SHAMEFACED COCKS 



155 



ness, she may decide to give her pet goose a good 

 tubbing ; and this will be one of the grandest treats 

 in the goose's life. 



One old keeper of our acquaintance has a curious 

 recipe for a dog-wash, and swears that in more than 

 fifty years he has not found its equal. You must 

 uproot, he will tell you, an armful of foxglove plants, 

 and boil them in a copper of water. When the in- 

 fusion is cool enough, rub it well into your dog's coat, 

 and lather him with a little soft soap. " And I'll 

 lay," says the old chap, " that you don't see nothing 

 about a dog after that, and his coat will look fit to 

 go to a wedd'n." The keeper's plan is to leave the 

 lather in his dogs' coats for some little time after 

 they have left the tub. Every lathery dog is tied up 

 in turn in a sunny spot, free from draughts ; then 

 all are rinsed in the order of washing, and are taken 

 for a long gambol in a field of grass, the keeper taking 

 care not to let a dog free in a dusty place, for his first 

 act is to have a good roll, regardless of a clean coat. 



At harvest-time the old cock pheasants begin to show 



themselves in the woods again. In April one grew 



almost weary of the insistent, boasting crows 



Shame- o f the vainglorious dandies. Then for 



faced 



Cocks months they seemed quite to drop out of 



woodland society. They like to take things 

 easily through the summer, leaving all family cares 

 to the members of their harems. And no doubt 



