THE GREAT DANE. 65 
to fight in kennel, that, like the Kilkenny cats, there is sometimes 
only a tail or two left in the morning when the feeder enters the 
kennel. In sober truth, I have known six and a half couples 
found dead or dying after a night’s fighting, and with wounds of 
a most savage description, evidently made with malice aforethought. 
The bloodhound, as I have observed in treating of his temper, is 
savage enough, but he has not this peculiarly cruel tendency, 
which, no doubt, is developed from the selection of those hounds 
who best and bravest tackle their hard-biting quarry. 
As there are only these very trifling differences from the Welsh 
harrier and Southern hound, I shall not repeat the points which I 
have assigned to the former, the numerical value being the same, 
while the shape of feet and texture of coat are the only external 
differences, and these I have fully alluded to. 
VIIL—THE GREAT DANE. 
Within the last ten years the German boarhound has come into 
fashion in this country under the name of the Great Dane, having 
displaced the collie to a considerable extent from his position at 
the head of the larger class of companionable dogs. It is solely 
from this point of view that he is to be regarded here, as there are 
no boars to pursue, and he is not supposed to be used for any other 
purpose. In 1885 a club specially designed to promote the breeding 
of this dog was formed, and soon numbered thirty-eight members, 
under the presidency of the Earl of Lathom, and the vice-presidency 
of Mr. Adcock, who was the first advocate of the claims of the boar- 
hound, or Great Dane, to distinction. Separate classes had for 
some time been allotted to the Great Dane at most of our large 
shows, but in 1885 a special show was instituted in the grounds of 
the Ranelagh Club at Putney, and attracted a large entry. In 
1886 thirty-eight Great Danes, including puppies, were entered 
at the summer show of the Kennel Club, the German bred “ Cedric 
the Saxon” gaining the first prize at each: 
With regard to the antiquity of this breed, there is no doubt that 
it is very great, having been painted by Teniers in many of his 
boar-hunting pictures, and well known long before his time. He 
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