814 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



H 38, 1885. 



has uniformly had? He has won in every champion class in 

 Which he was ever entered, and he. has been in that class in 

 every important show since he was two years old, and besides 

 defeated the then champion setter Of England in the class for 

 the best sporting dog of all classes. Compared to some pointers 

 advertised here in the stud at $S0, his services arc cheap at 

 $5(10. None of his progeny are throaty. None weedy. None 

 gun shy. All have oxuage and most of them pace, and all, 

 with scarcely an exception, are up to show form, having 

 muscle, bone and quality combined. 



When I purchased Graphic I had the choice (at much less 

 figures) of many of the best dog's in England. I made diligent 

 inquiry and found none combining so many good qualities in 

 so great a degree, as Graphic. Mated with proper bitchas, the 

 result of such. breeding is not a matter of doubt, but as near 

 certain as any thing in the future can be. 



In conclusion 1 desire to say that 1 am convinced that the 

 pointer at no distant day will assume the position in this 

 country to which he is justly entitled and which he to-day 

 holds in England. The breeding Of pointers is constantly 

 progressing in the right direction, while setters have certainly 

 dvanced in the same proportion of late years. 



Jas. L. Anthony. 

 Ni..w York, July 17. 



THE IRISH WOLFHOUND. 



A WELL-KNOWN gentleman, who is a native of the ever 

 a Green Isle, remarked to a New York friend a short time 

 since, "We have a breed of dogs in Ireland that is extinct." 

 The Irish Wolfhound Cinb of Great Britain has taken the 

 matter in hand, and with commendable zeal is endeavoring 

 to return this famous breed to its former state. Below Ave 

 give our readers a well written account of the breed from the 

 pen of Captain G A. Graham, Hon. Secretary and Treasurer 

 of the club, to which we add a list of the officers of the club, 

 together with the standard of points: 



It is with a certain amount of diffidence that this essay is 

 entered upon, as there is a widely-spread impression that the 

 breed to be treated of is extinct. That we are iu possession, 

 of the breed in its original integrity is not pretended; at the 

 same time it is confidently believed that there are strains now 

 existing tracing back, more or less clearly, to the original 

 breed; audit also appears to be tolerably certain .that our 

 modern deerhound is descended from that noble animal, and 

 gives us a very fair idea of what he was, though undoubtedly 

 considerably his inferior in size and power. Had it not been 

 for these facts, the courage to write this article might have 

 been wanting; but they appear to be so clear to the writer 

 tnit he can proceed, with the feeling that most of his readers 

 will perceive that he is amply justified in undertaking a his- 

 tory and description of this very magnificent example of the 

 canine race — that, indeed, may be said to have been its king. 



There have been several very interesting and clever essays 

 written on this subject. Two of the ablest and most valuable 

 were written by Mr. A. McNeill, of Colonsay, in 1838, and Mr. 

 II. D. Richardson, in 1841. These treat exclusively of the Irish 

 wolfhound, though in Mr. McNeill's case it is more to show 

 the identity of the breed with the modern deerhound that he 

 writes. Richardson, on the other hand, proceeds to show us 

 that, though uuderiably of the same stamp, the Irish dog was 

 far superior in size and power, and that from him is de- 

 scended, in these later days, the modern deerhound. Both 

 these authors h&ve shown considerable ability and ingenuity 

 in their arguments, and no one can deny that they are worthy 

 of every consideration. Richardson would appear to be in 

 error on some points, but in the maiu his ideas would certainly 

 appear to be reasonable and correct. That Richardson was 

 highly qualified to offer a sound and most valuable opinion 

 on the subject is proved by the very admirable manner in 

 which he has treated of and described almost every known 

 breed of dog, whether British or foreign. As yet hia book is 

 by far the best published on the dog— none excepted— though 

 it is a modest and unpretending production. That we have 

 in the. deerhound the modem representative, of the Irish wolf- 

 dog is patent, of less stature, less robust, and of slimmer form; 

 the main characteristics of the breed remain, and in very ex- 

 ceptional instances specimens occur which throw back to and 

 resemble, in a marked manner the old stock from which they 

 have sprung. It is not probable that our remote ancestors ar- 

 rived at any very high standard as to quality or looks. 

