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DOG. 



vision. The general name of these is greyhounds, 

 though that name is also given to the large and 

 powerful wolf-dogs of the former subdivision, which 

 have both the body and the muzzle much elongated, 

 and are remarkable for their speed when on the chase. 

 There is this difference between them, however, that 

 the dogs formerly mentioned, are much stronger, do 

 not, in general, run so swiftly, but can continue much 

 longer. 



THE GREYHOUND. The greyhound is the very 

 model of animals for symmetry ; and while his limbs 

 are peculiarly muscular, though lightly made, there is 

 no dog, and perhaps no animal, which has such elas- 

 ticity of the spine. In many of the cat tribe that 

 organ can be powerfully exerted for a short time ; 

 and in some of the vivcrridce it acts powerfully for a 

 continuation of leaps ; but in no animal do the spine 

 and the limbs play so beautifully to each other as in 

 the greyhound. The general character of the animal 

 agrees with this elasticity of motion ; for there are 

 few which are so actuated by fits and starts. The 

 figure of the greyhound is so peculiar, so little likely 

 to be confounded with that of any other dog, that it 

 is quite unnecessary to go into any description of it. 

 In ancient times the greyhound was reckoned a very 

 valuable present, by the ladies especially, who regard- 

 ed it as a very gratifying compliment. As far back 

 as the time of King Canute, it was enacted by the 

 forest laws, that no person should presume to keep a 

 greyhound under the degree of a gentleman ; the 

 sovereign regarding that animal as being peculiarly 

 suited only to a person of elevated rank. In Charles 

 the First's reign, greyhounds were held in very high 

 estimation. The Isle of Dogs, which is now con- 

 verted into the reservoir for the West India shipping, 

 derives its name from being the receptacle of spaniels 

 and greyhounds of Edward the Third ; and was select- 

 ed from its contiguity to Waltham and the other royal 

 forests. 



Much of the superiority of our present breed of 

 greyhounds we owe to the judgment and perseve- 

 rance of Earl Rivers and others. 



The Scotch Greyhound, which is in all probability 

 the gazehound of England, is larger than the smooth 

 greyhound of England and the warmer parts of Europe, 

 and it is also of larger size, though not so elegant, and 

 probably, for a short distance, not so fleet. It is 

 generally understood that this was the dog employed 

 in driving the deer in the moors of the south of Scot- 

 land, and the north of England, at the time when that 

 was so principal an occupation of the barons ; but 

 in the pure state this hound is now comparatively 

 scarce. 



The Turkish Greyhound is comparatively a small 

 species with very little hair, so little that it does not 

 hide the black skin. Its ears are not quite so pen- 

 dent at the tips as those of the greyhound, properly 

 so called ; and it is so insignificant in size, that it is 

 only used as a pet. There is, however, a greyhound 

 of the chase very much used in some places of the 

 south-east of Europe ; and there is another in Persia, 

 which resembles the wild dogs more than the wild 

 dogs of Europe. The little Italian greyhound, which 

 is very handsome, is used as a pet in many parts of 

 Europe ; and it is a very lively little creature, but not 

 remarkable either for attachment or sagacity. Such 

 is a short outline of the leading varieties of dogs in 

 the first or long-nosed division. 



II. DOGS WITH THE MUZZLE OF MEDIUM LENGTH. 



This section also admits of several subdivisions, 



according to the uses to which they are applied, and 

 the properties which fit them for those uses. The 

 principal subdivisions are hunting dogs, and dogs 

 which, though they have a propensity for hunting, are 

 more used for domestic purposes, or in some way to 

 assist man in his labours. 



Of the hunting dogs there are two or three farther 

 subdivisions, the chief of which are dogs which are 

 used in the chase, and dogs which are used with the 

 gun ; the last of which are most generally employed, 

 except by those who sport on a large scale. The 

 first are hounds of various descriptions ; the others 

 are setters, spaniels, and a variety of others. We 

 shall begin with 



THE BLOODHOUND. This hound is, or rather was 

 for in most European countries, at least, the breed is 

 nearly extinct the best on the scent of all the 

 coursing dogs, and perhaps, also, the most staunch 

 and persevering in pursuit of his game. When his 

 human associates happened to be of mild dispositions 

 and contented themselves with using him only in the 

 legitimate way in which a sporting dog should be 

 used, he was mild tempered and exceedingly tract- 

 able ; but the very virtues of this dog were perverted 

 through the vices of his masters ; and down to a 

 comparatively recent period, and perhaps in some 

 places even at the present time, the bloodhound has 

 been trained to hunt human beings, and so add to the 

 horrors of war, and the relentless cruelties of exter- 

 mination. This dog has been used for these purposes 

 in different parts of the world ; so that of the few 

 which remain, there are several apparent varieties. 



At one period of the world's history, the commence- 

 ment of which was in ancient times, bloodhounds were 

 much used in Britain, and the breed is said to have 

 been very superior. According to Strabo, British 

 bloodhounds were used as auxiliaries in the wars of 

 Gaul ; and there is no doubt that this prostitution of 

 a noble animal to the basest of purposes, is the reason 

 why, from time immemorial, this dog has had a bad 

 name, and that " bloodhound" has been the appella- 

 tion for such monsters of the human race, as could 

 not be done justice to by any epithet drawn from 

 the very worst vices of mankind. 



T:^ 



The Bloodhound. 



The following particulars will throw some light 

 upon the character of an animal now little known, and 

 also the uses to which this animal was applied : In 



