DOa— aENERAL INTELLIGENCE. 449 



the fence between his meadow and his neighbour's had got 

 broken down, and that the whole of his neighbour's cattle had 

 got mixed up with his. By the help of the dog the strange 

 cattle were driven back into their proper meadow, and the 

 fence put into temporary repair. The next night, at the 

 same hour, the gentleman started off to look after the 

 cattle. The dog, however, was not to be seen. On arriv- 

 ing at the meadow, what was the gentleman's astonish- 

 ment to find that the dog had preceded him ! His 

 astonishment soon changed into delighted approbation 

 when he found the dog sitting on the broken fence 

 between the two meadows, and daring the cattle from 

 either side to cross. The cattle had during the interval 

 between the first and second visits broken down the fence, 

 and had got mixed up with each other. The dog had 

 quietly gone off on his own account to see if all was right, 

 and finding a similar accident to the one the previous 

 evening, had alone and unaided driven back the strange 

 cattle to their proper meadow, and had mounted guard 

 over the broken fence as I have already indicated.' 



Colonel Hamilton Smith says that the cattle-dogs of 

 €uba and Terra Firma are very wise in managing cattle, 

 but require to display different tactics from the cattle-dogs 

 of Europe : — 



When vessels with live stock arrive at any of the West 

 India harbours, these animals, some of which are nearly as 

 large as mastiffs, are wonderfully efficient in assisting to land 

 the cargo. The oxen are hoisted out with a sling passing 

 round the base of their horns ; and when an ox, thus suspended 

 by the head, is lowered, and allowed to fall into the water, so 

 that it may swim to land, men sometimes swim by the side of 

 it and guide it, but they have often dogs of this breed which 

 will perform the service equally well; for, catching the per- 

 plexed animal by the ears, one on each side, they will force it 

 to swim iu the direction of the landing-place, and instantly let 

 go their hold when they feel it touch the ground, as the ox will 

 then naturally walk out of the water by itself.^ 



That this sagacity need not be due to special tuition, 

 :may be inferred from a closely similar display sponta- 



* Naturalisfs Library, vol. x., p. 154 (quoted by Watson). 

 G G 



