THE DOMESTIC HORSE. 173

had to feign giving, in order to satisfy the horse and induce
him to proceed.” Such loyalty to habit, however interesting,
is not always convenient, as the following, which I quote
from “Anecdotes in Natural History” by the Rev. F. O.
Morris will show.

“Towards the close of last century, when volunteers were
first embodied in the different towns, an extensive line o.
turnpike road was in progress of construction in a part of the
north. The clerk to the trustees upon this line used to send
one of his assistants to ride along occasionally, to see that
the contractors, who were at work in a great many places,
were doing their work properly. The assistant, on these
journeys, rode a horse which had for a long time carried a
field officer, and, though aged, still possessed a great deal of
spirit. One day, as he was passing near a town of considerable
size which lay on the line of road, the volunteers were at
drill on the common; and the instant the horse heard the
drum he leaped the fence, and was speedily at that post in
front of the volunteers which would have been occupied by
the commanding officer of a regiment on parade or at drill;
nor could the rider by any means get him off the ground
until the volunteers retired to the town. As long as they kept
the field the horse took the proper place of a commanding
officer in all their manoeuvres, and he marched at the head
of the corps into the town, prancing in military style as
cleverly as his stiffened legs would allow him, to the great
amusement of the volunteers and spectators, and to the ne
small annoyance of the clerk.”

Perhaps no more amusing illustration of this force of habiy
could be found than that cited by Captain Brown ofa Scotch
lawyer who purchased a horse at Smithfield upon which tc
make a journey north. The horse was a handsome one and
started well, but on reaching Finchley common, at a place
where the road ran down a slight eminence, and up another,
the lawyer met a clergyman driving a one horse chaise.