. ,M' '>";f;.^' '"'- iii.: iiii i; iHi 11 mm THE DOGS OF GREAT BRITAIN, AMERICA, AND OTHER COUNTRIES. Their Breeding, Training, and Management in Health and Disease. COMPRISINB ALL THE ESSENTIAL PARTS OF THE TWO STANDARD WORKS ON THE DOU, By STONEHENGE. TOGETHER WITH CHAPTERS BY AMERICAS WRITERS. NEW AND ENLARGED EDITION. WITH OVBR OTKB HUl^DRBD II^I^VSXRATlOMSi NEW YORK: ORANGE JTJDD OOMPANr, 1919 ^')l Sntered. accordtu* to Act of Congraes, in the year 1887, by the O. JUDD CO., lu the Office of tlie Librarian of Congress, at Wastiingtoxu. A Printed in U. S. A. CONTENTS. BOOK L THB NATUBAL HISTOBT, ZOOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION, AND YARI» TIES OF THE DOG. CHAPTER I. Origin ; General Characteristics ; Habitats ; Varieties ; F. Cuvler's Divisional Arrangenaent ; Arrangement adopted by Stonehenge • 17 CHAPTER II. Wild and half -reclaimed Dogs, hunting in Paclis ; The Dingo ; The Dhole ; The Pariah ; The Wild Dog of Africa ; The South- Ameri- can Dog ; The North American Dog ; Other Wild Dogs • -27 CHAPTER III. Domesticated Dogs Hunting Chiefly by the Eye and the Nose, and Killing their Game for Man's use ; The Rough Scotch Grey- hound and Deerhound; The Smooth or English Greyhound; The Irish Greyhound, or Wolf-dog ; The French Matin ; The Hare-TT-'\ian Dog; The Albanian Dog; The Grecian Greyhound; The Turkish Greyhound ; The Persian Greyhound ; The Russian Greyhound ; The Italian Greyhound ; The Bloodhound ; The Foxhound ; The Harrier ; The Beagle ; The Otterhound ; The Terrier ; The Dachshund .---.--.-ai CHAPTER IV. Domesticated Dogs, finding game by scent, but not killing it, being chiefly used in aid of the gun ; The Modern English Pointer ; The Portuguese Pointer ; The French Pointer ; The Dalmatian and Danish Dogs ; The English and Irish Setters ; The Russian Setter ; The Ordinary Field Spaniel, including the Springer (Clumber, Sussex, and Norfolk breeds), and the Cocker (Welsh and Devonshire) ; The Water Spaniel (English and Irish) ; The Chesapeake Bay Dog ..-..---88 CHAPTER V. Pastoral Dogs, and those used for the purposes of draught ; The English Sheep-Dog ; The Colley ; The German Sheep-Dog ; Pom- eranian or Spitz Dog; The Newfoundland and Labrador Dogs ; The Esquimaux Dog; The Greenland Dog. - - - • 13* CHAPTER VI. Watch Dogs ; House Dogs, and Toy Dogs ; Bulldog ; English Mas- tiff; Mount St. Bernard; Thibet Dog; Poodle; Maltese Dog; Lion Dog ; Shock Dog ; Toy Spaniels ; Toy Terriers ; The Pug Dog; Italian Greyhound. - - - - - - - 141 CHAPTER VIL Jrossed Breeds.— Retriever ; Bull-Terrier • • • • - 163 V TI CONTENTS. BOOK n. THE BREEDING, REARING, BREAKING, AND MANAGEMENT OF THi DOG, IN-D00R8 AND OUT. CHAPTER I. Breeding.— Principles of Breeding ; Axioms for the Breeder's Use ; Crossing and Crossed Breeds ; Importance of Healtti in both Sire and Dam ; Best Ages to Breed From , in-and-in Breeding ; Best Time of Tear; Duration of Heat ; Management of the Bitch in Season ; The Bitch in Whelp ; Preparations for Whelping , Healthy Parturition ; Destruction or Choice of Whelps at Birth - 173 CHAPTER II. Rearing.— Management in the Nest ; Choosing ; The Foster-Nurse ; Feeding before Weaning ; Choice of Place for Whelping ; Re- moval of Dew-Claws, etc; Weaning; Lodging; Feedmg; Exer- cise ; Home Rearing vs. Walking ; Food ; General Management ; Cropping, Branding, and Rounding - • 187 CHAPTER in. Kennels and Kennel Management. — Greyhound Kennels ; Fox- hound Kennels ; Pointer Kennels ; Kennels for Single Dogs ; House Dogs - • 201 CHAPTER IV- Breaking and Entering. — The Entering of the Greyhound and Deer- hound ; Of Foxhounds and Harriers ; Breaking the Pointer and Setter ; The Retriever (Land and Water) ; The Spaniel ; The Ver- min Dog - - - - 212 CHAPTER V. The Use of the Dog in Shooting.— Grouse and Partridge (Quail) Shooting ; Snipe and Woodcock Shooting ; Wild Fowl Shooting: Shoal-water Fowl; Deep-water Fowl; Hare Hunting; Deer Hunting ; Game in the Far West - 248 BOOK IIL THE DISEASES OP THE DOG AND THEIR TREATMENT. CHAPTER I. Peculiarities in the Anatomy and Physiology of the Dog.— The Skeleton, including the Teeth ; The Muscular System ; The Brain and Nervous System; The Digestive System; The Heart and Lungs ; The SMn 287 CHAPTER n. The Remedies Suited to the Dog, and the Best Means of Adminis- tering them.— Alteratives ; Anodynes*^ Antispasmodics ; Aperi ents ; Astringents ; Blisters ; Caustics ; Charges ; Cordials ; Diu- retics ; Embrocations ; Emetics ; Expectorants ; Fever Medi- cines ; Clysters ; Lotions ; Ointments ; Stomachics ; Styptics ; Tonics ; Worm Medicines ; Administration of Remedies - • 28Q CONTENTS. VU CHAPTER ni. Fevers, and their Treatment.— Simple Ephemeral Fever, or Cold ; Epidemic Fever, or Influenza ; Typhus Fever, or Distemper j Rheumatic Fever ; Small-Pox ; Sympathetic Fever • -^ • CHAPTER IV. .'nflammations. — Definition of Inflammation : Symptoms and Treat ment of Rabies, Tetanus, and Turnslde ; Of Inflammation of the Eye, Ear (canker), Mouth, and Nose ; Of the Lungs ; Of the Stomach ; Of the Bowels ; Of the Liver ; Of the Kidneys and Bladder ; Of the Skin - - ... CHAPTER V. Diseases Accompanied by Want of Power.— Chorea ; Shakmg Palsy •, Fits ; Worms ; General Dropsy or Anasarca - - . • CHAPTER VI. Diseases Arising from Mismanagement or Neglect. — Anaemia ; Rick ets ; Indigestion - - - , • CHAPTER VII. Diseases and Accidents Requiring Surgical Aid.— Tumors ; Cancer; Encysted Tumors ; Abscesses ; Unnatural Parturition , Accidents and Operations • - - • «cW York Annual Bench Shows, •....-. 808 £23 347 861 m LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Frontispiece (Countess.). . Fetching Game 7 Outwitting the Dog 10 Group of Dogs 11 Pointing a Grouse 12 Flushing Birds 14 The Wolf I'' English Pointer, Drake Full page 21 Head of Wild Dog 26 The Dingo 27 Head of Retriever 31 Deerhound 32 Greyhound 35 Pair of 36 Setters, Pai r of Fall i^age . . 39 Deer at Bay 48 Hare-Indian Dog 49 Greyhound, Persian 51 Greyhounds, Italian, Pair of — 52 Hound, Head of 54 Bloodhound, Head of 55 Foxhound 57 Beagles, American 64 " Rabbit 66 English Terrier 69 Dandie Dinmont Terriers 72 Irish Setter, Rover. .^wS page. . 109 Skye Terrier 77 FoxTerrier 79 Yorkshire Terrier 81 Head of Terrier 82 Fox Terrier Full page. . 73 Dachshunds 85 Dalmatian Dog 91 Gordon Setter, ljQ:n^.t nil page.. 93 Setter at Work 95 Shepherd Dogs Full page.. 125 Spaniel, Clumber 113 '' Sussex 114 ^' Cocker 115 « Head of 117 *' Irish Water US Dachshund FuU page. . 83 Spaniel and Woodcock 123 Chesapeake Bay Dog 121 Colley Dog, Scotch 128 Sheep Dog, Head of 130 Spitz Dog 131 Newfoundland Dog 134 vm Esquimaux Dogs, Heads of .136-137 Esquimaux Dog.... FuU page.. 139 BuU Dogs 142 " Head of 145 Mastiff, English 146 St. Bernard, Rough 148 " Smooth 150 " Hes?^of 151 Poodle Dog 152 Bull Dog and Spaniel 153 Maltese Dog 154 Spaniel, King Charles 156 " Blenheim 157 Pug Dogs, A Pair of... 159 Dog and Crow 160 Terriers, Toy 161 Retrievers Full page . .165 Bull Terrier 169 Terrier and Cat 170 Dachshund and Pups 186 Group of Dogs 205 Kennel, Plan of 207 " Elevation of 208 " Bench for 211 " Ventilating Shaft 212 Hound, Head of 217 Plan of Quartering Ground 228 Puzzle Peg 231 Pointer, Daisy FuU page. .237 Head of Skye Terrier 247 Snipe Fun page. .253 Woodcock Full page. .259 American Hare Full page. ,273 Deer at Salt Lick. ...Full page. .277 Coursing Deer 280 Buffalo Hunters Fullpage.. 2S1 Teeth of Dogs, 4 Figures 289 Head of Sick Dog 291 Dog in Trouble 308 Paper Carrier 322 Puppy. 346 Maw Worm 851 Tape Worm 352 Tape Worm, Head of 352 Kidney Worm 854 Shepherd Dog and Flock 858 A Sudden Encounter 366 Bloodhound, Head of 381 Colburn's Dash 383 FULL PAGE ILLUSTRATIONa i. Frontispiece, Countess, the celebrated English setter belongiog to Mr. Purcell Llewellyn, Stonehenge regards her as an absolutely perfect dog. For her complete pedigree, see pages 96-97. 3. Drake, (page 21), a distinguished pointer in his day. He belonged to Mr. R. J. Lloyd Price, of North Wales, and is fully described on page 90. 3. Flora and Nelly, (page 39), two well-known American setters ex- hibited at a recent New York Bench Show, the former by W. C. Waters, of New York, and the latter by Milo Seagears, an eminent shot and trainer of Florida, Orange County, N. Y. Nelly, the under dog in the illustration, was the stanchest little setter "^e ever shot over ; she was unfortunately drowned not long since In & vat, to the great regret of many sportsmen. 4. Rover (page 109), a majestic Irish setter, belonging to Mr. Macdona He is by Beauty out of the Rev. R. Callaghan's Grouse, and is own brother to Plunket. He is referred to page 110. 5. Fox Terrier (page 73). This breed of dogs is becoming very popu- lar as companions. They are fully described, page 78. The English Terrier Belcher, whose portrait is given on a previous page (69), has taken many prizes. He now belongs to Mr. T. B. Swinburne, of Great Britain, and is considered the most perfect specimen of the breed extant. 6. Lang (page 90), an elegant Gordon setter belonging to Mr. Coath, of Great Britain. He has taken numerous prizes at Birmingham and elsewhere, and is fully described, page 106. The Dalmatian dog Captain, of which an engraving is given on a previous page, (91), belongs to Mr. Fowdry, of Great Britain, and since 1875 has taken several first prizes at London, Birmingham, and other important Dog Shows in England. 7. Shepherd Dogs (page 125), or Scotch Colleys. The group belong to Mr. Francis Morris, of Philadelphia, Pa. These dogs have a most tenacious memory, whereby they are enabled to recognize every sheep in the flock. The breed is described, page 126. 8. Dachshund (page 83). This is an engraving of a dog belonging to Mr. Raab, of Hoboken, N. J. Ten years ago there were very few Dachs- hunds in the United States in addition to Mr. Raab's small pack. They are now becoming quite popular, as they already have been on the European Continent. The breed is described, page 85. 9. Esquimaux or Wolf Dog (page 139). This engraving represents the breed of North American dogs, which, having many of the charao- teristies of the wolf, were frequently taken for the latter animal by Dr. Kane. They are described, page 135. 10. Wavy-Coated Retrievers, Ihrh and Melody (page 165). These Iwo beautiful animals belong to Mr. Q. Brewis, of Great Britain. The IX X FtriX PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS, breed Is now much employed In England, though as yet compare* lively little used in the United States, their work being performed bj our setters and pointers. They are described, page 164. 11. Pointer, Daisy (page 2S7). This pointer, belonging to Dr. A. R. Straehan, of New York City, took the first prize of her class in a recent New York Bench Show,. She is small, but finely formed, and beautiful both m color and action. 12. American Snipe (page 259). Though commonly called Engllsb Snipe, and formerly supposed to be identical, this is an American bird, the differences first having been ascertained and designated by Dr Alex* ander Wilson, the celebrated Ornithologist. The bird in the engraving was shot on the Hackensack Meadows, and owing to its size and beauty, preserved for illustration. Snipe shooting is described, page 255. 13. Woodcock, (page 259). The engraving represents the American Woodcock. Though smaller than the English bird, it is fully as hand- somely marked and held in equal estimation by epicures of both coun- tries. The bird described flew from its feeding ground across a village street in Bergec, New Jersey, and dashing through the window of a drug store broke its neck against the stove. 14. American Hare (page 273). Suggestions regarding the hunting of hares in the United States are given, page 275. 15. Shooting Deer at a Salt-Lick (page 277). The engraving repre- sents a favorite and successful mode of hunting deer in the United States, and is described, page 280. 16. Buffalo Hunters' Camp (page 281). This scene, representing buffalo hunters, curing the hides of the animals, was sketched in South- em Kansas by one of the contributors to this volume. The present ranges of the buffalo aie described, page 283. 17. Colburn's Dash (page 382). This celebrated dog, belonging to George C. Colburn, of this city, combines the English, Irish, and Gordon strains, and has sired some of our best prize and field winners. PUBLISHERS' PEEFACE. For fifty years, " Stonehenge," by which name Mr. J. H. Walsh is known in both Continents, has made the dog a constant study. More than twenty years ago the Messrs Longman, of London, selected him to revise Mr. Youatt's work. Since then his volumi- nous writings in the " Field," and elsewhere, have revealed such thorough knowledge of the subject as to constitute him the un- disputed authority on all matters pertaining to the dog. Blaine, Daniel, Hill, Mayhew, Richards, Youatt, and other authors, take rank far belov/ him, while " Idstone," who, perhaps, stands next to him, frankly alludes in his work to " Stonehenge " as " without doubt the first of living authorities," " the most experienced and scientific of writers," etc. He is so regarded to-day in America, as well as in Europe. The writings on which " Stonehenge's" reputation and present popularity mainly rest are contained in the two works " The Dog in Health and Disease," (1872), and " The Dogs of the British Islands," (1878). The high cost of these works 21 xn has placed them, with few exceptions, beyond the reach o? would be buyers in the United States, where there is a very general curiosity and desire to procure them. Such being the case, we have incorporated all the essential features of both works into one, at a cost to the reader of less than one-fifth the amount charged for the two imported works. The new volume may be correctly described as Stonehenge's writings, omitting minor details of merely local interest, and following the original text, except in the reconstruction of sentences for the sake of perspicuity and sim- plicity. Such additional matter as has been deemed desirable for an American book is contributed, among others, by Mr. David W- Judd, whose annual three months* hunting trips for many years, have discovered choice hunting grounds in the Middle and West- ern States and Territories ; by Mr. Henry Stewart, whose long studies in animal life have produced several successful volumes, and by Mr. F. R. Ryer, whose familiarit}" with dog lore has so fre- quently been verified in controversial papers. The engravings have been executed by Mr. Charles Hinkle, whose known experience with dogs enables him to successfully bring out the required points in his subject. The full page illustrations are distributed without regard to the text, but to add to the general efiect of the volume. Lists of prize wmners in Dog Shows, down to 1887, are given. INTKODUCTORY. Breiy lover of the dog has hailed with lively satisfaction the reproduction of Stonehenge's Great Works in the United States. Mr. Walsh does not always express himself in the smoothest terms, but what he writes is to the point. The reader feels that he is explaining or advising what he knows to be true from actual experience, that he can safely purchase one animal or administer medicine to another in accordance with his directions. The com- position of his latest book, the " Dogs of the British Islands," shows a marked improvement over that of **The Dog in Health and Disease," though the directions for breeding, rearing, etc., and for the treatment of the diseases, are fuller and mor*^. satisfactory in the oatter. The present volume veiy properly, therefore, combines de- scriptions of dogs selected from both works, while the matter pertaining to the breeding of dogs, management in disease, etc., is eproduced almost bodily from Stonehenge's first book. The Jlustrations are much the superior in the latest work, and are therefore selected from that for reproduction. Portraits of several well known American dogs are added. The rapidly increasing interest manifested in Dog Shows bears evidence to the growing regard and care in the United States for the canine species. Of all animals, the dog possesses the most intelligence, and, with proper effort and training, can be educated up to a point next to human. We have plenty of books on the dog, but none furnishing the desired information and instruction ■which are presented in Stonehenge's combined worbs. Time devoted to the animal creation is by no means lost. Not to speak of the practical results, it has an ameliorating effect upon humanity. H^ who is kind to his brutes does not himself become a brute. If the disposition to treat them with consideration is cul- tivated, it is carried into his daily walk and conversation, with humanity. He who practices profanity and physical abuse upon xm Xiy INTRODITCTORT. his animals, all the more readily berates his family. However d» graded, the man who loves his dog is not wholly lost. There is yet considerable humanity about him, which may, perhaps, be sooner or later successfully appealed to. The dog is a valuable factor in society. Cuvier styles the domestic dog " the most use- ful conquest that man has gained in the animal world." Th« Shaggy Esquimaux which draws its heavy sled over weary roads ; the faithful Colley, " without which," says the Ettrick Shepherd, " the whole of the open mountainous land in Scotland would not be worth a sixpence " ; the noble Newfoundland which protects and rescues life ; the sturdy Mastiflf which guards well the home from all intruders ; the Pointer or Setter which, with its unerring scent, contributes to the delicacy of the table, and in the " season " swells may be his masters slender income ; the lively Terrier which rids the house of vermin; the ever alert Skye, whose shrill night bark betokens danger — one and all enact an important part for mankind. When we take into account the very many valuable services performed for us by the various species, we can not so much wonder, perha;"»s, that the untutored savage thinks his dog follows him straight to the spirit land, or that the ancient Egyptians freshly shaved themselves as a mark of grief every time a dog died in the family, or that a tribe of Ethiopia once set up a dog for their king, and accepted the wags of his tail aa heavenly divinations. Be is certainly one of the noblest and most useful of animals. BOOK I THE NATURAL HISTORY, ZOOLOGICAL CLAS SIFIOATION, AND VARIETIES OP THE DOG. t5 Fig. 1.— THE WOLF. CHAPTER I. DRIGIN. — GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS. — HABITAT. — VARIETIES. — P. CUVIER'S DIVISIONAL ARRANGEMENT. — ARRANGEMENT ADOPTED Bt " STONEHENGB." From the earliest times we have reason to believe that the dog has been the faithful companion and assistant of man in all parts of the world, and his fidelity and attachment are so remarkable as to have become proverbial. Before the introduction of agricul- ture, it was by means of the hunting powers of this animal that man was enabled to support himself by pursuing the wild denizens of the forest ; for though now, with the aid of gunpowder, he can m great measure dispense with the services of his assistant, yet, until the invention of that destructive agent, he was, in default of 17 18 ORIGIN OF THE DOa. the do;;, reduced to the bow and arrow, the snare, or the pitfalL The dog was also of :ncalculable service in guarding the flocks and herQs from the depredations of the Carnimra^ and even man himself was often glad to have recourse to his courage and strength in resisting the lion, the tiger, or the wolf. Much has been written on the origin of the dog, and Pennant, Buffon, and other naturalists have exhausted their powers of re- search and invention in attempting to discover the parent stock from which all are desceuded. The subject, however, is wrapped in so much obscurity as to baffle all their efforts, and it is still a disputed point whether the shepherd's dog, as supposed by Buffon and Daniel, or the wolf, as conjectured by Bell, is the progenitor of the various breeds now existing. Anyhow, it is a most unprofit- able speculation, and, being unsupported by proof of any kind, it can never be settled upon any reliable basis. We shall not, there- fore, waste any space in entering upon this discussion, but leave our readers to investigate the inquuy, if they think fit, in the pages of Buffon, Linnaeus, Pennant, and Cuvier, and our most recent in- vestigator. Professor Bell. It may, however, be observed that the old hypothesis of Pennant that the dog is only a domesticated jackal, crossed with the wolf or fox, though resuscitated by Mr. Bell, is now almost entirely exploded ; for while it accounts some- what ingeniously for the varieties which are met with, yet it is contradicted by the stubborn fact that, in the present day, the cross of the dog with either of these animals, if produced^ is incapable of continuing the species when paired with one of the same crossed breed. Nevertheless, it may be desirable to give Mr. Bell's reasons for thinking that the dog is descended from the wolf, which are as follows : — " In order to come to any rational conclusion on this head, it will be necessary to ascertain to what type the animal approaches most nearly, after having for many successive generations existed in a wild state, removed from the influence of domestication, and of association with mankind. Now we find that there are several different instances of the existence in dogs of such a state of wild- ness as to have lost even that conmion character of domestication, ORIGIN OP THE D06. 19 variety of color, and marking. Of these, two very remarkable ones are the Dhole of India, and the Dingo of Australia. There is, besides, a half -reclaimed race amongst the Indians of North Ameri- ca, and another, also partially tamed in South America, which de- serve attention. And it is found that these races in different de- grees, and in a greater degree as they are more wild, exhibit the lank and gaunt form, the lengthened limbs, the long and slender muzzle, and the great comparative strength which characterize the wolf ; and that the tail of the Australian dog, which may be con- sidered as the most remote from a state of domestication, assumes the slightly bushy form of that animal. " We have here a remarkable approximation to a well-known wild animal of the same genus, in races which, though doubtless descended from domesticated ancestors, have gradually assumed the wild condition -, and it is worthy of especial remark that the anatomy of the wolf, and its osteology in particular, does not differ from that of the dog in general, more than the different kinds of dogs do from each other. The cranium is absolutely similar, and so are all, or nearly all, the other essential parts ; and, to strengthen Btill further the probability of their identity, the dog and wolf will readily breed together, and their progeny is fertile. The obliquity of the position of the eyes in the wolf is one of the characters in which it differs from the dog ; and, although it is very desirable not to rest too much upon the effects of habit on structure, it is not perhaps straining the point to attribute the forward direction of the eyes in the dog to the constant habit, for many successive generations, of looking forward to his master, and obeying his voice."