CAPTAIN BROWN'S BOOK OF DOGS*

Is an extremely curious and amusing compilation of the remarkable feats and traits of sagacity recorded of the Dog, classed under the se- veral varieties of the animal. The anecdotes appear to have been col- lected chiefly in Scotland : they are all described as authentic, and it may be some confirmation of them that they are derived from the neighbourhood of the author: we wish, however, that a somewhat greater caution had been exhibited in the collection ; we should have been contented with a less bulky volume, and only such anecdotes as could be confirmed or which have been confirmed by reference to living testimony. As an agreeable specimen of the work, we quote—

AN ASTONISHING DANDY.

" Mr. M'Intvre, patent-mangle manufacturer, Regent Bridge, Edinburgh, has a dog of the Newfoundland breed, crossed with some other, named Dandie, whose sagacious qualifications are truly astonishing, and almost in- credible. As the animalcontinues daily to give the most striking proofs of his powers, he is well known in the neighbourhood ; and any person may satisfy himself of the reality of those feats, many of which the writer has himself had the pleasure to witness.

" When Mr. M. is in company, how numerous soever it may he, if he but say to the dog, Dandie, bring me my hat,' he immediately picks out the hat from all the others, and puts it in his master's hand. " Should every gentleman in company throw a pen-knife on the floor, the dog, when commanded, will select his master's knife from the heap, and bring it to him. " A pack of cards being scattered in the room, if his master has previously selected one of them, the dog will find it out and bring it to him. " A comb was hid on the top of a mantel-piece in the room, and the dog required to bring it, which he almost immediately did, although in the search he found a number of articles also belonging to his master, purposely strewed

* Biographical Sketches, and authentic Anecdotes of Dogs ; exhibiting remarkable Instances of the Instinct, Sagacity, and social Disposition of this faithful Animal : il- lustrated by Representations of the most striking Varieties, and by correct Portraits of celebrated or remarkable Dogs, from Drawings chiefly original. Also, a Historical Introduction ; and a copious Appendix on the Breeding, Feeding, Training, Diseases, and Medical Treatment of Dogs; together with a Treatise on the Game Laws of Great Britain. By Captain Thomas Brown, F.R.S.E., F.L.S., M.R.P.S.E., M.W.S., &c.. Author of " Illustrations of the Conchology of Great Britain and Ireland," and of " General Ornithology," &c. Edinburgh,1529. Oliver and Boyd.i around, all which he passed over, and brought the identical comb which he was required to find ; fully proving that he is not guided by the sense of smell, but that he perfectly understands whatever is spoken to him.

"One evening some gentlemen being in company, one of them acciden- tally dropped a shilling on the floor, which, after the most careful search, could not be found. Mr. M. seeing his dog sitting in a corner, and looking as if quite unconscious of what was passing, said to him, ' Dandie, find us the shilling and you shall have a biscuit." The dog immediately jumped upon the table and laid down the shilling, which he had previously picked up with- out having been perceived. " One time, having been left in a room in the house of Mrs. Thomas, High- street, he remained quiet for a considerable time ; but as no one opened the door, he became impatient, and rang the bell ; and when the servant opened the door, she was surprised to find the dog pulling the bell-rope. Since that period, which was the first time he was observed to do it, he pulls the bell whenever he is desired ; and what appears still more remarkable, if there is no bell-rope in the room, he will examine the table, and if he finds a hand- bell, he takes it in his mouth and rings it.

" Mr. M. having one evening supped with a friend, on his return home, as it was rather late, he found all the family in bed. He could not find his boot jack in the place where it usually lay, nor could he find it anywhere in the room after the strictest search. He then said to his dog, Dandie, I my cannot find m boot-jack,—search for it.' The faithful animal, quite sen- sible of what -had been said to him, scratched at the room-door, which his master opened. Dandie proceeded to a very distant part of the house, and soon returned, carrying in his mouth the boot-jack, which Mr. M. now re- collected to have left that morning under a sofa.

" A number of gentlemen, well acquainted with Dandie, are daily in the habit of giving him a penny, which he takes to a baker's shop and purchases bread for himself. One of these gentleMen, who lives in James's-square, when passing some time ago, was accosted by Dandie, in expectation of his usual present. Mr. T. then said to him, I have not a penny with me to-day, but I have one at home' Having returned to his Kruse some time after, he heard a noise at the door, which was opened by the servant, when in sprang Dandie to receive his penny. In a frolic Mr. T. gave him a bad one, which he, as usual, carried to the baker, but was refused his bread, as the money was bad. He immediately returned to Mr. T.'s, knocked at the door, and when the servant opened it, laid the penny down at her feet, and walked off, seemingly with the .greatest contempt. " Although Dandie, in general, makes an immediate purchase of breadwith the money which he receives, yet the following circumstance clearly demon- strates that he possesses more prudent foresight than many who are reckoned rational beings. One Sunday, when it was very unlikely that he could have received a present of money, Dandie was observed to bring home a loaf. Mr. M. beim-, somewhat surprised at this, desired the servant to search the room

