MB. G. BEEWIS'S ENGLISH SETTER " DASH II. THE T* YV CZ\ 4 Y* Y nf tte Intel A SERIES OF ARTICLES THE POINTS OF THEIR VARIOUS BREEDS, THE TREATMENT OF THE DISEASES TO WHICH THEY ARE SUBJECT. BY J. H. WALSH ("STONEHENGE"), Editor of "The inield" (WITH THE AID OF SEVERAL EXPERIENCED BREEDERS). IF1 o TJ :B T n LONDON: HORACE COX, "THE FIELD" OFFICE, 346, STRAND, W.C. 1882. LONDON : PRINTED BY HORACE COX, 346, STRAND, W.C. PREFACE TO THE FOURTH EDITION. INGE the third edition of this book was published so short a time has elapsed that very little change in, or addition to, the '£> " Dogs of the British Islands " is to be noticed. In the sporting division a warm controversy has for some time been going on with regard to the breeding of the Laverack setter, one party alleging that all of this breed are descended from one pair mentioned by Mr. Laverack as the sole progenitors of his strain, while the other maintain (1st) that Mr. Laverack himself admitted, both orally and in writing, that he had used importations from other kennels ; and (2nd) that it is incredible that the average age (9) necessary to show the truth of the Adam and Eve theory is within the bounds of possibility. My own opinion is that the second of these objections is enough to dispose of this theory to the satisfaction of any person of average powers, but that the first is not by any means proved. In any case the question is of no importance, for the breed is now to be regarded from actual results, and not from theoretical grounds which ought entirely to give way before our experience of its merits or demerits, whichever may be in excess. Now, on the show bench, the Laveracks (so called) have held their own both in this country and abroad, but in the field they have stood no chance against the crosses with other strains, and especially with those used by Mr. Purcell Llewellin, whose breed, now called " Llewellin's," should therefore be preferred. With this exception there has been little or no novelty in any class of sporting dogs described by me in the previous editions, but I have added an article on the French Basset, now extensively bred in this country, written by Mr. Krehl, which will be read with especial interest by the admirers of that dog, and also by hound men in general. 29858ti PEEFACE. In the second division I have added articles on the Scotch and Airedale terriers, and have also substituted for Mr. Kidgway's original article on the Irish terrier another written by the President of the Club instituted for the improvement of that breed, embodying their most recent views, and for which, as well as for the article on the Basset, I have to thank that gentleman most sincerely. I trust that with these alterations and additions the fourth edition of " Dogs of the British Islands " will be considered worthy of continued support. " STONEHENGE." PUTNEY, July 12, 1882. TABLE OF CONTENTS. PART I. BOOK I. MANAGEMENT OF DOGS IN HEALTH. CHAPTER I. PA&B Kennel Management of Large Dogs ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 CHAPTER II. House Management of Pet Dogs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4 BOOK II. DRUGS COMMONLY USED FOR THE DISEASES OF DOGS, AND THEIR MODES OF ADMINISTRATION. CHAPTER I. The Action of Medicines, and the Forms in which they are generally Prescribed ... " 8 CHAPTER II. Administration of Remedies... 14 BOOK III. THE ORDINARY DISEASES OF THE DOG AND THEIR TREATMENT. CHAPTER I. Fevers 16 CHAPTER II. Inflammations, &c 24 BOOK IV. JUDGING AT DOG SHOWS AND FIELD TRIALS. CHAPTER I. Judging at Shows ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 49 iv CONTENTS. CHAPTER II. PAGE On Judging at Field Trials 58 PART II. S IF O IR, T I 1ST O- IDOO-S BOOK I. DOGS USED WITH THE GUN. CHAPTER I. — SETTERS. General Remarks ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 65 The English Setter 69 The Black -tan Setter (sometimes called Gordon) ... ... ... ... ... 