THE SHEPHERD'S DOG. 147 



balsam. During the operation, Laddie continued to gaze on 

 the operator with close attention, and the sheep having been 

 released, he was directed to capture in succession two or three 

 more, which underwent similar treatment. The sagacious 

 animal had now become initiated in the mysteries of his 

 master's proceeding, for off he set unbidden through the flock, 

 and picked out with unerring precision those sheep which were 

 affected with maggots in their skin, and held them down until 

 the arrival of his master, who was thus saved a deal of trouble, 

 and the operation of clipping and smearing most materially 

 facilitated. 



The duties of the sheep-dog, when attending a flock on the 

 road, demand his constant watchfulness and exertion. One 

 minute he is barking with all his might to urge on the main 

 body now he is bounding forward to restrain stragglers now 

 circling the flock, and now again returning to his master's 

 side, to receive his look of approbation or his further commands. 



A good sheep-dog possesses the sense of sight so perfectly, 

 that he can readily discover a strange sheep among a very large 

 flock under his care. When there is an intruder among the 

 flock, the drover has only to give the word to his dog, and the 

 sagacious animal dashes forward over the several fleecy backs, 

 singles out the runaway without the least hesitation, and seizing 

 him by the loose skin of the neck, bears him to the ground, 

 and holds him fast until assistance arrives. 



A flock of two-hundred sheep while advancing towards London, 

 met a flock of only about a dozen in the village of Tottenham. 

 The drover of the latter being fearful that the small flock would, 

 as usual, unite with- the larger body, tried to keep his few sheep 

 to one side of the road until the others should have passed. 

 One of them, however, eluded the drover's vigilance, and sprang 

 into the midst of the other flock, and among so many he appeared 

 completely safe from detection j but the drover of the larger 

 flock, who seemed to enjoy the affair, gave the command to his 

 dog, and the stray sheep was instantly in custody. 



Seven hundred lambs which Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd, had 



