no little 

 invention in matters that concern his liberty and comfort. 

 His aptitude for lifting latches and drawing bolts has often 

 been observed. Mr. Fuller describes the actions of an ass 

 he saw, who put his head sideways between the bars of 

 a gate and turning it into its normal position lifted the 

 gate over the latch and pushed it forward, withdrawing his 

 head after he had opened the gate and proceeding to enjoy 

 the dainties of the field into which he had thus effected an 

 entrance. A still more remarkable instance is given by Mr. 

 East who says: "While living on the Sussex coast, I had 

 myself a very fine donkey, which was a remarkably docile 

 and knowing animal. He was the constant companion of my 

 children in their rambles on the downs, and on those occa- 

 sions seemed to think he had a right to share in all the 

 eatables and drinkables, and would do so most readily, 

 whether cakes, apples, oranges, sweetmeats, milk, or even 

 tea ; ginger-beer being the only exception. With this he was 

 thoroughly disgusted, in consequence of the cork, which had 

 been expelled from the bottle with the usual loud report, 

 having struck him on the nose. This he never forgot; but 

 would quickly march off whenever a ginger-beer bottle was 

 produced. But his cleverness and cunning were more especi- 

 ally shown in the following incident : His lodging-place at 

 night was a small, open shed, whence he had free access to 

 a yard; but not, of course, to the kitchen-garden which 

 adjoined it. The latter was separated from the yard by a 

 wall and door, fastened securely, as we imagined, by two 

 bolts and an ordinary latch. We were, however, surprised to 

 find that the door had been unfastened during the night, 

 while the footprints of the donkey on the garden walks and 

 beds too plainly told who had been the trespasser. Still we 