* Such is the state of the argument in favor of the original de- scent from the wolf, but, as far as it is founded upon the breeding together of the wolf and dog, it applies also to the fox, which is now ascertained occasionally to be impregnated by the dog ; but in neither case we believe does the progeny continue to be fertile if put to one of the same cross, and as this is now ascertained to be the only reliable test, the existence of the first cross stands for * PeU's BritjhJi Quadrupeds, pp. 196- T, 30 GENEEAL CMARACTERI«TI#g. nothing. Indeed, experience shows us more and more clearly every year, that no reliance can be placed upon the test depending upon fertile intercommunion, which, especially in birds, is shown to be liable to various exceptions. Still it has been supported by respectable authorities, and for this reason we have given insertion to the above extract. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS. In every variety the dog is more or less endowed with a keen sight, strong powers of smell, sagacity almost amounting to rea- son, and considerable speed, so that he is admirably adapted for all purposes connected with the pursuit of game. He is also furnished with strong teeth, and courage enough to use them in defence of his master, and with muscular power sufficient to enable him to draw moderate weights, as we see in Kamtschatka and Newfound- land. Hence, among the old writers, dogs were divided into Pug- naces, Sagaces, and Geleres; but this arrangement is now super- seded, various other systems having been adopted in modern times, though none perhaps much more satisfactory. Belonging \o the division Veiiebrata, class Mammalia^ order FercB, family Felidm, and sub-family Canina, the species is known as Canis familiaris^ the sub-family being distinguished by having two tubercular teeth behind the canines on the upper jaw, with non-retractile claws, while the dog itself differs from the fox with which he is grouped, in having a round pupil in the eye instead of a perpendicular slit, as is seen in that animal. The attempt made by Linnaeus to distinguish the dog as having a taiV curved to the left, is evidently without any reliable founda- tion, as though there are far more with the tail on that side than on the right, yet many exceptions are to be met with, and amonj the pugs almost all the bitches wear their tails curled to the left. The definition, therefore, of Canis familiaris caudd {smistrorsum) recurvatd^ will not serve to separate the species from the others of the genus Canis, as proposed by the Swedish naturalist. HABITAT — tAEIETIES, 23 HABITAT. In almost every climate the dog is to be met with, from Kamt- schatka to Cape Horn, the chief exception being some of the islands in the Pacific Ocean ; but it is only in the temperate zone that he is to be found in perfection, the courage of the bulldog and the speed of the greyhound soon degenerating in tropical coun- tries. In China and the Society Islands dogs are eaten, being con= sidered great delicacies, and by the ancients the flesh of a young fat dog was highly prized, Hippocrates even describing that of an adult as wholesome and nourishing. In a state of nature the dog is compelled to live on flesh which he obtains by hunting, and hence he is classed among the Carnimra ; but when domesticated he will live upon vegetable substances alone, such as oatmeal por« ridge, or bread made from any of the cereals, but thrives best upon a mixed diet of vegetable and animal substances; and, indeed, the formation of his teeth is such as to lead us to suppose that by nature he is intended for it, as we shall hereafter find in discussmg his anatomical structure. VARIETIES OF THE DOG. The varieties of the dog are extremely numerous, and, indeed, as they are apparently produced by crossing, which is still had recourse to, there is scarcely any limit to the numbers which may be described. It is a curious fact that large bitches frequently take a fancy to dogs so small as to be incapable of breeding with them ; and in any case, if left to themselves, the chances are very great against their selecting mates of the same breed as themselves. The result is, that innumerable nondescripts are yearly born, but as a certain number of breeds are described by writers on the dog, or defined by " dog-fanciers," these " mongrels," as they are called from not belonging to them, are generally despised, and, however useful they may be, the breed is not continued. This, how- ever, is not literally true, exceptions being made in favor of cer- tain sorts which have been improved by admixture with others, 24 VARIETIES OF THE DOG. such as the cross of the bulldog with the greyhound ; the foxhound with the Spanish pointer ; the bulldog with the terrier, etc., etc., all of which are now recognized and admitted into the list of val- uable breeds, and not only are not considered mongrels, but, on the contrary, are prized above the original strains from which they are descended. An attempt has been made by M. F. Cuvier to arrange these varieties under three primary divisions, which are founded upon the shape of the head and the length of the jaws, these being supposed by him to vary in accordance with the de- gree of cunning and scenting powers, which the animal possessing them displays. The following is his classification, which in the main is correct, and I shall adhere to it, with trifling alterations, in tlie pages of this book. «. F, Cuvier^s Divisional Arrangement, I. MATINS. Characterized by head more or less elongated ; parietal bones in- sensibly approaching each other; condyles of the lower jaw placed in a horizontal line with the upper molar teeth, exempli- fied by — Sect. 1. Half-reclaimed dogs, hunting in packs ; such as the Dingo, the Dhole, the Pariah, etc. Sect. 2. Domesticated dogs, hunting in packs, or singly, but using the eye in preference to the nose ; as, for instance, t'^ie Albanian dog, Deerhound, etc. Sect. 3. Domesticated dogs, which hunt singly, and almost entirely by the eye. Example : the Greyhound. II. SPANIELS. Characteristics. — Head moderately elongated ; parietal bones do not approach each other above the temples, but diverge and swell out, so as to enlarge the forehead and cavity of the brain. Sect. 4. Pastoral dogs, or such as are employed for domestic pur* poses. Example: Shepherd's Dog. VARIETIES OF THE DOG. ^5 Sect. 5. Wjter dogs, which delight in swimming. Examples : Newfoundland Dog, Water-Spaniel, etc. Sect. 6. Fjwlers, or such as have an inclination to chase or point bir.ls by scenting only, and not killing. Examples: the Setter, the Pointer, the Fiekl-Spanicl, etc. Sect. 7. Ilmnds, which hunt ia packs by scent, and kill their game. Examples : the Foxhound, the Harrier, etc. Sect. 8. Crossed breeds, for sporting purposes. Example : the Re- triever. . III. HOUSE DOGS. CJiaracteristics. — Muzzle more or less shortened, skull high, frontal sinuses considerable, condyle of the lower jaw extending above tha line of the upper cheek teeth. Cranium smaller in this group than in the first and second, in consequence of its peculiar formation. Sect. 9. WritcJt dogs, which have no propensity to hunt, bat are solely employed in the defence of man, or his prop- erty. Examples : the Mastifi", the Bulldog, the Pug dog, etc. As before remarked, this division is on the whole founded on natural laws, but there are some anomalies which we shall en- deavor to remove. For instance, the greyhound is quite as ready to hunt in packs as any other hound, and is only prevented from doing so by the hand of his master. The same restraint keeps him from using his nose, or he could soon be nearly as good with that organ as with the eye. So also Cuvier defines his sixth section as "having an inclination to chase and point 6i>(f«," whereas they have as great, and oftener a greater, desire for hares and rabbits. Bearing therefore in mind these trifling defects, we shall consider the dog under the following heads : Chap. I. Wild and half-reclaimed dogs, hunting in packs. Chap. II. Domesticated dogs, hunting chiefly by the eye, and killing their game for the use of man, 2 26 VARIETIES OP THE DOG. Chap. III. Domesticated clogs, hunting chiefly by the nose, and both finding and killing their game. Chap. IY. Domesticated dogs, finding game by scent, but not killing it ; being chiefly used in aid of the gun. Chap. Y. Pastoral dogs, and those used for the purposes of draught. Chap. YI. Watch dogs, House dogs, and Toy dogs. Chap. YII. Crossed breeds. Retrievers, etc. Fig. 2.— THE DINGO. CHAPTER IL WILD AND HALF-RECLAIMED DOGS HUNTING IN PACKS. — THE DINGO. THB DHOLE. — THE PARIAH. — THE WILD DOG OF AFRICA. — THE SOUTH- AMERICAN DOG.— THB NORTH-AMERICAN DOG.— OTHER WILD DOGS. THE DINGO. It is upon the great similarity between these wild dogs and the wolf or fox, that the supposition is founded of the general descent of the domesticated dog from either the one or the other. After examining the portrait of the dingo, it will at once be seen that it resembles the fox so closely in the shape of its body, that an or- dinary observer could readily mistake it for one of that species, while the head is thaj of the wolf. The muzzle is long and pointed, the ears short and erect. Hight about 24 inches, length 30 inches. His coat is more like fur than hair, and is composed of a mix- 27 28 THE DHOLE. ture of silky and woolly hair, the former being of a deep yellow, while the latter is grey. The tail is long and bushy, and resem- bles that of the fox, excepting in carriage, the dingo curling it over the hip, while the fox trails it along the ground.* While in his unreclaimed state this dog is savage and unmanageable, but is easily tamed, though even then he is not to be trusted, and when set at liberty will endeavor to escape. Many dingoes have been crossed with the terrier, and have been exhibited as hybrids be- tween the dog and fox, which latter animal they closely resemble, with the single exception of the pendulous tail. Whenever, there- fore, a specimen is produced which is said to be this hybrid, every care must be taken to ascertain the real parentage without rely- ing upon the looks alone. THE DHOLE. The native wild dog of India, called the Dhole, resembles the Dingo in all but tae tail, which, though hairy, is not at all bush3^ The following is Captain Williamson's description, extracted from his " Oriental FieLl Sports," which is admitted to be a very accu- rate account by those who have been much in India. " The dholes are of the siz3 of a small greyhound. Their countenance is enlivened by unusually brilliant eyes. Their body, which is slen- der and deep-chested, is thinly covered by a coat of hair of a red- dish brown or bay color. The tail is dark towards its extremity. The limbs are light, compact, and strong, and equally calculated for speed and power. Taey resemble many of the common pariah dogs in form, but the singularity of their color and marks at once demonstrate an evident distinction. Thes3 dogs are said to be perfectly harmless if unmolested. They d;) not willingly approach psrsons, but, if they chance to meet any in their course, they do not show any particular anxiety to escape. They view the human *The enn;ravin'^ of the Diii':ro was taken from an animal in confinement, in which state the tail is seldom curled upwani*- WILD AND HALF-EECLAIMED DOGSw 29 race rather as objects of curiosity than either of apprehension or enmity. The natives who reside near the Ranochitty and Kat- cunsandy passes, in which vicinity the dholes may frequently be seen, describe them as confining their attacks entirely to wild ani- mals, and assert that they will not prey oa sheep, goats, etc. ; but others, in the country extending southward from Jelinah and Mechungunge, maintain that cattle arc frequently lost by tlieir depredations. I am inclined to believe that the dhole is not par- ticularly ceremonious, but will, when opportunity offers, and a meal is wanting, obtain it at the expense of the neighboring village. " The peasants likewise state that the dhole is eager in propor- tion to the animal he hunts, preferring the elk to any other kind of deer, and particularly seeking the royal tiger. It is probable that the dhole is the principal check on the multiplication of the tiger ; and although incapable individually, or perhaps in small numbers, to effect the destruction of so large and ferocious an animal, may, from their custom of hunting in packs, easily over- come any smaller beast found in the wilds of India." Unlike most dogs which hunt in packs, the dholes run nearly mute, utter- ing only occasionally a slight whimper, which may serve to guide their companions equally well with the more sonorous tongues of other hounds. The speed and endurance of these dogs are so great as to enable them to run down most of the varieties of game which depend upon flight for safety, while the tiger, the elk, and the boar diminish the numbers of these animals by making an obsti- nate defence with their teeth, claws, or horns, so that the breed of dholes is not on the increase. i THE PARIAH. This is the general name in India for the half-reclaimed dogs which swarm in every village, owned by no one in particular, but ready to accompany any individual on a hunting excursion. They yary in appearance in different districts, and can not be described 80 AFRICAN AND AMERICAN DOGS. very particularly ; but the type of the pariah may be said to re- semble the dhole in general characteristics, and the breed is most probably a cross with tbat dog and any accidental varieties of domesticated dogs which miy have been introduced into the re- spective localities. They are almost always of a reddish brown color, very thin and gaunt, with pricked ears, deep chest, and tucked up belly. The native Indians hunt the tiger and wild boar, as well as every species of game, with these dogs, which have good noses and hunt well, and though they are not so high- couraged as our British hounds, yet they often display considerable avidity and determination in " going in " to their formidable op- ponents. THE EKIA, OR WILD AFRICAN DOG. The native dogs of Africa are of all colors, black, brown, and yellow, or reel ; and they hunt in packs, giving tongue with con- siderable force. Though not exactly wild, they are not owned by any individuals among the inhabitants, who, being mostly Ma- hometans, have an abhorrence of the dog, which by the Koran is declared to be unclean. Hence they are complete outcasts, and obtain a scanty living either by hunting wild animals where they abound, or, in those populous districts where game is scarce, by devouring the offal which is left in the streets and outskirts of the towns. The Ekla, also called the Deab, is of considerable size, with a large head, small pricked ears, and round muzzle. His aspect in general resembles that of the wolf, excepting in color, "which, as above remarked, varies greatly, and in the tail, which is almost always spotted or variegated. These dogs are extremely savage, probably from the constant abuse which they meet with, and they are always ready to attack a stranger on his entrance into any of the villages of the country. They are revoltmg animals, and unworthy of the species they belong to. AFRICAN AND AMERICAN DOGS. 31 THE NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICAN DOGS. A great variety of the dog tribe is to be met with throughout the continent of America, resembling in type the dingo of Aus- tralia, but appearing to be crossed with some of the different kinds introduced by Europeans, One of the most remarkable of the South-American dogs is the Ako, which has pendulous ears, with a short tail and hog-back, and is supposed to be descended from the native dog found by Columbus ; but, even allowing this to be the case, it is of course much intermixed with foreign breeds. The North-American dogs are very closely allied to the dingo iii all respects, but are generally smaller in size, and are also much crossed with European breeds. In some districts they burrow in the ground, but the march of civilization is yearly diminishing their numbers throughout the continent of America. OTHER WILD DOGS. Many other varieties of the wild dog are described by travellers, but they all resemble one or other of the above kinds, and are of little interest to the general reader. Fig. 3.— DEERHOUND, BRAN. CHAPTEK III. DOMESTICATED DOGS HUNTING CHIEFLY BY THE EYE, AND KILLING THEIR GAME FOR MAN'S USE. THE ROUGH SCOTCH GREYHOUND AND DEERHOUND.— THE SMOOTH OR ENGLISH GREYHOUND. —THE GAZEHOUND. — THE IRISH GREYHOUND, OR WOLF-DOG. — THE FRENCH MATIN — THE HARE-INDIAN DOG — THE ALBANIAN DOG.— THE GRECIAN GREYHOUND.— THE TURKISH GREY- HOUND.— THE PERSIAN GREYHOUND— THE RUSSIAN GREYHOUND.— THE ITALIAN GREYHOUND. THE ROUGH SCOTCH GREYHOUND AND DEERHOUND. This breed of dogs is, I believe, one of the oldest and purest in existence, but it is now rapidly becoming extinct, being supplanted in public estimation, for coursing purposes, by the English grey- 32 ROUGH SCOTCH GREYHOUND AND DEERHOtJND. 33 hound, or by a cross between the two. The rough greyhound is iUeniical iu shape and make with the pure deerhound, and the two cm only be distinguished by their style of running when at work or play ; the deerhound, though depending on his nose, keeping his head much higher than the greyhound, because he uses this attitude in waiting to pull down his game. By some people it is supposed that the smooth variety of the greyhound is as old as the rough ; but, on carefully examining the description given by Arrian no one can doubt that the dog of his day was rough in coat, and in all respects like the present Scotch dog. In shape, the Scotch greyhound resembles the ordinary smooth variety, but he is rather more lathy, and has not quite the same muscular development of loin and thigh, though, the bony frame being more fully developed, this is perhaps more apparent than real. In spite of the external form being the same in the rough Scotch greyhound used for coursing hares, and the deerhound, there can be no doubt that the two breeds, from having been kept to their own game exclusively, are specially adapted to its pursuit by in- ternal organization, and the one cannot be substituted for the other with advantage. Generally speaking, the deerhound is of larger size than the greyhound, some being 28 inches high, though this size is not very uncommon in the greyhound, and dogs of 26i or 27 inches ar3 frequently seen. Mr. Scrope, the author of " Deer-stalking," gives the following description of Buskar, a cele- brated deerhound belonging to Captain McNeill of Colonsay, viz. : bight, 28 inches; girth round the chest, 32 inches; running weight, 85 lbs.; color, red or fawn, with black muzzle. Bran, whose portrait is given at the head of this chapter, and which showed all the points of the deerhound, was by Mr. Stewart Hodgson's Oscar, of the breed of Mr. McKenzie, of Ross-shire, Scotland. The measurement of this noble animal was as fol- lows: from nose to setting on of the tail, 47 inches; tail, 23 inches; hight, 32 inches; length of head, 12 inches; circumfer- ence of head, 17^ inches ; round the arm at the elbow, 9f inches ; girth at chest, 33^ inches ; girth at loin, 24 inches ; round the thigh, 17i inches ; round lower thigh hock, 7 inches ; knee, 7 inches. To 34 DOMESTICATED HUNTING-DOGS. these external qualifications were added great speed and strength, combined with endurance and courage, while the sagax^ity and docility of the dog; made him doubly valuable. He was used for coursing the deer, but his nose was good enough for hunting, even a cold scent, as was the case with all of his breed. Whether or not the deerhound can now be procured in a state of purity, I am not prepared to say, but that they are extremely rare, is above dispute, though there are numberless animals resembling them in form, but all more or less crossed with the foxhound, bloodhound, bulldog, etc., and consequently not absolutely pure. Mr. Scrope himself, with all his advantages, could not succeed in obtaining any, and had recourse to the cross of the greyhound with the foxhound, which, he says, answered particularly well ; as, according to his experience, "you get the speed of the greyhound with just enough of the nose of the foxhound to answer your purpose In point of shape, they resemble the greyhound, hut they arc larger in the bone and shorter in the leg. Some of tliem, when in slow action, carry the tail over the back like the pure foxhound ; their dash in making a cast is most beautiful, and they stand all sorts of rough weather." ^le advises that the first cross only shoull be employed, fearing that, as in some other instances, the ultimate results of breed- ing back to either strain, or of goi::g on with the two crosses, would be unsatisfactory. *' Maida," the celebrated deerhound belonging to Sir Walter Scott, was a cross of the greyhound with the blood- hound, but some distance off the latter. The bulldog infusion has the disadvantage of making the deerhound thus bred, attack the deer too much in front, by which he is almost sure to be impaled on the horns, so that, in spite of the high courage of the breed, it is from this cause quite useless in taking deer. The rough Scotch greyhound, as used for coursing, averages about 26 inches in the dog, and 22 or 23 inches in the bitch ; but as above remarked, its use is almost abandoned in public, and those which are still bred are either used in private, or are kept entirely for their ornamental properties, which are very consider- able, and, as they resemble the deerhound, they are very commonly passed off for them. They are cf all colors, but the most common EOUGH SCOTCH GREYHOUND AND DEERHOUND, 35 are fawn, red, brindled (either red and black mixed, or fawn and blue), grey, and black. The coat is harsh, long, and rough, espec- ially about the jaws, where the hair stands out like that of a Scotch terrier. In speed they are about equal to the smooth grey- hound, but they do not appear to be quite so stout, though of late we have had no opportunities of judging, as a rough greyhound in public is rare in the extreme. Mr. A. Graham, who formerly was celebrated for his breed of these dogs, has now abandoned their use, excepting when largely crossed with the smooth grey- hound, for which purpose they seem well suited, when the former are too small or too delicate for the work they have to do. But as these are now bred of a much more hardy kind than formerly, so that they will stand cold and wet almost as well as the Scotch dog, there is little necessity for resorting to the cross, and it is ac- cordingly abandoned by almost all the breeders of the animal. Nevertheless, some of the best dogs of the present day have a strain of the rough dog in them, but it is gradually dying out as compared with ten or twenty years ago. It is alleged, and I fancy with some truth, that the rough dog runs cunning sooner than the smooth, and hence the cross is objected to ; and certainly many litters of greyhounds bred in this way within the last few years have been remarkable for this objectionable vice. The points, or desirable external characteristics of this breed, with the exception of the rough coat, are so similar to those of the smooth greyhound, that the two may be considered together. 