p possession of the kennel, and a new house dog being introduced,
which in size and colour resembled that lately lost, the poor goose was
unhappily deceived, and going into the kennel as usual, the new inhabitant
seized her by the throat and killed her.

[Illustration]

ANECDOTE XXI.

Sabinus and his Dog.

After the execution of Sabinus, the Roman general, who suffered death for
his attachment to the family of Germanicus, his body was exposed to the
public upon the precipice of the Gemoniae, as a warning to all who should
dare to befriend the house of Germanicus: no friend had courage to
approach the body; one only remained true--his faithful dog. For three
days the animal continued to watch the body; his pathetic howlings
awakened the sympathy of every heart. Food was brought him, which he was
kindly encouraged to eat; but on taking the bread, instead of obeying the
impulse of hunger, he fondly laid it on his master's mouth, and renewed
his lamentations; days thus passed, nor did he for a moment quit the body.

The body was at length thrown into the Tiber, and the generous creature,
still unwilling that it should perish, leaped into the water after it, and
clasping the corpse between its paws, vainly endeavoured to preserve it
from sinking.

[Illustration]

ANECDOTE XXII.

Wrens Learning to Sing.

A wren built her nest in a box, so situated that a family had an
opportunity of observing the mother bird instructing the young ones in the
art of singing peculiar to the species. She fixed herself on one side of
the opening in the box, directly before her young, and began by singing
over her whole song very distinctly. One of the young then attempted to
imitate her. After proceeding through a few notes, its voice broke, and it
lost the tune. The mother immediately recommenced where the young one had
failed, and went very distinctly through the remainder. The young bird
made a second attempt, commencing where it had ceased before, and
continuing the song as long as it was able; and when the note was again
lost, the mother began anew where it stopped, and completed it. Then the
young one resumed the tune and finished it. This done, the mother sang
over the whole series of notes a second time with great precision; and a
second of the young attempted to follow her. The wren pursued the same
course with this as with the first; and so with the third and fourth. It
sometimes happened that the young one wo