206 
CARNIVORA. 
The peculiar and eminently useful services of this 
variety to the shepherd appear almost to arise from 
an intuitive disposition in the animal, rather than 
from laboured training ; at least, there is an astonish- 
ing aptness exhibited by it in acquiring its lesson ; 
with an apparent interest, patient perseverance, and 
courageous fidelity, accompanied by a discriminating 
sagacity in the performance of its task, when ac- 
quired, as notorious as it is surprising. 
An instance is recorded of a young farmer, in 
Cumberland, who had the misfortune to break his 
leg while at some distance from his home, during a 
very severe winter. In his distress he hit upon the 
expedient of tying his glove, in his handkerchief, 
round the neck of his dog, of this description, which, 
at the w^ord of his. master, ran off home, and returned 
with the anxious father of the young man, who 
rationally concluded, that some mischief had hap- 
pened, the nature or extent of which was, of course, 
- unknown to him till he found his son. 
This breed is confined to the temperate and south- 
ern parts of Europe ; and in England there are two 
varieties of it; first, the shepherd’s dog, properly 
speaking, or that which is the usual attendant on 
the flocks while in their pastures; and, secondly, 
that which may be called the drover’s dog, which is 
larger than the former, and more usually employed 
to assist in driving sheep to the London market. 