36 DOMESTICATED HUNTING-DOGS. PAIK OF SMOOTH GREYHOUNDS— RIOT AND DAVID. THE SMOOTH GREYHOUND. This elegant animal appears to have existed in Britain from a very early period, being mentioned in a very old Wel>h proverb, and a law of King Canute having precluded the commonalty from keeping him. Numberless hypotheses have been brought forward relative to the origin of the greyhound, Buffon tracing him to the French nation, and some other writers fancying that they could with more probability consider him as the descendant of the bull- dog or the mastiff. But as I believe that it is impossible to ascer- tain with any degree of certainty the origin of the species Canis, so I am quite satisfied with the conclusion that no long-standing va- riety can be traced to its source. We must, therefore, be content to take each as we find it, and rest content with investigating its present condition ; perhaps in some cases extending our researches back for fifty or a hundred years, and even then we shall often find that we are lost in a sea of doubt. Until within the last twenty-five years public coursing was con- THE SMOOTH GIIEYHOUND. 3? fined to a very limited circle of competitors, partly owing to the careful retention of the best blood in the kennels of a chosen few, but chiefly to the existing game laws, which made it imperative that every person coursing should not only have a certificate, but also a qualification, that is to say, the possession of landed prop- erty to the value of one hundred pounds per annum. Hence the sport was forbidden to the middle classes, and it was not until 1831 that it was thrown open to them. From that time to the present the possession of the greyhound has been coveted and obtained by great numbers of country gentlemen and farmers in rural districts, and by professional men as well as tradesmen in our cities and towns, so that the total number in Great Britain and Ireland may be estimated at about fifteen or twenty thousand. Of these about five or six thousand are kept for public coursing, while the remainder amuse their owners by coursing the hare in private. Various explanations have been oflPered of the etymology of the prefix grey, some contending that the color is implied, others that it means Greek (Gi'aius), while a third party understand it to mean great. But as there is a remarkable peculiarity in this breed con- nected with it, we need not, I think, go farther for the derivation. No other breed, I believe, has the blue or grey color prevalent ; and those which possess it at all have it mixed with white, or other color ; as, for instance, the blue-mottled harrier, and the blotched blue and brown seen in some other kinds. The greyhound, on the contrary, has the pure blue or iron grey color very commonly ; and although this shade is not admired by any lovers of the animal for its beauty, it will make its appearance occasionally. Hence it may fairly be considered a peculiarity of the breed, and this grey color may, therefore, with a fair show of probability, have given the name to the greyhound. In describing the greyhound it is usual, and indeed almost neces- sary, to consider him as used for the two purposes already men- tioned, that is to say, — 1st, as the private, and 2ndly, as the public, greyhound ; for though externally there is no difi'ercnce whatever, yet in the more delicate organization of his brain and nerves there is some obscure variation, by which he is rendered more swift and 38 DOMESTICATED HUNTING DOGS. clever in the one case, and more stout and honest in the other. In the horse the eye readily detects the thoroughbred, but this is not the case here : for there are often to be met with most beautifully formed greyhounds of private blood, which it would be impossible to distinguish from the best public breeds by their appearance, but which in actual trial would be sure to show defective speed and sagacity. This being the case, I shall tirst describe the general characteristics of both, and afterwards those in which they differ from one another. The points of the greyhound will be described at length, because as far as speed goes, he may be taken as the type to which all other breeds are referred ; but, before going into these particulars, it will be interesting to examine the often-quoted doggrel rhymes, which are founded upon a longer effusion originally published by Wynkyn de Worde in 1496, and to institute a comparison between the greyhound of the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries. In the former of these periods it was said that this dog should have — " The head of a snake, The Deck of the drake, A back like a beam, A side like a bream, The tail of a rat, And the foot of a cat." Kow, although the several points herein mentioned may be en- larged upon, it is scarcely possible to dissent from any one of them ; but, as all my readers may not exactly know the form which is meant to be conveyed by the side of a bream for instance, it is necessary to explain it in more intelligible language. 1st. The HEAD, it is said, should be snake-like, but this is not to be taken literally, as that of the snake differs considerably from the head of any specimen of the greyhound which has ever come under my observation. Every snake's head is flat and broad, with the nose or snout also quite compressed, while the head of the greyhound, though flat at the top, is comparatively circular in its transverse section, and the nose is irregularly triangular. There is no doubt that the greyhound of former days, before the cross of THE SMOOTH GREYHOUND. 41 the bulldog was introduced, had a much smaller head than that which is now seen ; and I also believe that some breeds at present existing may be ascertained to be free from this cross, by their small brain-cases ; but, still, none have the perfectly flat head of the rept.le in question. The tyro, therefore, who looks for a literal interpretation of the first line of the rhyme will be disappointed. My own belief is that a full development of brain gives courage and sagacity, but leads lo such a rapid acquirement of knowl- edge relative to the wiles practised by the hare, as to make the dog possessing it soon useless for anything but killing his game, which he is often able to do with absolute certainty. Hence it is important to bear this in mind, and to take care not to overdo this characteristic. In all cases, the more the development is increased behind the ears, the higher will be the courage ; and if this can be obtained without a corresponding increase in the diameter in front of those organs, there will be no attendant disadvantage, as the intellectual faculties no doubt reside in the anterior part of the brain. The best average measurement opposite the ear in dogs of full size is about 15 inches, and for bitches, 14 or 14^, The jaw should be very lean, and diminishing suddenly from the head, not gradually falling off in one uniform line. The teeth are of great importance, as, unless they are strong and good, the hare cannot be seized and held. They should be white, strong, and regular, showing strength of constitution, as well as being useful in the course. As a rule, the incisor teeth meet each other, but some dogs are underhung like the bulldog, and others the reverse, like the pig ; that is to say, one or other set of teeth overlaps those above or below, as the case may be. The former is not of much conse- quence, unless very much marked, when it diminishes the chance of holding the hare ; but the latter is certainly prejudicial, and a *' pig-jawed " greyhound should never be selected, though I have known one or two good killers with this formation. The eye should be bright and tolerably fuH, the color varying with that of the coat. The ears are generally recommended to be soft and fall- ing, and pricked ears are despised, as being terrier-like, but some good breeds possess them, neverthelesSf probably deriving them 42 DOMESTICATED HDNTING-DOGS. from the bulldog. I cannot, therefore, lay any great stress upon this point in the formation of the head. The NECK also, though compared to that of a drake, is a long way from being as thin, but, nevertheless, it may be said that it should be as drake-like as possible. The object of this is to enable the greyhound to stoop and bear the hare without being put out of his stride. The proper average length of the neck is about equal to that of the head. The beam-like back is all-important, for without strength in this department, though high speed may be obtained for a short dis- tance, it is impossible to maintain it, and then we have a flashy animal, who is brought up at the end of a quarter of a mile. "What is meant by the comparison to the beam is not only that it shall be strong, but that the back shall have the peculiar square form of that object. There is a long muscle which runs from the hip forwards to be attached to the angles of the r!bs, and inis, if well developed, gives great power in turning, so that it is a very essential point, and upon the size of it the squareness mainly de- pends. Without width of hip no back can be strong, since the muscles have no possibility of attachment in sufficient breadth, and the same may be siid of the ribs. In examining, therefore, a dog out of condition, the experienced eye often detects the probability of the future development of a good back, even though there is no appearance of muscle at the time ; because, the bones being of good size and breadth, there is every reason to expect, with health and good feeding, that they will be covered by their usual mov- ing powers, and will then show the substance which is desired. It is also desirable to have depth of back from above down- wards, by which the whole body is " buckled and unbuckled " with quickness and power, as is required in the gallop. The muscles of the abdomen may draw the chest towards the hind legs powerfully, but the action is too slow, and for quick contraction those of the under side of the back are essential. By the side is to be understood the chest, which is composed of the two sides combined. The bream-like form of ihis part depends upon the width at the angles of the ribs, where they curve towards THE SMOOTH GREYHOUND. 4o the backbone, and upon which, as I before observed, the size of the back depends. Very round ribs like a barrel are not so desirable as the squared form which I have alluded to, for several reasons which will be given under the anatomical description of this part. Great depth of chest is apt to prevent the dog stooping on rou;;_,h ground, as he strikes it against high' ridges or large stones, but a moderately deep chest is a valuable point, giving plenty of " bel- lows' room" as it is popularly called. This, however, is provided for better by breadth than depth, and the former should be insisted on more than the latter, provided there is not that round tub-like form of the ribs which interferes with the action of the shoulder- blades, and often accompanies low-breeding. A rat-like tail is insisted upon, not as of absolute use in any way, but as a sign of high breeding, without which it is well known the greyhound is comparatively valueless. But it must be under- stood that it is only in the size of the bones that the similarity should be insisted on, for many goo 1 breeds have a considerable quantity of hair upon the tail, though this never ought to be in a bushy form. A slight fan-like distribution of hair is not therefore to be considered objectionable, and in puppies is a mark of hardihood. Cat-like feet are much insisted on, and this point has been so much attended to that some breeds have been produced remarkable for having their feet even more round than those of the cat. Their toes seem to be the only parts touching the ground, the pad appearing as if it was not in contact with it. This form I believe to be an exaggeration of a good point, as all dogs so provided are very apt to draw their nails, or break their toes, both of which accidents it is of great importance to avoid. The most essential point, therefore, is such a form of foot as will prevent the toesr spreading, taking care that the knuckles are well up, by which a good foothold is secured. But beyond this it is necessary to pro- vide for the wear and tear which the sole of the foot incurs, and hence a thick pad well covered with hard skin is to be insisted on. If the greyhound has this he will stand his work, while its absence renders him at all times liable to become footsore, and incapable of doing it. 44 DOMESTICATED HUNTING-DOQS. The HIND QUARTER is entirely overlooked in the rhymes above- mentioned, but it is of the greatest importance nevertheless, bein^ the chief element of progression. First of all, we should insist upon a good framework, which, presenting the levers acted on by the muscles, must be in proper form, and of suflScient length and strength. Thus it is usual in examining puppies for selection to extend them to their full length, and then the one which stretches over the greatest distance is supposed to be the best in this point, and (other things being equal) very properly so. Thus, then, we arrive at the conclusion that the hinder limbs should be made up of long bones; but they must be united by well- formed joints, and in order that the dog shall not stand too high they should be well bent, though if the fore part of the dog is lower than the hind, there is no necessity for the presence of this form, as it comes to the same thing in reality. Strong bony stifle-joints and hocks, with great length between them and from the stifle to the hip, united with a short leg, constitute the perfection of form in the hind quarter, if, as is almost always the case, the muscles covering them are strong enough to put them in action. The FORE QUARTER is composed of the shoulder, the upper arm (between it and the elbow), the fore-arm (below the elbow), the knee, the leg, and the foot. The shoulder should be oblique, well covered with muscles, and moving freely on the ribs, which it sel- dom does if the two blades are kept wide apart at their upper edo-es by the tub-like form of the chest, described under that head. Hence we should examine, and anxiously look for, length of shoulder-blade, which cannot exist without obliquity ; freedom of play, without which the fore quarter is not protruded in the gallop as it ought to be ; and muscular development to bear the shocks to which this part is subject. The arm also should be long, so as to raise the point of the shoulder high enough to make the blade lie at an angle of 45° with the horizon, and to throw the elbow well ba^k to take the weight of the body. With regard to the elbow itself, the joint must be placed in the same plane as the body ; that is to say, the point of the elbow should not project either inwards or outwards. In the former case, the feet are turned out, and then THE SMOOTH GEETHOUND. 45 there is a want of liberty in the play of the whole shoulder, be- cause the elbow rubs against the ribs, and interferes with the action. This is called being " tied at the elbow," and is most care- fully to be avoided in selecting the greyhound, as well as all other breeds. The arm should be straight, long, and well clothed with muscle. The knee should be bony, and not bent too much back, which is an element of weakness, though seldom to such an extent as to be prejudicial to real utility. The leg, or bones below the knee, should be of good size, the stopper (or upper pad) well united to it, and firm in texture, and supported upon a foot of the formation recommended under that head. The COLORS commonly met with among high-bred greyhounds, are black, blue, red, fawn, brindled, and white, variously mixed. There are also sometimes seen cream, yellow, brown, dun, and grey dogs. When a plain color is speckled with small white marks, the dog is said to be ticked. The black, red, and fawn are the most highly prized by most coursers, especially when the last two have black muzzles. Some people are partial to blue dogs, of which several good specimens have been met with, as may also be said of the brindled color, but, as before remarked, the genera] opinion is in favor of black, red, and fawn. I believe that black, red, and white, may be considered as the primary colors, and that the others arise out of their mixture in breeding. Thus a black dog and a white bitch will produce either blacks, whites, black and whites, blues, or greys ; while a red dog and white bitch will have red, white, fawn, red and white, yellow, or cream puppies. Black and red united together make the red with black muzzle or the black brindle, while the blue and fawn give rise to the blue brin- die; or sometimes we see the black or blue-tanned color, as we meet with commonly enough in the setter, spaniel, and terrier. Mr. Thacker was of opinion, with some of the early writers on the greyhound, that the brindle was a mark of the descent from the bulldog ; but, as nothing is known of the time when the color first appeared, no reliance can be placed on the hypothesis. The texture of the coat is the last point upon which any reli- ance is placed, but, as far as my experience goes, there is little 46 DOMESTICATED HUNTING-DOGS. to be gained from it. Nevertheless, I should always discard a very soft woolly co.it as being an evidence of a weak constitution, unubie to bear exposure to weather, and, on that account, unfit for the purposes of the courser. The old breeds were, many of them, very bald about the cheeks and thighs, and this used to be consid- ered a mark of good blood ; but, since the intermixture of the rough greyhound, most of our best sorts have been free from this peculiarity, and many of them have had hard rough coats, quite unlike the fine and thin hair, which was formerly so highly pnzed. My own impression is in favor of a firm, glossy, and somewhat greasy-feeling, coarse coat, which stands wetting well, and at the same time looks healthy and handsome to the eye. The relative value of these several points varies a good deal from those of dogs whose breeding can chiefly be arrived at by external signs — e.g.^ the stern, color, and coat in the pointer and setter. Here the pedigree is well known for many generations ; and therefore, although the breeding may be guessed at from the appearance of the individual, it is far better to depend upon the evidence afforded by the Coursing Calendar, or if that is not forth- coming, to avoid having anything to do with breeding from the strain. I quote : " In measuring a dog, I should take only the following points, which should be nearly of the proportions here given in one of average size : " Principal points : Hight at the shoulder, 25 in. ; length from shoulder point to apex of last rib, 15 in. ; length of apex of last rib to back of buttock, 13 in. to 15 in. ; length from front of thigh round buttock to front of other thigh, 21 in. ** But to be more minute, it is as well to measure also the subor= dinate points as under: Circumference of head between eyes and ears, 14^ in. to 15 in. ; length of neck, 9 in. to 10 in. ; circumfer- ence of chest, 28 in. to 30 in. in condition ; length of arm, 9 in. ; length of knee to the ground, 4^ in. ; circumference of the loin, 18 in. to 19 in., in running condition ; length of upper thigh,10i in. ; lower thigh, 11 in. ; and leg from hock to ground, 5i in. to 6 in. " In taking these, measurements, the fore legs should, as nearly THE SMOOTH GREYHOUND. 47 as possible, be perpendicular, and the hind ones only moderately extended backwards." The specimens selected for illustrations are Riot and David, which were perhaps the best greyhounds for all kinds of ground which ever ran, not even excepting the two treble winners of the Waterloo Cup, as they were not tried over the downs. Riot was the property of Mr. C. Randell, of Chadbury, and was not only the winner of seventy-four courses in public, with the loss of only ten, but she was also the dani of several good grejiiounds. David had also the same double distinction, but was not quite so cele- brated in the coursing field as the bitch. He had, however, the advantage at the stud, as might be expected from his sex, and a goodly list of winners are credited to him. In the CHOICE of a greyhound I have already observed that we must be guided by other considerations besides make and shape, depending greatly upon the precise object which the in- tending possessor has in view, since, although the high-bred and low-bred greyhounds are alike externally, yet there is in their in- ternal structure some difference beyond the ken of our senses. But, as it is found by experience that in this particular " like pro- duces like," it is only necessary to be assured that the parents pos- sessed this internal formation, whatever it may be, in order to be satisfied that their descendants will inherit it. Thus we arrive at the necessity for *' good breed," or " pure blood," as the same thing is called in different language, both merely meanmg that the ancestors, for some generations, have been remarkab!? for the p(»s- session of the qualities most desired, whatever they may be. H.?nce, in selecting greyhounds to breed from, the pedigree for manj^ generations is scrutinized with great C';re, and if there is a single flaw it is looked at with suspicion, because the bad is almost sure to peep out through any amount of good blood. The modes of breeding, managiuT, br-^iking, ^nd using the greyhound, will be described later on in the volume. 