NEWFOUNDLANDS.] F OK 31 O U N T A 1 X, riELi), AM) FAUM. [.NtWlOCNDLJLSDS. 



pui; pup she h:ul just receivi'd from Germany, 

 alio rcmarkfil, thai .s'.iu was j^oin;; to sliow ino 

 what she consideivil a present of nmcli f^poater 

 rarity, which was a truo spaniel of king 

 Charles's breed, sent to lier by tho Duko of 

 Norfolk. *lJut,' she observed, 'would you 

 believe he could be so ungallant as to write 

 word, that be must have a positive promise, 

 not from mvself, but from the Duke of York, 

 that I should not breed from it in a direct 

 line?' It would almost seem that the word of 

 ladies of high rank was not in equal estima- 

 tion with that of the gentlemen of the same 

 rank, at least that Norfolk's duke did not 

 think it so; for it happened, a very little time 

 after, when professionally waiting on the 

 Princess Sophia of Gloucester, her royal high- 

 ness, also, showed us a very fine young spaniel 

 of the Norfolk breed, which she, likewise, ob- 

 served was only presented by tho duke on an 

 understanding guaranteed, not by herself, but 

 by her brother, the Duke of Gloucester, that 

 it should not be bred from in the Charles's 

 line. "Whatever view v.e take of these restric- 

 tive attempts," adds Mr. Blaine, " we may, 

 however, be assured that Nature will frustrate 

 them ; for not only is the Norfolk breed, but 

 the Blenheim also, sufficiently common at the 

 present time ; and they ought to be, for both 

 are great ornaments to the race, and make 

 very many springers. "VVe think it our duty, 

 likewise, to observe, that however some ladies 

 might not think themselves strictly bound by 

 an agreement on such a subject, we feel as- 

 sured that neither of those we have noticed on 

 this occasion would have done other than 

 strictly abide by the compact ; and we are 

 confident that those who were much better 

 acquainted with them than we could possibly 

 be, would bear us out in our assertion." 



THE NEWFOUNDLAND. 

 The Labrador and Newfoundland dogs are 

 often confounded together. The Labrador doer 

 exceeds the Newfoundland animal in point of 

 size, and is often of extraordinary dimensions. I 

 A fine specimen, measured some time since, 

 gave the following particulars : — Total length, 

 including the tail, six feet three inches ; 

 height at shoulder, two feet six inches ; length 

 of head from occiput to point of nose, eleven 

 inches ; circumference of chest, three feet one , 



I inch. In Labrador, theao powerful and in- 

 telligent dogs aro used for drawing sledges, 

 and aro of great service to tho settlers. 



Nowfouudhmd dogs aro of less stature, but 

 more compactly built, and aro muscular and 

 sagacious. Tiieso animals aro also used for 

 drawing sledges, and littlo carriages laden 

 with wood, fish, and other commodities, and 

 aro very valuable in their native country. 

 Both the Labrador and Newfoundland breeds 

 aro admirable water-dogs, and make excellent 

 retrievers. Their fidelity and attachment to 

 their masters are well known, and all aro 

 fimiiliar with instances in which human beings, 

 about to perish in the water, have owed their 

 life to the courage and exertions of these de- 

 voted creatures. Mr. Blaine classes tho New- 

 foundland dog with the spaniels — a classifica- 

 tion from which Mr. Eichardson dissents, lie 

 makes a distinct group of tho Newfoundlands, 

 which he denominates a wolf-group. 



"I am compelled," he says, "thus arbitrarily 

 to give, perhaps, an undeserved name to tho 

 present group ; but it is the only one by 

 means of which I can accurately indicate the 

 family of dogs to which I refer. The indi- 

 viduals of which this group is composed, all 

 bear a greater or less resemblance to the wolf, 

 in erect, or semi-erect ears, in long and shaggy 

 coats, and bushy tails. Tho Newfoundland 

 dog is fully entitled to be placed at the head 

 of the group ; from his being better known 

 than the others, from his greater beauty, his 

 sagacity, his nobility of nature and disposi- 

 tion, his utility to mankind, and the high 

 degree of estimation in which he is held in 

 every part of the world where ho is known. 

 Those who have grouped these dogs with the 

 spaniels, are in error, for they possess none of 

 the characteristics of that group. 



"The true breed of Newfoundland," he 

 continues, "is a dog of moderate stature, 

 seldom exceeding twenty-six or twenty-seven 

 inches in height; long-bodied, broad-chested, 

 a shaggy coat, a poiuted wolfish muzzle, ears 

 small, and inclined to the semi-erect ; colour 

 usually black, with a shade of brown through 

 it, and occasionally some white. There is 

 another breed of dog peculiar to Newfound- 

 land ; short-coated, and sharp-nosed — an ex- 

 cellent water-dog, by some mistak"'i for the 

 true Newfoundland breed. 



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