FROM THE "SPECTATOR." 159 



AN EXPLANATION. 



\Feb. 9, 1895-] 



I THINK I can explain the puzzle of the 

 Scotch terrier and his interment of the frogs, 

 for the satisfaction of your correspondent. 

 A friend of mine had once a retriever who 

 was stung by a bee, and ever afterwards, 

 when the dog found a bee near the ground, 

 she stamped on it, and then scraped earth 

 over it and buried it effectually presumably 

 to put an end to the danger of further stings. 

 In like manner, another dog having bitten 

 a toad, showed every sign of having found 

 the mouthful to the last degree unpleasant. 

 Probably Mr. Acland-Troyte's dog had, in 

 the same way, bitten a toad, and conceived 

 henceforth that he rendered public service 

 by putting every toad-like creature he saw 

 carefully and gingerly " out of harm's way," 

 underground 



A great number of the buryings and other 

 odd tricks of dogs must, however, I am sure, 

 be considered as Atavism, and traced to the 

 instincts bequeathed by their remote pro- 