78 The Irish Setter 81 CHAPTER II. — THE POINTER. The Modern Pointer 86 The Dropper 92 CHAPTER III. — SPANIELS. The Modern Field Spaniel 93 The Modern Cocker ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 94 The Sussex Spaniel ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 96 The Clumber Spaniel 99 The Irish Water Spaniel ... 101 The English Water Spaniel ... ... 103 CHAPTER IV. — RETRIEVERS. The Retriever Proper ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 104 The Wavy-coated Retriever 106 The Black Curly-coated Retriever ... 109 Retrievers other than Black ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 110 Wildfowl Retrievers ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Ill The Deerhound 111 BOOK II. HOUNDS AND THEIR ALLIES. CHAPTER I. The Greyhound ... 115 CONTENTS. CHAPTER II. — MODERN HOUNDS HUNTING BY NOSE. PAGE General Remarks 121 The Bloodhound ... ... ... : 122 The Foxhound ... 127 The Harrier ... ... ... 130 The Beagle ... ... ... ... ... 131 The Otter Hound ... 132 CHAPTER III. — THE Fox TERRIER — THE DACHSHUND — THE BASSET. The Smooth Fox Terrier 134 The Eough Fox Terrier ... ... ... 140 The Dachshund, or German Badger Dog ... ... ... ... ... ... 142 The Basset Hound 157 PART III. }- 3DOG-S. BOOK I. WATCH-DOGS. CHAPTER I. — THE BULLDOG AND MASTIFF. The Bulldog \.. 163 The English Mastiff 170 CHAPTER II. — THE NEWFOUNDLAND, LABRADOR, ST. BERNARD, AND DALMATIAN DOGS. The Newfoundland Dog ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 179 The Labrador or lesser Newfoundland Dog 183 The St. Bernard Dog ... 183 The Dalmatian Dog .. ... 188 BOOK II. SHEEP AND CATTLE DOGS. CHAPTER I. — THE COLLEY AND OTHER SHEEPDOGS. TheColleyDog 191 The Bob-tailed Sheepdog ... 198 CHAPTER II. The Pomeranian or Spitz Dog ; also called Loup-loup 198 CONTENTS. BOOK III. TERRIERS (OTHER THAN FOX AND TOY). CHAPTER I. PAGE Nondescript Terriers... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 201 CHAPTER II. — SPECIAL BREEDS OF ROUGH TERRIERS. The Skye Terrier 203 The Dandie Dinmont Terrier 206 The Bedlington Terrier 214 The Yorkshire Terrier 217 The Irish Terrier * 219 CHAPTER III. — SMOOTH TERRIERS (OTHER THAN TOYS). The Black and Tan Terrier (sometimes called the Manchester Terrier) . . . 224 The White English Terrier 228 The Bull Terrier 228 The Scotch Terrier ... ... ... 232 The Airedale Terrier... ... 235 BOOK IV. TOY DOGS. CHAPTER I. — ROUGH-COATED TOY DOGS. The King Charles and Blenheim Spaniels... ... ... ... ... ... 238 The Maltese Dog 241 CHAPTER II. — SMOOTH TOY DOGS. The Pug ... 243 The Italian Greyhound 247 The Smooth Toy Terrier , 250 APPENDIX. POODLES, FRENCH AND RUSSIAN-THE TRUFFLE DOG-THE CHINESE CRESTED DOG-THE GREAT DANE. The Poodle 254 The Truffle Dog 260 The Chinese Crested Dog 263 The Great Dane 264 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. TO FACE PAGE Mr. G. Brewis's English Setter " Dash II." frontispiece Mr. Purcell Llewellin's English Setter " Countess " 69 Mr. Coath's Black and Tan Setter " Lang " 78 Mr. Macdona's Irish Setter " Eover " 81 Mr. E. J. Lloyd Pi-ice's Pointers " Drake " and " Belle " 86 Mr. Smith's Pointer " Major " 88 Mr. W. Gillett's "Brush" and "Nellie," and Mr. W. Langdale's " Ladybird" (Cockers) 93 Mr. Soames's Sussex Spaniel " George " — Bred by Mr. Fuller 96 Mr. Price's Clumber Spaniel " Bruce " 99 Mr. Lindoe's Irish Water Spaniels " Eake " and " Blarney "... ... 101 Mr. G. Brewis's Wavy-coated Eetrievers " Paris " and " Melody " 105 Curly-coated Eetrievers. — Mr. Thorpe Bartram's " Nell " and Mr. Morris's "True" 109 Mr. Field's Deerhound " Bran" Ill Greyhounds.— Mr. W. Long's " David " and Mr. C. Eandall's " Eiot " ... 115 Mr. Eay's Bloodhounds " St. Hubert " and " Baroness " 122 Lord Poltimore's Foxhound " Lexicon " 127 The North Warwickshire Foxhound " Eosy " 128 Mr. Evans's Harrier " Clamorous " 130 Mr. Crane's Beagles " Giant " and " Einglet " 131 Mr. Carrick's Otter Hound " Stanley " 132 Mr. Murchison's Fox Terrier " Olive," and Mr. Burbidge's Fox Terrier "Bitters" 134 Eough Fox Terriers. — Mr. G. F. Eichardson's " Bramble " and Mr. Lindsay Hogg's "Topper" 140 Mr. Barclay Hanbury's Dachshunds " Fritz " and " Dina " 142 Basset Hounds 157 Mr. Vero Shaw's Bull-Dogs "Smasher" and "Sugar" 163 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. TO FACE PAGE Mr. Lukey's Mastiff " Governor " ...... ... ... 