48 DOMESTICATED HUNTINODOGS. THE IRISH GREYHOUND, OR WOLF-DOG. This fine animal is now, I believe, extinct, though there are still some gentlemen who maintain that they possess the breed in all Its pristine purity of blood. They are much larger than the deer- hound, some of them being 35 or even 38 inches high, but resem- bling that dog in shape, being generally of a fawn color, with a rough coat and pendent ears. They were formerly used for the purpose of hunting the wolf. THE MATIN. The French matin is not a very distinct dog, comprehending an immense variety of animals, which in England would be called lurchers, or sheep dogs, according to the uses to which they are put. The head has the elongated form of this division of the dog, with a flat forehead ; the ears stand up, but are pendulous towards the tip, and the color varies from red to fawn. He is about 24 inches high, has strong muscular action, and is very courageous, being employed in hunting the wild boar and wolf. This dog is said, by F. Cuvier, to be the progenitor of the greyhound and deerhound ; but Pennant, on the contrary, considers him to be de- scended from the Irish wolf-dog. THE MARX-INI^IAN DOQ. 4^ Fig. 5, — THE HABK-INDIAN DOG. THE HARE-INDIAN DOG. The Hare-Indian dog inhabits the country watered by the Mac- kenzie River and the Great Bear Lake of America, where it is used to hunt the moose and reindeer by sight, aided occasionally by its powers of scent, wnich are by no means contemptible, but kept in abeyance by disuse. The feet are remarkable for spreading on the snow, so as to prevent them from sinking into it, and to enable the dog to bound lightly over a surface which the moose sinks into at every stride. The hight is about 25 inches, combined with great strength. The ears are broad at the base, and pointed to- wards the tips, being perfectly erect. The tail is thick, bushy, and slightly curved, but not so much so as in the Esquimaux dog. The hair is long /md straight ; the ground color being white, marked with large, irregular patches of greyish black, shaded with browiu 50 DOMESTICATED HUNTING-DOG*. THE ALBANIAN DOG. The Albanian dog is said to stand about 27 or 28 inches high, with a long pointed muzzle, powerful body, strong and muscular limbs, and a long bushy tail, carried like that of the Newfoundland dog. His hair is very fine and close, being of a silky texture, ana of a fawn color, variously clouded with brown. He is used for hunting the wild boar and wolf, as well as for the purpose of guarding the sheep-fold from the latter ; but the accounts of this dog vary greatly, and are not much to be relied on. THE GRECIAN GREYHOUND. This elegant animal is somewhat smaller than the English dog. The hair is longer and slightly wavy, the tail also being clothed ■with a thin brush of hair. This is supposed to be the same breed as the greyhound of Xenophon, the Athenian. THE RUSSIAN GREYHOUND. This variety of the greyhound hunts well by scent, and, being at the same time fast and stout, he is used for the destruction of the ■wolves and bears which inhabit the Russian forests, and also for coursing the deer and the hare. For this latter sport he is well adapted ; but, being somew^hat deficient in courage and strength^ he is hardly a match for the wolf and bear, excepting in packs. The Russian greyhound is about 26 or 27 inches high, with short pricked ears, turned over at the tips ; he is rather thin and weak in the back and loins, and long on the leg. The coat is thick, but not long, excepting the hair of the tail, which is fanlike, with a spiral twist of a peculiar form. The color is dark brown or grey. I am not aware of any undoubted specimen of this breed having been imported into England, nor of a correct portr^iU TURKISH AND PERSIAN' GREYHOUNDS. 51 having been painted ; so my readers must depend upon description alone. THE TURKISH GREYHOUND. A small and almost hairless dog, of the greyhound kind, is met with in Turkey, but it is not common in that country, and I have never seen a specimen or even a good portrait of it. THE PERSIAN GREYHOUND Is an elegant animal, beautifully formed in all points, and re- sembling the Italian in delicacy of proportions. In Persia he is used for coursing the hare and antelope, as well as sometimes the wild ass. When the antelope is the object of the chase, relays of greyhounds are stationed where the game is likely to resort to and slipped each in their turn as the antelope passes. The Persian greyhound is about 24 inches high. The ears are pendulous like those of the Grecian dog, and hairy like those of the English setter, but in other respects he resembles the English smooth greyhound, with the exception of the tail, which may be compared to that of a silky-coated setter. Several portraits of this dog have appeared at various times in the " Sporting Magazine," and elsewhere, but I am told they do not well represent his ap- pearance. 52 DOMESTICATED HUlffTING-DOGS, Fig. 6. — ITALIAN GRBYHOUND3, BISMARK AND CRUOITIX. THE ITALIAN GKEYHOUND. This little dog is one of the most beautifully proportioned ani- mals in creation, being a smooth English greyhound in miniature, and resembling it in all respects but size. It is bred in Spain and Italy in great perfection, the warmth of the climate agreeing well with its habits and constitution. In England, as in its native country, it is only used as a pet or toy dog, for though its speed is considerable for its size, it is incapable of holding even a rabbit. The attempt, therefore, to course rabbits with this little dog has always failed, and in those instances where the sport (if such it can be called) has been carried out at all, recourse has been had to a cross between the Italian greyhound and the terrier, which results in a strong, quick, little dog, quite capable of doing all that is re- quired. The chief points characteristic of the Italian greyhound are shape, color, and size. THE ITALIAN GREYHOUND 6H In shape, he should as nearly as possible resemble the English greyhound, as described elsewhere. Tlie nose is not usually so long in proportion, and the head is fuller both in width and depth. The eyes, also, are somewhat larger, bemg soft and full. The tail should be small in bone, and free from hair. It is scarcely so long as that of the English greyhound, bearing in mind the difference of size. It usually bends with a gentle sweep upwards, but should never turn round in a corkscrew form. The color most prized is a golden fawn. The dove-colored fawn comes next; then the cream color, and the blue fawn, or fawn with blue muzzle, the black-muzzled fawn, the black- muzzled red, the plain red, the yellow, the cream-colored, and Ihe black ; the white, the blue, the white and fawn, and the white and red. Whenever the dog is of a whole color, there should be no white whatever on the toes, legs, or tail ; and even a star on the breast is considered a defect, though not so great as on the feet. The size most prized is when the specified weight is about six or eight pounds ; but dogs of this weight have seldom perfect sym- metry, and one with good shape and color, of eight pounds, is to be preferred to a smaller dog of less perfect symmetry. Beyond twelve pounds the dog is scarcely to be considered a pure Italian, though sometimes exceptions occur, and a puppy of pure blood, with a sire and dam of small size, may grow to such a weight as sixteen pounds. I have never yet seen an Italian greyhound more nearly ap- proaching perfection than Mr. Pim's Bismark, a considerable prize-winner at Bristol and in Ireland, although he has recently been twice unnoticed, beyond a high commendation at Birming- ham and the Alexandra Park Shows. These defeats were, how«= ever, mainly owing to the excellence of the bitches amongst which he was classed ; for at Birmingham there were four of that sex only a trifle behind the celebrated Molly in shape and color, while at the Alexandra Park there were nearly as many. Bis- mark is, nevertheless, a very neat dog, and, barring his round head and his color, which has a shade of blue in the fawn, he is rery little behind the first-class bitches of his day. His pedigree 54 DOMESTICATED HUNTING-DOGS. is unknown, so that it is not possible to trace tliese defects to their cause ; but I have little doubt that, at some time more or less remote, a terrier cross in his pedigree would creep out. At all events, he is the best dog exhibited of late years, and as such I have selected him for illustration. Crucifix, his companion in the engraving, was, like him, passed over at the above shows, obtain- ing only a second prize at the shows recently held at Birmingham and Alexandra Palace. My own opinion, however, was strongly in her favor at both of these shows ; and, in spite of the high au- thority of Messrs. Hedley and Handley (the respective judges), I have accordingly selected her for portraiture. Her beautiful golden-fawn color is even superior to Molly's dove-color, and her general shape and symmetry are nearly equal ; but no doubt in head Molly has the advantage, and if the two were shown to- gether, both in their prime, the latter would weigh down the scale considerably. Like Bismark, she has had more honor in her own country thin at Birmingham and London, having been awarded the first prize at Manchester in two dog shows,and also at Glasgovvr in two other years. She is by Bruce's Prince out of his Beauty; Prince by Old Prince— Speed ; Beauty by Qiief— Tit. THE BLOODHOUND. 55 Fig. 7.— HEAD OP BLOODHOUND. THE BLOODHOUND. The name given to this hound is founded upon his peculiar power of scenting the blood of a wounded animal, so that, if once put on his trail, he could hunt him through any number of his fellows, and would thus single out a wounded deer from a large 56 DOMESTICATED HTJNTING-DOGS. herd, and stick to him through any foils or artilBces which he may have recourse to. From this property he has also been used to trace human beings ; and as his nose is remarkably delicate in hunting, even without blood, he has always been selected for that purpose, whether the objects of pursuit were slaves, as in Cuba, or sheep-stealers, as in England. At present there are, as far as I know, no true bloodhounds in England for this purpose, or indeed for any other, as I believe the breed to be extinct; but several gentlemen possess hounds commonly called bloodhounds, though only partially resembling the veritable animal, and use them for hunting fallow-deer, espe- cially those which are only wounded with the rifle, and not killed outright. This dog is also kept for his fine noble appearance ; and as his temper is generally less uncertain than the genuine old bloodhound, and his taste for blood not so great, though still sometimes beyond all control, he is not unfitted to be the constant companion of man, but must always be regarded with some degree of suspicion. Bloodhounds, more or less purely bred, are still plentiful in the Southern States, where formerly considerable packs were kept for hunting both deer and fugitive slaves. The following are the distinctive marks of this dog, which should make their appearance even when one only of the parents is thorough-bred :— Hight, from 24 to 25 or even 26 inches ; pecu- liarly long and narrow forehead : ears from 8 to 9, and even 10, inches long ; lips loose and hanging ; throat also loose, and roomy in the skin ; deep in the brisket, round in the ribs, loins broad and muscular, legs and feet straight and good, muscular thighs, and fine tapering and gracefully waving stern ; color black-tan, or deep and reddish fuwn (no white should be shown but on just the tip of the stern) ; the tongue loud, long, deep, and melodious, and the temper courageous and irascible, but remarkably forgiving, and immensely susceptible of kindness. The illustration is a portrait of the fine head of a dog owned by Mr. Reynold Ray, an old and well-known breeder, and a prize-winner at various shows. THE FOXHOUND, 67 Fio;. 8.— FOXHOUND, BLUECAP. THE FOXHOUND. The modern foxhound is one of the most wonderful animals in Creation, which is probably owing to the great pains that havo been bestowed upon him for the last two or three centuries, Nu- merous instances have occurred where forty or fifty thousand dol- lars a year have been spent for a long time together upon a fox- hunting establishment, and therefore, when this outlay has been united with the great judgment which has been displayed in the most celebrated kennels of the present century, it can scarcely occasion surprise that the combination has resulted in the most 58 DOMESTICATED HUNTING-DOGS. complete success. In breeding cattle and sheep, one man has, in more than one instance, during his single life, effected a completa levolution in the animal he was engaged in improving; and there- fore, wlien a number of gentlemen combine for one purpose, and spare neither time, money, nor trouble, we ought to expect the tuj^fillment of their wishes. In no department of rural sports has so much been written as on fox-hunting, and this not only of late years, but for the last three centuries, during which Markham, Somerville, and Beckford may be instanced as examples of truth- ful as well as clever writing on the subject. Beckford, who wrote in the latter part of the last century, his first letter being dated 1779, is, however, the father of the modern school, and, with slight exceptions, the hound described by him is still that selected by our best masters, though perhaps they carry out his principles to a greater extent than he ever expected they would go. Much has been written, it is true, since his time, but I am not aware that any one has deviated from his description without doing wrong, and therefore, as I like to give credit where credit is due, I shall extract his description entire, as contained in his third letter to his friend. " You desire to know what kind of hound I would recommend. As you mention not for any particular chase or country, I under- stand you generally ; and shall answer that I most approve of hounds of the middle size. I believe all animals of that description are strongest, and best able to endure fatigue. In the hight as well as the color of hounds, most sportsmen have their prejudices ; but in their shape, at least, I think they must all agree. I know sportsmen who boldly affirm that a small hound will oftentimes beat a large one ; that he will climb hills better, and go through cover quicker ; whilst others are not less ready to assert that a large hound will make his way in any country, will get better through the dirt than a small one, and that no fence, however high, can stop him. You have now their opinions : and I advise you to adopt that which suits your country best. There is, however, a certain size best adapted for business, which I take to be that be- tween the two extremes, and I will venture to say that such hounds THE FOXHOUND. 59 ■will not suffer themselves to be disgraced in any country. Somer- ville I find is of the same opinion : * But here a mean Observe, uor a large hound prefer, of size Gigantic ; he, in the thick-woven covert, Painfully tugs, or in the thorny brake, Torn and embarra&s'd, bleeds : but, if too small, TL-j pigmy brood in every furrow swims ; Moil'd in the clogging clay, panting, they lag Behind inglorious; or else shivering creep, Benumb'd and faint, beneath the sheltering thorn, i^oxhounds of middle size, active and strong, Will better answer all thy various ends, And crown thy pleasing labors with success.' I perfectly a^ree with you that to look well they should be all nearly of a size ; and I even think that they should all look of the same family, ' Facies non omnibus una. Nee diversa tamen, qualem decet esse sororum." "If handsome without they are then perfect. With regard to their being sizeable, what Somerville says, is so much in your own way that I shall send it you : * As some brave captain, curious and exact, By his flx'd standard, forms in equal ranks His gay battalion : as one man they move, Step after step ; their size the same, their arms, Far gleaming, dart the same united blaze ; Reviewing generals his merit own ; How regular ! how just ! And all his cares Are well repaid if mighty George approve : So model thou thy pack, if honor touch Thy gen'rous soul, and the world's just applause.' " There are necessary points in the shape of a hound vrhich ought always to be attended to by a sportsman, for if he be not of a perfect symmetry, he will neither run fast nor bear much work He has much to undergo, and should have strength proportioned 60 DOMESTICATED HUNTING-DOGS. to it. Let his legs be straight as arrows, his feet round and not too large ; his shoulders back ; his breast rather wide than narrow ; his chest deep ; liis back broad ; his head small ; his neck thin ; his tail thick and brushy; if he carry it well, so much the better. Such hounds as are out at the elbows, and such as are weak from the knees to the foot, should never be taken into the pack. " I find that I have mentioned a small head as one of the neces- sary requisites of a hound ; but you will understand that it is relative to beauty only, for as to goodness, I believe large-headed hounds are in no wise inferior. The color I think of little mo- ment, and am of opinion with our friend Foote, respecting his negro friend, that a good dog, like a good candidate, cannot be of a bad color. " Men are too apt to be prejudiced by the sort of hound which they themselves have been most accustomed to. Those who have been used to the sharp-nosed foxhound, will hardly allow a large-head- ed hound to be a foxhound ; yet they both equally are ; speed and be.iuty are the chief excollencies of the one, while stoutness and tenderness of nose in hunting are characteristic of the other. I could tell you that I have seen very good sport with very unhand- some packs, consisting of hounds of various sizes, differing from one another as much in shape and look as in their color ; nor could there be traced the least sign of consanguinity amongst them. Considered ssparately the hounds were good ; as a pack of hounds they were not to be commended ; nor would you be satisfied with anything that looked so very incomplete. You will find nothing so essential to your sport as that your hounds should run well together; nor can this end be better attained than by confining yourself, as near as you can, to those of the same sort, size, and shape." Thus then as to points, it will be evident from the above extract that Beckf ord was fully aware of all which are considered essential to the foxhound, except the depth of the back ribs, in which the modern hound differs from both of his supposed progenitors (the greyliound and old-fashioned hound), and which has been estab- lished by carefully breeding from sires and dams peculiar for this THE POXHOTJKD. 61 development. It is upon this formation that stoutness, and the capability of bearing work day after day, mainly depend; and hence all good judges both of the hunter and the hound insist so strongly upon it. Nimrod (Apperley) also remarks that Beckford has omitted to particularize " the length of thigh discernible in first-rate hounds, which, like the well-let-down hock of the horse, gives them much superiority of speed, and is also a great security against laming themselves in leaping fences, which they are more apt to do when they become blown and consequently weak." It may also be remarked, that though Beckford insists upon a middle size, he does not define what he means by the term, but as fox- hounds vary from 26 inches to 20, 1 should say 23 to 25 inches for doghounds, and 21 to 23 for bitches, would be about the hight meant by him. In open countries, with thin fences or walls, a large hound may perhaps suit best ; but iu woodlands, the small size, if not too small and delicate, has many advantages, and will always beat the larger and heavier hound, who tires himself in driving through the runs, which will readily ad- mit the small dog or bitch. Nimrod fixed the hight at " 21 to 22 inches for bitches, and 23 to 24 for doghounds ;" but I have given a little more latitude in the above estimate. The speed of the foxhound may be estimated from the well known match over the Beacon course, at Newmarket, which is 4 miles 1 furlong and 132 yards, and which was run by Mr. Barry's " Bluecap " (the winner) in eight minutes and a few seconds, Mr. Meynell's hounds being not far behind ; and only twelve out of sixty horsemen who started with them being with them to the end. Colonel Thornton's bitch, " Merkin," is even said to have nm the same course in seven minutes and half a second. This speed is ac- counted for by the greyhound descent, if it really exists ; and that it does so I have little doubt, as it is quite clear that the old hound was defioient in those points which the greyhound alone would be able to give; but as this is only conjecture I have not insisted upon it. The small rounded ear of the foxhound is due to the rounding irons of the huntsman, who removes a large portion of the pup's 62 DOMESTICATED HUNTING-D0G5. ears m order to save them from the tears and scratches which they would inevitably encounter in " drawing," if allowed to remain on. The portion left is sufficient to protect the passage to the internal organ, but for which necessity it would be better to crop them closely, as is practised with dogs intended for fighting ; just as the wrestler and the pugilist have their hair cropt as close to the/f \ieadB as possible. The prevailing colors of foxhounds in the present day are as fol- lows, placing them in the order of their frequency : — (1.) Black and white with tan ; (3.) The mixed or blended colors, known as " pies," as red pie, blue pie, yellow pie, grey pie, lemon pie, hare pie, and badger pie, the last three very handsome ; (3.) Tan ; (4.) Black ; (5.) White; (6.) Red; (7.) Blue ; each being more or less mixed with white. Foxhounds are often slightly ticked, but rarely mot- tled, the "blue mottled hound," according to Mr. Apperley, being a true harrier or beagle, and most probably descended from the southern hound, which was often of this color. It must be remembered that the foxhound is always to be looked at as part of a pack, and hence it is of no use to breed an excep- tionally high or otherwise well made hound if it will make him run in a diflferent style to his companions. Hence it is necessary to keep to such a model as can be produced in number sufficient to form the pack, which is another argument in favor of a medium size ; and hence, in looking at a pack, together or separately, the lover of the foxhound is always on the look-out for " suitiness," or the resemblance to another in size and shape, which Beckford fiUudes to in describing a good-looking pack of hounds as appear- ing " all of one family." In his work the foxhound is peculiar for dash, and for always being inclined to cast forwards, instinctively appearing to be aware that the fox makes his point to some covert different from that in which he was found. On the other hand, the harrier casts back, from a knowledge, instinctive or acquired, that hare has a ten- dency to return to the place from which she started, and will be almost sure to do so if she has time enough given her. THE HAKRIER. 