xxi "NATIONALITIES" & POLITICS 263 



for a fortnight, during which time they paid 

 visits to the Duke of Northumberland at Alnwick, 

 and to Lord Tankerville at Chillingham, besides 

 making excursions to Warkworth, Dunstan- 

 borough, and some of the other border castles. 



At Chillingham Sir John records that he 

 " was fortunate enough to have a very good view 

 of the wild cattle." 



He lost an old friend this year, as already 

 noticed, in one of his aged queen ants, which 

 died towards the end of July. " She has been 

 with me," he writes, " ever since December 24, 

 1874. She hid herself in a corner, as they usually 

 do when about to die, but the other ants brought 

 her out and put her in her usual place among 

 them as if they could not realise that she was 

 dead." 



In September Mr. Craig Sellar had written to 

 him, at the request of Lord Hartington, asking 

 him for suggestions as to a constructive policy 

 for the Liberal Unionists to lay before the country. 

 Sir John replied as follows : 



High Elms, Beckenham, Kent, 

 13 Oct. 1887. 



My dear Craig Sellar — I have received your letter, 

 and send you, as requested, my views, for Lord Harting- 

 ton' s consideration. 



It seems to me that the economic condition of Ireland 

 during the present century has scarcely received sufficient 

 consideration, and I enclose a copy of my letter to the 

 Chairman of my Committee, in which I have referred 

 to this more in detail. You will find the passages 

 marked. 



In no country where the population had fallen from 

 8,000,000 to 5,000,000 in 40 years could the Government 

 be popular. 



If the present discontent had no such explanation, I 



