748 THE DOG. 



dogs of the country, are rough, shaggy, and not unlike the 

 older Deer-hounds in general form. The terriers of England, 

 have a smooth fur, sub -erect ears, a thick skin, a stout body, 

 and short limbs. 



A favourite sport of the common people of England was 

 the chase of polecats, badgers, foxes, and other burrow- 

 ing animals which formerly abounded. After the greater 

 part of these aninials were destroyed, the terrier was 

 reared in considerable numbers, for the disgusting sport 

 of baiting animals, especially the badger and polecat, and 

 even for worrying the wild and common cats. There was 

 scarcely a village in which some unfortunate victim of this 

 kind was not nightly sacrificed ; and such was the grossness 

 of manners, until within little less than a century past, 

 that persons of every rank took delight in these barbarous 

 spectacles. When the regular fox-chase was established, 

 terriers were employed for unearthing the fox ; but, in the 

 modern chase, this practice is nearly abandoned, and few 

 of our present packs are accompanied by terriers. The ter- 

 rier is now chiefly cultivated as a household dog. He has 

 nothing of the winning habits, the gentleness, and docility 

 of the spaniel; but he has a certain rough fidelity, which, 

 with his courage, renders him a general favourite. The 

 blood of the terrier has been largely mixed with other races, 

 forming a numerous class of curs. 



Such are the divisions under which we may conveniently 

 arrange the varied races of domesticated dogs. But it must 

 be held sufficient, for the present, to have pointed out such a 

 classification as may exhibit the general distinctions and re- 

 lations of the more important groups. To have described 

 the subordinate varieties, with the detail which a complete 

 history of the Dog would require, would have greatly ex- 

 ceeded the limits which could be assigned to the subject in 

 the present work. It is trusted, however, that the history 