68 THE HARRIER. The true harrier is a dwarf southern hound, with a very slight infusion of the greyhound in him. Hence he is more throaty than the foxhound, and has also more ear, with a broader head, more fully developed flews, and altogether a heavier and less active frame. The hight is usually at present under 20 inches, averag- ing about 18 ; but in the old times, when t .e dwarf foxhound was never used for the purpose, harriers were often 22 and sometimes 23 inches high, because even with that size they dwelt on the scent so long that they were not too fast for sport. But it is in tongue and in style of hunting that true harriers are chiefly re- markable, the former being melodious in the extreme, and a pack in full cry being heard for miles ; while the latter is distinguished by excessive delicacy of nose, and by an amount of patience in working out the doubles of the hare which the old-fashioned hare- hunter considered perfection. Mr. Yeatman has, however, intro- duced a diflferent style, and according to his system the hart- is driven so fast that she is compelled to abandon her cunning de- vices, and to trust to her speed alone. But as, following his ex- ample, most of the modern packs of harehounds are dwarf fox- hounds, it is unnecessary to dwell upon the old-fashioned animal, iind the modern harrier may therefore be described as a foxhound In shape, but of a size averaging about 18 or 19 inches, and kept to hare with great care, so that in some instances packs are known to refuse to own the scent of the fox ; but these are rare excep- tions, as most huntsmen will be ready to hunt one whenever they have the opportunity, and many regularly finish their season by shaking down a bag-fox, or by trying for one in some covert where they have permission. The fashion of the day is to demand pace in all kinds of hunting, and for this reason these dwarf foxhounds are selected, taking care to unite with it as fine and delicate a nose as possible, but altogether regardless of the music, which used to be a sine qu4 non.with masters of harriers. One chief beauty in hare-hunting is the proper packing of the hounds, and as this can not be done without having 2.11 nearly of 64 DOMESTICATED HUNTING-DOGS. the same size, shape, and breed, masters of harriers are very par- ticular in keeping the whole of their l^eunel of one strain ; and when they cross their hounds it should be with great care, so as to avoid the introduction of blood very different to that which they already possess. Fig. 9. — AMERICAN BEAGLES. THE BEAGLE. The true beagle, Iikc the old harrier, is now almost entirely dis- placed by dwarf specimens of the foxhound, or by crosses with it in varying proportions. Still there are some packs left, and a good many gentlemen also possess one or two couple which they use for covert shooting, though even here this breed is giving way to the spaniel. In external form the beagle resembles the southern hound, but is much more compact .and elegant in shape, and far less throaty in proportion to its size, though still possessing a considprable ruff. There are three or four varieties, however, which differ a good def THE BEAGLE. 6;j fmong themselves in shape aud make, and also to some degree in style of hunting. The medium-sized beagle maybe taken as the type of the others of the same name, and somewhat resembles a small old-fashioned harrier in shape, but with a larger body and shorter legs in propor- tion to it. Tlie head is very wide and round, with a short square nose, very full and soft drooping ears, good feet, and not much hair on the body, but with a slight brush on the tail. Their tongues are most musical, and their noses extremely delicate, being even more so than the harrier, but hunting in the same style, with the same tendency to dwell on the scent. In size they may be de- scribed as averaging about 12 or 14 inches. The rough beagle is apparently a cross between the above little hound and the rough terrier, though by many people he is sup- posed to be a distinct breed, aud as much so as the Welsh harrier, which he resembles in all but size. His origin is, however, lost in obscurity, and can only be conjectured. One chief reason why I have supposed him to arise from the above cross is, that he has lost in great measure the beagle tongue, and squeaks like the ter- rier, though not quite so much as that dog. The Kerry or Laune (Irish) Beagles are distinguished for speed, strength, size, endurance, and keen nose. These characteristics admirably adapt them for deer hunting. The first of this strain, Towler, was imported to the United States by Dr. Lewis A. Sayre, of New York City, in 18;9. In October, 1881, Towler died. Dr. Sayre, however, still has left Doxey and Lightfoot, which, together with Towder, were presented tohi'^i by a grandson of John O'Coii- nell. The New York "Turf, Field and Farm," of Nov. 18, 1881, contains a detailed and interesting description of this rare strain of dogs, together with engravings of Doxey and Lightfoot. The dw^arf or rabbit beagle is a very small and delicate little hound, but with an excellent nose, and much faster than he looks. Some sportsmen have carried their predilection for small dogs to such an extent, as to use a pack of these beagles which might be carried about in the shooting pockets of the men ; and in this way have confined thejr.duties to the hunting alone, so that they were 66 DOMESTICATED HUNTING-DOGS. not tired in trailing along the road from the kennel to the hunting field and back again. The average hight of these may be taken at 10 mches, but their bodies are disproportionately lengthened Patience and perseverance are stir more necessary in these hounds than in their larger brethren, and without them they soon lose their hare, as they must be content to hunt her at a pace witb which a man can readily keep up on foot, horses being quite out of place with such a diminutive pack. A pack of rabbit-beagles, the property of Mr. Crane, of South- over House, England, we believe to contain the best "patterns" we have ever known. We have seen them on a cold bad scenting Fig. 10. — RABBIT BEAGLES, GIANT AND RINGLET. day work up a rabbit and run him in the most extraordinary man- ner, and although the nature of the ground compelled the pack to run almost m Indian file, and thus to carry a very narrow line of scent, if they threw it up, it was but for a moment. Mr. Crane'a standard is 9 in., and every little hound is absolutely perfect. We saw but .one hound at all differinL; from his companions, a littk black-tanned one. This one on the flags we should have drafted but when we saw him in his work we quite forgave him for being of a conspicuous color. Giant (see portrait) was perhaps the very best of the pack, a black-v.'hite-and-tanne.l doghound, always at work, and never wrong. He has a capital tonnue, and plenty o( \t. The bitch, Ringbt, has t'.ie most beautiful points we have ever seen, and is a fit companion for her mate, Gi^iit- Damper, BiiUl- THE OTTKIUiOUND. 67 man, and Tyrant, are also all of them beautiful models. We give the measurement of Damper : hJght, 9 in. ; round the chest, 16 in. across the ears, 13 in. ; extreme lergth, 2 ft. 4 in. ; eye to nose, 2^ in. THE OTTERHOUND. No hcnnd which is now kept in Great Britain resembles the southern hound so much as this, the difference being only in the rough, wiry coat, which hw been <:'btained by careful breeding, to enable them to resist the ill piTo-^te of the rough weather which the breed have to encounter, whether in the chase of the hare, for which they were orig'naily employed in Wales, or for that of the otter, to which they are new almost exclusiveh' restricted. If, therefore, the reader turns to the description of the southern hound, and adds to it a rough, wiry coat, with a profusion of rough whisker, he will at once understand the form and nature of the otterhound, alias the Welsh harrier. It is a disputed poini whether this roughness is obtained by crossing, or whether it is attributable to c^irpful selection only. We are inclined to think that as the fall melodious note of the hound is retained, there is no cross of the terrier or of the deerhonnd, whirli two lircods divide between them the credit of bestowinu' tlieir coats upon the otterhound. Anyhow, it is a distinct breed in tlie present day; and, with the shape I have described, it unites all the- c'lar tcteris- tics of the old southern hound, in dwelling on the scent, in deli- cacy of nose, and in want of dash. Whether tlie power of swimming has been obtained by any cross with t]ie water-spaniel, is also a disputed point; but as I do not believe in any pec liar swimming power inherent in that breed, I am not inclin'^cl to attribute that of the ot^erhonnl to a cross with it, especially as the foxhound svims r-qiinlly wll. As these hounds havf^ to co mpr'tp with a viTv savage and hard- biting animal, tuny mnst of n^TT-^sit" I'o f '^rlos'=! and hardv; and »s,for their specific purposes, tli;)S3 wnich are not so, have been re- 68 DOMESTICATED HUNTING-DOGS, jected, it happens that the breed has become unusually savage, and that they are coustantly fighting in kennel. Indeed, instances are common enough of more than half being destroyed in a sin gle night, in the bloody fight which has be^n commenced by perhaps a smgle couple, but soon ending in a general scrimmage No dog bites more savagely ; and, unlike tlie bulldog, the hold is not firmly retained, but the teeth are torn out with great force the instant the hold is taken. The usual hight of the otterhound is from 23 to 25 inches in the dogs, the bitches being somewhat lower. The points of the otterhound are like those of the bbodhound, except as to the coat, which should be composed of hard and long hair, somewhat rough in its lying, and mixed with a short, woolly undcr-coat, which serves to keep the body warm even when wet- ted by long immersion. The color differs also, in not being confined to black-and-tan or tan — the former, however, being often met with. THE TERRIER. The terrier, as used for hunting, is a strong, useful little dog, with great endurance and courage, and with nearly as good a nosfe as the beagle or harrier. From his superior courage, when crossed with the bulldog, as most vermin terriers are, he has generally been kept for killing vermin whose bite would deter the spaniel or the beadle, but would only render the terrier more determined in his pursuit of them. Hence he is the constant attendant on tlie rat-catcher, and is highly useful to the gamekeeper, as well as tc the farmer who is annoyed with rats and mice. Formerly it w^aE the custom to add a couple of terriers to every pack of foxhounds, so as to be ready to aid in bolting the fox wlien he runs into a dram, or goes to ground in any easily accessible earth ; the stout- ness of the terrier enabling him, by steadily following on the track) to reach the scene of operations before it would be possible to obtain any other assistance. This aid, ho we vermin consequence THE TE BRIBE. 69 of the increased speed of our hounds, is now dispensed with, and the old fox-terrier is out of date, or is only kept for the purpose of destroying ground vermin, such as the rat or the weasel, or as a companion to man, for which purpose his fidelity and tracta- bility make him peculiarly fitted. Terriars are now usually di- vided into eight kinds: — 1st, the old English Terrier; 3d, the Scotch ; 3d, the Dandle Diaaiont ; 4th, thj Skye ; 5th, the Fox Fig. ll.~ENGLISH TERRIER, BELCHER. Terrier; Gth, the Bedlington; 7th, the Halifax Blue Tan ; and 8th th3 Mocbrn Toy Terriers of various kinds. The English Terrier is a smooth-haired dog, weighing from about b to 10 lbs. His nose is very long and tapering neatly off, the jaw oemg slightly overhung, with a high forehead, narrow flat skull strong muscular jaw, and small bright eye, well set in the head' ears when entire are short and slightly raised, but not absolutely pncked, turning over soon after they leave the head. When 70 DOMESTICATED HUNTING-DOGS. cropped they stand up in a point, and rise much, higher than they naturally would. The neck is strong, but of a good length ; body very symmetrical, with powerful short loins, and chest deep rather than wide. Shoulders generally good, and very powerful, so as to enable the terrier to dig away at an earth for hours together with- out fatigue, but they must not be so wide as to prevent him from *'going to ground." Fore legs straight and strong in muscle, but light in bone, and feet round and hare-like. Hind legs straight but powerful. Tail line, with a decided down carriage. The color of these dogs should be black and tan, which is the only true color ; many are white, slightly marked with black, red, or some- times, but very rarely, blue. The true fox-terrier was generally chosen with as much white as possible, so that he might be readily seen, either coming up after the pack, or when in the fox's earth, in almost complete darkness ; but these were all crossed with the bull dog. Those which are now kept for general purposes are, however, most prized when of the black and tan color, and the more complete the contrast, that is, the richer the black and tan respectively, the more highly tlie dog h valued, especially if with- out any white. In all cases there should be a small patch of tan over each eye ; the nose and palate should always be black. The toes should be pencilled with black reaching more or less up the leg. In the first volume of the stud book, which chronicles the principal shows for fourteen years, he was simply and properly described as the black and tan terrier, " English " of course being understood ; but since 1874 they have added to his title, " or Man- chester Terrier.'' The reason for this change 1 do not know, as the records of their own stud book do not disclose many names of eminent Manchester breeders or exhibitors besides Mr. Samuel Handley, who bred and exhibited some of the best that have been shown, and who is still generally recognized as one of the best judges of them ; and, however great an honor it may be ^o be " Man- chester," it is a greater honor to be English, and, so far as I can see, the change in name was useless and uncalled for, and deroga- tory to the breed. In addition to Mr. Handley, there were years ago the following celebrated Lancashire breeders : Mr, James Bar- THE TERRIER. 71 row, Mr. Joseph Kay, and Mr. William Pearson, all now dead ; but tne crack dogs now mei with at our suovvs uave generally been bred by unknown people, and brougnt out by astute judges and spirited exnioitors. In the early days of snows Birmingham took the lead in this breed, and Mr. G. Fitter, of that town, who had a good strain, held the first position for several years with his ex- ceptionally good dog Dandy. Of late years the most successful exuibitors have been Mr. George Wilson, Huddcrsfield ; the late Mr. Martin, Mancnester ; an^, more so than either, Mr. Henry Lacy, of Heoden Bridge. Tiiis breed is not such a general favorite with the public as it deserves to be, for it has many excellent qualities to recommend it to those who like a nice pet that does not need nursing, an aflfoc- tionate, lively, and tractable companion, not given to quarrelling, very active and graceful in his actions, and with pluck enough and a keen zest for hunting and destroying such vermin as rats that infest houses and outbuildings ; for with larger vermin, such as the fox, badger, etc., (with exceptional cases), he has not the hardness to cope with or to stand their bites, nor has he the strength even of other terriers of his own weight, as he is formed more for nimble- ness than work requiring power. His most ardent admirers can- not claim for him the courage and obduracy of attack and defence that characterize less pure terriers. As a house dog he is unex- celled, always on the alert, and quick to give alarm. The Scotch Terrier closely resembles the English dog in all but his coat, which is wiry and rough, and hence he is sometimes called the wire-haired terrier, a name perhaps better suited to a dog which has long been naturalized in England, and whose origin is obscure enough. Beyond this ditFerence in externals, there is little to be said distinctive of the one from the other, the colors being the same, but white being more highly prized in the southern variety, and the black and tan when more or less mixed with grey, so as to give the dog a pepper and salt appearance, being characteristic of the true Scotch terrier ; but there are numberless varieties in size, and also in shape and color. This is a very good vermin dog, and will hunt anything from a fox to a mouse ; but while he may be rZ DOMESTICATED HLTNTING-DOGS. induced to hunt feather, he never takes to it like fur, and prefei^s vermin to game at all times. The Dandie Dinmont breed of terriers, now so much celebrated, was originally bred by a farmer of the name of James Davidson at Hindalee, in Roxburghshire, who, it is generally believed, got his dogs from the head of Coquet Water. There was also a good strain at Ned Dunn's at Whitelee, near the Carter Bar. Those who have investigated the subject are inclined to think that the Dandie Dinmont is a cross between the Scotch terrier and Fig. 12.— DANDIE DIXMONTS, DOCTOR AND TIT-MUMPS. the otterhound, or, as I believe, the Welsh harrier, which is idei* tical with the latter. The most celebrated strains are those belonging to the Duke g f Buccleugh (presented by James Davidson) ; Stoddart, of Selkirk ; Frain, of the Trows; McDougall, of Cessford; F. Somners, o£ Kelso ; Sir G. Douglass, of Springwood Park ; Dr. Brown, of Mel- rose ; J. Aitken, of Edinburgh ; and Hugh Purves, of Leaderfoolj who is the principal hand in having kept up the breed. So mucli were the Dandies in vogue some years ago, that Mr. Bradshav? Smith, of Dumfriesshire, bought up every good dog he could lay his hands on, and as a consequence his breed is now well knowI}^, THE TERRIER. 7o The Dandie is represented by two colors of Lair, which is some- times rather hard, but not long ; one entirely a reddish brown, and called the " mustard," the other grey or bluish-grey on the back, and tan or light brown on the legs," and called the *' pep per;" both have the silky hair on the forehead. The legs are short, the body long, shoulder low, back slightly curved, head large, jaws long and tapered to the muzzle, which is not sharp; ears large and hanging close to the head ; eyes full, bright, and in- telligent ; tail straight and carried erect, with a slight curve over the back (houndlike) ; the weight, 18 to 24 lbs., varying according to the strain, but the original Dandie w^as a heavy dog. Occasion- ally ii a litter there may be some with the short, folding ear of a bull-terrier, and also w ith some greater length of the legs ; these are not approved of by fanciers, but nevertheless are pure, showing a tendency to cast back. Sir W. Scott, I believe, preferred the small ear. The following letter from Mr. E. Bradshaw Smith to the Editor of the " London Field " is of interest : " Sir — If not trespassing too much on your valuable space 1 may here be allowed to sliow how I first became possessed of this historic breed. " During my residence in Roxburghshire my fancy was greatly taken by several specimens I saw of this game little animal. In 1841, I bought the first Dandie I ever possessed, and since that date I have no hesitation in stating that more Dandie Dinraonts have passed through my hands than through those of any half dozen of fanciers. I feel myself competent, therefore, to give a decided opinion on the article penned by ' Stonehenge,' although it be at variance with his remarks. " In the first pVice, it seems to me an entire mistake on his part that the Dandie Dinmont of the present day is longer in the body than formerly. My observation tends rather in the opposite di- rection. '* Secondly, a strong characteristic of the breed has ever bee tenacity of purpose, and I have only known two of my dogs whic? could be taught at command to leave the trail of either fox or rat 76 DOMESTICATED HUNTING-DOGS. bit ; certainly it would be a hopeless task to prevent a Dandie Din- mont from engaging with a fox were an opportunity to offer. I consider the animal as naturally good-tempered, but when once roused, he is ready to seize hold of anything within reach. When I first kept these dogs, I was ignorant of their extremely excitable nature, and had many killed from time to time in fights, either in the kennels or at the entrance of rabbit holes; in short, when once their blood is fairly up they become utterly unmanageable. On this account, for years past (though I keep a number) I do not allow more than one dog and one bitch in a kennel, but sometimes a dog and two bitches if very harmonious. The first I had worried, many years ago, was a beautiful little fellow 14 lb. weight, bred by Mr. Kerss (Bowhill), from a sister of Stoddart's old Dandie and his own old Pepper. He w^as killed in the night time by another of my dojs, to my great annoyance. When I mentioned the cir- cumstance to Mr. Kerss, he informed me that during the' time the little animal belonged to him, he had worried some of his, amongst the number a Newfoundland pup six months old. Yet it is by no means always the most excitable and pugnacious animal that stands the severe test, viz., to face a.one two badgers at once, and fasten upon one of them while the other in turn attacks hnii, as I have known very min}^ do. For my part, I prefer the dog who encounters his antagonist coolly and without any fuss. "In conclusion, I annex a list of the kennels I purchased, viz., that of Mr. Somner (including his crack dog Shem), those of Messrs. Purves, Frain, M'Dougald (including his famous Old May- day), J. Stoddart (who sol 1 to me his celebrated Old Dandie), and many other Dandies from Mr. Milne, of Faldonside, bred from his famous Old Jenny, from Mr. Jas. Kerss (Bowhill), and likewise from the Haining, near Selkirk. From these ancestors my dogs are purely and lineally descended. " Apologizing for having occupied so much of your columns, " E. Bradshaw Smith. "Zurich, Switzerland." The illustration is a portrait of Mr. Locke's Doctor, which has been established as one of the favorites of the various experts em- THE TERRIER. 