POINTERS. 



THE DOG, AND ITS VAEIETIES; 



[SPAKIELS. 



bad qualities, that no person may have any- 

 thing to do with him. 



THE FREiN'CH POINTER 

 "Wants the staunchness of our Englisli dog. 

 He is less objectionable than the variety just 

 described, but still not the thing. . 



This dog has more to commend him than 

 the Italian" but he has not the steadiness of 

 the English breed. We do not kuow why this 

 should be ; but it strikes us that these canine 

 creatures of the Portuguese and Erench peo- 

 ple participate in some degree of the idiosyn- 

 crasies of the natures to which they themselves 

 belong. 



THE ITALIAN POINTER. 

 This is a perfect miniature variety of a very 

 highly-bred English pointer, seldom exceeding 

 one foot in height. Mr. Eichardson says, he 

 saw one, about twelve years ago, in possession 

 of Stewart Monteith, Esq., of Closeburn, 

 Dumfriesshire ; and another, about the same 

 time, in possession of Mr. Mather, an artist, 

 resident in Edinburgh. These little dogs had 

 exquisite noses, and would set game as 

 staunchly as any other pointer, but were, of 

 course, too small for field use 



THE DALMATIAN, OR CARRIAGE DOG. 



This animal greatly resembles the pointer ; 

 but is not remarkable for either its sagacity or 

 power of scent, Notwithstanding these de- 

 fects, he has been broken to the gun, and 

 proved himself quite capable of holding his 

 ground witb other pointers. As he is not 

 regularly trained to the field, whatever draw- 

 backs he may have in hunting, may have 

 sprung from that circumstance. 



The sagacity of dogs of every variety of 

 breed is universally acknowledged, and there 

 are, every day, instances of its exemplification 

 being witnessed throughout the civilised world. 

 One of the most extraordinary displays of the 

 possession of this quality transpired not long 



ago. Messrs. , tobacconists, closed their 



shop one evening, leaving their favourite New- 

 foundland inside. On opening the store on 

 the following morning, tho floor in the back 

 room was found to be on fire, and the dog was 

 labouring with his fore feet and mouth, tryiu" 

 to subdue it. A pail of water, which stood in 

 436 



the room, had been poured down the hole. 

 The faithful animal had so successfully com- 

 bated the fire as to prevent its spreading be- 

 yond a spot two or three feet square. How 

 long the noble fellow had stood sentinel and 

 fought down the advancing flames can only be 

 conjectured ; it must have been several hours. 

 His feet, legs, and mouth were badly burned, 

 and he was seriously injured internally by in- 

 haling the hot air. He refused his food, and 

 was apparently in much pain. He is worth his 

 weight in gold, and may safely be pronounced 

 the noblest of his race. 



SPANIELS. 

 The Spaniel is a very ancient dog, the breed 

 of which has, in various countries, received 

 the utmost attention. In the Levant there 

 seems to be several breeds ; and even history 

 has given the spaniel celebrity for its fidelity, 

 and the aflectionate disposition of which it is 

 possessed. The chief order of Denmark, now 

 called the Order of the Elephant, was insti- 

 tuted to commemorate the faithfulness of a 

 spaniel, which adhered to the sovereign when 

 his subjects deserted him. The motto to this 

 order still exists, and it is simple, brief, and 

 expressive — " "Wildbrat was faithful." Mr. 

 Daniel, in his Sural S/Jorts, speaks of the 

 amiability of a spaniel that belonged to the 

 gamekeeper of the Rev. Mr. Corsellis. " The 

 gamekeeper of Mr. Corsellis," he says, " had 

 reared a spaniel, which was bis constant 

 attendant, both by day and night ; wherever 

 old Daniel, the keeper, appeared, Dasb was 

 close beside him ; and the dog was of infinite 

 use in his nocturnal excursions. The game, 

 at that season, he never regarded, although, 

 in the day-time, no spaniel would find it 

 in better style, or in greater quantity ; 

 but at night, if a strange loot had en- 

 tered any of the coverts, Dash, by a signifi- 

 cant whine, informed his /master that the 

 enemy was abroad ; and many poachers have 

 been detected and caught from this singular 

 intelligence. After many years' friendly con- 

 nection, old Daniel was seized with a disease 

 which terminated in consumption and his 

 death. "Whilst the slow, but fatal progress of 

 his disorder allowed him to crawl about. Dash, 

 as usual, followed his footsteps ; and when 

 nature was still further exhausted, and he 