to see if money could be found. While she was engaged in this task, the dog seemed quite unconcerned, till she approached the bed, when he ran to her, and gently drew her back from it. Mr. M. then secured the dog, which kept struggling and growling while the servant went under the bed, where she found Thd. under a bit of cloth ; but from that time he never could endure the girl, and was frequently observed to hide his money in a corner of a saw- pit, under the dust. " When Mr. M. has company, if he desire the dog to see any one of the gen- tlemen home, it will walk with him till he reach his home, and then return to his master, how great soever the distance may be. " A brother of Mr. M.'s and another gentleman went one day to Newhaven, and took Dandie along with them. After having bathed, they entered a gar- den in the town, and having taken some refreshment in one of the arbours, they took a walk around the garden, the gentleman leaving his hat and gloves in the place. In the meantime some strangers came into the garden, and into nto the arbour which the others had left. Dandie immediately, with-

out being ordered, ranto the place and brought off the hat and gloves, which he presented to the owner. One of the gloves, however, had been left ; but it was no sooner mentioned to the dog than he rushed to the place, jumped again into the midst of the astonished company, and brought off the glove in triumph. " A gentleman living with Mr. M., going out to supper one evening, locked the garden-gate behind him, and laid the key on the top of the wall, which is about seven feet high. When he returned, expecting to let himself in the, same way, to his ereat surprise the key could not be found, and he was obliged to go round to the front door, which was a considerable distance about. The next morning strict seardi was made for the key, but still no trace of it could be discovered. At last, perceiving that the dog followed him wherever he went, he said to him, Dandie, you have the key,—go fetch it.' Dandie immediately went into the garden and scratched away the earth from the root of a cabbage, and produced the key, which he himself had undoubtedly hid in that place.

" If his master place him on a chair, and request him to sing, he will in- stantly commence a howling, which he gives high or low as signs are made to him with the finger.

"About three years ago, a mangle was sent by a cart from the warehouse, Regent Bridge, to Portobello, at which time the dog was not present. After- wards, Mr. M. went to his own house, North Back of the Canorgate, and took Dandie with him, to have the mangle delivered. When he had pro- ceeded a little way the dog ran off, and he lost sight of him. lie still walked forward, and in a little time he found the cart in which the mangle was, turned towards Edinburgh, with Dandie holding fast by the reins, and the carter in the greatest perplexity ; who now stated that the dog had overtaken him, jumped on his cart, and examined the mangle, and then had seized the reins of the horse and turned him fairly round, and would not let go his hold, although he had beaten him with a stick. On Mr. M.'s arrival, however, the dog quietly allowed the carter to proceed to his place of destination."

ADOPTION.

"At Dunrobin Castle, in Sutherlandshire, the scat of the Countess of Sutherland, (now Marchioness of Stafford,) there was, in May 1820, to be seen, a Terrier Bitch nursing a brood of ducklings. She had had a litter of whelps a few weeks before, which were taken from her and drowned. The unfortunate mother was quite disconsolate, till she perceived the brood of ducklings, which she immediately seized and carried to her lair, where she retained them, following them out and in with the greatest attention, and nursing them after herwown fashion, with the most affectionate anxiety. When the ducklings, following their natural instinct, went into the water, their foster-mother exhibited the the utmost alarm ; and as soon as they re. turned to land, she snatched them up in her mouth and ran home with them. What adds to the singularity of this circumstance is, that the same animal, when deprived of a litter of puppies the year following, seized two cock- chickens, which she reared with the like care she bestowed upon her own family. When the young cocks began to try their voices, their foster-mother was as much annoyed as she formerly seemed to be by the swimming of the ducklings, and never failed to repress their attempts at crowing."

A SETTER IN LOVE.

The late Dr. Hugh Smith related the following circumstance of a Setter Dog, and maintained that a bitch and a dog may fall passionately in love with each other. As the Doctor was travelling from Midhurst into Hampshire, the dogs, as usual in country places, ran out barking as he was passing through a village ; and amongst them he observed a little ugly mongrel, that was particularly eager to ingratiate himself with a setter bitch that accom- panied him. Whilst stopping to water his horse, he remarked how amorous the mongrel continued, and how courteous the setter seemed to her admirer. Provoked to see a creature of Dido's high blood so obsequious to such mean addresses, the Doctor drew one of his pistols and shot the dog ; he then had the bitch carried on horseback for several miles. From that day, however, she lost her appetite, ate little or nothing, had no inclination to go abroad with her master, or attend to his call, but seemed to repine like a creature in love, and express sensible concern for the loss of her gallant. Partridge-sea- son came, but Dido had no nose. Some time after, she was coupled to a set- ter of great excellence, which with no small difficulty had been procured to get a breed from, and all the caution which even the Doctor himself could take was strictly exerted, that the whelps might be pure and unmixed; yet not a puppy did Dido bring forth but what was the picture and colour of the mongrel that he had so many months before destroyed. The Doctor fumed, and, had he not personally paid such attention to preserve the inter- course uncontaminated, would have suspected that some negligence had oc- casioned this disappointment ; but his views were in many subsequent lit- ters also defeated, for Dido never produced a whelp which was not exactly similar to the unfortunate dog which was her first and murdered lover."