1 70 Mr. Mapplebeck's Newfoundland Dog "Leo" ... ... 179 The Rev. J. C. Macdona's St. Bernard "Tell" ... ... 183 The Rev. J. C. Macdona's Smooth St. Bernard "Monarque" ... ... ... 185 Mr. Tawdry's Dalmatian Dog " Captain " ......... ... 189 Colleys. — Mr. M. Skinner's " Vero," and Mr. H. Mapplebeck's " Fan" ... 191 Mrs. M. E. Prosser's Pomeranian Dog "Joe" ... ... ... ... ... 198 Nondescript Terriers. — Mr. Spink's " Bounce," Mr. Pearce's " Venture," Mr. Radclyffe's " Rough," Mr. Fitter's " Dandy " ... ...... 201 Mr. Martin's Prick-eared Skye Terrier, and Mr. Russell England's Drop-eared Skye Terrier " Laddie " ......... ... 202 Mr. J. Locke's Dandie Dinmonts " Doctor " and " Tib Mumps " ...... 207 Bedlington Terriers. — Mr. F. Armstrong's "Rosebud" and Mr. A. Armstrong's "Nailor" ..................... ...... 214 Yorkshire Terriers. — Mrs. Foster's " Huddersfield. Ben" and Lady Giffard's "Katie"... ... ...... 217 Mr. G. Jamison's Irish Terrier " Spuds " ......... ...... ... 219 Mr. H. Lacy's Black-tan Terrier " Belcher " ... ... 224 Mr. Vero Shaw's White English Terriers " Sylvio " and " Sylph " ... 228 Mr. Vero Shaw's Bull Terriers " Tarquin " and " Napper " ... 231 Scotch Terriers. — Miss Mary Laing's " Foxie " and Mr J. A. Adamson's "Roger Rough" ... ......... 232 Mr. L. P. C. Astley's Airedale Terrier Bitch " Fracture " ... 235 Toy Spaniels. — Mr. J. W. Berrie's Modern Blenheim " The Earl," Mr. Julius's Old Blenheim " Spot," Mr. Forder's King Charles " Young Jumbo " ... 238 Mr. R. Mandeville's Maltese Dog " Fido " ............ ... 241 The late Mr. H. Gilbert's Pug Dog "Prince"; "Mops" and "Nell," the Parent Stock of the Willoughby Pugs ............... 243 Italian Greyhounds. — Mr. Pirn's " Bismark " and Mr. J. Day's " Crucifix " ... 247 Mr. Howard Mapplebeck's Toy Terrier " Belle," contrasted with his Man- chester Terrier " Queen II." ...... ...... ... 250 Poodles and Whippet. — Group of Mr. Walton's Performing Dogs ... ... 253 Mrs, Malcolm's Truffle Dog " Judy " . . 260 The Chinese Crested Dog ... ... 263 INDEX TO PART I. A. Acute bronchitis page Acute pleurisy Acute pneumonia Alteratives Amaurosis, treatment of Anasarca, or general dropsy Anasarca, treatment of Anodynes Anti-spasmodics Aperients Ascaris lumbricoides Asthma, spasmodic, in pet dogs Asthma, spasmodic, symptoms of Asthma, spasmodic, treatment of Astringents B. Bala, scale of points used at Bedford, scale of points used at Belly distemper, causes of Belly distemper, treatment of Bishop's mange lotion Bitch devouring her young Bitch foster mother, treatment of . . Bites in dogs , treatment of Bladder, inflammation of the Bleeding from the lungs, styptic for Blisters Bloody urine, styptic for Blotch, treatment of Bolus, how to administer Bones necessary for dogs Brailsford's, Mr., scale of points Bronchitis, symptoms of acute Bronchitis, symptoms of chronic 32 31 32 8 27 39 40 9 9 9 40 33 33 34 10 59 59 18 21 14 44 44 44 37 13 10 13 30 14 5 59 32 32 Bronchitis, treatment of page 33 Butler and M'Cullooa's insect destroyer 6 C. Calvert's carbolic acid wash 4 Cancer, treatment of 43 Canker of the ear, treatment of 28 Cataract 27 Caustics '..... 11 Chest distemper, nature of 18 Chest distemper, treatment of 21 Chest founder 23 Chorea, a sequel of distemper 19 Chorea, treatment of 22, 38 Chronic bronchitis 32 Chronic pleurisy 31 Chronic pneumonia 32 Colic, symptoms and treatment of 36 Consumption 34 Cordials 11 Costiveness 37 Cough mixtures for the dog 12 Cuts, treatment of 44 D. Deafness, causes of 27 Diabetes, bolus for 10 Diarrhoea, treatment of 36 Digestive ointment 13 Dislocations, treatment of 46 Distemper, chest, nature of 18 Distemper, chest, treatment of 21 Distemper, definition of 17 Distemper, general treatment of 20 Distemper, how to distinguish 19 Distemper, observations on treatment of ... 