184 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. 



for them to reimport dogs from Mr. Macdona's stock, which he promised to allow 

 them to do, if necessary, when he obtained his first drafts from them. In 1868 

 the monks gave Mr. Macdona a bitch puppy by this dog, which he named Hospice. 

 She was rougher in the coat and had more white about her than is approved of on the 

 Alps, and was probably on that account undervalued by them. He also obtained his 

 Monarque (a smooth-coated dog, brother to Barry), from the Eev. Mr. Dillon, chaplain 

 at Berne, who had him from M. Schumacher in the same year, having previously 

 imported his celebrated rough dogs Tell and Hedwig, brother and sister, bred by 

 M. Schindler, and with a pedigree derived from the original Barry, who died in 1815. 

 Mr. Murchinson has imported Thor from M. Schumacher's kennel, and from the 

 same source Miss Hales' Jura also came. Mr. Stone's Barry and Mr. Tyler's Thunn, 

 said to be bred from a dog at the Hospice, and Mr. Macdona's fine dog G-essler, 

 imported by Capt. Eastwood from Switzerland, but without a pedigree, complete 

 the list of the chief sources of the present extensive collection of dogs spread 

 throughout the length and breadth of the land a very large proportion of which 

 are descended from those imported by the Rev. J. Gumming Macdona ; but of late 

 years the stock of Thor have been in the ascendant, including Mr. Gresham's very 

 strong kennel chiefly composed of Hector, Oscar, The Shah, and Dagmar by this 

 dog, with the addition of Monk by Sir Charles Isham's Leo, but who, like his sire, 

 has too much of the Newfoundland type for my taste. 



In this country the St. Bernard dog is only useful as a guard and companion, 

 being in fact chiefly valued for his ornamental qualities, in which his grand head 

 and intelligent expression, coupled with his massive proportions, render him even 

 superior to the bloodhound ; though in the case of Hilda, given by Mr. Macdona 

 to Lady Frances Cecil, the St. Bernard has proved a very valuable deerstalker, 

 well known in the forest of G-lentannar. In the Alpine snows the rough coat 

 is considered to unfit the dog for the work he has to do ; but there is not the 

 same objection to it here ; and, as it is far more pictorial in its effect, the rough 

 variety is preferred in England, as represented by Tell, Hedwig, Thor, G-essler, 

 Alp, Hospice, Jura, Hector, Oscar, Chang, and Menthon the last a very fine black 

 and tan dog imported by Mr. Macdona, without a pedigree, and not showing all the 

 characteristics of the true breed, but still very successful on the show bench, owing 

 to his size and beauty of form and coat. 



In order to understand the reason of this preference of the short coat on the 

 Alps, it is necessary to consider the work demanded from the dog. Every morning 

 during the prevalence of the snow-drifts four monks in pairs, each being attended 

 by their servants and a couple of dogs, leave the Hospice at eight o'clock, and 

 descend the mountain, one pair on each side. The dogs run on in front, often 

 having to clear the path of the snow, and enabled by their instinct and nose to 

 keep to it without danger of falling into the drifts, which are not cognisable by the 

 eye. For six hours the party daily remain out, continuing their search for 

 travellers bewildered and lost, the dogs in stormy weather keeping up a loud 

 barking, which is of course easily followed, and serves to instil hope even into 

 the breast of the dying. Stone refuges are built at various spots, and these 



