JUNE, 1883. 307 



the little wretches rise on tiptoe full of the great expecta- 

 tions of hopeful ignorance. A chaffinch's nest upon a 

 cabbage ! Surely a most unusual occurrence. We do 

 not credit them with sufficient intelligence to suppose 

 that, when they saw these cabbages flowering, they anti- 

 cipated their being left for seed, and can only conclude 

 that they saw a snuggery apparently suitable and entered 

 into possession. If success is to be the sole test of in- 

 telligence, we must give these birds the credit for wisdom ; 

 under ordinary circumstances, however, we would have 

 considered them a pair of little fools ! The constructive 

 and secretive power of the chaffinch is yet so marked 

 that we must acknowledge their superior abundance to 

 be partly due to their superior dexterity in the breeding 

 season. 



We watch their progress down the rough piece of graz- 

 ing ground with interest, the question " fun or earnest " 

 formulating itself as they proceed. A young dog and a 

 pig of the same size as itself. The dog is clearly in fun 

 its tail twirling, and its antics unmistakable. Verbal 

 speech may be given to conceal our thoughts, but such 

 natural language is not to be misunderstood. The pig 

 is clearly more amused than annoyed, and soon enters 

 fully into the spirit of the puppy, and with its tail twirling 

 and its stiff little carcase attempting similar evolutions, 

 the game is kept up between them. All this time the 

 dog does not lose sight of the fact that he is driving this 

 particular pig and its companions off the ground ; while 

 the pig equally understands this fact, but is determined 

 to enjoy a romp on the way. Who that watches 

 domesticated animals but must acknowledge to a far 

 greater amount of sympathy between opposing species 

 than is conceivable under natural conditions. Remove 



