Dogs have done things that have shown retentive memory, forethought, calculation-nay, even reason; for instinct is a poor word to use to express what some dogs have done. We have known a dog remain in a room for weeks together with a sickly boy, and never quit it beyond a minute or two at a time.

About the true origin of the dog we know nothing. At what period of time he ran wild, and when he first became domesticated, history tells us not; but so far as the most ancient records go back, we find him the faithful attendant on man; in the oldest Eygptian scrolls that have been discovered, he is pictured as standing beside his master. A great man, after much patient investigation, came to the conclusion that the wolf, jackal, and dog are all of one species. When dogs return to a wild state they will, after three or four generations, bear a close resemblance to the wolf, while a wild dog domesticated, however wolf-like he may at first appear, will, after a few generations, assume the distinct marks of some familiar breed, and lose all his wolfish appearance.

THE BLOODHOUND, used for tracing thieves, murderers, deerstealers, wherever a foot-print was left or a drop of blood shed, is an old type of dog that no doubt has come down to us through long centuries unaltered. His scent is very acute. His colour is generally black and tan, and he is a large, powerful dog, often standing nearly three feet high, and weighing as much as eighty pounds; his pace is rather slow.

THE WOLF-DOG is all but extinct. He stood nearly four feet high, and could master a wolf single-handed, in shape he resembled the greyhound, but was a rougher and a stronger dog. There were one or two remaining in Ireland some years ago. He belonged to the olden time, and was no doubt often used by the ancient Britons when they were compelled to pay the tribute of wolves' heads to their Saxon conquerors.

THE DEERHOUND is another old dog often mentioned in our ancient chronicles and early ballad lore; he belongs to the class of greyhounds, and the latter are too well known to require a single word of description.

THE GENUINE BULL-DOG is a terrible fellow to look at, and has been known to turn on his master when offended. But he does not worry and shake his victim like the terrier or the mastiff, nor when he once gets hold will he leave go unless taken off by his master, or compelled to leave go by main force.

THE MASTIFF, as his under-jaw tells, has a cross of the bulldog about him; he is a powerful dog, and makes a capital guardian.

THE SHEPHERD'S AND DROVER'S DOGS are wonderfully sagacious, and the marvellous stories told of the wondrous things they have done, are enough to place them in the highest class of intelligent dogs. Many a flock of sheep has been saved by their sagacity and perseverance.

POINTERS, SETTERS, SPANIELS, RETRIEVERS, &c., are sporting dogs; though all very useful and faithful to their masters, they are not, with an exception or two, such dogs as boys would select as companions, though we could find a good deal to say about them, were we writing a history of dogs, instead of merely skimming over their different varieties to arrive at such as we do consider companiable, and these are the English and Scotch terriers.

A TERRIER is the

dog a boy ought to have; he will fetch and carry, hunt vermin, guard the house, bark when you bid him, or be mute in a moment a terrier is the dog for a boy, after all. Oh, what a fellow he is for a rat; won't he shake him and make him squeak; I wouldn't be a rat in the jaws of a good terrier, if I might be made the Emperor of China to-morrow. Or let him get hold of a stoat or a weasel, and he'll just show them as much mercy as they show a poor little rabbit or hare. It's all up with them, I can tell you; and if they look into his eyes, they'll find no more pity there than they would in a pebble. If he can't worry a hedgehog, he'll make it "shake in its shoes," and even have a turn at a badger, which is as sharp and close a biter as a bull-dog. Then the Scotch terrier seems as fond of water as a fish: throw your stick in and he dashes after it, comes paddling up with it in his mouth, and places it at your feet. To say nothing of their playfulness, they are such faithful animals too, and would follow their master to the end of the world, and further, if he went there. Then they may be taught no end of amusing tricks-to beg, to walk on their hinder legs, to sit up until you count any given number, to fetch anything you have dropped purposely, and left a long while behind, if it has been pointed out to them. And many a laughable anecdote is on record, of their masters having thrown things away, which they had no wish should be found in their possession, when, lo! to their confusion, the dog would come up with the rejected article in his mouth, and place it at his master's feet, when the latter would have given all he possessed to have been ten miles away another road at the moment. We have heard of a man stealing a small bundle, throwing it away when pursued, of the dog picking it up, and the thief being captured, through the pursuers following the footsteps of the faithful dog. Another man went to purchase a flock of sheep, which his dog drove into a corner for him to examine, but as he could not agree with the owner of the sheep about the price, he went away without them. Not so the dog; he had been set to drive them in a corner by his master, and knowing nothing about the disagreement respecting price, why he drove them out of the field to his master's farm-house, which was ten long miles off. The dog's master was tried for stealing the sheep, and had a very narrow escape. tollgate keepers proved that the dog barked in the night until they opened their gates and let the sheep through, thinking the master was behind, but they found he was not, and this saved the man's life, for sheep-stealing was punished with hanging in those days.