 Strength, stature and fleetuess were the points most carefully 

 cultivated— at any rate, as regards those breeds used in the 

 capture of large and fierce game. It is somewhat remarkable 

 that while, we have accounts of all the noticeable breeds from 

 a remote period, including the Irish wolfdog, we do not find 

 any allusion to the deerhound, save in writings of a compara- 

 tively recent date, which w r oufd in a measure justify us in 

 supposing that the deerhound is the modern representative of 

 that superb ,'Vumal. 



It is a matter of history that this dog was well known to 

 and highly prized by the' Romans, who, we are led to under- 

 stand, frequently used him in their combats in the arena, for 

 which his great size, strength, and activity eminently fitted 

 him. 



It has always been a mooted point whether the Irish wolf- 

 dog was, strictly speaking, a greyhound, or was of a more 

 robust form, approaching the mastiff. Let us, then, proceed 

 to investigate the question. 



Richardson tells us that ' 'Pliny relates a combat in which 

 the dogs of Epirus have a part. He describes them as much 

 bigger than mastiffs, and of greyhound form, detailing an 

 account of their contests with a lion and an elephant." This, 

 he thinks, suffices to establish the identity of the Irish wolfdog 

 with the far-famed dogs of Epirus 1 Strabo describes a large 

 and powerful greyhound as having been in use among the 

 Celtic and Rictisn nations., and as being held in such high esti- 

 mation by them as to have been imported into Gaul for the 

 purposes of the chase. SiliuB describes a large and powerful 

 greyhound as having been imported into Ireland by theBelgae., 

 thus identifying the Irish wolfdog with the celebrated Befgic 

 dog of antiquity, which we read of in so many places as hav- 

 ing been brought to Rome for the combats of the amphi- 

 theater. 



Sir James Warr, in his ' 'Antiquities of Ireland," thus writes 

 regarding the Irish wolfdog about 1630 (?) : "I must hero take 

 notice of those hounds which, from their hunting of wolves, 

 are commonly called wolf dogs— being creature of great size 

 and strength, and of a, fine shape. I cannot but think that 

 these are the dogs which Symmachus mentions in an epistle 

 to his brother Flavonius. 'I thank you, 1 says he, 'for the 

 present you have made me of some Danes sciftiei, which were 

 shown at the Cirensian Games, to the great astonishment of 

 the people, who could not judge it possible to bring them to 

 Rome otherwise than in iron cages.' I am sensible that Mr. 

 Burton dtiuery of Anton, 220), treading the footsteps of Jus- 

 tus Lipsius (epist. ad. Belg. Cant, i., p. 44), makes no scruple 

 feo say that dogs intended by Symmachus were British mas- 

 tiv.es, But with submission to great names, how could the 

 British mastive get the appellation of Seoticus in the age 

 Symmachus lived? Eor he was Consul of Rome in the latter 

 end of the fourth century, at which time— and for some time 

 before and for many centuries after — Ireland was well known 

 by the name of Scotia, as 1 have shown before (chap. i.). Be- 

 sides, the English mastive was no way comparable to the Irish 

 wolfdog in size or elegant shape, nor would it make an aston- 

 ishing figure m the spectacle exhibited in the Circus. On the 

 other hand, the Irish wolfdog has been thought a valuable 

 present to the greatest monarch, and is sought after and is 

 sent abroad to all the quarters of the world; and this has been 

 one cause why that noble creature has grown so scarce 

 among us, as another is the neglect of the species since the ex- 

 tinction of wolves in. Ireland, and even of what remain, the 

 size seems to have dwindled from its ancient stateliuess," 



Warr also gives as a frontispiece to his book an allegorical 

 representation of a passage from the Venerable Bede, in which 

 two dogs are introduced, bearing a very strong resemblance. 

