66 DOG. Class I. 



Ireland fwarmed till the latter end of the laft cen- 

 tury. As foon as thofe animals were extirpated, 

 the numbers of the dogs decreafed ; for from that 

 period, they were kept only for ftate. 



The Vertagus^ or Tumbler, is a fourth fpecies \ 

 which took its prey by mere fubtih'ty, depending 

 neither on the fagacity of its nofe, nor its fwiftnefs : 

 if it came into a warren, it neither barked, nor 

 ran on the rabbets ; but by a feeming negled of 

 them, or attention to fomething elfe, deceived the 

 objedl; till it got within reach, fo as to take it by a 

 fudden fpring. This dog was lefs than the hound ; 

 more fcraggy, and had prickt up ears ; and by Dr. 

 Cains ^ defcription feems to anfwer to the modern 

 lurcher. 



The third divifion of the more generous do^^s, 

 comprehends thofe which were ufed in fowlino-- 

 lirft, the Hifpafnolus or fpaniel : from the name it 

 may be fuppofed, that we were indebted to Spain 

 for this breed: there were two varieties of this 

 kind, the firft ufed in hawking, to fpring the o-ame, 

 v/hich are the fame with our flarters. 



The other variety was ufed only for the net, and 

 was called htdex^ or the fetter; a kind well known 

 at prefent. This kingdom has long been remarka- 

 ble for producing dogs of this fort, particular care 

 having been taken to preferve the breed in the ut- 

 nioft purity. They are dill diftinguiflied by the 

 name of Englifi fpaniels ; fo that notwithftanding 



the 