77 ployed to judge this breed, and, as I think, deservedly, until the last Brighton show, where naturally enough the immediate de- scen:lants of Shamrock had the best of it under the fiat of his owner. The Skye Terrier is remarkable for his long weasel-shaped body, and for his short, fin-like legs, added to which he has a long rather than a wide head, and also a neck of unusual dimensions, so that when measured from tip to tail the entire length is more than three times his hight. The nose is pointed, but so concealed in the long Fig. 13.— SKYE TERRIER. hair which fills over his eyes, that it is scarcely visible without a careful insp3ction ; eyes keen an 1 expressive, but small as com- pared with the spaniel. The ears, if falling, are large and slightly rais3d, but turning over; in the prick-eared variety, which is by many in the north preferred, the ears stand up like those of the fox ; tail long, but small in bone, and standing straight backwards, that is, not curved over the back, but having only a very gentle sweep, to prevent touching the ground. Fore legs slightly bandy, yet this is not to be soMght for, but to be avoided as much as pos- 78 DOMESTICATED HI '^TING-DOGS. gible, though always more or less present. The dew-claws are en- tirely absant, and if present may be considered a mark of impurity. The colors most in request are steel-grey, with black tips ; fawn with brown tips to ears and tail ; black, fawn, or blue, especially a dark, slaty blue ; the slightest trace of white is carefully avoided. The hair is long and straight, hard, and not silky, parted down the back, and nearly reaching the ground on each side, without the slightest curl or resemblance to wool. On the legs and on the top of the head it is lighter in color than on the body, and is softer and more silky. This dog is little used as a sporting or vermin dog, being chiefly reserved for the companionship of man, but he is sometimes employed as a vermin-killer, and is as game as the rest of the terriers, when employed for that purpose. His weight is from 10 to 18 lbs., averaging about 14. But the variations in this particular, as indeed in almost all the points of the Skye terrier, are numerous beyond description. Thus there are, first of all, two if not three kinds of the pure Skye ; one rather small in size, with long soft hair ; another considerably larger, and with hard, wiry hair; while again, between these two, a third may, by hair-split- ters, be readily made out. Then there is also a cross between the Skye and Dandle, which partakes in nearly equal proportions of the charactei istics of each ; and, lastly, most of the Skye terriers about London are crossed with the spaniel, giving them that silky coat and jet black color which are admired by the ladies, but mark impurity of blood. This cross is detected by the worn-out ap- pearance of the hair on the face, up to the brow. The Skye is a very good vermin dog, and will hunt anything. The portrait of the prick-eared variety given is that of a dog belonging to Mr. H. Martin, of Glasgow. The Fox Terrier was originally kept as an addition to every pack of foxhounds, being always so handy as to be up within a very few minutes of running to ground. Now hounds are so fast that he would be left many miles behind in a run, and dependence is there- fore placed upon any chance terrier at hand when one is wanted. But in proportion as he has ceased to be used in the hunting-field, be has attained popularity as the most fashionable companion for THE TERRIER. 79 young men, and of late years the classes of fox-terriers at our dog shows have been the most numerous and generally mteresting. The points are as follows : Head flat, and narrow between the eyes, but wider between the ears, — these are set rather back but lie close to the cheek, and are small and thin ; jaw strong, mouth level, and teeth strong ; eyes small and keen ; nose black \ shoul- ders straight, not too wide ; chest full and round, but not deep ; neck light and coming beautifully out of the shoulder ; back pow- Fig. 14. — ^FOX TERRIER, BITTERS. erful, and thighs well bent and strong ; legs and feet straight and strong ; color white, with black, or black and tan, or tan markings about the head ; coat fine, but hard and not silky ; weight not ex- ceeding 16 lbs. At the present time the most noted show fox terriers are Mr. Burbidge's Bitters, Nimrod, Royal, Nettle, and Dorcas, Mr. Ab- bott's Moslem, Mr. Hyde's Buffett, Mr. Murchison's Forceps, Olive, i^atty, and Whisky, Mr. Gibson's Boxer and Joe, Mr. Fletcher's 80 DOMESTICATED IIUNTING-DOGS. Rattler, and Mr. Whittle's Yorick. The most successfulbrcederSi of these have been Mr. Luke Turner and Mr. Gibson, the former having bred Nettle, Olive, and Joe, besides the first bitch puppy at the Lillie Bridge show, while the latter has bred Dorcas, Buffett, Natty, and Boxer. I have selected for the engraving, as the best specimen, the dog Bitters, he being, I believe, the nearest of any of the dogs to the requirements of a fox terrier. Bitters won his first prize (under the name of Jock) at Epworth in 1872, and has altogether won nine first and nine second prizes. The Bedlington Terrier has long been prized in the north of Eng- land, but until lately it has not been known out of that district. It is a very quarrelsome dog, and is said to be of high courage. The body is not very long, the general appearance being somewhat leggy ; head high and narrow, and crowned with a tuft of silky hair like the Dandle ; eyes small, round, and rather sunk ; ears filbert-shaped, long, and hanging close to the cheek ; neck long and slender ; legs rather long, but well formed and straight ; color liver or sandy, or dark blue,— in the two former cases with a cherry nose, in the latter with a black one. The Tork^hire Blue Tan, silky coated Terrier, is a modern breed altogether, having been almost unknown beyond the neighborhood of Halifax until within the last few years. Excepting in color and coat this dog resembles the old English rough terrier, as well as the Scotch, but the silky texture of his coat and his rich blue tan color are the result of careful selection and probably of crossing with the Maltese. The ears are generally cropped, but if entire should be fine, thin, and moderately small. The coat should be long, silky in texture, and well parted down the back. The beard is peculi< arly long and falling, being often several inches in length, and of a rich golden tan color. The color must be entirely blue on the back and down to the elbows and thighs, without any mixture of tan or fawn. The legs and muzzle should be a rich golden Ibu ; the ears being the same, but of a darker shade. On the top of the skull it becomes lighter and almost fawn. The weight varies from 10 lbs. to 18 lbs. THE TERRIER. 81 "Visitors to our clog shows who look out for the beautiful as well as the useful, cannot fail to be attracted by this little exquisite, as he reclines on his cushion of silk or velvet, in the center of his little palace of crystal and mahoiauy, or struts round his mansion, with the consequential airs of the dandy that he is ; yet, with all Fig. 15.— YORKSHIRE TERRIER, LADY GIFFARD'S KATIE. his self-assertion of dignity, his beard of approved cut and color, faultless whiskers of Dundreary type, and coat of absolute perfec- tion, without one hair awry, one cannot help feeling that he is but a dandy after all. Although so very modern, it is difficult to trace satisfactorily the pedigree of this breed ; indeed, pedigree he may be said at present to have none, and it is hard to say out of what materials he was manufactured ;. but the warp and woof of him appear to have been the common long-coated black and tan, and the lighter- colored specimens of what is, known as the Glasgow or Paisley Skye terrier, the former of no certain purity, and the latter an ad- mitted mongrel ; and from which I think the Yorkshire gets the softness and length of coat due to Maltese blood. In shape this 82 DOMESTICATED HUNTIXG-DOGS. dog is in tlie proportion of higlit to length between the Skye and English terrier — rather nearer to the latter; a long back is objected to. As they are always shown in full dress, little more than out- line of shape is looked for; the eye, except when the hair is tied up, is invisible ; the tail is shortened, and the ear is generally cut*, when uncut it must be small, and is preferred when it dropa slightly at the tip, but this is a trival point, and sinks into insig- nificance before coat an.l color ; the coat must be abundant; ovei the whole body, head, legs, and tail, and artificial means are used to encourage its growth ; length and straightncss, freedom from curl and waviness, being sought for ; the body color should be clear, soft, silvery blue, of course varying in shade , with this is preferred a golden tan head, with darker tan about the ears, and rich tan legs. The style in which the coat is arranged for exhibition is beautifully shown in the sketch of Katie ; but that stage of perfec- tion is not attained without much time, trouble, and patience When the pups are born, they are black in color, as are pepper Dandie Dinmonts and others ; at an early age the tip of the tail is nipped off to the desired length, the ears, if cut at all, not until the age of six to eight months , and before this the coat will be changing color, getting gradually lighter. To prevent the hair being scratched and broken, little or no meat is given. THE DACHSHUND. 85 Fig. 16.— PAIR OF DACHSHUNDS. THE DACHSHUND, OR GERMAN BADGER DOG. The Dachshund is perhaps one of the most ancient forms of the domesticated dog. The fact is that he lias for centuries repre- sented an isolated class between the hound and the terrier, with- out being more nearly connected with the one than the other. His obstinate, independent character, and his incapacity to be trained or broken to anything beyond his inborn, game-like disposition, are quite unrivalled among all other races of the dog. Regarding his frame, he differs from the hound, not only by his crooked fore legs and small size, but by the most refined modification of all parts of his body, according to his chief task — to work under- ground. It is not possible to imagine a more favorable frame for an " earth dog " than the real dachshund type. Some of our higli- bred dachshunds are near perfection, according to German points ; they do not want much improvement, but propagation, for they are seldom met with even in northern Germany. The desire for " hound-like type" in dachshunds would never have originated if the natural vocation of this breed (underground work) had not been overlooked. The consequence of this errone- ous idea will be that well-bred dachshunds will be regarded as a " terrier cross," and that it will be next to impossible for many dog fanciers to get a clear idea of the real type of the dachshund. 86 DOMESTICATED HUNTIKG-DOGS. Having concentrated all varieties of the badger dog to one single class— the crook-legged, short-haired dog, with head neither hound nor terrier-like, weight from 8 lbs. to 20 lbs., color black-tan and its variations — we shall still meat here many varying forms. With some attention we shall soon distinguish the common breed and the well or high-bred dachshund. The first is a stout, strong-boned, muscularly built dog, with large head and strong teeth ; the back not much arched, sometimes even straight; tail long and heavy; fore legs strong and regularly formed ; the head and tail often ap- pear to be too large in the dog ; the hair is rather coarse, thick-set, short, and wiry, lengthened at the underside of the tail, without forming a brush or feather, and covering a good deal of the belly. These dogs are good workmen, and are less affected by weather than high-bred ones ; but they are very apt to exceed 18 lbs. and even 20 lbs. weight, and soon get fat if not worked frequently. From this common breed originates the well and high-bred dog, which may at any time be produced again from it by careful selec- tion and in-breeding without any cross. The well and high-bred dog is smaller in siz?, finer in bone, more elegantly built, and seldom exceeds 16 lbs. to 17 lbs. weight ; the thin, slight, tapering tail is only of medium length ; the hair is very short, glossy like silk, but not soft ; the under part of the body is very thin-haired, rendering these nervous and high-spirited dogs rather sensitive to wet ground and rain. In hunting above ground the dachshund follows more the track than the general scent {wittcrung) of the game ; therefore he follows rather slowly, but surely, and with the nose pretty close to the ground. His noise in barking is very loud, far sounding, and of surprising depth for a dog of so small a frame ; but, in giving tongue while hunting, he pours forth from time to time short, shrill notes, which are quickened as the scent gets hotter, and, at sight of the game the notes are often resolved into an indescribable scream, as if the dog were being punished in a most cruel manner. Though not a pack hound, the dachshund will soon learn to run in couples ; and two or three of these couples, when acquainted with one another, or forming a little family, will hunt pretty well THE DACHSHUND. 87 together. They do not frigbteu their game so much as the larger hounds, and, when frequently used, they will learn to stay when arrived at the line of the shooters, not by obedience to their mas- ter, but because they are intelligent enough as to see that it is quite useless to run longer after the game. For tracking wounded deer or a roebuck a dachshund may be used when no bloodhound is to be had ; but they must be accus- tomed to collar and line for this purpose, and then they are rather troublesome to lead in rough ground or coverts. They retrieve better by running free or slipped, but must carry a bell, for they are apt to keep silence when they find their game dead ; and, be- ginning to lick at the wound where the ball has gone into the body, they will slowly advance to tearing and to eating their prey. Dachshunds are very headstrong and difficult to keep under command ; and, as they are at the same time very sensitive to chastisement, it is next to impossible to force them to do anything against their will. Many good badger dogs have been made cow- ards for their whole life by one severe whipping. They must be taken as they are — with all their faults, as well as their virtues. When treated always kindly, the dachshund is verj' faithful to his master, and not only a useful, but a most amusing dog — a very humorist among the canine family. In spite of his small frame, he has always an air of consequence and independence about him ; but, at the same time, he is very inquisitive, and always ready to interfere with things with which he has no concern. He seems to have an antipathy to large dogs, and, if they object to be domi- neered over, the dachshund will certainly quarrel with them. When his blood is up, he will care neither for blows nor fov wounds, and is often bitten dreadfully in such encounters. There- fore dachshunds should not be kept in kennels with larger dogs. When kept in houses and accustomed to children, they will make good pets, for they are clean, intelligent, and watchful, without being noisy, though often snappish with strangers. First in- troduced into the United States about twelve yeai'S ago, they are now becoming quite numerous. CHAPTER IV. DOMESTICATED DOGS, FINDING GAME BY SCENT, BUT NOT KILLING IT, BEING CHIEb^LY USED IN AID OF THE GUN. THE MODERN ENGLISH POINTER. — THE PORTUGUESE POINTER. — THE FRENCH POINTER. — THE DALMATIAN AND DANISH DOGS. — THE ENGLISH AND IRISH SETTERS.— THE RUSSIAN SETTER. -THE ORDINARY FIELD SPANIEL, INCLUDING THE SPRINGER (CLUMBER, SUSSEX, AND NORFOLK BREEDS), AND THE COCKER (WELSH AND DEVONSHIRE).— THE WATER SPANIEL (ENGLISH AND IRISH). — THE CHESAPEAKE BAY DOG. THE MODERN ENGLISH POINTER. This is now one of the most beautiful of all our sporting dogs, dividing with the setter the a Imiratio i of all those who enjoy the pleasures attending on the use of the gun. The points desirable in the pointer are, a moderately large head, wide rather than long, with a high forehead, and an intelligent eye of medium size. Muzzle broad, with its outline square in front, not receding as in the hound. Flews manifestly presant, but not pendent. The head should be well set on the neck, with a peculiar form at the junction only seen in the pointer. The neck itself should be long, convex in its upper outline, without any tendency to a dewlap or to a " ruff," as the loose skin covered with long hair round the neck is called. The body is of good length, with a strong loin, wide hips, and rather arched ribs, the chest being well let down, but not in a hatchet sliaps as in the greyhound, and the depth of the back ribs being proportionately greater than in that dog. The tail, or " stern" as it is technically called, is strong at the root, but suddenly diminishing it becomes very fine, and then continues nearly of the same size to within two inches of the tip, when it goes off to a point looking as sharp as the sting of a wasp, andgiv- ing the whole very much the appearance of that part of the insect, but magnified as a matter of course. This peculiar shape of the 88 THE MODERN ENGLISH POINTER. 89 Stem characterizes the breed, and its absence shows a cross with th« hound or some other dog. The shoulders are points of great im- portance in the pointer, as unless they are well-formed he cannot last throughout the day, and, moreover, he can neither stop him- self nor turn quickly in his work as he ought to do. Hence, a long, slanting, but muscular blade is of vast importance, united to a long upper arm, which again requires for its existence an elbow well let down below the chest, and a short fore arm. This low posi- tion of the elbow is not generally sufficiently insisted on, but in pointers and setters it is all-important, and it will be seen to be particularly well shown iu the portrait, page 31. Plenty of bone in the leg, well clothed with muscle and tendon, a strong knee, full-sized ankle, and round strong foot, provided with a thick sole, are also essential to the wear and tear of the fore quarter, w^hile the hind requires muscular haunches and thighs, strong well-bent stifles, large and strong hocks, and the hind feet of the same char- acter as those described for the fore feet. The color should be principally white, in order that the dog may readily be seen either among heather, or in clover or turnips, as the case may be. Liver- colored or black pointers look very handsome, but it will be found that great inconvenience attaches to them, as they will often be lost sight of when pointing in either of the above kinds of beat. White, with black, liver, yellow, or lemon-colored heads, are the most prized ; and of these my prejudice is in favor of the last from having had and seen so many good dogs of that color. A spot or two on the body, and any number of ticks, are not consid- ered objectionable, particularly the latter, which are generally ad- mired. Some breeds are distinguished by having numerous white ticks in the color, especially when there are large patches on the body, the marks on the head being usually free from them. Black and white pointers have sometimes also the tanned spots over the eye, and the edges of the black on the cheeks tinged with tan ; but this is supposed to indicate a cross of the foxhound, and no doubt in many cases with truth ; yet I fancy that if a yellow and white pointer is put to a black and white one, the tan will show itself occasionally without any admixture with the hound. The coat oi 90 DOMESTICATED DOGS FOR THE GUN, the high-bred pointer is short and soft to the touch ; but for hard work, especially on the moors, a dog with rather a wiry coat, and well clothed with hair on the legs and feet, should be preferred ; but these will show rather more hair on the stern than is thought to be characteristic of high breeding ; yet let the stern be ever so hairy, there ought to be the same small bone and pointed tip as in the engraving Among pointers there are no national divisions corresponding with those of the setters. There are, however, two distinct vari- eties, strongly marked by color, viz., the lemon and white, and the liver and white, besides the black and white, the whole liver, and the whole black strains ; but these last are not common in the present day, and the appearance of one on the show bench is almost as rare as a black swan. Among the liver and whites, the dogs are often too heavy for much speed or endurance — a remark- able exception being the celebrated Drake (see page 21), bred by Sir R. Garth, and sold by him at a high figure in his seventh season to Mr. R. J. Lloyd Price, of Wales, at which advanced age he went as fast, and showed as good a nose, as most puppies even of high class. This dog was in his day the fastest and most wonderful animal that ever quartered a field, and his race up to a brace of birds at Shrewsbury in the field trials of 1868, when the ground was so dry as to cause a cloud of dust to rise on his dropping to their scent, was a sight which will probably never be seen again. He was truly a phenomenon among pointers. His extraordinary pace compelled his dropping in this way, for otherwise he could not have stopped himself in time, but when he had lost pace in his seventh season, he began frequently to stand up, as represented. In appearance, he is not taking, having a plain head with a some- what throaty neck ; but his frame is all through good, and there is no lumber about him. THE PORTUGUESE POINTER Resembles the Spanish in general form, but is furnished with a bushy stern, and looks like a cross with the old-fashioned spaniel DALMATIAN AND DANISH DOGS. 91 Fig. 17.