"Idstone" on "Bob-Tails." 85 



the backs of a flock of sheep huddled together in order 

 to head them, a feat equally often (possibly oftener) 

 performed by the ordinary collie. 



Our old friend "Idstone" appears to have had a special 

 knack of noticing these drovers' dogs, they were common 

 in his Dorsetshire district ; he often alludes to them 

 in his articles, and the opinions I had formed of the dis- 

 position of the variety, that charming and practical writer 

 actually corroborates. I found the rough old English " bob- 

 tails" more or less surly in disposition, slow and methodical 

 in their movements, with a peculiar love of home and their 

 old masters, and such as I have been acquainted with have 

 invariably been very loth to make friends with strangers, 

 or even with their new owners, until they became well 

 acquainted with them. As a rule, any other variety kindly 

 spoken to and fed, will take to a new master in a day or 

 two, and, so long as an opportunity is not negligently 

 afforded, will not endeavour to escape. On the contrary, 

 the " bob-tail" is very slow to make new friends, and a 

 week, or even a fortnight or longer, elapses before he will 

 settle comfortably down in a new home. 



A peculiarity these dogs possess is found in the manner 

 they express their pleasure. There is an old saw to 

 the effect that it would be more wonderful if the tail 

 wagged the dog rather than the dog wagged his tail. 

 In the " bob-tail " you have pretty nearly the extra- 

 ordinary part of the saying, for, though the dog has no 

 tail, or at any rate a very diminutive one, to wag, he must 

 wag something to show his delight, so he waggles his hind- 

 quarters and body in a very funny, and at the same time 

 in a most peculiar, manner. It is said, with a minimum 

 amount of truth, that, by this habit one can tell whether the 



