242 How THE FARM PAYS. 



young Collies took a great liking to the cattle, so much so that she 

 would remain in the field all day with them, keeping all strangers out 

 of the pasture. One Sunday not long since a neighbor went into 

 the lot to take a look at the cows, but the dog attacked him and 

 actually drove him out of the field. They are specially fond of 

 children, and are usually exceUent watch dogs. In driving cattle, 

 instead of catching the tail of the animal as other dogs invariably do, 

 they will nip the heels and draw back quickly out of danger of being 

 kicked. They display a degree of intelligence seemingly far beyond 

 instinct. When driving sheep, if one should turn on him, as ewes 

 with young lambs very often will do, the Collie does not resent it, but 

 will turn quietly aside and lie down until the sheep returns to the 

 flock, when he will go on driving them. One of my old dogs once kept 

 a ewe and her lamb apart in a five-acre lot from morning until even- 

 ing without injury to either. The same dog, after being taken twice to 

 bring the sheep from the pasture to the yard at five, P. M., went of 

 his own accord every evening afterwards and brought them into the 

 yard, fully half a mile away, part of the way through wood land, never 

 varying more than fifteen minutes of five o'clock, at which time he 

 delivered them in the yard. 



The Collie is eminently practical in his notions and seems to enjoy 

 nothing so much as performing his duties with the sheep or cattle, 

 but he can be taught tricks, though I doubt if he is over fond of 

 showing off his accomplishments in this direction. My little girl five 

 years old can ask " Coxsie " to jump over a chair, haul her on a sled 

 or go over a fence, which he will do, but if asked by one of the men 

 or boys he will skulk off and lie down. When called for the cows or 

 sheep, however, he is right up, and will leave his best meal for either duty. 



Another instance which shows a peculiar phase of its natural instinct 

 occurred in a city, where a goat was kept by a resident. This goat 

 had, in the usual manner of these creatures, committed depredations 

 in flower beds and upon shade trees, and the owner had been severely 

 censured in consequence. He owned one of the rough Collie dogs, 

 which, however, had never been trained, but which, after one lesson 

 given by his owner, accompanied the goat in its daily rounds 

 about the vacant lots upon which it browsed, and prevented it from 

 injuring trees or trespassing into the gardens. The dog lay down 

 near the goat while it fed, and as it moved kept closely behind it and 

 brought it home safely every evening. This it did daily for years. 



(Mr. H.) The Collie does seem to have almost human reason. I 

 had a Collie pup from a breed that originally came from you, a hand- 

 some black and tan. When I got him he was about three months old. 

 It happened that a litter of kittens arrived about the same time. 



