xxiv RIVERSIDE LETTERS 187 



ated in an orchard which is much frequented 

 by poultry. In the mornings the spaniel lies 

 outside his kennel he always maintains a very 

 friendly manner with the cocks and hens and 

 occasionally a hen will enter his kennel and 

 there lay an egg. The dog never disturbs a 

 hen who is thus occupied, but after she has 

 layed her egg, finished her noise, and gone 

 away, he enters the kennel and gobbles up 

 the egg. 



Just now the ants in my garden are very 

 busy bringing up their eggs in piles to the 

 surface of the ground, in order, as I suppose, 

 that the sun's rays may warm and hatch them. 

 Once or twice I have uncovered one of these 

 subterranean piles, and taken all the eggs 

 I could carry on a trowel and thrown them 

 into the river. After which I have poured a 

 can of cold water upon the place in order to 

 drive the ants away by flooding the nest, but 

 even after all this drastic treatment I have 

 invariably found on visiting the spot that, in 

 the course of a day or two, all the damage 