— DALMATIAN DOG, CAPTAIN. THE DALMATIAN AND DANISH DOGS. The Dalmaiion dog is a handsome, well-formed dog, standing about 24 or 25 inches high, and resemblmg the pointer in hia shape, but usually havmg his ears cropped, as shown in the en- graving. He is beautifully spotted with black on a white ground, his chief merit consisting in the nearly uniform size of the spots (which should be from about an inch in diameter), and in their distinctness from the white in which they are imbedded ; and being remarkably fond of horses, and of road-work with them, he has been long employed in England to accompany our carriages as an ornamental appendage ; but this fashion has of late years subsided. Hence he is commonly known as the " Coach Dog ; " but hi his native country he is used as a pointer in the field, and is said to perform his duties well enough. 92 DOMESTICATED DOGS EOE THE GUN. The small Danish dog is smaller than the Dalmatian ; but, being spotted in the same way, and characterized by the same fondness for horses, they are generally confounded under the term " Coach Dog." SETTERS. THE ENGLISH SETTER.— THE BLACK AND TAN OR GORDON SETTER, IRISH SETTER. The setter is, without doubt, either descended from tne spaniel, or both are oftshoots from the same parent stock. Originally — that is before the improvements in the gun introduced the practice of " shooting flying," — it is believed that he was merely a spaniel taught to " stop" or " set" as soon as he came upon the scent of the partridge, when a net was drawn over the covey by two men. Hence he was made to drop close to the ground, an attitude which is now unnecessary ; though it is taught by some breakers, and notably to very fast dogs, who could not otherwise stop themselves quickly enough to avoid flushing. Manifestly, a dog prone on the ground allowed the net to be drawn over him better than if he was standing up ; and hence the former attitude was preferred, an additional reason for its adoption being probably that it was more easily taught to a dog like the spaniel, which has not the natural cataleptic attitude of the pointer. But when "shooting flying'' came into vogue, breakers made the attempt to assimilate the atti- tude of the setting spaniel, or " setter " as he was now called, to that of the pointer; and in process of time, and possibly also by crossing with that dog they succeeded, though, even after the lapse of more than a century, the cataleptic condition is not so fully displayed by the setter as by the pointer. In the present day, as a rule, the standing position is preferred, though some well known breakers, and notably George Thomas, Mr. Btatter's keeper, have preferred the " drop," which certainly enables a fast dog to Stop himself more quickly than he could do by standing up. It is. . " WW "' ''*y(f^^'^> y SETTERS. 95 however, attended with the disadvantage that in heather or clover a " dropped " dog cannot be seen nearly so far as if he was stand- ing, and on one occasion, at the famous Bala trials, the celebrated Ranger was lost for many minutes, having " dropped " on game in a slight hollow, surrounded by heather. As a rule, therefore, the standing position is the better one, but in such fast dogs as Ranger and Drake, " dropping " may be excused. At the above meeting, however, after a long and evenly balanced trial between Mr. Mac- dona's Ranger and Mr. R. J. LI. Price's Belle, the latter only won by her superior attitude on the point, and Ranger again suffered the penalty for droppmg at Ipswich. 96 DOMESTICATED DOGS FOR THE GUN. THE ENGLISH SETTER. Since the first publica^;ion of the articles on the various breeds on dogs in The Field, during the years 1865-6, the strain of English setters known by the name of " Laverack," from the gentleman who bred them, has carried all before it, both on the show bench and in the public field trials which have been annually held. Foi this high character it is greatly indebted to the celebrated Countess who was certainly an extraordinary animal, both in appearance and at work ; for until she came out the only Laverack which had shone to advantage was Sir R Garth's Daisy, a good average bitch. Though small, Countess was possessed of extraordinary pace, not perhaps quite equal to that of the still more celebrated pointer Drake, but approaching so closely to it that his superiority would be disputed by many of her admirers. On referring to her por- trait (see frontispiece), it will be seen that her frame, though on short legs, is full of elegance, and her beautiful head and neck are absolutely perfect. The most remarkable feature in the Laverack breed of setters is the extraordinary extent to which in-breeding has been carried, as shown in the pedigree of Countess, given by Mr. Laverack in his book on the setter. By examining this carefully, it will be seen that every animal in it, is descended from Ponto and Old Moll, which were obtained by Mr. Laverack in 1825 from the Rev. A. Harrison, who lived near Carlisle, and who had kept the breed pure for thirty five years. Four names only besides these two are found in the right hand column, and these four are all de- scended from Ponto and old Moll, as will be seen at a glance by referring to the names in italic in the middle of the table. Thus it appears that they alone formed Mr. Laverack's breed, though he often stated that h6 had tried the introduction of alien blood, l/ut finding it not to answer, he had abandoned the produce, and resorted agam to the original stock. This has led to the belief that the pedigree is mcorrect, but he was very positive in his state- ment. If correct, it certainly is the most remarkable case of breeding-in-and-m 1 ever met with. THE ENGLISH SETTER. 97 r sting. P Cora II. K 5 1 1 r Fred I. ■Regent. f Rock. i I tBlair'sCora,.-! f Fred I. Cora Rock 1. Moll II. Rock II. LBelle H ^ I l^ Blair's Cora. LJetl... f Regent Jet I . . . fRock... I Moll II. r Dash I. I \ Belle L Rock. IPeg .. Dash I.. LBelle I.. Regent.. [Jet I... Regent. . [jetl.... (Pilot (Dash I. \ 1 Belle I. ( Moll II. ..... J Dash I. \ Belle I. (Pilot jDabhI. \ \ Belle I. ( Moll II J Dash I. 1 Belle I. Pilot J Dash I. 1 Belle I. Moll 11 J Dash I. 1 Belle I. ( Pilot J Dash I. { 1 Belle I. (Moll II j Dash I. I Belle I. Rock 1 Pilot. 1 Moll II. Peg \ Dash I. 1 Moll II. (Dash I j Ponto. i 1 Old MoU. (Belle I (Ponto. 1 Old Moll. Ponto Old Moll ... Ponto Old Moll. . . . Pilot (DashT. I Belle I. Moll II (Dash I. '] Belle I. Dash I .... J Ponto. 1 Old MolL MollII J Dash I. 1 Belle I. Ponto Old Moll. . (Ponto (Old Moll.... Pilot J Dash I. I Belle I. Moll II j Dash I. / Belle I. (Pilot (Dash I. \ I Belle I. I Moll II ( Dash I. 1 Belle I. (Pilot (Dash I. -^ ■/ Belle I. Moll II ( Dash I. 1 Belle I. (Pilot j Dash I. i "i Belle I. (MollII (Dash I. 1 Belle I. 98 DOMESTICATED DOGS FOR THE GUN. A great many different strains of English setters might be ad- duced from all parts of the country, but notably from the north of England, with claims superior to those of Mr. Laverack's strain, up to the time of the institution of field trials. Among these were the Graham and Corbet breeds, those of the Earl of Tankcrville, Lord Waterpark, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Bayley, Mr. Lort, Mr. Jones (of Oscott), Major Cowan, Mr. Withiugtou,Mr. Paul Hackett, and Mr. Calver, the last two being a good deal crossed with Gordon blood. None of these strains were, however, so generally known beyond the immediate circle of their owners' friends as to have gained a universal reputation ; and it was not until the public appearance of Mr. Garth's Daisy, and afterwards that of Mr. Purcell Llewellyn's Countess and Nellj^ that the Laverack strain attained its present high reputation. Before Daicy came out, Mr. Garth had produced a brace of very bad ones at Stafford in 1867; and it was with con- siderable prejudice against them that the above celebrated bitches first ex'iibited their powers, i'l spit:' of the high character given of them by Mr. Lort, Mr. Withington, and other well-known sports- men who had shot over them for years. It is Mr. Lort's opinion that Mr. Withington possessed better dogs than even Countess; but it must not be forgotten that private trials are generally more flattering than those before the public. I come now to consider the value of Mr. Llewellyn's '' field trial " strain, as they are somewhat grandiloquently termed by their " pro- moters," or as I shall term them, the " Dan-Laveracks," being all either by Dan out of Laverack bitches, or by a Laverack dog out of a sister to Dan. As a proof of the superiority of this cross to the pure Laveracks, "Setter" states, that during the last two years ten of this breed " (Laveracks), " and ten of the Duke-Rhoebe and Laverack cross, have been sent to America ; the former includ- ing Petrel, winner of the champion prize at Birmmgham, Pride of the Border, Fairy, and Victress ; the latter includmg Rock, Lei- cester, Rob Roy, Dart, and Dora, the same men bemg owners of both sorts. At the American Shows both sorts have appeared, and the Rhoebe blood has always beaten the Laverack. At field trials no Laverack has been entered ; but, first, second, and third prizes THE ENGLISH SETTER. 99 Were gained at their last field trials, in the champion stakes, by do^s of the Rhoebe blood, all descended from Mr. Llewellyn's ken- nel." I confess that, in my opinion, this does not indicate any superiority in the one over the other, as far as regards field trials, since they were not tested together ; and in reference to the supe- riority of the Dan-Laveracks on the show bench, it is of little in' terest to my present inquiry, but I unhesitatingly state, that, as far as my judgment and opportunities for forming it go, " Setter " is quits correct. Dan himself was a very fine upstanding and hand- some dog, and his stock might therefore be expected to resemble him, while the Laverack dogs are nearly all heavy and lumbering, and the bitches, though very elegant, too small and delicate for perfection. The points of the English setter may be described as follows : 1. The skull has a character peculiar to itself, somewhat between that of the pointer and cocker spaniel, not so heavy as the former's, and larger than the latter's. It is without the prominence of the occipital bone so remarkable in the pointer, is also narrower be- tween the ears, and there is a decided brow over the eyes. 2. The nose should be long and wide, without any fullness un^ der the eyes. There should be in the average dog setter at least four inches from the inner corner of the eye to the end of the nose. Between the point and the root of the nose there should be a slight depression— at all events, there should be no fullness— and the eyebrows should rise sharply from it. The nostrils must be wide apart and large in the openings, and the end should be moist and cool, though many a dog with exceptionally good scenting powers has had a remarkably dry nose, amounting in some cases to rough- ness like that of shagreen. In all setters the end of the nose should be black, or dark liver-colored, but in the very best bred whites or lemon and whites pink is often met with, and may in them be par- doned. The jaws should" be exactly equal in length, a " snipe nose," or " pig jaw," as the receding lower one is called, being greatly against its possessor. 3. Ears, lips, and eyes. With regard to ears, they should be fihorter than the pointer's and rounded, but not so much so as lOO DOMESTICATED DOGS FOR THE GUN. those of tlie spaniel. The " leather" should be thm and soft, ca^ ried closely to the cheeks, so as not to show the inside, without the sli'mtest tendency to prick the ear, which should be clothed with silky iiair little more than two inches in length. The lips also are not so full and pendulous as those of the pointer, but at their anj;les there should be a slight fullness, not reaching quite to the extent of hanging. The eyes must be full of animation, and of medium size, the best color being a rich brown, and they should be set with their angles straight across. 4. The neck has not the full rounded muscularity of the pointer, being considerably thinner, but still slightly arched, and set into the head without that prominence of the occipital bone which is so remarkable in that dog. It must not be " throaty," though the s'iin is loose. 5. The shoulders and chest should display great liberty in all di- rections, with sloping deep shoulder blades, and elbows well let down. The chest should be deep rather than wide, though Mr. Laverack insists on the contrary formation, italicising the word wide in his remarks at page 23 of his book. Possibly it may be owing to this formation that his dogs have not succeeded at any field trial, as above remarked ; for the bitches of his breed, nota- bly Countess and Daisy, which I have seen, were as narrow as any setter breeder could desire. I am quite satisfied that on this point Mr. Laverack is altogether wrong. I fully agree with him, how- ever, that the " ribs should be well sprung behind the shoulder," and great depth of the back ribs should be especially demanded. 6. Back, quarters, and stifles. An arched loin is desirable, but not to the extent of being " roached " or " wheel-backed," a defect which generally tends to a slow up-and-down gallop. Stifles well bent, and set wide apart, to allow the hind legs to be brought for ward with liberty in the gallop. 7. Legs, elbows, and hocks. The elbows and toes, which gener ally go together, should be set straight ; and if not, the " pigeon- toe " or in-turned leg is less objectionable than the out-turn, in which the elbow is confined by its close attachment to the ribs. The arm should be muscular and the bone fully developed, with strong and THE ENGLISH SETTER. 101 broad knees, short pasterns, of which the size in point of bone should be a& great as possible (a very important point), and their slope not exceeding a very slight deviation from the straight line. Many good jcdges insist upon a perfectly upright pastern, like that of the foxhound ; but it must not be forgotten that the setter has to stop himself suddenly when at full stretch he catches scent, and to do this with an upright and rigid pastern causes a considerable strain on the ligaments, soon ending in " knuckling over ;" hence a very slight bend is to be preferred. The hind legs should be mus- cular, with plenty of bone, clean strong hocks, and hairy feet. 8. The feet should be carefully examined, as upon their capabil- ity of standing wear and tear depends the utility of the dog. A great difference of opinion exists as to the comparative merits of the cat and hare foot for standing work. Foxhound masters in- variably select that of the cat, and, as they have better opportuni- ties than any other class of instituting the necessary comparison, their selection may be accepted as final. But, as setters are spe- cially required to stand wet and heather, it is imperatively neces- sary that there should be a good growth of hair between the toes, and on this account a hare foot, well clothed with hair, as it gen- erally is, must be preferred to a cat foot naked, as is often the case, except on the upper surface. 9. The flag is in appearance very characteristic of the breed, al- though it sometimes happens that one or two puppies in a well- bred litter exhibit a curl or other malformation, usually consid- ered to be indicative of a stain. It is often compared to a scimitar, but it resembles it only in respect of its narrowness, the amount of curl in the blade of this Turkish weapon being far too great to make it the model of the setter's flag. Again, it has been com* pared to a comb ; but as combs are usually straight, here again the simile fails, as the setter's flag should have a gentle sweep ; and the nearest resemblance to any familiar form is to the scythe with its curve reversed. The feather must be composed of straight silky hairs, and beyond the root the less short hair on the flag the better, especially towards the point, of which the bone should be fine, and the feather lapering with it. 102 DOMESTICATED DOGS FOR THE GTJN. 10. Symmetry and quality. In character the setter should dis- play a great amount of " quality," a term which is difficult of ex- planation, though fully appreciated by all experienced sport^iien. It means a combination of symmetry, as understood by the artist, with the peculiar attributes of the breed under examination, as in- terpreted by the sportsman. Thus, a setter possessed of such a frame and outline as to charm an artist would be considered by the sportsman defective in " quality " if he possessed a curly or harsh coat, or if he had a heavy head with pendent bloodhound-like jowl and throaty neck. The general outline is very elegant, and more taking to the eye of the artist than that of the pointer. 11. The texture and feather of coat are much regarded among setter breeders, a soft silky hair without curl being considered a sine qua non. The feather should be jonsiderable, and should fringe the hind as well as the fore legs. 12. The color of coat is not much insisted on among English set- ters, a great variety being admitted. These are now generally classed as follows, in the order given : (1) Black and white ticked, with large splashes, and more or less marked with black, known as " blue Belton ; " (2) orange and white freckled, known as orange Belton ; (3) plain orange, or lemon and white ; (4) liver arid white; (5) black and white, with slight tan markings; (6) black and white ; (7) liver and white ; (8) pure white ; (9) black ; (10) liver; (11) red or yellow. THE BLACK-TAN OR GORDON SETTER. The black-tan setter, until the institution of shows, was com- monly called "Gordon," from the fact that the Dukes of Gordon had long possessed a strain of setters of that color, which had ob- tained a high reputation. At the first dog show held at Newcastle in June, 1859, Mr. Jobling's (of Morpeth) black and tan Dandy was shown with success in an open class : and in November of the same year Mr. Burdett's Brougham followed suit at Birmingham, THE RLACK-TAN OR GORDON SETTER. 103 In 1861 Mr. Burdett's Ned (son of Brougham) won the first prize in an open class at Birmingaam, after which a special class was made for dogs of that color at Birmingham, London, and other large shows, the breeders of English dogs fancying that the beauti- ful color of the " Gordons " was too much in their favor. But, in spile of the above successes, it cannot be denied that the general opinion of good sportsmen in the south has not been in favor of the breed since the institution of field trials, in which it has been brought into competition with the English and Irish set- ter. Both Rex and Young Kent had shown marvellous powers of scent, but exception was taKen to their tiring action, and it must be admitted that six hours' work was enough at one time for either of them, and probably too much for Young Kent. Both dogs also were headstrong, and required severe treatment to keep them under command, and though neither showed the slightest disposi- tion to unsteadiness on the point, yet both were jealous behind, and it was difficult to make them work to hand. Among the num- berless specimens of the breed (black-tan) which I have seen at work, not one has shown the solicitude to catch the eye of the shooter which is so essential to the perfect correspondence of man and dog which ensures sport. The pointer or setter ought always to know where his master is, and if p'.it into high covert, such as beans, should raise his head at short intervals above them to ascer- tain his whereabouts. Now, as far as my experience goes, black- tan setters, and notably the Kents, never do this, and cannot be taken off a scent without very great severity, until they have satis- fied themselves of its fallacy. The points of the black-tan setter are very nearly the same as those of the English dog, the only deviations being as follows: 1. The skull is usually a little heavier than that of the English setter, but in other respects it resembles it. 2. The nose, also, is like the English setters ; but it is usually a trifle wider, 9. The flag is usually a trifle shorter than that of the English getter, which it otherwise resembles in shape. 11. The coat is generally harder and coarser than that of the 104 DOMESTICATED DOGS FOR THE GTJN. English or Irish setter, occasionally with a strong disposition to curl, as ill the celebrated champions Reuben and Regeut. 12, The color is much insisted on. Tiie black should be rich, without mixture with the tan, and the latter should be a deep ma- hogany red without any tendency to fawn. It is admitted that the original Gordons were often black, tan, and white ; but, as in all our shows the classes are limited to black-tan ; the long arguments which have been adduced on that score are now obsolete. A little white on the chest, and a white toe or two, are not objected to; but a decided frill is considered by most judges to be a blemish. The red tan should ba shown on lips, cheeks, throat, spot over the eyes, fore L'gs nearly to the elbows, hind legs up to stifles, and on the under side of the flag, but not running into its long hair. I have sebcted Mr. Coath's Lang to illustrate this breed, and the engraving, page 93, is a wonderful likeness of this elegant dog. On the show bench he has been very successful since the retire- ment of his sire Reuben from old age, having won first and cham- pion prizes at Glasgow, Edinburgh, Crystal Palace (twice), Bir- mingham (thrice), and Alexandra Palace. At the Shrewsbury field trials of 1872 and 1873, he was entered, and showed great pace and a fine style of going ; but in the former year his pace was too great for the absence of scent and covert which prevailed there, and he was put out by Mr. Armstrong's Don, in one of those unsatisfactory trials to which owners of dogs have so often been reduced there. In the next year he showed well at first with Mr. Barclay Field's Rake, but was put out from chasing fur. At the same meeting he was bracketed with Mr. Macdona's Ranger in the braces, but not being quite steady behind, they were beaten by Mr. Barclay Field's Bruce and Rose. He is a fine slashing dog, of good size, possessing plenty of bone without lumber, and excellent legs and feet. His pedigree is an excellent one, being as follows : „ , ( Milo (Malcolm's j Daiuly (Joblin^^'s) f Reuben.... J ( I ( Ruin (Lord Rosslyn's \ Sf'^Vf,, Lang (Mr. Coath'.) f^-^e..