n old and
favourite dog, who was at the time basking in the sun,--"I must have
Ponto killed, for he gets old and is offensive." The dog slunk away,
and never came near his master afterwards. Many similar anecdotes
might be brought forward, but I will mention one which Captain Brown
tells us he received himself from Sir Walter Scott.

"The wisest dog I ever had," said Sir Walter, "was what is called the
bulldog terrier. I taught him to understand a great many words,
insomuch that I am positive that the communication betwixt the canine
species and ourselves might be greatly enlarged. Camp once bit the
baker, who was bringing bread to the family. I beat him, and explained
the enormity of his offence; after which, to the last moment of his
life, he never heard the least allusion to the story, in whatever
voice or tone it was mentioned, without getting up and retiring into
the darkest corner of the room, with great appearance of distress.
Then if you said, 'the baker was well paid,' or, 'the baker was not
hurt after all,' Camp came forth from his hiding-place, capered, and
barked, and rejoiced. When he was unable, towards the end of his life,
to attend me when on horseback, he used to watch for my return, and
the servant would tell him 'his master was coming down the hill, or
through the moor,' and although he did not use any gesture to explain
his meaning, Camp was never known to mistake him, but either went out
at the front to go up the hill, or at the back to get down to the
moor-side. He certainly had a singular knowledge of spoken language."
An anecdote from Sir Walter Scott must be always pleasing.

Mr. Smellie, in his "Philosophy of Natural History," mentions a
curious instance of the intellectual faculty of a dog. He states that
"a grocer in Edinburgh had one which for some time amused and
astonished the people in the neighbourhood. A man who went through the
streets ringing a bell and selling pies, happened one day to treat
this dog with a pie. The next time he heard the pieman's bell he ran
impetuously toward him, seized him by the coat, and would not suffer
him to pass. The pieman, who understood what the animal wanted, showed
him a penny, and pointed to his master, who stood at the street-door,
and saw what was going on. The dog immediately supplicated his master
by many humble gestures and looks, and on receiving a penny he
instantly carried it in his mouth to the pieman, and received his pie.
This traffic bet