1 84 PASTORAL DOGS, ETC. 



tax was formerly levied on all but bob-tails, it being supposed 

 that no one would keep a mutilated dog for anything but real 

 service. Since the tax was altered so as to include all dogs in 

 its meshes, sheep-dogs have not been docked, and, as I said before, 

 concomitantly with the cessation of the operation has been the 

 disappearance of the natural ,; bob." But other breeds have been 

 docked for generations without a similar result, such as the 

 spaniel and certain breeds of terriers, among whom a natural " bob " 

 is unheard of. On the other hand, the bulldog loses his tail, or 

 nearly the whole of it, under the name of the " screw tail," yet 

 he has never been submitted to the scissors as far as I know, and 

 certainly not for the last half-century The subject is a very 

 curious one which I confess! am altogether unable to explain. 



IV.— THE GERMAN SHEEP-DOG. 



This is a small and very variable breed, resembling greatly the 

 spitz in appearance, but without any definite points. 



Y.— THE POMERANIAN (LARGE AND SMALL). 

 (A) THE POMERANIAN WOLF-DOG. 



The larger Pomeranian is kept for guarding the sheep from 

 wolves, hence called the Pomeranian "wolf-dog. He resembles 

 the St. Bernard in shape, but has not so large a head, and his 

 colour is almost invariably a beautiful stone-fawn, without white, 

 and with black points. He is by no means common in this 

 country, but I have seen a few specimens of late years which 

 have been shown me as of pure breed, and from the high position 

 of those who possessed them I have no doubt of the fact. 



