viii PREFACE. 



It is true that the hound and the greyhound, the pointer and th 

 setter, as well as many of the foreign varieties of the dog, hav 

 been favoured with special treatises ; but beyond them the groum 

 is almost untrodden, or else it is choked with weeds and rubbis; 

 which render it difficult to ascertain what is beneath them. 



In the following pages I have been compelled to have recours 

 to the work of Mr. Youatt in the instances of some of the foreig: 

 dogs, both for the descriptions and also for the engravings whia 

 are contained in it. At the time when he wrote, the Zoologies 

 Society of London possessed an extensive collection of dogs, whic 

 was made use of by him to great advantage ; and I can speak t 

 the correctness of most of his illustrations, from having compare 

 them with the originals soon after he first gave them to the pul 

 lie ; but unfortunately there is now no such collection in Englane 

 As far as possible, however, throughout the First Book the de 

 scriptions and illustrations are drawn from the life, the specime 

 selected being of the most perfect symmetry and of the pures 

 breed within my reach. For many of them I am indebted t 

 gentlemen who have given up their best energies to improve th 

 peculiar strain which has enlisted their attention, and for tl 

 facilities which they have afforded me I here beg to record m 

 most sincere thanks. 



Book I. contains the Natural History of the Dog, with 

 minute description of the varieties which are generally reco: 

 nised. The chief claims of this book rest upon its being a faithf 

 transcript in writing of oral records which have been treasured i 

 by the breeders of the dog in all its varieties, and which beii 

 now made public, will render it comparatively easy in future 

 ascertain the position which any particular dog can claim, ai 

 how far it complies with the points which are attributed to 