20 Distemper of the belly, causes of 18 INDEX. Distemper of the belly, treatment of ...page ! Distemper, sequels of Distemper tonic ** Diuretics Dog biscuits Dog, operations on the 48 Dog shows, judging at 49 Door, best kind of , for kennels 3 Drenching, method of Dropsy, general symptoms of 39 Dropsy, general treatment of 40 Dropsy of the eye 27 Dysentery, treatment of 37 E. Ear, inflammation of the 27 Embrocations 12 Emetics •*•• 12 Encysted tumours, treatment of 43 Enlarged growths, sweating application for.. 10 Enlarged joints 42 Enteritis, symptoms and treatment of 35 Ephemeral fever 16 Epidemic fever 16 Epilepsy, symptoms of 38 . Epilepsy, treatment of 39 Eruption between the toes 30 Expectorants 12 Eye, inflammation of the 26 Eyewashes 10 F. Febrifuges 13 Fever, ephemeral Fever, epidemic , Fever mixture 13 Fever pill 18 Fevers Field trials, on judging at 58 Firing, use of Fits, treatment of 31 Fleas in large dogs, to destroy Fleas in pet dogs, to destroy 6 Fox terrier judging at Lillie Bridge 52 Fractures, treatment of 46 Fungus Hcematodes, treatment of 45 G. Gastritis, treatment of 3 H. Head, distemper, symptoms of page lead distemper, treatment of 20 Heart, inflammation of the 34 Hepatitis, cause of 34 Sepatitis, chronic Hepatitis, treatment of Hinder extremities, paralysis of 23 Horseheath and Shrewsbury, methods of judging at, compared 60 House management of pet dogs 4 Hydrophobia, see " Rabies " " Idstone's" scale of points 59 Inflammation of the bladder 37 Inflammation of the heart 34 Inflammation of the intestines 35 Inflammation of the kidney 37 Inflammation of the liver 34 Inflammation of the mouth 28 Inflammation of the nose 28 Inflammation of the organs of nutrition 34 Inflammation of the skin 29 Inflammation of the stomach 34 Inflammation of the urethra 37 Inflammations 24 Influenza 16 Intestines, inflammation of 35 J. Joints, enlarged, cause of ... 42 Judging at dog shows 49 Judging at field trials 58 Judging at shows, inconsistency of the old method 49 Judging by points, advantages of 53 Judging, public, preferable to private 50 Judging, single, best 50 K. Keating' s insect destroying powder 6 Kennel Club code of points 60 Kennel lameness 23 Kennel management of large dogs 3 Kidney, inflammation of the 37 INDEX. XI Large dogs, kennel management of page 3 Laryngitis, chronic 30 Larynx, acute inflammation of the 30 Lice in pet dogs, to destroy 6 Limbs, fractures of, treatment of 46 Liniments 12 Liver, inflammation of the 34 Lotions 14 Lowe's, Mr., code of points 60 M. Malignant distemper, description of 18 Malignant distemper, treatment of 21 Management of pet dogs in the house 4 Mange, description of 29 Mange ointment 13 Mange, red 30 Mange, virulent 29 Mange wash 14 Mange, with thickening of skin 29 Maw worm, description of 40 Mild distemper, symptoms of 17 Mouth, inflammation of the 28 N. Nose, inflammation of the 28 O. Ointments 13 Operations on the dog 48 Ophthalmia, treatment of 27 Organs of nutrition, inflammation of 34 Ozena (inflammation of the nose) 28 P. Palsy, treatment of 22 Paralysis of the hinder extremities 23 Parturition, diseases of 43 Parturition, healthy 43 Parturition, process of 43 Parturition, treatment after 44 Penis, wash for 10 Peritonitis, symptoms and treatment of 35 Pet dogs, house management of 4 Pet dogs, medicines for 5, 6 Pet dogs, washing 6 Phthisis, symptoms of page 34 Piles, ointment for 10 Pill, how to administer 14 Pleurisy, acute 31 Pleurisy, chronic 31 Pneumonia distinguished from pleurisy 31 Pneumonia, acute 32 Pneumonia, chronic 32 Pointers, food for 4 Pointer, suggested method of judging 54 Points, advantages of judging by 53 Points, Kennel Club code of 60 Points, Mr. Brailsf ord' s scale of 59 Points, Mr. Lowe's code of 60 Points, scale of, used at Bedford and Bala... 59 Points, table of 57 Public judging preferable to private 50 Puppies, food for 5 Purges, action of 9 Purges, prescriptions for 9 B. Eabies incurable 24 Babies, preventive measures regarding 25 Rabies, symptoms of 25 Red mange, description of 30 Remedies, administration of 14 Respiration, inflammation of the organs of 30 Rheumatic fever, symptoms of 22 Rheumatic fever, treatment of 22 Rheumatism, chronic 23 Ribs, fractures of, treatment of 46 Rickets, cause of 42 Rickets, treatment of 42 Round worm, description of 40 Round worm, remedies for 41 "Rule of thumb " judging not trustworthy 51 S. Setters, food for 4 Shaking palsy 20 Shaking palsy incurable 38 Shrewsbury and Horseheath methods of judging compared c*. 