30 



DOG. 



Turnspit. 



Vuictiaof 



Docility of 

 thcd 8- 



by the roughness of the face. Analogous properties 

 are displayed by dog* externally of very different spe- 

 cie* in |K>mting at game ; lor the English or Spanish 

 pointer, a smooth, robust dog, with a thick mu//le, 

 bean no resemblance to the silky-haired dclie.ite-look- 

 ing English setter : And again the cocker or Bringing 

 spaniel seems intimately allied to the latter, whose chief 

 quality is raising the game. 



The Turkish or Barlwry dog is remarkable for being 

 entirely naked, and destitute of hair ; the skin is of a 

 brownish flesh colour. Aldrovandus says, that the first 

 seen in Europe were brought to Italy during his own 

 time, where they were incapable of subsisting or pro- 

 pagating, on account of the cold ; and the same obser- 

 vation has been made with respect to those carried to 

 France. Dogs in the warmest climates are frequently 

 destitute of hair, which some authors maintain results 

 from the heat affecting their nature; but others think 

 it is in consequence of the s|>ecies being different ; and 

 Azara remarks that the dogs of South America are both 

 rough and smooth. The origin of the Turkish dog is 

 uncertain, at least it does not frequent all parts of Tur- 

 key ; and Sonnini affirms, that lie never met with any 

 of the species there, nor could he learn that it was 

 known in the country. 



The turnspit is distinguished by a low, long body, 

 and the fore feet turning outwards, which lust peculi- 

 arity is wanting in two varieties. The terrier is said 

 to be of two or more kinds ; the English, a smooth black 

 or brown dog, generally with a spot above each eye ; 

 and the Scotch, smaller, rough, and commonly white. 

 Probably both are of mongrel breeds ; as it is likely all, 

 or almost all, the others are, though they be considered 

 of a specific family. 



Besides these, there are many other races of dogs 

 enumerated in the St/stema Natures and elsewhere, 

 particularly in the older writings, relative to the chace, 

 but so insufficiently characterised, as absolutely to pre- 

 clude a history of all the individual species. The Sys- 

 fema includes thirty-four, besides two additional turn- 

 spits, and a Peruvian dog. Cains, in the sixteenth cen- 

 tury, enumerated sixteen English dogs, distinguishing 

 each by its Latin and English name. Daubenton de- 

 scribes sixteen principal, five secondary races, resulting 

 from the intermixture of the former ; and five more the 

 offspring of the mongrels. Thus we shall only observe, 

 that, in addition to those we have mentioned, there are 

 among others, the Pomeranian wolf dog, Siberian and 

 Iceland dog, all allied to the shepherd's dog, and ap- 

 proaching it in size. The lurcher, rough lurcher, and 

 boar lurcher, which are ill-defined. The Maltese and 

 King Charles' dog ; the mastiff and bulldog. Neither 

 of the latter seems from a pure brew! ; the pug dog is 

 said to be a diminution of the bull dug ; and what we 

 call German poodle*, seem the mongrel ofi-.pring of the 

 great water spaniel. Cains mentions a mongrel called 

 nappe, which is probably a breed from the shepherd's 

 dog, but now known as the colley, whappie, or cur 

 dog in Scotland and England. 



In a general view of the nature and disposition of 

 the dog, we find it materially affected by the habits of 

 that portion of mankind among whom it dwells. If 

 undergoes.! scn-iblr modification. Vicious and fero- 

 cious among savage tribes ; gentle and docile with those 

 that are humanized. No animal i* of equal docility a> 

 the dog. By a kind of intuitive faculty, lie soon learns 

 to distinguish the friends of his master's family, whilv 

 Ilia own attachment to him remains unimpaired : they 

 are courteously welcomed to his dwelling, but strun- 



gers are angriljr repulsed. The animals around him Dap. 

 are treated as his master would treat them. A natural W "Y^*' 

 enemy to wild beasts ; the kitten, the fawn, and the lev- 

 ret, domesticated along with him, become object* of 

 regard. He is tractable and complying, submits in pa- 

 tience to his master's resentment, and forgets all his 

 pains in the joy of being restored to a place in his fa- 

 vour. It is from this docility and fidelity of the dog, that 

 mankind have derived the principal services which are 

 now exacted from him : that he has pursued the l>easts 

 of the forest in concert with the rudest of our nnmii' 

 tors ; or has watched the drawing of the net, or thr 

 deadly aim of the more civilized s)>ortsman. Nor is it 

 in aiding the acquisition of subsistence only, that his 

 use is most conspicuous ; he boldly stands forward the 

 first to defend it, and is the faithful guardian of the 

 night, whose vigilance never sleeps. 



It is not to be denied, however, that amidst the bene- Trained i 

 fits derived from dogs, some may be differently esteemed hunt man- 

 in different ages. We read that of old, when posses- kind, 

 sions were insecure, the blood-hound was employed to 

 trace out the thief, and recover the stolen goods ; that 

 lie would swim a river in course of the pursuit, and im- 

 mediately discover the footsteps of the culprit on the 

 other side, never ceasing to follow him until he was ta- 

 ken. Thus this animal is put under the protection of 

 th most ancient laws, which enact, that "no one should 

 disturb or stop a blood-hound or man passing w : ith him, 

 to follow thieves, or take malefactors." Theft was also 

 so common in this island, that a person denying access 

 to the hound, was to be held participant in the crime. 

 There is little doubt that it was known on the conti- 

 nent, and also in England; but the Scotish blood-hound, 

 which is sjiid to have been of large size and elegant pro- 

 portions, was the most celebrated of all. Conrad Ges- 

 ner, who wrote nearly 300 years ago, has preserved a 

 figure of the Scotish blood-hound, which he says was 

 transmitted to him by Henry Sinclair, dean of Glas- 

 gow, a distinguished character of his era ; and Hector 

 Boyce affirms, that it was of a red colour, or black with 

 small spots. There was some difference between it and 

 the English blood-hound, though the properties of the 

 latter wen- also eminent. Mr Boyle, in his Treatise on 

 the Air, relates, that having heard wonderful accounts 

 of the acute sense of smell in the Irish hounds hunting 

 wolves, he was induced to niake farther investigation 

 into the subject : and he was told that the English 

 blood-hound could follow a man by the scent some hours 

 after he had passed over the ground. A relation of his 

 also informed him, that he had expressly made an ex- 

 periment on the subject, by sending a servant, who 

 had neither killed a deer, nor even touched one, to a 

 certain village four miles distant, from whence he was 

 to proceed to a market-town three miles farther. When 

 the servant had advanced about halfway, the dog was 

 let loose, and pursued his footsteps, disregarding all 

 other people in the way ; and in the same manner pas- 

 sed through the crowd in the market-place, intent on 

 the object, until coming to the door of a house where 

 the man was resting himself in an upper ajvirtment, 

 and there found him, to the great admiration of all the 

 .spectators. We learn from Stralio, that the British 

 blood-hounds were used in the wars of the Gauls; and 

 many centuries later the Spaniards are said to have 

 c.-irried these animals to the continent and inlands of 

 America, to aid them in their ferocious attacks on the 

 peaceable inhabitants. There the rate is still prc-crved 

 ibr its original purpose under other master*, in hunting 

 mankind. In the year 14y2, twenty blood-lumnds 



