516 THE AMERICAN BOOK OF THE DOG. 



These lines were written about the year 1600, and show 

 that at that time dogs with short or cut tails were well 

 known. 



In Marryat's "Mr. Midshipman Easy," written about 

 1835, Bobtails are introduced as a factor in the naming of 

 that distinguished hero. Mrs. Easy wishes to call the boy 

 after Mr. Easy (Nicodemus), but papa objects. 



"As there will be two Nicks, they will naturally call my 

 boy Young Nick, and of course I shall be styled Old Nick, 

 which will be diabolical." 



Then when Mrs. Easy selects Robert, Mr. Easy inter- 

 poses : 



"I can not bear even the supposition, my dear. 

 You forget that in the county in which you are residing 

 the downs are covered with sheep. I will appeal to any 

 farmer in the country, if ninety-nine shepherd' s dogs out 

 of one hundred are not called Bob. Now observe, your 

 child is out of doors, somewhere in the fields or plantations; 

 you want and you call him. Instead of your child, what 

 do you find? Why, a dozen curs, at least, who come run- 

 ning up to you, all answering to the name of Bob, and 

 wagging their stumps of tails." 



Marryat was a close observer of dogs, mentioning many 

 breeds, and always associating them with their own pecul- 

 iarities and vocations. 



How the Scotch Collie came to supplant the original 

 English Sheep Dog is well described by Mr. F. Freeman 

 Lloyd, in his admirable monograph on Bob tails> originally 

 published in the columns of Turf, Field, and Farm, and 

 by that paper published in very handsome pamphlet form. 

 To this I would refer all inquirers for more minute partic- 

 ulars as to Bobtails, merely confining myself to general 

 statements that Mr. Lloyd seems to have somewhat over- 

 looked. 



As to the appearance of Bobtails, it may be said that they 

 average about the same as the Collie in size, being gener- 

 ally much more cobby in build, with immense power in 

 their hind quarters, and not infrequently higher behind 



