THE DEEKHOUND. HI 



left out of consideration ; but a well- coated and finely-shaped curly-coated liver dog 

 would generally achieve success. 



The weight of the modern retriever proper is about 801b; height, 25 to 26 



inches. 



(d) WILDFQWL RETBIEVERS. 



A great difference of opinion exists as to the comparative merits of the Labrador 

 and the curly-coated retriever for water. In any case, the latter is not improved by 

 the setter cross for this purpose, as - the coat of that dog is not nearly so oily as the 

 Labrador's. As far as I can learn from wildfowlers, there is no reliable evidence 

 to found an opinion on. 



In tenderness of mouth the wavy-coated dog is said to be superior to his rival, 

 but without doubt there are many curly-coated retrievers whose mouths are tender 

 enough. Notably Mr. Gorse's Jet was so ; and, indeed, from " information received," 

 I am led to believe that he was far above the average in this respect as well as 

 in nose. The Irish water spaniel makes an excellent water retriever, as does the 

 poodle also. 



2. THE DEERHOUND. 



This dog is now more ornamental than useful, his former trade of retrieving 

 wounded deer in Scotland being often entrusted to colleys, whole or half-bred, 

 and cross-bred dogs of various kinds, but in the south his grand size and outline 

 make him a great favourite with country gentlemen, and more especially with 

 the ladies of their families. For this fashion Sir Walter Scott with his Ban and 

 Buskar, immortalised in " Waverley," is mainly responsible, as with the Dandie 

 Dinmonts in " Gruy Mannering." 



There is no doubt that the Scotch deerhound and the thorough Scotch grey- 

 hound were identical in shape, and could scarcely be distinguished by good judges, 

 and even by them only when at work, the deerhound galloping with his head 

 considerably higher than the greyhound. Pari passu with the disappearance of 

 the rough greyhound has been the rarity of the deerhound in modern days, the 

 former being displaced by the smooth breed, and the. latter by various crosses, 

 e.g., that between the foxhound and greyhound advocated by Mr. Scrope; the 

 mastiff and greyhound cross of the Earl of Stamford, and all sorts of crosses 

 between the colley and greyhound, rough as well as smooth, as mentioned above. 

 In the present day pure deerhounds kept for the retrieving of deer are comparatively 

 rare, and I believe even those in Her Majesty's kennel are not used for that 

 purpose. Hence it is idle to attempt to describe this dog solely from the deer- 

 stalker's point of view, and he must be estimated rather from an artistic stand- 

 point, in which capacity he rivals, and perhaps surpasses, all his brethren, having 

 the elegant frame of the greyhound united with a rough shaggy coat, which takes 

 off the hardness of outline complained of by the lovers of the picturesque as 

 attaching to the English " longtail." Still, though the deerhound of modern days 

 is to be considered as a companionable dog rather than as a deer retriever a 

 he has always hitherto been regarded as coming under the latter category, and i 



as 

 is 