60 Shows, judging at 49 Skin, inflammation of the 28 Spasmodic asthma, symptoms of 33 Spasmodic asthma, treatment of 34 Spasms, prescriptions for 9 Sporting dogs to be fed once a day 3 Spratt's biscuits 4 Xll INDEX. Stomachic draught page 13 Stomachic pill 13 Stomachics 13 Stomach, inflammation of the 34 StypticB 13 Surfeit, treatment of 30 T. Table of points 57 Tsenialata 41 Tffinia solium 41 Tape worm, remedies for 41 Tears, treatment of 44 Tetanus 26 Thickening of skin, with mange 29 Ticks in large dogs, to destroy 4 Ticks in pet dogs, to destroy 6 Toes, "letting down" of 47 Tonic for distemper 14 Tonic mixtures 14 Tonic pills 14 Tonioa, list of 13 " Trembles," the 19 Tumours, encysted, treatment of 43 Turnside 26 "Twitch,"the 19 U. Urethra, inflammation of th« page 37 V. Vaynol, scale at points used at 59 Vegetables necessary for large dogs 4 Virulent mange 29 W. Warts in the month 28 Washes, astringent 10 Washes, list of 14 Washing pet dogs 6 White precipitate for destroying lice and ticks 7 Worm medicines 14 Worms, general principles of treatment for 41 Worms, maw, remedies for 41 Worms, presence of, in dogs 40 Worms, round, remedies for 41 Worms, tape, remedies for 41 Worms, varieties of 40 Y. " Yellows," the 18, 34 OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. DOOR LIFTED ; ON ITS HINGES »' 8 3 SCALE OF FEET KENNEL FOE POINTEES, SETTEES, OE SPANIELS. PART I. BOOK I. MANAGEMENT OF DOGS IN HEALTH. OHAPTEE I. KENNEL MANAGEMENT OF LARGE DOGS. HE kennel management of greyhounds, foxhounds, harriers, and other sporting dogs varies almost with each kind. Thus, greyhounds are most carefully protected from the weather by a roof to their yard as well as by body clothing, which is worn when in severe training. Next to these come hounds, and then pointers, setters, spaniels, and retrievers, all of which last are allowed a run into an open yard at discretion. In many cases this leads to colds and rheumatism, against which the best precaution is a sloping door for the opening into the sleeping chamber, hinged at the top, and made up at the sides with a /\ shaped piece of wood, but not at the bottom. This, when in its place, allows the dogs to jump up on to their beds, while it protects them from wind and rain when there, and can at any time be lifted completely up so as to allow of the kennel man entering and making all clean. The accompanying engraving shows a plan of such a door, with the dimensions suitable for the pur- pose, and from it any carpenter will easily be able to construct one. The advantage is too obvious to need dilating on it. In the summer time a wooden bench, if pro- tected in this way, and guarded from the wall by planking, needs no straw, which only harbours fleas ; but in the winter it, or deal shavings, which do not harbour fleas, must be provided, and, whichever is used, it should be changed twice a week. The floor of the yard should be of glazed tiles, cement, or asphalte, and all the woodwork should be either painted or dressed with best gas tar, the latter being the better material of the two. If the look of the tar is objected to, it may be coated with lime- wash, which, however, requires a renewal at least once a year. Sporting dogs are all better fed only once a day, and for those whose noses are of the utmost importance, viz., pointers and setters, the food should be almost entirely of meal, either made into biscuit or well boiled and converted into pudding. In either case, a very weak broth must be made of flesh or greaves, which is then used to boil the meal in or to soak the biscuits. Spratt's and other biscuits have lately been introduced into general use, by