^ ^^^^^^^^^^^ r Suwarrow (Birch's). . J prom Duke of Buc- .Mona I i cleuL'h's Kennels) _, ( Kent (Pearce's) .Bounce J Old Moll, by Job- ( ling's Dandy. 1: THB IRISH SETTER. 105 It will be seen that he goes back to Jobling's Dandy, on the side of both sire and dam. The black and tan setter crosses well with the Irish, and Mr. Salter possesses an excellent specimen of the cross in his Young Rex, winner of the first prize at Brighton in the black and tan class in 1876. This dog is by Rex (son of Kent and Regent), out of Sal, a well-bred bitch descended from Major Hutchinson's Bob, and is a good looking dog, as well as a fine mover. Mr. Purcell Llewellyn has also crossed the Laveracks with it, the result, in 1872, being a very beautiful orange Belton bitch, Flame, out of Carrie, who was by Pilkmgton's Dash, out of a daughter of Hutch- inson's Bob (winner of the champion prize at the Crystal Palace, in 1875) ; and also a 1st prize winner at the Crystal Palace in 1872, and a 2nd at Birmingham in the same year. THE IRISH SETTER. This breed has long been known to sportsmen throughout Great Britain as a good one, especially in point of stamina, and a class was set apart for it at Birmingham in 1860, a year before the black and tans were similarly favored. There is no reason to suppose that any improvement had taken place in this breed in its native country until very recently, when the institution of local shows seems to have stimulated Irish breed- ers to fresh exertions ; but in the exhibits which have been made in the English shows the chain of progress has been unbroken from Carlo to Dash and Palmerston. In the field trials, the Rev. J. C. Macdona has raised its character by producing his Plunket at Shrewsbury in 1870, after which he was sold to Mr. Purcell Llew- ellyn, and took prizes at Vaynol, Southampton, and Shrewsbury. This dog was very small and bitch-like in appearance, and rather light in color, but his pace was very great, though not perhaps quite equal to that of the Laverack Countess, while his style of going and his attitude on the point were far superior to hers. He was 106 DOMESTICATED DOGS FOli THE GUN. bred by the Hon. D. Plunket, and combines the blood of that gen- tleman's kennel with the La Touche and Hutchinson strains. Mr. Purcell Llewellyn purchased him in the hight of his successes, and bred several average dogs from him out of Kate (of the Knight of Kerry's strain), including Kimo, Kite, and Kitty; while another litter, out of Buckell's Min, contained Marvel, May, and Knowing, less successful than the former, both on the bench and in the field. With the solitary exception of Plunket and his daughter Music, who was at Vaynol in 1873, however, no Irish setter has shown any- thing like high form in the l!eld trials, Mr. Purcell Llewellyn's Samson, who is above the average, being crossed with the Laver- ftck Prince through his dam, Carrie, through both are entered in the Stud Book as Irish setters. After a great deal of discussion, a separate class has been made in Dublin and elsewhere for "reds" and " white and reds," it be- ing shown thart there are two distinct strains of the Irish setter, of these colors respectively. The white and reds stands no chance in the open classes, and yet it was considered hard to debar them from all prizes, especially as by some good judges they are thought to possess better noses than the reds. According to my judgment the rich red, or blood red color as it is described, is made a little too much of, and I shouid strongly object to the passing over of excellence in shape because the color is too pale ; a marked instance of which happened at the Brighton show of 1876. In points the Irish setter only differs from the English in the fol- lowing: 1. The skull is somewhat longer and narrower, the eyebrows being well raised, and the occipital prominence as marked as m the pointer. 2. The nose is a trifle longer, with good width, and square at the end : nostrils wide and open, with the nose itself of a deep mahog- any or very dark fleshy-color, not pink nor black. 3. Eyes, ears, and lips. — The eyes should be a rich brown or ma- hogany color, well set, and full of mtelligence; a pale or goos& berry eye is to be avoided. Ears long enough to reach within half an mch or an inch of the end of the nose, and, though mor« THE IRISH SETTER. 10? tapering than in the English dog, never comhig to a point ; they should be set low and close, but well back, and not approaching to the hound's in setting and leather. Whiskers red ; lips deep, but not pendulous. 5 and 6. In frame the Irish dog is higher on the leg than either the English or black and tan, but his elbows are well let down I'evertheless ; his shoulders are long and sloping ; brisket deep, but never wide; and his back ribs are somewhat shorter than those of his English brelhern. Loin good, slightly arched, and well coupled to his hips, but not very wide ; quarters slightly sloping, and flag set on rather low, but straight, fine in bone, and beautifully carried. Breeders are, however, going for straight backs like that of Palmerston, with flags set on as high as in the English setter. 7. Legs very straight, with good hocks, well-bent stifles, and muscular but not heavy haunches. 8. The feet are hare-like, and moderately hairy between the toes. 9. The flag is clothed with a long, straight comb of hair, never bushy or curly, and this is beautifully displayed on the point. 11. The coat should be somewhat coarser than that of the English setter, being midway between that and the black and tan, wavy but not curly, and by no means long. Both hmd and fore legs are well feathered, but not profusely, and the ears are furnishel with feather to the same extent, with a slight wave, but no curl. 12. The color should be a rich blood red, without any trace of black on the ears or along the back ; in many of the best strains, however, a pale color or an occasional tinge of black is shown. A. little white on the neck, breast, or toes, is by no means objection- able, and there is no doubt that the preponderance of white, so as to constitute what is called " white and red," is met with in some good strains. In his work the Irish setter is fast and enduring; his nose la quite up to the average of fast dogs in delicacy, and to those who are limited to a small kennel he Is an invaluable aid to the gun. His style of going is very beautiful, with head well up and feeling for the body scent; he has a free action of the shoulders, hmd legs 108 DOMESTICATED DOGS FOR THE GUN. brought well under him, and a merry lashing of the flag on the slightest indication of scent — often, indeed, without it. His ad- vocates contend that he is as steady as any other setter when once broken, but, as far as my experience goes, I scarcely think this position can be maintained. Neither Piunliet, nor any that I have seen of Mr. PurccU Llewellyn's breeding, nor indeed any of those which I have had out in private, have been always reliable, and I fear that, like almost all other settei-s of such high courage, it must be admitted that he requires work to keep him in a state of control fit for immediate use with the gun. In this respect, and indeed in delicacy of nose, both the English and Irish setter must yield to the black and tan of the be^t strains ; but to do the same amount of work, at least a double team of the last mentioned must be kept. Having been charged, by Mr. Adcock, in the case of the billdog, with selecting inferior specimens for illustration, it is perhaps necessary that I should explain my reasons for choosing a dog without any public reputation to represent the Irish setter in pref- erence to Mr. Hilliard's Palmerston, who has taken all the chief prizes since the last appearance of Dr. Stone's Dash at the Crystal Palace in 1875. As remarked above, no strain but that of the Hon. D. Plunket has been tried in the field ; and, as that has done great credit to the breed in the shape of Mr. Macdona's (afterwards Mr. Llewellyn's) Plunket,* his daughter Music, and his sons Marvel and Kite, I prefer a portrait of one of this tried strain to that of any dog not similarly tested. Both Plunket and his daughter Music were too small to serve as a type, while Kite and Marvel have faults which render them equally unfit for that purpose. Fortunately, however, I have been able to meet with a grand specimen of the breed m Rover, an own brother to Plunket, which Mr. Macdona has recently obtained from Ireland, and which has never yet been shown. The faithful portrait of this dog pre- sented on page 109 speaks for itself as to his external shape ; but for his performances it is necessary to look to his brother Plunket, ♦ Plnnket was purchased by Mr. Llewellyn from Mr. Macdona for $750, and ii now in the possession of W. J. Farrar, of Toledo, Ohio. THE FIELD SPANIEL. Ill except that I have ascertained on good evidence that in private he has been tried to be first class. In color he is of a beautiful rich red with scarcely any white ; while he possesses a frame of great size, symmetry, and substance, with good legs and feet. THE FIELD SPANIEL. The field Spaniel is distinguished from the toy dog by his propen* sity to hunt game, and by his size and strength, which are suffi- cient to enable him to stand the work which is required in making his way through the briars and thorns of a thick covert, where he is chiefly employed. Although not used for water, where the water spaniel is pre-eminent, his coat must be of such a thick nature as to bear long continued wet, inasmuch as he is generally soaked with it, either from the snow on the briars, or from mois- ture hanging to them in drops, caused either by rain or dew. Har- dihood, therefore, is essential, and though a little dog may possess it, there are few instances of anything under 12 or 14 pounds being able to stand the wet and labor of a day's covert shooting. The nose of the spaniel must be exquisite, or he will be unfit to per- form his duties, which require him to follow out the pheasant, woodcock, or hare, to the well-concealed retreat in or under a thick bush, which either of them may have chosen. A good and some- what musical tongue was, by the old school of sportsmen, consid- ered a desideratum, in order not only to give notice that the dog is on game, but also the particular kind which he is *' questing," and which many good spaniels enable their masters to distinguish by a variation in their notes. Formerly this was thought so important, that if a spaniel happened to be mute, he was hunted with a bell round his neck, as is sometimes done with the setter when used in covert. In the present day, a very fashionable breed (the Clumber) is invariably mute ; but as these dogs are chiefly used in aid of the battue, there is not the same necessity for them to give notice of their approach, as in the case of spaniels used either in wild-phea- aant shooting, or for cocks, hares, or rabbits. It will therefore ap 113 DOMESTICATED DOGS FOR THE GUN. pear, that, for every kind of covert shooting but the battue, we re- quire a strong useful spaniel, capable of bearing exposure to the weather, and neither too large for the runs, nor too small to bear work. Added to these qualities, we want an exquisite nose, and a musical but not noisy tongue, which is all the more valuable if it will distinguish by its note the various kinds of game. These dogs must also be readily kept under command, and must not be inclined to hunt far away from the shooter, or so fast as to prevent his fol- lowing them. For various purposes a vast number of breeds have been established, more or less resembling each other, and a g«od many of them being now extinct, in consequence of the diminish- ed demand for their services since the introduction of battues and their attendant preserves, by which, as a matter of course, wild covert shooting is rendered much more scarce. All the spaniels have a marked down carriage of their tails, which they work rapid- ly when on game, but should never raise above the level of their backs. All these various breeds mayj however, be arranged under two leading divisions ; one known as the *' Springer," and includ- ing the Sussex, Clumber, and Norfolk Spaniels, besides several others confined to their respective localities ; and the other called *' the Cocker," from his being chiefly used for woodcocks, though also good for general purposes. The King Charles and Blenheim originally belonged to the second division, but they are now kept and bred for toy purposes only. The Springer has a most tender and discriminating nose, is very tractable, and therefore easily kept in command. As has been already remarked, some are mute (as the Clumber), while others throw their tongues, as, for instance, the Sjssex and the Norfolk. All the springers are heavy and slow as compared with the cock- ers, and most of them soon tire, three or four hours' work being about a good average day's work. Hence, they are scarcely adapt- ed for beating large and wild woodlands, and for this reason they are seldom used for cock-shootint excepting in small coverts frequented by this bird, and highly valued by the sportsman. The Clumber Spaniel, which for a long time was confined to the Newcastle family, but has lately become very fashionable, is a re- THE FIELD SPANIEL. 113 markably long, low, and somewhat heavy dog. In weight he is from 30 to 40 lbs. Hight 18 to 20 inches. The head is heavy, wide, and full, the muzzle broad and square, generally of a flesh color. Nostrils open, and chops full and somewhat pendent. Ears long, and clothed with wavy hair, not too thick. Body very long and strong, the back ribs being very deep, and the chest being very round and barrel-like, the ribs at the same time being so widely fig. 18. — CLTTMBER SPANIEL, BRUCE. separated from each other, as to make the interval between them and the hips small in proportion to the great length. Tail bushy, but not at all woolly, the hair being waved only, not curled. It is generally cropped. Shoulders rather heavy and wide apart, arms short but strong, elbows not very well let down, fore arms strong, with plenty of bone, good knees, and strong useful round feet, but not very well up in the knuckles. The legs should be well feath- ered, and the feet hairy. The hind legs are rather straight, and should, like the fore legs, be short, so that the dog altogether has rather a weasely appearance, but the body being considerably 114 DOMESTICATED DOGS FOR THB «IJN. Stouter in proportion than that animal's. The coat is very thick, but should be silky and wavy, not curled, except in the feather- ings, which are long and well marked. Color, yellow and white, or, as is most highly prized, lemon and white. This dog is almost invariably mute. The portrait given of Mr. R. J. LI. Price's Bruce may be regarded as a good type of the breed. The Sussex Spaniel diflFcrs from the Clumber in shape and color, as well as in his "questing," his note being full and bell-like, though sharp. In bight and weight there is not much difference, Fig. 19.— SUSSEX SPANIEL, GEOROE. nor is the general character of the head very distinguishable from that of the Clumber ; but in length he is not nearly so remarkable as that dog, though still long and low, the body being very round and full, indicating great power. The coat also is pretty nearly the same in quality, being soft and silky, though thick and fret from distinct curls; and this dog is also beautifully feathered The head is not quite so heavy about the muzzle, but very square above the eyes, and with an expression of exceeding gravity an«l THE FIELD SPANIEL. 115 intelligence. The ears are full in length, lobe-shaped, but not very thickly covered with hair. Muzzle broad, v^ith the under jaw re- ceding more than in the Clumber, and the point of the nose of a liver-color. The whole body is also of a decided liver-color, but with rather a golden shade, not so puce as that of the Welsh or Devonshire cockers, or the Irish water spaniel. Legs and feet very strong, and well feathered. Tail generally cropped, and well clothed with wavy hair. The bitches are usually smaller than the dogs. All of this breed throw their tongues, and when kept to Fig. 20.— COCKER SPANIEL, BRUSH. cocks or pheasants, they readily indicate their scent by a sharper note than usual. The portrait given as a specimen of the breed was bred by the late A. E. Fuller, of Rose Hill, Sussex, England. The Cocker can scarcely be minutely described, inasmuch as there axe so many varieties in different parts of Great Britain. He may, however, be said, in general terms, to be a light, active spaniel, of about 14 lbs. weight on the average, sometimes reaching 20 lbs., »?ith very elegant shapes, and a lively and spirited carriage. In 116 DOMESTICATED DOGS FOR THE GUN. hunting he keeps his tail down, lilje the rest of his kind, and works it constantly in a most rapid and merry way, from which alone he may be known from the springer, who also works his, but solemnly and deliberately, and apparently without the same pleasurable sensations which are displayed by the cocker. The head is round and the forehead raised ; muzzle more pointed than the springer, and the ear less heavy, but of good length, and well clothed with soft wavy hair, which should not be matted in a heavy mass. The eye is of medium size, slightly inclined to water, but not to weep like the toy dog's ; body of medium length, and the shape generally resembling that of a small setter. It has long been the custom to crop the tail nearly half off, so as to prevent the constant wearing of it against the bushes, as the dog works his way through them. If left on, it is nearly as long in propor- tion as that of the setter, but more bushy, and not so closely re- sembling a fan. These dogs are well feathered, and the work for their feet and legs requires them to be strong and well formed. Tiie coat should be thick and wavy, but not absolutely curled, which last shows the cross with the water spaniel, and that gives too much obstinacy with it to conduce to success in covert shoot- ing. The color varies from a plain liver or black to black and tan, white and black, white and liver, white and red, or white and lemon ; and different breeds are noted as possessing some one of these in particular, but I am not aware that any one is remarkable as belongmg to a superior race. The title " cocker" includes every kind of field spaniel except the Sussex and Clumber, and it is therefore necessary to allude to the Norfolk Spaniel as well as to the Welsh and Devon Cocker. The Norfolk spaniel is still to be found scattered throughout the coun- try, and is generally of a liver and white color, sometimes black and white, and rarely lemon and white; usually a good deal ticked with color in the white. Higher on the leg than the Clumber or the Sussex, he is generally more active than either, sometimes almost rivalling the setter in lightness of frame; his ears are long, lobular and heavily feathered, and he is a very use- ful dog when thoroughly broken, but he is apt to be too wild in THE FIELD SPANIEL. 117 his behavior and too wide in his range until he has had a longer drill than most sportsmen can afford, and in retrieving he is often hard mouthed. When thoroughly broken, however, he is an ex- cellent aid to the gun ; but he is so intermixed with other breeds, that it is impossible to select any particular specimen as the true type. With regard to the Welsh and Devon cocker of former times, they are now scarcely to be met with in a state of purity and of the regulation size (20 lbs. to 25 lbs.) ; most of them have been crossed with the springer, or by improved management have been raised in weight to 30 lbs. at the least, which militates against their use in some coverts ; and in a vast majority of teams, the modem field spaniel must be regarded as more like the springer than the cocker. The Welsh and Devon cockers are both liver- colored, not of the Sussex golden hue, but of a dead true liver color. Their ears are not too large for work, and on the show bench would by many judges be considered too small ; but they are always lobular, without the slightest tendency to a vine shape. Throughout the country there are numberless breeds of cockers of all colors, varying from white, black, or liver to red and white, lemon and white, liver and white, and black and white. Lady- bird is nearly all red, but she comes of strains usually all liver or all black. The illustration is a portrait of Mr. W. Gillett's Brush an excellent representative dog. The BlenTieim and King Charles' Spaniels will be described under the head of toy dogs, to which puipose alone are they really suited, though sometimes used in covert shooting. 118 domesTicat::!) dog^ i^'uli the gun. Fig. 21.— IRISH WATER SPANIEL, RAKE. THE WATER SPANIEL. Water' Spaniels are commonly said to have web-feet, and this point is often made a ground of distinction from other dogs, but the fact is that all dogs have their toes united by membranes in the same way, the only distinction between the water and land dogs being that the former liave larger feet, and that the membrane between the toes being more lax, they spread more in swimming, and are thus more useful in the water. Most people would un- derstand, from the stress laid on web-foet in the water dogs, that the toes of the land dogs were nearly as much divided as those of man, but there are none so formed, and, as I before remarked, th