138 THE shepherd's dog. 



pressed upon the sedate and self-possessed expres- 

 sion of his countenance. We have witnessed, witli 

 astonishment, with Avhat rapidity, by a few words, 

 or a sign of his master, a dog of this breed would 

 fly over a vast surface of open country, single out, 

 drive together, and luring up a particular class of 

 sheep from among a large flock, and lead them to 

 our feet. All this Avas eflfected, Avithout confusion, 

 in a few moments, and without the least violence. 

 We have witnessed the care they take of their 

 charge, and witli what readiness they chastise those 

 that molest them, in the case of a cur biting a sheep 

 in the rear of the flock, and unseen by the shep- 

 herd. This assault was committed by a tailor's 

 dog, but not unmarked by the other, who imme- 

 diately seized him, and dragging the delinquent 

 into a puddle, while holding his ear, kept dabbling 

 him in the mud with exemplary gravity ; the cm- 

 yelled, the tailor came slipshod with his goose to 

 the rescue, and having flung it at the sheep-dog and 

 missed him, stood by gaping, not venturing to fetch 

 it back until the castigation was over, and the dog 

 had followed the flock. 



The sheep-dog is seldom two feet high, but his 

 make is muscular; the nose rather pointed; the 

 ears erect ; and the colours of the hair black and 

 fulvous; the fur is rather long and rough. In 

 Great Britain, and more particularly in Scotland, 

 the colours are more mixed with shades of brown, 

 and the ears are often drooping at the tips. 



The drover, or cattle-dog, is somewhat larger, 



