NATURAL HISTORY OF THE DOG. 63 



casionally fulvous or yellow, is more frequently a bluish, 

 slaty white, marked with spots, or rather blotches, of brown 

 and black. The ears of the Dane are short, and droop, but 



very slightly. I never yet saw an imported specimen that 

 had not the ears cropped off* close to the skull. In its native 

 country the Dane is employed chiefly in boar-hunting ; it 

 was also formerly used in the chase of the elk. It is not im- 

 probable that the Danes brought this dog with them to Ireland 

 when they invaded that country, and that it was employed 

 as an auxiliary in wolf-hunting. Once the matter came to a 

 regular grapple, few dogs could have proved more servicea- 

 ble ; and few could have afforded a better cross with our 

 own ancient wolf-dog. That such crossing did actually take 

 place, is more than probable ; and hence the many miscon- 

 ceptions that have since arisen relative to the real characters 

 of our genuine Irish wolf-dog. Hamilton Rowan had some 

 very fair specimens ; so had Lord Altamont also Lord 

 O'Neil ; but by far the finest I ever had the good fortune to 

 see, was " Hector," the property of his Grace the Duke of 

 Buccleuch, still living, about ten years ago, at Dalkeith 

 palace.* Hector stood a trifle more than thirty-two inches 

 in height at the shoulder ; notwithstanding that when I 



* Since dead, and preserved by Mr. Carfrae of Edinburgh. 