 to the Irish wolfdog or Scottish deerdog, in those davs doubt- 

 less the same animal. The Venerable Bede was born" 672, died 



It may be as well here to quote the following interesting- 

 extract from Richardson, culled bv him from the Irish Penny 

 Journal: "The Scoti. who were" in possession of the island 

 (Ireland) at the time of the introduction of Christianity, appear 

 to have heen to a great extent the successor of a people whose 

 name andmouuments indicate a close affinity with the Belga* 

 (a Teutonic tribe) of Southern Britain. A people also called 

 Cruithore by the Irish aunalists, who are identifiable with the 

 Ricts of Northern Britain, continued to inhabit a portion of the 

 island distinct from the Scoti until after the Christian Mission; 

 and it is observable that the names of mountains and remark- 

 able places in that district still strikingly resemble the topo- 

 graphical nomenclature of those parts of North Britain which 

 have not been affected by the Scotic conquest. 



"The monuments and relics which attest the presence of the 

 people considerably advanced in civilization at some period in 

 Ireland, such as Cyclopean buildings, sepulchral mounds, con- 

 taining stone chambers, mines, bronze instruments, and 

 weapons of classic form and elegant workmanship, would ap- 

 pear to be referable to some of the predecessors of the Scoti, 

 and indicate a close affinity between the earliest inhabitants 

 of Ireland and that ancient people." Richardson then goes on 

 to say we may infer then that, as Ireland was peopled by the 

 Belgse, the Belgic dog of antiquity was the source whence we 

 derived our Irish greyhound. 



We are informed by two very eminent authorities, the Ven- 

 erable Bede and the Scottish historian Major, that Scotland 

 was peopled from Ireland. We know that by the early writers 

 Scotland was styled Scotia Minor, and Ireland Scotia Major, 

 and it is scarcely necessary to make any remark as to the 

 native languages of the primitive inhabitants of the two 

 countries. The colonization therefore of Scotland from Ire- 

 land under the conduct of Renda being admitted, can we sup- 

 pose that the colonists would omit taking with them speci- 

 mens of such a noble and gallant dog, and one that must prove 

 so serviceable to their emigrant masters, and that, too, at a 

 period when men depended upon the chase for their sub- 

 sistence? True, this is but an inference, but is it not to be re- 

 ceived as a fact when we find that powerful and noble dog, 

 the highland deerhound, a tall rough greyhound, to have been 

 known in Scotland since its colinization? Formerly it was 

 called the wolfdog, but with change of occupation came 

 change of name. In Ireland wolves were certainly in existence 

 longer than in Scotland, but when these animals ceased to ex- 

 ist in the former country, the wolf dogs became gradually lost. 

 Not so in Scotland, where abundant employment remained 

 for them even after the days of wolf hunting were over. The 

 red deer still remained, and useful as had these superb dogs 

 proved as wolf dogs, they became perhaps even more valuable 

 as deerhouuds." 



Richardson then goes on to show us, from Ossian's poems, 

 that such dogs appertained to the chieftains regarding whose 

 prowess, etc., be sings; but the writer does not apprehend that 

 any real value can be placed on Ossian's accounts prior to the 

 date at which they professed to be issued in a collective form 

 by MacPherson, viz, , about 1770, as in the judgment of many 

 persons competent to form a just opinion those poems almost 

 entirely owe their origin to the prolific brains of the supposi- 

 tious translator. Ossian is supposed to have flourished in the 

 third century. 



In the ninth century the Welch laws contained clauses en- 

 tailing heavy penalties on any one found maiming or injuring 

 the Irish greyhound, or, as it was styled in the code alluded 

 to, "Canis Grains Hibernicus," and a value was set upon them 

 equal to more than double that set on the ordinary grey- 

 hound. 



Cainpden, about 1568, says, "The Irish wolfhound is similar 

 in shape to a greyhound, bigger than a mastiff, and tractable 

 as a spaniel." 



Holinshed's, or rather Stainhurst's, description of Ireland, 

 about 1500, contains this short account of the noble wolfdog: 

 "Ireland is stored of cows, excellent horses, of hawks, fish, and 

 fowl. They are not without wolves, and greyhounds to hunt 

 them, bigger of bone and lirnb than a colt." 



