CHAPTER XLVt 



THE COLLIE 



IN the course of centuries the avocation of trie Sheep- 

 dog has changed in accordance with varying natural 

 conditions. At first his primary duty being to pro- 

 tect the flocks from the depredations of wild animals, 

 it is only natural to assume that he was then of larger, 

 size and more ferocious disposition. With the dis- 

 appearance of beasts of prey it became the custom 

 to use him for rounding up the sheep, and such is 

 his duty to-day. In the performance of it he shows 

 an intelligence of the highest degree, his quick brain 

 reading the slightest sign made by his master. The 

 Sheepdog trials held from time to time in different 

 parts of the country are a revelation to those who 

 have only had experience of the dog as a companion. 



The resemblance borne by the Collie to certain 

 wild dogs has led some naturalists to believe that 

 his was the parent stock of all domesticated dogs, 

 but it is more probable that he has been procured 

 by selective processes. The derivation of the name 

 is obscure, some thinking that it comes from the 

 term col (black). Webster, on the other hand, attri- 

 butes it to the Gaelic cuilean (whelp, puppy, dog). 



James Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd, who died in 



