ON THE HABITS OF ANIMALS. 135 



contrary way to which she was going. As she 

 could not disengage herself, she permitted her- 

 self to be led till she was brought to the open 

 space at Wick, when she became alarmed, and 

 asked some men to drive the dog away. They 

 persuaded her to see where the animal would 

 lead her, promising to protect her if necessary. 

 He brought her to a house which was then in 

 the course of erection, and began to scratch at 

 the end of a plank, which was laid across the 

 open unfinished area of the house for the work- 

 men to get into it. The plank was lifted up, 

 and a beef bone found under it, which the dog 

 seized and ran away with. This dog belonged 

 to an excellent, charitable clergyman at Wick, 

 who told me the anecdote after he had taken 

 some pains to ascertain its accuracy, so that it 

 need not be doubted. It is a curious instance 

 of a reasoning faculty in an animal. But I must 

 now conclude. 



You will recollect that I have given you 

 several lectures on Natural History, and I wish 

 you to consider them, not as a mere gratifi- 

 cation of curiosity, or as vehicles for amusing 

 anecdote, but as affording proofs of a Superin- 

 tending Providence, and of the care bestowed 



