NATURAL HISTORY OF THE DOG. 85 



stroyer of serpents avoiding their bite, and with a rapid 

 spring seizing the reptile by the back of the head, and 

 crushing it in an instant. If an eel be shown to one of these 

 dogs, he will act in the same manner as if it were a serpent, 

 and will speedily dispatch it. I have only seen one of these 

 dogs, and saw nothing about it to recommend it, except as 

 being somewhat rare in Britain. 



THE MEXICAN PRAIRIE DOG. 



This is about the smallest of the canine family. In aspect 

 he resembles a minute English terrier, but his head is some- 

 what disproportioned to his general bulk. I have been told 

 that these animals burrow in the prairies of their native land, 

 like marmots ; I am not, however, satisfied as to the fact, and 

 would, at all events, observe that these dogs are on no account 

 to be confounded with the little "animals so common in North 

 America, and known (of course erroneously, as these latter 

 animals do not belong to the dog tribe at all) under the same 

 name. There are some specimens of this curious breed of 

 dog in Dublin ; amongst which I may mention one in posses- 

 sion of Mr. Desmond, of Drumcondra Hill. 



THE TURNSPIT. 



This dog, although evidently a mongrel, is nearer to the 

 terriers than any thing else, and on this account I describe 

 him among them. He is a small, long-backed, cross-made 

 dog, with the fore legs bent, first inwards and then outwards ; 

 he is frequently pied, or glaucous-colored, like the Great 

 Danish dog, and the harlequin terrier, next to be described. 

 Formerly his use was to turn a wheel, on. which depended 

 the spit which roasted the meat in the kitchen. Fortunately 

 for humanity, mechanical contrivances have, in these coun- 

 tries ut least, superseded the necessity of thus torturing a poor 

 dog ; and accordingly the Turnspit, his occupation being 

 gone, is himself rapidly passing ii.to oblivion. I have seen 

 dogs in Scotland, resembling the Turnspit, called " bowsy 

 terriers," that were remarkable for their combative powers ; 

 I conceived them to be a cross between the old Turnspit and 

 the low-legged Scotch terrier. 



THE HARLEQUIN TERRIER. 



Whatever be the origin of this little dog, it is now a recog- 



