8o The Irish Naturalist. August, 



Linguistic researches and historical references have 

 also yielded useful information for the purpose of studying 

 the derivation and origin of the breeds of dogs. I need 

 only refer to Father Hogan's work on the Irish Wolfhound. 

 Although these intricate problems cannot be regarded as 

 solved, our knowledge of the subject has considerably 

 increased of late years. We have already succeeded in 

 tracing the origin of a large number of modern breeds 

 from a few ancient fundamental types — I mean such as 

 formed the original stock from which the existing breeds 

 arose. These few breeds seem to have had a very wide 

 range, and were probably modified in different directions 

 either by cross-breeding or selection. The resulting breeds 

 were, no doubt, influenced by chmatic and other conditions 

 of the countries of their origin. 



It is customary to classify the modern dogs into groups. 

 the members of which resemble one another in all essential 

 points. Even in this respect, there is much difference 

 of opinion among the experts. Dalziel proposed to classify 

 them according to the manner they are used in hunting 

 and the purpose for which they are kept."^ His first group 

 consists of dogs that hunt their game by sight, such as 

 the Irish Wolfhound. The second contains dogs that hunt 

 their game by scent — for example, the Kerry Beagle. In 

 the third group he places the dogs that find their game by 

 scent, such as the Irish Setter ; while in the fourth he 

 puts the Irish Water Spaniel and other dogs used with 

 the gun in questing and retrieving game. In the British 

 Museum the dogs are arranged in six groups, viz., I. Wolf- 

 like dogs ; II. Greyhound group ; III. Spaniel group ; 

 IV. Hound group ; V. Mastiff group ; VI. Terrier group. 

 Fitzinger recognises one hundred and eighty different breeds 

 which he places into seven divisions.^ 



As regards the dogs peculiar to Ireland, they may have 

 originated in this country. The early settlers must have 

 modified the dogs they brought with them from abroad 

 in the manner above suggested. The Wolf was the only 



■7 Dalziel, H. : " British Dogs." Three vols., London, 2nd ed., 1889-97. 

 ^ Fitzinger, L. J, : Der Hund und seine Kassen. Tubingen, 1876. 



