THE DOG. 



hunting the tiger and wild-boar. They are very 

 fierce, and follow their game with much avidity 

 and determination. 



The Ekia is the native dog of Africa, and in 

 all likelihood sprung from the same stock as the 

 dhole. 



The South American Dog is not unlike the 

 ciingo, and is about the size of the springer, with 

 short and pricked ears, like most other wild-dogs. 

 There is another South American dog called the 

 Alco, of which there are two varieties. It is said 

 that the Spaniards found this dog among the 

 natives on the first discovery of America. 



Section 2. Domesticated Dogs, which hunt in packs or singly, 

 principally by the eye, although sometimes by the scent 



The Irish Greyhound ranks among the noblest 

 of the canine race. In his general shape he bears 

 a strong resemblance to the common greyhound, 

 but is much taller, and more robust His use in 

 early times was to free the country of wolves and 

 wild-boars, which abounded in England and Ire- 

 land ; hence he is sometimes termed the ' Irish 

 wolf-dog.' The ordinary height of the Irish grey- 

 hound is about three feet, although it has been 

 known to reach four feet. The true Irish wolf-dog 

 is now extremely rare, if not altogether extinct 



The French Matin has an elongated head, and 

 flat above ; his ears are erect, and slightly pendu- 

 lous towards the tips; the hair of a yellowish 

 fawn-colour, with darker, oblique, and parallel 

 indistinct rays traversing the whole of his fur. 

 He evinces great eagerness in hunting the wild- 

 boar and wolf, in which sport he is frequently 

 employed. Pennant thinks this variety is a 

 descendant of the Irish greyhound. 



The Scottish Highland Greyhound will hunt 

 either in packs or singly. He is an animal of 

 great size and strength, and at the same time very 

 swift of foot. In size he equals, if not excels, the 

 Irish greyhound. His head is long, and the nose 

 sharp ; his ears short, somewhat pendulous at the 

 tips. He is remarkable for the depth of his 

 chest, and tapers gradually towards the loins, 

 which are of great strength, and very muscular. 

 His usual colour is a reddish sand-colour, mixed 

 with white ; his tail is long and shaggy, which he 

 carries high, like the staghound, although not 

 quite so erect. It is this noble dog which was 

 used by the Scottish Highland chieftains in their 

 great hunting-parties, and is supposed to have 

 descended in regular succession from the dogs of 

 Ossian. 



Section 3. Domesticated Dogs, which hunt singly, and always by 

 the eye. 



The Gazehound is an extinct breed. 



The Greyhound is the fleetest of all dogs, in 

 consequence of his peculiar conformation. His 

 head is long, tapered, and shaped like that of a 

 snake ; his neck long and slender ; his ears some- 

 what erect and pricked, slightly pendulous at 

 their tips : the tail ought to be very fine, curved 

 and pointed, and the hair on it very short; the 

 chest should be wide and deep ; the belly drawn 

 up with strong loins, and with large and promi- 

 nent hip-muscles. This dog is by no means so 

 intelligent as many other varieties, and he is, in 

 consequence, much less susceptible of education. 

 He has, however, very fine feelings, and seems to 

 be much alive to caresses, which excite him to 

 such a degree as to produce a quick pulsation of 



the heart This may be felt beating against his 

 side with much vigour. He is one of the most 

 elegantly formed of all the canine species. 



The Scotch Greyhound is formed exactly like 

 the common greyhound, and differs from it merely 



Fig. I. Shepherd's Dog Scotch and Irish Greyhounds. 



by being of a larger size, and in the hair being 

 longer and wiry. The general colour is reddish- 

 brown or sandy. 



The Italian Greyhound is merely a miniature 

 of the common greyhound, being only about half 

 the size of that dog. It has a very fine coat of a 

 silky texture, and is so tender as to be easily 

 injured by cold or wet It is used only as a pet, 

 being altogether valueless in other respects. 



The Turkish Greyhound is still smaller than 

 the Italian greyhound, being little more than half 

 the size. It has no hair except a little on the tail 

 Its usual colour is a blackish lead-colour. It 

 abounds in Turkish towns, where it is a dreadful 

 nuisance to travellers. 



II. HEAD LESS ELONGATED THAN FORME* Dmsion. 



Section 4. Pastoral Dogs, or such as are employed in domestic 

 purposes. 



The Shepherd's Dog is covered with long, 

 flowing, and somewhat woolly hair; his muzzle is 

 long and pointed, and his ears erect, and slightly 

 bent downwards at the tips ; his tail is long and 

 bushy ; and the usual colour of his fur black and 

 white, or varied with black and gray; the backs 

 of his fore-legs have also long hairs. The pecu- 

 liar and highly useful qualities of this dog seem to 

 be rather intuitive than acquired ; indeed, scarcely 

 anything can exceed the quickness with which 

 he is taught; and certainly no other dog has 

 the same patient perseverance and courageous 

 fidelity, or greater discrimination. The labour of a 

 shepherd, with the assistance of this faithful and 

 intelligent animal, is comparatively an easy task ; 

 and it is hardly possible to fancy a more arduous 

 employment than it would be without it; for 

 without him, how could he collect extensive 

 flocks scattered over high and widely spread 

 mountain-ranges? The shepherd's dog is saga- 

 cious, grateful, and self-denying, as is well known 

 from innumerable anecdotes. 



The Cur, or Watch-dog t differs from the shep- 

 herd's dog in being nearly smooth ; he is stronger 



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