which all this trouble is avoided — dried 4 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. flesh, imported from abroad, being mixed with the meal before it is baked. I have tried those of Spratt and Co. with great advantage on pointers and setters, when containing not more than ten per cent, of meat ; but a larger proportion I have found much too heating, causing loss of nose, and a tendency to eruption. They should be given whole and dry, not soaked, the dogs breaking them up easily with their teeth ; and they appear to agree much better in this way than when soaked. Two or three times a week, whatever may be the kind of meal or biscuit used, some green vegetables, well boiled, should be given in addition, by which means the blood is kept cool, the coat blooming, and the nose cool and moist. Messrs. Spratt and Co. add a certain quantity of dates to their biscuits for the same purposes, but they are not sufficient for any length of time to supersede the necessity for green food in the case of kennelled dogs, who cannot get at ^ grass, which instinct prompts those at liberty to bite off and swallow. The number of biscuits required for a pointer or setter daily averages from 3 to 3|, but some gross feeders are sufficiently nourished with 2|, and others demand as many as 4| or even 5. Last year (1881) Messrs. Spratt introduced beetroot into their biscuits with excellent effect, not only on the health of the dogs fed on them, but also on the appetite for them of delicate or petted dogs. I find by experience that the most fastidious feeder will eat them dry, and strongly recommend this improvement to my readers. For large dogs, Calvert's carbolic acid wash, diluted with thirty or forty times its bulk of water, and used as a wash, forms the best application for fleas and ticks, and it is also useful as a vermin- destroying wash for the kennel walls and fittings, followed by lime-wash when dry. If preferred, the application described for pet dogs may be employed, or a small quantity of benzine collas may be rubbed in along the back. CHAPTER II. HOUSE MANAGEMENT OF PET DOGS. ET DOGS require a different treatment, to understand which it will be better to begin at the beginning. We will suppose that a puppy six weeks old, and of a breed not exceeding 151b. weight, is presented to one of our readers — What is to be done ? First of all, if the weather is not decidedly warm, let it be provided with a warm basket lined with some woollen material, which must be kept scrupulously clean. The little animal must on no account be permitted to have the opportunity of lying upon a stone floor, which is a fertile source of disease ; bare wood, however, is better than caipet, and oilcloth superior to either on the score of cleanliness. In the winter season the HOUSE MANAGEMENT OF PET DOGS. apartment should have a fire, but it is not desirable that the puppy should lie basking close to it, though this is far better than the other extreme. Even in the severest cold a gleam of sunshine does young creatures good, and the puppy should, if possible, be allowed to obtain it through a window in the winter, or without that protection in the summer. It will take exercise enough in playing with a ball of worsted or other material indoors until it is ten weeks old, but after that time a daily run in the garden or paddock will be of great service, extending to an hour or an hour and a half, but not so as to overtax its limbs. After this age, two or three hours a day, divided into periods of not more than an hour each, will be of service ; but it is very seldom that young pet dogs can reckon on this amount of exercise, and, indeed, it is not by any means necessary to their healthy growth. Until after the tenth week, cow's milk is almost essential to the health of the puppy. It should be boiled and thickened at first with fine wheat flour, and, after the eighth week, with the mixture of coarse wheat flour and oatmeal. The flour should be gradually increased in quantity, at first making the milk of the thickness of