CLASS I. MAMMALIA: ORDERS. CARNIVORA. 227 



"For the last three months of my mothers existence, Peter was almost always on her bed, 

 night and day; and during the final four weeks, when death was daily expected, he was sad and 

 dull, which was attributed to the change in the habits of the family. Fortv-eight hours before 

 all was over, Peter crept into a corner under the bed, which had always been his place of refuge 

 when in trouble, and we with difficulty prevailed on him to quit it, even when his mistress wished 

 to see and say farewell to him. On that occasion he hung his head, and appeared to be so miser- 

 able, that apprehensions of malady on his part were entertained. He returned to his corner, and 

 was not thought of for some time. At length all was quiet in the room, and I was about to leave 

 it, when I recollected Peter. He was with difficulty prevailed on to leave his corner, where he 

 lay curled up and trembling. I lifted him up to take a last look of his beloved mistress, but he 

 laid his head on my shoulder, and was so much distressed that I carried him away immediately. 

 On the following day he accompanied me up stairs, and when I passed my mother's door, he 

 looked up in my face, as much as to say, 'Are you going in there?' but I replied 'No!' and he 

 never again asked for entrance." 



A favorite terrier was in the habit of accompanying his master, who was a clergyman, to 

 church, where he was so perfectly quiet that few persons knew of his presence. On one occasion 

 he went to a funeral, and when the procession left the church, accompanied his master to the side 

 of the grave, where he mingled with the attendants. The parties remained for some little time 

 looking at the coffin after it was lowered, and the clergyman slipped away, unobserved even by 

 his dog. An hour after, as he sat at dinner with his friends, his sexton requested to speak with 

 him. He was admitted into the room, when he said it was impossible to close the grave, and 

 that he did not know what to do. "Why?" asked the gentleman. "Because, sir, your terrier 

 stands there, and flies so fiercely at us whenever we attempt to- throw a spadeful in, that we dare 

 not go on." One of the house-servants was sent to the churchyard, and there saw the dog in a 

 perfect fury, defending the grave. He refused to come at his call, so by main force he removed 

 him, and carried him to the drawing-room. There, the moment he saw his master, his transport 

 of joy equaled his former fury ; and it is supposed that, not seeing his master go away, and 

 missing him, he fancied he was in the grave, and thus strove to protect him from injury. 



A terrier, known to Professor Owen, was taught to play at hide-and-seek with his master, who 

 summoned him by saying, " Let us have a game !" upon wdiich the dog immediately hid his eyes 

 between his paws, in the most honorable manner, and when the gentleman had placed a sixpence, 

 or a piece of cake, in a most improbable place, he started up and invariably found it. His powers 

 were equaled by what was called a fox-terrier, named Fop, who would hide his eyes, and suffer 

 those at play with him to conceal themselves before he looked up. If his playfellow hid himself 

 behind a window-curtain, Fop would, for a certain time, carefully pass that curtain, and look 

 behind all the others, behind doors, etc., and when he thought he had looked long enough, seize 

 the concealing curtain and drag it aside in triumph. The drollest thing, however, was to see him 

 take his turn of hiding. He would get under a chair, and fancy that he was not seen. Of 

 course those at play with him pretended not to see him, and it was most amusing to witness his 

 agitation as they passed. AVhen he w T as ill, he had been cured by some homoeopathic globules, 

 and ever after, if any thing were the matter with him, he would stand near the medicine-box, and 

 hold his mouth open. 



A black-and-tan terrier, belonging to a linen-draper in Swindon, as soon as the shop was opened 

 in the morning, was in the habit of going to the post-office with his master. The letter-bag was 

 put into his mouth, and he carried it home. One morning he took it into his head to precede 

 his master, and go alone. The postmaster, on seeing him, felt so certain his owner was at the 

 door, that he delivered the bag to him, with which he ran home, while his master was seeking 

 him. From that time it became his regular duty to fetch the letters daily., 

 x Sir Walter Scott tells us of the remarkable comprehension of human language evinced by his 

 bull-terrier, called Camp. He understood so many words, that Sir Walter felt convinced an 

 intercourse with dumb animals might be enlarged. Camp once bit the baker, for which Sir 

 Walter beat him, and, at the same time, explained the enormity of the offense ; after which, to 

 . the last moment 'of his life, he never heard the least allusion to the story, in whatever voice or 