Gough, iu his edition of "Camden," published 1789, has this 

 passage on a wolfhound: "Bishop affirmed that wolves still in- 

 fested the wild and solitary mountains. Under the article of 

 "Greyhounds," Mr. Camden (writing probably about 1530-60) 

 seems to place the wolfhounds, which are remarkably large, 

 and peculiar to this country." 



In November, 1562. the Irish chieftain, Shane O'Neill (possibly 

 an ancestor of the Lords O'Neill, to be alluded to as owning 

 Irish wolfhounds later on) forwarded to Queen Elizabeth, 

 through Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, a present of two 

 horses, two hawks and two Irish wolfdogs; and in 1585, Sir 

 John Perrott, who was Deputy of Ireland from January, 1584, 

 to July, 1588, sent to Sir Francis Walsingham, then Secretary 

 of State in London, "a brace of good wolfdogs, cne black, one. 

 white." 



Later still, in 1608, we find that Irish wolfhounds were sent 

 fi-om Ireland by Captain Desmond, of Duncannon, to Gilbert, 

 Earl of Shrewsbury. When Sir Thomas Rowe was ambassa- 

 dor at the court of the great Moguh in the year 1615, that 

 Emperor desired him to send for some Irish greyhounds as the 

 most welcome present he could make him. The foregoing are 

 from an article on the Irish wolfhound, by Mr. Harting, that 

 appeared in "Bailey's Magazine" for September, 1S79. 



Ware is one of the few old writers (1654) who has said any- 

 thing on the Irish wolfdog, and his words are scanty. 

 "Although we have no wolves in England, yet it is certain we 

 have had heretofore routs of them as they have at present in 

 Ireland. In that country I bred a race of greyhounds, which 

 is fleet and strong, and bears a natural enmity to the wolf." 



Evelyn, about 1660-70. says: "The Irish wolfhouud was a 

 tall greyhound, a stately creature indeed, and did beat a cruel 

 mastiff.' The bulldogs* did exceedingly well, but the Irish 

 wolfdog exceeded." He was then describing the savage sports 

 of the Bear Garden. 



Ray, about 1607, describing the Irish greyhound, says: "The 

 greatest dog I have yet seen, surpassing in size even the 

 Molossus (Mastiff?) as regards shape of body and general char- 

 acter, similar in all respects to the common greyhound, their 

 use is to catch wolves." 



The writer would remark in passing that there is but little 

 doubt that the ordinary greyhound of that date was a rough- 

 coated dog. 



Buffon, about 1750-60, speaks of these dogs as follows: 

 "They are far larger than our largest Matins, and they are 

 very rare in France. I have never seen but one, which 

 seemed to me, when sitting quite upright, to be nearly five 

 feet high, and to resemble in form the dog we call the Great 

 Dane, but it differed from it greatly m the largeness of its size. 

 It was quite white, and of a gentle and peaceable, disposition." 

 From Goldsmith, about 1770, the following is extracted: 