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Now, in keeping dogs, if they have kennels, always clean them

out once a week, and be sure and take care that they never want for water. Never leave anything hot in their way, for if scalding, and they are ravenous, they are likely enough to eat or lap it, though it kills them. For the mange, rub the spots with sulphur ointment, and this, unless it is a very virulent kind of mange, will cure him in four or five days; tumours which consist of small soft bladders of a circular form, lying close under the skin, must be cut out with a sharp knife; this, if skilfully done, gives the dog but little pain, and if the skin is again drawn carefully over, the wound will heal of itself. No boy need be told what a dog will eat; you may safely give him anything from a full grown elephant to a whale, and with time enough, he will finish them both.

THIS is one of the most beautiful animals that can be tamed and kept within doors, and we know nothing beside that has so splendid and handsome a tail; for altogether it is a perfect little beauty, and of such a rich red-brown colour as is quite delightful to look at. The squirrel is a native of our woods, and went skipping about among the branches, just as he does now, when the bearded old Druids worshipped the oak. There is no animal in England can leap such an immense distance as a squirrel, for it has been seen to spring from one tree to another when the broad, wide, common highroad ran between the two trees. Should it happen to fall on the ground while making these terrific springs, it alights on its feet, and is off and up at the top of the next high tree quicker than the eye can follow it. It is a pretty sight to see it sitting and cracking a nut, which it holds in its

fore-paws, that are like hands, with which it carries everything to its mouth, while the beautiful tail curls over its head, like a plume in a cuirassier's helmet. In a wild state it lives upon nuts, acorns, leafbuds, beechmast, the bark of certain trees, and even the young tender growing branches. The nest, or dray, as it is called, is generally built in the hollow of some old tree, similar to what the woodpecker selects, and is formed of moss, twigs, and dry leaves. It breeds in May or June, has four or five young ones at a time, and there is nothing prettier to be found in our old English woods than a nest of young squirrels.

Though naturally a wild and timid animal, when caught young it soon becomes so completely familiarized to a state of domestication, that it may be suffered to run loose about the room, or even the garden, without making the slightest effort, or evincing the least inclination to return to its natural wild state. After gambolling and frolicking about for a while, it will come back when called by name to its protector (and it should have a name to answer to, Bob is as good as any), and crawl over him, nestle in his bosom, and display other signs of the strongest attachment. When taken and bred from the nest, it may be taught to perform a variety of amusing little tricks, such as to dive into the pockets for a nut; to run after one thrown along the ground, like a dog; to turn over head-and-heels; to jump over a stick, or from one hand to the other, when held a considerable distance apart; besides many others. Indeed, it has all the docility, as well as the affectionate disposition, of a dog; it will recognise as soon the person of his master, and displays the same fondness and attachment to him.

There are various sorts of cages made for these little animals, varying in price from five shillings to two or three sovereigns, or even more. The one most generally in use is the circular-topped cage, represented in the cut. But it is cruel to put so beautiful a creature into such a cramped-up prison,

so fond of liberty as it is in its natural state. It has a little sleeping-box, which opens with a lid, so that the bed may be changed, and the place cleaned out with'out difficulty; this communicates with

the open cage by means of a hole, just large enough to admit the body of the animal, furnished with a sliding door, so as to be stopped up or left open at pleasure. The outer cage is fitted up with a sliding bottom and small tin trough for food; the edges of the woodwork must all be carefully covered with tin, otherwise the little tenant, by continual gnawing, would not only greatly disfigure the cage, but eventually effect his escape. The revolving or turn-about cage is another often used, but this is decidedly objectionable; the motion is an unnatural one, and must therefore subject the poor little prisoner, until he becomes accustomed to it, to a great deal of unnecessary torment. They are also sometimes kept fastened by means of a small brass collar and chain, like a dog, to a little box or kennel, with a platform in front; they must, however, be thoroughly tamed

before they can be kept thus, otherwise by their continual efforts to escape they are liable to strangle themselves; but the best way after all, when they are thoroughly tamed, is to let them have the range of the room, or to purchase a cage six feet long and four feet high; in this there will be room enough, and it ought to have perches like the branches of trees. The cage should be cleaned out regularly every day, to prevent its getting offensive, and a little gravel sprinkled on the bottom. The sleeping-box should be furnished with some sweet hay, moss, &c., with a little wool, about the breeding time.

They should be kept on the same sort of food they obtain when in their natural state; bread and milk may also be added, but it must be perfectly fresh and sweet. They may be purchased of most birdfanciers for about four or five shillings; when very tame higher prices are asked, sometimes as much as fifteen shillings or a sovereign. Numbers are also brought up to London by country market people, and sold about the streets at more moderate charges.

In purchasing, care should be taken to select a young one, which can be readily distinguished by its beautiful white teeth, for when the animal is old the teeth are yellow.

THIS is a very clean, handsome little animal, whatever people may say to the contrary, and is a great pet with boys in the country; it has also a fine long bushy tail, which, when sitting down to wash itself with its pretty hands, curls over its back like the squirrel's, though we are not going to say it is so beautiful as the squirrel. It lives in copses or woods, and is so partial to company, that ten or a dozen nests have been found close to one another. Its motions are so quick that it cannot easily be taken; you just get sight of it, and it is off like a shot, in an instant.

In size it is rather larger than the common mouse; the colour is

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