204 
VEKTEBRATA. 
packs of this kind are sometimes kept, against which the wolf, or even the bear, would stand little 
chance. Pie is principally used for the chase of the deer or the wolf, but occasionally follows 
the hare. The deer is his principal object of pursuit, and for this he is well adapted. He is 
met '« ith in most parts of Russia, where his breed is carefully preserved by the nobility, with 
whom coursing is a favorite diversion. 
The Grecian Greyhound, whose image was occasionally sculptured on the friezes of the ancient 
temples, still exists, and a specimen has lately been in the London Zoological Gardens. It greatly 
resembles the English variety. 
The Turkish Greyhound is a small-sized hairless dog, or with only a few hairs on his tail. He 
is never used in the field, and is bred only as a spoiled pet, — yet not always spoiled, for anecdotes 
are related of his inviolable attachment to his owner. One of them belonged to a Turkish Pacha 
who was destroyed by the bowstring. He would not forsake the corpse, but laid himself down 
by the body of his murdered master, and presently expired. 
The Persian Greyhound is a beautiful animal. He is more delicately formed than the English 
breed ; the ears are also more pendulous, and feathered ahuost as much as those of a King 
Charles' spaniel. Notwithstanding, however, his apparent slenderness and delicacy, he yields 
not in courage, and scarcely in strength, to the British dog. There are few kennels in which he 
is found in which he is not the master. In his native country he is not only used for hunting 
the hare, but the antelope, the wild ass, and even the boar. The antelope is speedier than the 
greyhound : therefore the hawk is given to him as an ally. The antelope is no sooner started 
than the hawk is cast olF, who, fluttering before the face of the deer, and sometimes darting his 
talons into his head, disconcerts him, and enables the greyhound speedily to overtake and. 
master him. t 
The chase, however, in which the Persians chiefly delight, and for which these greyhounds are 
mostly valued, is that of the ghoo-khan, or wild ass. This animal inhabits the mountainous dis- 
tricts of Persia. He is swift, fei'ocious, and of great endui'ance, which, together with the nature 
of the ground, renders this sport exceedingly dangerous. The hunter scarcely gives the animal 
a fair chance, for relays of greyhounds are placed at various distances in the surrounding 
country ; so that, when those by which the animal is first started are tired, there are others to 
continue the chase. Such, however, is the speed and endurance of the ghoo-khan, that it is 
seldom fairly run down by the greyhounds, its death being usually achieved by the rifle of 
some horseman. The Persians evince great skill and courage in this dangerous sport, galloping at 
full speed, rifle in hand, up and down the most precipitous hills, and across ravines and mountain 
streams, that mio-ht well daunt the boldest rider. 
The Persian greyhound, carried to Hindostan, 
is not always to be depended upon ; but is said 
to be apt to console itself by hunting its OAvn 
master, or any one else, when the game proves 
too fleet or escapes into the cover. 
The Italian Greyhound possesses all the sym- 
metry of the English or Persian one, on a small 
scale. So far as beauty can recommend it, and, 
generally speaking, good nature, it is deservedly 
a favorite in the drawing-room ; but, like the 
large greyhound, it is inferior in intelligence. 
It has no strong individual attachment, but 
changes it with singular facility. 
There are many other less noted varieties of 
the greyhound, for which we have not space. 
Nor shall we enter largely into a description of 
the degenerate cousins of the breed, such as the v-agabond street-dogs of Egypt, which claim to 
have greyhound blood in their veins. We must not, however, omit the humble but intelligent 
Turnspit, which, despite its vulgarity, appears to be, in part, of this gentle stock. In former days 
THE TURNSPIT. 
