and dug
out of the earth two young rabbits, which she deposited on some straw
in a barn, and continued to suckle for some time, until one of the
farm servants unluckily let down a full sack upon them and smothered
them.

The following anecdote is related by Captain Brown:--

A shepherd had driven a part of his flock to a neighbouring farm,
leaving his dog to watch the remainder during that day and the next
night, expecting to revisit them the following morning. Unfortunately,
however, when at the fair, the shepherd forgot both his dog and his
sheep, and did not return home till the morning of the third day. His
first inquiry was, whether his dog had been seen? The answer was, No.
"Then he must be dead," replied the shepherd in a tone of anguish,
"for I know he was too faithful to desert his charge." He instantly
repaired to the heath. The dog had sufficient strength remaining to
crawl to his master's feet, and express his joy at his return, and
almost immediately after expired.

Mr. Blaine relates the following circumstance:--I remember watching a
shepherd boy in Scotland, who was sitting on the bank of a wide but
shallow stream. A sheep had strayed to a considerable distance on the
other side of the water; the boy, calling to his dog, ordered him to
fetch that sheep back, but to do it gently, for she was heavy in lamb.
I do not affect to say that the dog understood the reason for which he
was commanded to perform this office in a more gentle manner than
usual; but that he did understand he was to do it gently was very
evident, for he immediately marched away through the water, came
gently up to the side of the sheep, turned her towards the rest, and
then they both walked quietly side by side to the flock. I was
scarcely ever more pleased at a trifling incident in rural scenery
than this.

The sense and recollection of the sheep-dog were shown in the
following instance:--

When I occupied a small farm in Surrey, I was in the habit of joining
with a friend in the purchase of two hundred Cheviot sheep. The first
year we had them, the shepherd who drove them from the North was asked
by us how he had got on. "Why, very badly," said the man; "for I had a
young dog, and he did not manage well in keeping the sheep from
running up lanes and out-of-the-way places." The next year we had the
same number of sheep brought up, and by the same man. In answer to our
question about his journey, he informed us that he had got on