246 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS. 



meal, the dog would retire to a corner to sleep, while 

 the partridge would nestle between his legs, and never 

 stir till his favourite awoke. Whenever the dog ac- 

 companied his mistress out, the bird displayed the ut- 

 most disquietude till his return j and once, when the 

 partridge was shut up by accident during a whole day, 

 the dog searched about with a mournful cry, which indi- 

 cated the strength of his affection. The friendship of 

 Tom and Bill was, at length, fatally terminated. The 

 beautiful little dog was stolen ; and the bird from that 

 time refused all food, and died on the seventh day, a 

 victim to its grief." 



To return to the rat : a singular instance of the saga- 

 city of one of these creatures is said to have occurred in 

 the neighbourhood of Haddington, during a dreadful 

 storm in September, 1829. At the time the river Tyne 

 was at its height, a number of people were standing on 

 its margin, watching the quantities of hay which it was 

 sweeping along. In the midst of the huge masses that 

 were observed, a swan appeared, sometimes struggling 

 for the land, and at others sailing majestically along 

 with the torrent. As this noble bird approached, a 

 black spot appeared on its snowy plumage, and much 

 surprise was excited on finding that this black spot 

 was a live rat. There was reason to think it had 



