THE CHIEF BREEDS OF DOGS 197 



call him Fido (the faithful one), and this name is in 

 itself the finest of elegies. " 



"The barbet is a noble dog," declared Jules. 



"In addition to all this it is a good hunting dog. 

 As it willingly jumps into the water, is a skilful 

 swimmer, and retrieves with indomitable zeal, it is 

 much in demand for hunting water-fowl. When the 

 master's shot has brought down a wild duck, Sheep 

 goes and fetches it from the middle of the pond. 

 Sometimes a bitter wind is blowing and the water is 

 frozen. Sheep does not care for that: he swims 

 bravely through the broken ice, brings back the 

 game, shakes his wet coat, and waits, shivering with 

 cold, for the report of another shot before starting 

 off again." 



"He will certainly have earned the duck's bones 

 when the game comes on to the table," said Emile. 

 t i To jump into the icy water like that ! Poor fellow ! 

 Brrr! it makes the shivers run down one's back only 

 to think of it." 



"Because of his exploits in duck-hunting this dog 

 is known also as the water spaniel. But now let us 

 pass on to another breed. 



"The hound is preeminently the dog of the chase. 

 It has an extremely keen scent, which enables it to 

 trace the route followed by the game simply from 

 the odor of the emanations left by the passage of the 

 animal. Guided by a faint odor that would be im- 

 perceptible to any other nose, it goes as straight to 

 the hare as if it had had it constantly in sight. 

 There is a wonderful sensitiveness in its nostrils 



