DOG - GENERAL INTELLIGENCE. 
449 
the fence between his meadow and his neighbour’s had got 
broken down, and that the whole of his neighbour’s cattle had 
got mixed up with his. By the help of the dog the strange 
cattle were driven back into their proper meadow, and the 
fence put into temporary repair. The next night, at the 
same hour, the gentleman started off to look after the 
cattle. The dog, however, was not to be seen. On arriv- 
ing at the meadow, what was the gentleman’s astonish- 
ment to find that the dog had preceded him ! His 
astonishment soon changed into delighted approbation 
when he found the dog sitting on the broken fence 
between the two meadows, and daring the cattle from 
either side to cross. The cattle had during the interval 
between the first and second visits broken down the fence, 
and had got mixed up with each other. The dog had 
quietly gone off on his own account to see if all was right, 
and finding a similar accident to the one the previous 
evening, had alone and unaided driven back the strange 
cattle to their proper meadow, and had mounted guard 
over the broken fence as I have already indicated.’ 
Colonel Hamilton Smith says that the cattle-dogs of 
Cuba and Terra Firma are very wise in managing cattle, 
but require to display different tactics from the cattle-dogs 
of Europe : — 
When vessels with live stock arrive at any of the West 
India harbours, these animals, some of whL h are nearly as 
large as mastiffs, are wonderfully efficient in assisting to land 
the cargo. The oxen are hoisted out with a sling passing 
round the base of their horns ; and when an ox, thus suspended 
by the head, is lowered, and allowed to fall into the water, so 
that it may swim to land, men sometimes swim by the side of 
it and guide it, but they have often dogs of this breed which 
will perform the service equally well ; for, catching the per- 
plexed animal by the cars, one on each side, they will force it 
to swim in the direction of the landing-place, and instantly let 
go their hold when they feel it touch the ground, as the ox will 
then naturally walk out of the water by itself . 1 
I hat this sagacity need not be due to special tuition, 
may be inferred from a closely similar display sponta- 
1 Naturalist' s Library, vol. x , p. 151 (quoted by Watson). 
