7G ANECDOTES OF ANIMALS. 



carrying one of his master's mittens in his mouth. All 

 are very gentle, and, like the Esquimaux dogs, do not 

 bark. 



The large, powerful, and handsome dogs which go by 

 the name of Newfoundland, are not the pure breed of 

 that country. The latter are more slender in their make, 

 have a sharper muzzle, a wilder look, and are generally 

 black in colour, with a rusty spot over each eye, and a 

 tawny muzzle. These are called Labrador dogs, and it 

 is supposed that they and the Esquimaux have contri- 

 buted to form the commonly accepted breed. What the 

 latter have lost, however, in purity of blood, has been 

 gained on the side of beauty ; and there is no animal of 

 its size which conveys a higher idea of intelligence and 

 dignity than the so-called Newfoundland Dog. All are 

 semi-palmate, and dive, swim, and keep longer in the 

 water than any others of their tribe. One was picked 

 up in the Bay of Biscay, out of sight of any other vessel, 

 fatigued and hungry, and which, judging from the cir- 

 cumstances, must have been there for many hours. Their 

 fidelity, their courage, their generosity, are proverbial ; 

 and yet it is whispered that they are occasionally capri- 

 cious, and not to be trusted. During long years of 

 intercourse with these animals I never met with an in- 

 stance of this ; and I have been told that it is more apt 

 to occur when they have been kept in confinement. 



A noble creature of the mixed breed, and of the usual 

 colour black and white belonged to me, and his ex- 

 treme good nature, and endeavours to guard everything 

 belonging to the family, made him like a confidential 

 servant. The great defects in his disposition were heed- 

 lessness, and an under-estimate of his own power ; he 

 did not stop to think before he acted, as many more 