cream, and, towards the last adding meal in quantity sufficient to make a spoon stand up in it. If the bowels are relaxed the oatmeal should be diminished, or if confined increased. This food, varied with broth made from the scraps of the table, and thickened in the same way, will suffice up to the tenth or twelfth week, after which a little meat, with bread, potatoes, and some green vegetable, may be mixed together and gradually introduced as the regular and staple food. The quantity per day will of course vary according to the size of the puppy ; but, as an approximation to the proper weight required, it may be laid down that, for each pound the puppy weighs, an ounce of moderately solid food will be sufficient. From the time of weaning up to the tenth week it should be fed four times a day ; then up to four months, three times ; and afterwards twice until full grown, when a single feed will, in our opinion, conduce to its health, though many prefer going on with the morning and evening supply. When the puppy is full grown, meat, bread, and vegetables (either potatoes, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, or parsnips), in equal proportions, will form the proper diet, care being taken to avoid bread made with much alum in it. Dog biscuits, if sound, answer well for pet dogs ; but the quantity required is so small that in most houses the scraps of the bread basket and plates are quite sufficient. Bones should be supplied daily, for without them not only are the teeth liable to become covered with tartar, but the digestion is impaired for want of a sufficient secretion of saliva. If the above quality and quantity of food and exercise are given, in combina- tion with the protection from cold recommended, the pet puppy will seldom require any medical treatment. Sometimes, in spite of the most careful management, it will be attacked by distemper contracted from some passing dog infected with it ; but with this exception, which will not often occur, it may be anticipated that the properly treated pet dog will pass through life without submitting to the attacks of this disease, which is dire in its effects upon this division of the canine race. If care is taken to add oatmeal and green vegetables to the food in quantity sufficient to keep the bowels from being confined, no aperient will ever be required ; but 6 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. sometimes this precaution is neglected, and then recourse must be had either to castor oil or the compound rhubarb pill — the dose being one drop of the former or half a grain of the latter to each pound the puppy weighs. If the oil is stirred up with some milk the puppy will take it readily enough, and no drenching is required ; but care should be taken that the quality is good, and that the oil is not the rank stuff sometimes used in the kennels of sporting dogs. The compound rhubarb pill may be given by opening the mouth with the left hand, and then dropping in the pill. It must be boldly pushed well down the throat as far as the finger will reach, no danger being risked in effecting this simple process. If the liver is not acting (which may be known by the absence of the natural gingerbread colour of the evacuations), from half a grain to a grain of blue pill may be added to either dose, and repeated, if necessary, every day or every other day till the desired effect is produced ; or from one-sixth to one-third of a grain of podophyllin, which has a similar effect on the liver. Very young puppies should not be washed even in the summer season, as they are very liable to chill. After they are three months old, however, a bath of warm water, with or without soap, will do good rather than harm, provided that care be taken to dry them well afterwards. For white dogs, white soap is required to give full effect to this operation ; and it may be either " curd " or white soft soap, whichever is preferred, the latter being most effective in cleaning the coat. Long-haired dogs, such as spaniels, the Maltese and Skye terriers, require combing