200 LECTURE XV. 



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 ne- 

 cessary. 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 workmen 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 clergymari 

 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 gratification 

 of curiosity, or as vehicles for amusing anec- 

 dote, but as affording proofs of a Superintending 

 Providence, and of the care bestowed on all the 

 works of creation by a Being infinite in power, 

 wisdom, and goodness ! Indeed, he must be wil- 

 fully blind who does not observe Divine interpo- 

 sition, not only in human affairs, but in every- 