 "The last variety, and the most wonderful of all that I shall 

 mention, is the great Irish wolfdog, that may be considered 

 as the first of the canine species. This animal, which is very 

 rare even in the only country in the world where it is found, is 

 rather kept for show than use, there being neither wolves nor 

 any other formidable beast of prey in Ireland to require so 

 powerful an antagonist. The wolfdog is therefore bred up in 

 the houses of the great, or such gentlemen as choose to keep 

 him. as a curiosity, being neither good for hunting the hare, 

 the fox, nor the stag, and especially unserviceable as a house 

 dog. Nevertheless he is extremely beautiful and majestic in 

 appearance, being the greatest of the dog kind to be seen in 

 the world. The largest of those I have seen— and I have seen 

 about a dozen— was about four feet high, or as tall as a calf 



of a year old. He was made extremely like a greyhound, but 

 more robust, and inclining to the figure of the French Matin 

 or the Great Daue. His eye was mild, his color white, and bis 

 nature seemed heavv and phlegmatic ', this I ascribed bohis 

 having being bred up" to a size beyond hisnature, The greatest 

 pains have been taken with these to enlarge the breed, both by 

 tood and matching. This end was effectually obtained indeed, 

 for Hie size was enormous, but, as it seemed to me. at the ex- 

 pense ot the animal's fierceness, vigilance, and as 

 However, 1 was informed otherwise; the gentleman who bred 

 them assuring me. that a mastiff would be nothing when 

 opposed to one of them, who generallv seized their antagonist 

 by the back; he added that they would worry the strongest 

 bulldog in a few minutes to death. But this did not appear 

 either in their figure or their inclinations; thev seemed rather 

 more timid than the ordinary race of dogs, and then- gjcia 

 much thinner, and consequently less fit ted for combat.' 



"Whether with these disadvantages they were capable, as I 

 was told, of singly coping with bears, others may determine; 

 however, they have but few opportunities in their own country 

 of exerting their strength, as all wdd, carnivorous animal's 

 there are of the vermin kind. Mons. Buffon seems to be of 

 the opinion that these are the true Molossian dogs of the 

 ancients; he gives us reason for his opinion, and I am apt to 

 think it ill grounded. Nemesianus, in giving directions for the 

 choice of a bitch, advises to have one of Spartan or Moldssian 

 breed, and among several other perfections he says I 

 ears shoidd be dependant and fluctuate as she runs " 



This is, however, bv no means the case with the Irish wolf- 

 dog, whose ears resemble those of the grevhound, and are far 

 from fluctuating with the animal's motions. But of whatever 

 kind these dogs may be, whether known among the 

 or produced by a later mixture, they are now almost worn 

 quite away, and are very rarely met with even in Ireland, if 

 carried to other countries thev soon degenerate, and even at 

 home, unless great care be taken, they quickly alter. "They 

 were once employed in clearing the island of wolves 

 infested it in great plenty; bnt these being destroyed, the dogs 

 also are wearing away, as if nature meant to blot out the 

 species when they no longer had. any services to perform." 

 Brooke, in his "Natural History" of 1772, states: "The Irish 

 wolfdog is as 'Ray' affirms, the highest clog he had ever seen, 

 he being much larger tban'a mastiff dog, but inorelikf 

 hound in shape. " Smith, in his "History of Waterford 11 f 177-0, 

 uses very similar words; "The Irish greyhound though form- 

 erly abounding in this country, is likewise become nearly ex- 

 tinct; This dog is much taller than the mastiff, but made 

 more like a greyhound." Pennant (1770-81) informs us thai 

 the Irish greyhound — a variety once very frequent in Ireland, 

 and used in the chase of the wolf, now very scarce— is 

 of great size and strength. 



From Bewick (1792) we g:atker that "the Irish greyhouud is 

 the largest of the dog kind, and its appearance most "beautiful. 

 It is only to be found in Ireland, where it was formerly of 

 great use in clearing that country 'from wolves. It is now ex- 

 tremely rare, and kept rather for show than use, being equally 

 for hunting the stag, the fox, or the hare. These- ■(loga.flre 

 about three feet high, generally of a white or cinnamon coloi', 

 and made somewhat like a greyhound, but more robust. 

 Their aspect is mffd; their disposition peaceful; their strength 

 is so great that in combat the mastiff or bulldog is far from 

 being equal to them. They mostly seize then- antagonists by 

 the back and shake them to death, which then- great strength 

 generally enables them to do." Mons. Buffon supposes the 

 Great Danish dog to be only a variety of the Irish greyhound, 

 About this time (1794) certain dogs, in the possession of the 

 then Lord Altamont, were put forward as being Irish wolf- 

 dogs; but there appears to be no doubt whatever that these 

 dogs were degenerate specimens of the Great Dane. Mr. Lam- 

 bert, describing them to the Linnamn Society, stated that 

 "they were the only ones in the kingdom ; their' hair was short 

 and smooth, the color brown and white and black and white. ' : 

 An engraving of one of these, dogs is given in the "Encyclo- 

 paedia' Britannic a," published in LSI It, and it represents an 

 underbred Great Dane, of dull and mild appearance, Rich 

 ardson at one tune was in error regarding these dogs, for ne 

 accepted them as being true specimens of the Irish n oll'iiomid, 

 but he was afterward, from careful inquiry and research 

 quite disabused of any such idea, and concluded flnif the Irish 

 wolfhound was a rough greyhouud of gigantic Btatfire and nn 

 mense power. 



