266 



THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY 



the bones from those of other animals by their remarkable 

 red colour." 



This species does not appear to inhabit as far north as the 

 regions visited by Dr. Richardson, as that gentleman does 

 not mention it in his work: in all probability it is to be 

 found much further east than the Missouri, and been mis- 

 taken for a large specimen of the common Grey Squirrel, 

 with which it would be readily confounded by a casual ob- 

 server. 



ANECDOTES OF THE SHEPHERD'S DOG. 

 Br Mr. Hogg. 



There is no species of animals so varied in their natures 

 and propensities as the shepherd's dog, and these propen- 

 sities are preserved inviolate in the same breed from gene- 

 ration to generation. One kind will manage sheep about 

 hand, about a bught, shedding, or fold, almost naturally; 

 and those that excel most in this kind of service, are always 

 the least tractable at a distance ; others will gather sheep 

 from the hills, or turn them this way as they are command- 

 ed, as far as they can hear their master's voice, or note the 

 .signals made by his hand, and )'et can never be taught to 

 command sheep close around him. Some excel again in a 

 kind of social intercourse. They understand all that is said 

 to them, or of them, in the family; and often a good deal 

 that is said of sheep, and of other dogs, their comrades. 

 One kind will bite the legs of cattle, and no species of cor- 

 rection or disapprobation will restrain them, or ever make 

 them give it up; another kind bays at the head of cattle, and 

 neither precept nor example will ever induce them to attack 

 a beast behind, or bite its legs. 



My uncle Hoy's kind were held in estimation over the 

 whole country for their docility in gathering sheep at a dis- 

 tance, but they were never very good at commanding sheep 

 about hand. Often have I stood with astonishment at see- 

 ing him standing on the top of one hill, and the Tub, as he 

 called an excellent snow-white bitch that he had, gnthering 

 all the sheep from another with great care and caution. I 

 once saw her gathering the head of a hope, or glen, quite out 

 of her master's sight, while all that she heard of him was 

 now and then the echo of his voice or whistle from another 

 hill, yet, from the direction of that echo, she gathered the 

 sheep with perfect acuteness and punctuality. 



I have often heard him tell another anecdote of Nimble; 

 that one drifty day in the seventy-four, after gathering the 

 ewes of Chapel-hope, he found that he wanted about an hun- 



dred of them. He again betook him to the heights, and 

 sought for them the whole day without being able to find 

 them, and began to suspect that they were covered over 

 with snow in some ravine. Towards the evening it cleared 

 up a little, and as a last resource, he sent away Nimble. 

 She had found the scent of them on the hill while her master 

 was looking for them ; but not having received orders to 

 bring them, she had not the means of communicating the 

 knowledge she possessed. But as soon as John gave her 

 the gathering word, she went away, he said, like an arrow 

 out of a bow, and in less than five minutes he beheld her at 

 about a mile's distance, bringing them round a hill, called 

 The Middle, cocking her tail behind them, and apparently 

 verj' happy at having got the opportunity of terminating her 

 master's disquietude with so much ease. 



I once witnessed another very singular feat performed by 

 a dog belonging to John Graham, late tenant in Ashiesteel. 

 A neighbour came to his house after it was dark, and told 

 him that he had lost a sheep on his farm, and that if he 

 (Graham) did not secure her in the morning early, she 

 would be lost, as he had brought her far. John said, he 

 could not possibly get to the hill next morning, but if he 

 would take him to the very spot where he lost the sheep, 

 perhaps his dog Chieftain would find her that night. On 

 that they went away with all expedition, lest the traces of 

 the feet should cool; and I, then a boy, being in the house, 

 went with them. The night was pitch dark, which had 

 been the cause of the man losing his ewe; and at length he 

 pointed out a place to John, by the side of the water, where 

 he had lost her. "Chieftain, fetch that," said John, "bring 

 her back, sir." The dog jumped around and around, and 

 reared himself up on end, but not being able to see any 

 thing, evidently misapprehended his master; on which John 

 fell a cursing and swearing at the dog, calling him a great 

 many blackguard names. He at last told the man, that he 

 must point out the very track that the sheep went, other- 

 wise he had no chance of recovering it. The man led him 

 to a grey stone, and said, he was sure she took the brae 

 within a j'ard of that. "Chieftain, come hither to my foot, 

 you great numb'd whelp," said John. Chieftain came. 

 John pointed with his finger to the ground, "Fetch that, I 

 say, sir, j'ou stupid idiot — bring that back away." The 

 dog scented slowly about on the ground for some seconds, 

 but soon began to mend his pace, and vanished in the dark- 

 ness. "Bring her back away, you great calf," vociferated 

 John, with a voice of exultation, as the dog broke to the 

 hill; and as all these good dogs perform their work in per- 

 fect silence, wc neither saw nor heard any more for a long 

 time. I think, if I remember right, we waited there about 

 half an hour; during which time, all the conversation was 

 about the small chance that the dog had to find the ewe, for 



