404 THE MEXICAN SHEEP DOG. 



merely of a kettle and a bag of meal ; their lodges are made 

 in a few minutes, of branches, &c., thrown against cross-sticks. 

 They very seldom go out in the day-time with their flocks, 

 intrusting them entirely with their dogs, which faithfully 

 return them at night, never permitting any stragglers behind 

 or lost. Sometimes different flocks are brought into the same 

 neighborhood owing to scarcity of grass, when the wonderful 

 instincts of the shepherds' dogs are most beautifully displayed; 

 and to my astonishment, who have been an eye-witness of such 

 scenes, if two flocks approach within a few yards of each 

 other, their respective proprietors wiU place themselves in the 

 space between them, and as is very naturally the case, if any 

 adventurous sheep should endeavor to cross over to visit her 

 neighbors, her dog protector kindly but firmly leads her back, 

 and it sometimes happens, if many make a rush and succeed 

 in joining the other flock, the dogs under whose charge they 

 are, go over and bring them all out, but, strange to say, under 

 such circumstances they are never opposed by the other dogs. 

 They approach the strange sheep only .to prevent their own 

 from leaving the flock, though they offer no assistance in 

 expelling the other sheep. But they never permit sheep not 

 under canine protection, nor dogs not in charge of sheep, to 

 approach them. Even the same dogs which are so freely 

 permitted to enter their flocks in search of their own, are 

 driven away with ignominy if they presume to approach 

 them without that laudable object in view. 



" Many anecdotes could be related of the wonderful 

 instinct of these dogs. I very much doubt if there are 

 shepherd dogs in any other part of the world except Spain, 

 equal to those of New Mexico in value. The famed Scotch 

 and English dogs sink into insignificance by the side of them. 

 Their superiority may be owing to the peculiar mode of 

 rearing them, but they are certainly very noble animals, 

 naturally of large size, and highly deserving to be introduced 

 into the United States. A pair of them will easily kill a 

 wolf, and flocks under their care need not fear any common 

 enemy to be found in our country." 



Mr._Kendall speaks of " meeting, on the Grand Prairie, 

 a flock numberiag seventeen thousand, which immense herd 

 was guarded by a very few men, assisted by a large number 

 of noble dogs, which appeared gifted with the faculty of 

 keeping them together. There was no running about, no 

 barking or biting in their system of tactics ; on the contrary, 

 they were continually walking up and down, like faithful 



