226 The Naturalist in Siluria. 



— lying peacefully asleep side by side on the hearth-rag, 

 with legs across and heads pillowed on one another. 

 And as often the three playing at romps together, to the 

 serious detriment of carpets. 



There came a time when this must necessarily cease, 

 by the lamb, alas ! threatening to become a sheep ; then 

 it had to be relegated to its proper sphere, the pasture 

 field. And, no longer needing sole sustenance from the 

 teat, its two mothers were released from their tethers, 

 and set adrift in the field with the rest of the flock. And 

 now another odd incident of the series. Out afield and 

 free, the foster-mother continued her affectionate atten- 

 tions, standing for the lamb to suckle her, and caressing 

 it the while. But the real mother, as all along, still re- 

 pulsed it whenever it attempted to take hold of her teats; 

 yet strangest thing of all, she would keep close to and 

 run after the little creature, even to following it through 

 the mazes of the flock ! Watching their movements, day 

 after day, I could not avoid the conviction that there 

 was bitter jealousy between the mother and the nurse, 

 though, so far as I saw, no fighting took place. 



For awhile the petted lamb permitted itself to be 

 caught ; and when carried into the house would acknow- 

 ledge its old canine and feline acquaintances, though no 

 longer disposed to play with them. Soon, however, it 

 became shy, indeed, wild as any of the other lambs, its 

 new associates, and was caught up no more. 



In due time it was made a wether, and as the rutting 

 season approached, early in October, I had my white 

 sheep separated from the black ones, and put into fields 

 far apart. This, of course, parted the lamb from its 

 nursing mother, leaving it with the real one, who still 

 refusing it milk, it had to take wholly to the grass. The 



