36 4 LOCH CRERAtf. 



does it regularly turn the tap and drink, but, when 

 satisfied, /'/ turns the tap back again and shuts off the 

 supply. We are assured the household, in hiding, have 

 witnessed this performance a considerable number of 

 times ! 



We were sitting in a comfortable apartment lately, 

 after luncheon, talking over the intelligence of jackdaws, 

 two of which, belonging to our host, were in the habit of 

 teasing a sickly pigeon that owed its weakness greatly to 

 their satanic attention. Whether the idea originated 

 directly and was then arranged between the two darkies, 

 or whether it gradually dawned upon them from dragging 

 each a wing of the persecuted bird, is not known ; but 

 they suddenly started off into the air with the pigeon, 

 each supporting a wing and carrying the terrified bird 

 into the empyrean, returning with it in safety, however, 

 to the garden. 



The door opens, and in bounces a beautiful dog. 

 "Shut the door, sir!" and at once the door is closed. 

 He can and does carry messages to and from stable or 

 gardeners, and a spaniel is jealous of his responsibility 

 and the confidence reposed in him. So it too is 

 despatched with a note to the stable. It returns very 

 rapidly with a piece torn off the paper the usual voucher 

 from the recipient; but such promptitude arouses 

 suspicion. The letter is found to be undelivered, and 

 the discovery is made that this sharp youngster, thinking 

 the object was to obtain the piece of paper back, had 

 really taken the letter just out of sight, torn a piece off of 

 the customary size, and returned therewith ! " Oh ! that 

 is nothing to what the large dog did the other day," 

 when But, really, although our informants are quite 

 serious and most thoroughly reliable, we have just caught 