To suppose that these dogs were Irish wolfhounds was ah 

 surd to a degree, as that breed was known to be very scarce, 

 whereas the Great Dane was (and is) to be met with in great 

 numbers on the Continent. 



The present Marquis of Sligo informed the writer al 

 twelve years ago that he had often made, inquiries from pel' 

 sons who had seen his fathers dogs, and as far as- their de- 

 scriptions would enable one to judge, they rather resembled 

 some ot the German boarhounds, being rather like powerful 

 shaggy greyhounds, but a good deal larger. It is probable 

 that the shagginess was a mistake, as Mr. Lambert distinctly 

 states them to have been smooth. 



It is noticeable that Snydera has represented rough dogs of 

 greyhound character in his pictures of boar hunts, as well as 

 the smooth, spotted Great Danes. At the same tune, though 

 many inquiries have been made, such a thing as a genuine 

 boarhound with a rough coat cannot be heard of. 



E. Jesse tells us that the late Lord Derby purchased the 

 portrait — in Mr. Lambert's possession — of one of LordAlta- 

 mout's dogs. Now, it is a Well-ascertained fact that, in the 

 face of this model (!), Lord Derby bred, as Irish wolfdogs, a, 

 very powerful and robust dog of deerhound character (! !), 

 showing that he set small value on the picture as representing 

 the true breed of Irish wolfdog. 



In the "Encyclopaedia Britannica" of 1797 we are shown a 

 drawing of the Irish grc-hound, which represents a, very thick- 

 set, tall greyhound, with a rough coat and massive head; 

 color apparently brindle or black and white. 



The "Sportsman's Cabinet," a very valuable old book on 

 dogs, of which there were but a limited Dumber of ci | 

 published in 1808, and which is illustrated by very good en 

 gravings after drawings from life by Eeiuagle, R.A., 

 "The dogs of Greece, Denmark, Tarfary and. IrelaDd are the. 

 largest and strongest of their species. "The Irish greyhound 

 is of very ancient ra/.-e, and still to he found in some far remote 

 parts of that kingdom, though they are said to be reduced 

 even iu their original climate. They are much larger than 

 the mastiff; exceedingly ferocious when engaged." A re 

 markably spirited drawing is given of this dog, which, though 

 faulty in some minor parts, gives us an admirable idea of What 

 this grand dog was. 



Notwithstanding the undoubted resemblance of this sketch 

 to a gigantic rough greyhound of great power, the letterpress 

 is continued to the effect that the dog is identical with the 

 Great Dana— a totally different dog in appearance— whe 

 manifestly absurd; and on the letterpress we can accordingly 

 put no great stress, though the portrait undoubtedly bo- 

 real value. E. Jesse coincides iu this opinion, as when sneak- 

 ing of the "Sportsman's Cabinet," he says: "It is a work 

 more remarkable for the truth and fineness of its engravings 

 than for the matter contained in it." It is a noticable and 

 remarkable fact that whilst this book professes to treat of 

 every known variety of British dog, it does not mate any 

 mention whatever of "the Scottish deerhound or any breed of 

 dog used for htmtiug or taking deer, save the stag, blood and 

 old Southern hounds. 



A few extracts from this book are given that bear on the 

 subject under consideration, though not taken from the chap- 

 ter descriptive of the Irish wolfhound or greyhouud. 



"The Danish dog, Irish greyhound and common greyhound 

 of tin's country, though they appeared diff eren t, are said by 

 'Buffon' to be but one and the same dog, The Danish 

 savshe, is but a more corpulent Irish greyhound; Che 



