226 THE DALMATIAN OR COACH DOG. 



he thus frequently prevented any liberties from being taken with him. No sooner had his 

 visitor left him than his attitude would change ; and with a glance, as much as to say, ' I did 

 that very well,' he would jog along before ma. In spite of his warlike positions, he was once 

 terribly punished by a little terrier which resided in a butcher's shambles. Passing this 

 locality, my Dog was set upon before even he had time to study attitudes or to assume a pose, 

 so he made good use of his legs, and escaped with a few scratches. Now it happened that 

 amongst his friends he had one which was a well-bred bull terrier, and after the mauling that 

 he had received from the butcher's Dog I noticed that he was very much oftener with this 

 friend than he had been before. The next time that I attempted to take him past the shambles 

 he refused to come, and retreated home. I followed him, and, by dint of whistling, at length 

 brought him out from his retreat, from which he was followed by his friend the bull terrier. 



" The two jogged along very pleasantly and cheerfully, my Dog evidently paying marked 

 attention to his friend. When we approached the locality of the shambles my Dog ran 

 along in front, whilst the bull terrier followed behind, and both looked as though ' up ' to 

 something. Opposite the shambles the terrier rushed out upon my Dog, which retreated with 

 wonderful precipitancy behind his friend, who at once collared the assailant, and tumbled 

 him over and over to the tune of the joyful barks of my old cur, which had evidently made 

 the preliminary arrangements with his friend for this scene." 



The same Dog was once taught a useful lesson in a singular manner. His master is an 

 officer, and during the time when he possessed the Dog was annoyed by its constant intrusion 

 into the mess-room when breakfast was on the table. Nothing could keep the Dog away from 

 the tempting tables with their savory viands, and as each member of the mess was liable to a 

 fine every time that his Dog entered the room it was clear that these pertinacious intrusions 

 must be stopped. 



One morning the Dog crept into the room, after its custom, and fortunately there was no 

 one at breakfast except its master. Attracted by the ham and fowls that lay so temptingly on 

 the table, the Dog stealthily approached them, and stood pointing at the longed-for food, with 

 watering mouth and eager eye. Seeing the Dog's attention thus occupied, his master slyly 

 tilted the teapot, so as to let a slender stream of the hot liquid trickle on the Dog's back. At 

 first, its faculties were so absorbed in contemplation of the forbidden dainties, that it only 

 acknowledged the hot liquid by a nervous twitching of the skin. As soon, however, as the 

 fur was saturated, and the full effects of the boiling tea made themselves felt, the Dog sprang 

 iip with a yell of astonishment, and dashed howling through the door. Ever after its adven- 

 ture with the teapot, no inducement could tempt the animal to enter that room, or come fairly 

 within the threshold ; and even if a chicken bone were held out as a bait the poor Dog would 

 only lick its lips, and put on a plaintive and beseeching look as an appeal to the humanity of 

 its tempter. 



THE DALMATIAN DOG is even better known as a carriage or coach Dog than the Danish 

 Dog, which has already been described and figured. Its shape is very like that of the pointer, 

 but the artificially shortened ears give it a different aspect. 



The ground color of this animal's fur is nearly white, and is richly crossed with black 

 spots, earning for it, in common with the Danish Dog, the title of "Plum -pudding." The 

 height of this animal is about twenty-four or twenty -five inches. Some years ago, the Dalma- 

 tian Dog was very frequently seen in attendance upon the carriage of its owner, scampering 

 along in high glee by the side of the vehicle, or running just in front of the horses, apparently 

 in imminent danger of being knocked over every moment. Now, however, the creature has 

 lost its hold on the fashionable world, and is but seldom seen. 



This animal is seldom if ever permitted to be the constant companion of its master, and 

 has therefore but little of that humanly intelligent look which marks the coimtenance of the 

 companionable poodle or spaniel, and gives to the animal a certain semblance of its master. 



We may see in every country a singular similitude between the human inhabitants of the 

 land and the various animals which tread the same earth and breathe the same air. So we 



