BEEAKING.] 



THE DOG, AA'D ITS VAEIETIES; 



[beeaking. 



meat, and give it to Brae ; and then Brae was 

 told to give it back to Philax, who was to 

 return it to its place, PLiilax was next told 

 he miglit bring a piece of bread, and eat it; 

 but, beforo he had time to swallow it, his 

 master forbade him, and directed him to show 

 that he had not disobeyed, and the dog in- 

 stantly protruded the crust between his lips. 



" While many of these feats were being per- 

 formed, M, Leonard snapped a whip violently, 

 to prove that the animals were so completely 

 under discipline that they would not heed any 

 interruption. 



" After many other performances, M. Leo- 

 nard invited a gentleman to play a game of 

 dominos with one of them. The younger and 

 slighter dog then seated himself on a chair at 

 the table, and the writer and M. Leonard 

 seated themselves opposite. Six dominos were 

 placed on their edges, in the usual manner, 

 before the dog, and a like number before the 

 writer. The dog having a double number, 

 took one up in his mouth, and put it in the 

 middle of the table ; the writer played a cor- 

 responding piece on o^e side ; the dog imme- 

 diately placed another correctly, and so on, 

 until all the pieces were engaged. Other six 

 dominos were then given, to each, and the 

 writer intentionally played a wrong number. 

 The dog looked surprised, stared very earnestly 

 at the writer, growled, and finally barked 

 angrily. Einding that no notice was taken of 

 bis remonstrances, he pushed away the wrong 

 domino with his nose, and took up a suitable 

 one from his own pieces, and played it in its 

 stead. The writer then played correctly ; the 

 dog followed, and won the game. Not the 

 slightest intimation could have been given by 

 M. Leonard to the dog; this mode of play 

 must have been entirely the result of his own 

 observation and j udgment. It should be added 

 that the performances were strictly private. 

 The owner of the dogs was a gentleman of 

 independent fortune, and the instruction of 

 bis dogs had been taken up merely as a curious 

 and amusing investigation." 



Mr. Richardson adduces the following:— 

 " Some years ago, a Spaniard, named Germondi, 

 exhibited a company of performing dogs in the 

 different towns of Great Britain and Ireland. 

 In Dublin, where he made some stay, he occu- 

 pied, with his company, the large buildino- at 

 452 '^ 



the corner of D'Olier Street, which is now the 

 handsome shop of Messrs. Kinahan. The 

 performanies of these dogs were extremely 

 curious. They danced, waltzed, and pirouetted. 

 One, in the costume and character of a lady, 

 sat down to a spinning-wheel, which he kept 

 in motion for a considerable time. 



" The company was divided into two groups ; 

 one half appearing iu dresses of a red colour, 

 and the other being attired iu blue. The 

 blues occupied the model of a fortress, which 

 the red troop attacked, drawing up their 

 artillery in front, and opening a heavy fire 

 upon the enemy, which the blues returned 

 with their cannon from the fortress. The 

 reds were, however, at length, victorious ; the 

 fortress tottered, and the reds dashed across 

 the defences. Suddenly the works blew up 

 with a tremendous crash, and several dogs, on 

 both sides, lay motionless as they fell, ap- 

 parently severely maimed, if not entirely dead. 

 "When the eifects of the explosion had died 

 away, the proprietor advanced, and pulled 

 the performers about as dead dogs, to the no 

 small horror and amazement of the spectators ; 

 but immediately, on the dropping of the curtain, 

 the apparently wounded, or dead dogs sprang 

 to their feet, and resumed their proper places. 



" The next scene introduced one of the dogs 

 as a captive between two of his comrades, all 

 attired in military costume. The captive, being 

 condemned as a deserter, was sentenced to be 

 shot, and the sentence was carried forthwith 

 into execution by his canine comrades. On 

 being fired at he fell, struggled convulsively for 

 a few seconds, then apparently died ; in this 

 state he was dragged about the stage; his 

 comrades then placed him in a barrow, and 

 wheeled him away. He subsequently appeared 

 placed in a bier drawn by dogs, with likewise 

 a canine driver, who flourished a whip over his 

 companions, and, with a procession of the whole 

 company, attired as soldiers, moved slowly to 

 the solemn dead march, deposited their com- 

 rade in the grave, and thus concluded their 

 performance. , These dogs were of various 

 descriptions — pugs, poodles, mongrels. 



" There was an interlude of young puppies, 

 who tumbled head-over-heels in various divert- 

 ing attitudes ; after which he introduced a fine 

 specimen of bulldog, which the exhibitor 

 called his fire king. This dog was trained to 



