On Dogs in General 7 



gluttones aftere noveltyes, and covetous Cormorantes of thinges that 

 be seldome, rare, strange, and hard to gette." Which is probably as 

 true now as it was when written so long ago ! 



I was rather amused to read lately in a doggy book, written within 

 the last twenty-five years : " Thanks to the enthusiasm of Messrs. J. 

 Gumming Macdona, J. H. Murchison, and a few other gentlemen, 

 the magnificent St. Bernard is now a British dog, and so it may be 

 with many another noble breed that need only to come under the 

 genius for stock breeding, so peculiarly English, to have their best 

 qualities fully and quickly developed. 



" Of the breeds worthy of being added to our list of British 

 dogs, and that we would like to see more popular, we may mention 

 that handsome dog, the Barsee (Borzois), or Siberian Wolf-hound, 

 splendid specimens of which have been shown by Her Royal 

 Highness the then Princess of Wales, the Right Honourable Lady 

 Emily Peel, and others ; that immense dog the Great Dane, the 

 finest specimen of which that has graced the show bench 

 being Mr. Frank Adcock's gigantic dog Satan ; that singularly 

 attractive and eminently useful-looking La Vendee Hound, of which 

 Mr. G. De Landre Macdona's Ramonneau is a splendid specimen ; 

 the Basset, as represented by Mr. E. Millais' Model and the Earl 

 of Onslow's Irani ; and those burly tykes the Thibet Sheep-dogs, of 

 which His Majesty King Edward VII., when Prince of Wales, has 

 shown specimens." 



The point which amused me in this matter was that, with 

 exception of the French and Thibet Dogs mentioned (probably not 

 very abundant, even in their own lands), the others have all become 

 very popular in this country, and, at all the larger shows, have ex- 

 tensive classifications and numerous entries, the majority of which, 

 I think, have been bred, as they are certainly owned, by persons 

 in this country, so that the wishes of the writer have been so far 

 fulfilled, and partook rather of the nature of a prophecy on his 

 part. 



During my active connection with doggy matters I have seen 

 considerable fluctuations of public favour in regard to many breeds, 

 almost entirely confined to the Non-Sporting and Toy Divisions, 

 as Stag- and Fox-hounds, Harriers, Beagles, Pointers, Setters, Re- 

 trievers, Spaniels, Deer-hounds, Greyhounds, and a few others, will 

 probably continue to hold their place with the hunting, shooting, 

 deer-stalking, and coursing community for an indefinite period. I 

 think, although also really Sporting dogs, that perhaps Fox-terriers 



