RETRIEVERS FOR ROUGH WORK. IOI 



the margins of sloughs, ponds, rivers, or even in open 

 cornfields. 



I have had two wonderfully good dogs, both re- 

 markable for their sagacity, strength, endurance, and 

 power of resisting the most inclement weather. They 

 had a general resemblance, being alike in coats. 

 The first's, however, was wavy, not long, but inclined 

 to be harsh ; the latter a trifle darker fawn brown. 

 The first animal I procured through a member 

 of the Maryland Club, that well-known resort of 

 thorough good fellows and excellent sportsmen. He 

 was of the breed so well known on the upper waters 

 of the Chesapeake, Carrols Island, Sussie Island, 

 and Havre de Grace. From what race or mixture 

 of races they originally sprang I doubt if any 

 person can inform you. Terrier blood they un- 

 doubtedly possess, and possibly a strain of Newfound- 

 land, so we will put them down as curs, but neverthe- 

 less most valuable curs at that. Many a hard day's 

 work my dogs and I went through together, and 

 many another I looked forward to, but in an un- 

 lucky moment I decided to take the senior with 

 me to the Bijou Hills, in Iowa, where he was struck 

 by a timber rattle-snake, to the poison of which he 

 succumbed. 



My second favourite, and the most wonderful 

 retriever I ever saw, is now four years old. He has 

 all the qualities of the first-mentioned, with sagacity 

 I may say intellect that is surprising. All work 

 he seems equally to comprehend, herding cattle or 

 sheep, watch dog, fetching my slippers from my bed- 

 room, or my letters and papers from the post-office, 

 all are within his province. With setters and pointers 

 in the field he is equally at home, and I defy a human 

 being to mark a covey or wounded bird with the 

 precision that he does. 



I had a large retriever bitch given me in Norfolk, 

 yellow to tawny in colour, close-coated, and very 