and brushing until they are dry, which should be done in the winter before a fire ; and in the latter breeds the coat should be parted down the back with the comb in the most regular manner. If the hair has become matted, a long soaking will be necessary, the comb being used while the part of the dog submitted to its teeth is kept under water, which will greatly facilitate the unrolling of the tangled fibres. After the coat is dry, where great brilliancy is demanded, a very slight dressing of hair-oil may be allowed occasionally ; but the brush is the best polisher, and when " elbow-grease " is not spared, a better effect will be produced than by bear's grease at half-a-crown a pot. With the exception of fleas, pet dogs ought -never to be infected with any vermin. Sometimes, however, they catch from others either lice or the ticks which infest the canine race. The appearance of the first two parasites is well known to everyone ; but the tick is not among the things commonly presented to the eye, and we may therefore mention that it may be known by its spider-like shape and by its close adhesion to the skin by means of its legs, with which it digs into the surface. In size it varies from that of the head of a small pin to the magnitude of a small grain of wheat, but not being so long in proportion to its width. The colour changes with that of the dog and with the quantity of blood imbibed, which always gives a greater or less tint of bluish-red ; but in very young ticks the colour is a pearly grey. In destroying fleas the best remedy is the insect-destroying powder sold by Butler and M'Culloch, of Covent Garden, by Keating, of St. Paul's Church- yard, and most chemists, which may be well rubbed in without fear of consequences. Lice and ticks require a stronger drug to destroy them, and this should be used with more care, as, being a mercurial preparation, it is liable to be absorbed if the HOUSE MANAGEMENT OF PET DOGS. skin is wetted, and then produces serious mischief, accompanied by salivation ; or, if the dog is allowed to lick himself, this effect is still more likely to follow. The dog should therefore be kept carefully from all wet for at least twelve hours, and during the application of the remedy it should either be carefully watched and prevented by the hand from licking itself, or it should be muzzled. The remedy is white precipitate, in powder, well rubbed into the roots of the hair over the whole body, and left on for six hours, after which it should be brushed out. At the expiration of the week the application should be repeated, and possibly it may be required a third time ; but this is seldom needed. BOOK II. DRUGS COMMONLY USED FOR THE DISEASES OF DOGS, AND THEIR MODES OF ADMINISTRATION. [It is to be constantly borne in mind that the doses given below are those suited to the dog of average size and strength. Where, therefore, the patient is a toy dog, the dose must be reduced to one-third or even one-fourth of that given. The same rule applies to puppies.'] CHAPTER I. THE ACTION OF MEDICINES, AND THE FORMS IN WHICH THEY ARE GENERALLY PRESCRIBED. ALTEEATIVES. LTEEATIVES are intended to produce a fresh and healthy action, instead of the previous disordered function. The precise mode of action is not well understood, and it is only by the results that the utility of these medicines is recognised. 1. JUthiops mineral, 2 to 5 grains ; powdered ginger, ^ to 1 grain ; powdered rhubarb, 1 to 3 grains. Mix, and form into a pill with syrup, to be given every evening. 2. Plummer's pill, 2 to 5 grains ; extract of hemlock, 2 to 3 grains. Mix, and give every night. 3. Stinking hellebore, 5 to 8 grains ; powdered rhubarb, 2 to 4 grains. Mix, and form into a pill, to be given every night. 4. Liquor Arsenicalis — of which the dose is 7 drops to an average sized dog — this is specially serviceable to dogs rendered gross by over feeding and no work. 5. Podophyllin, f grain ; compound rhubarb pill, 3 grains. Mix, and give once or twice a week until the liver acts freely. 6. Cod liver oil, from a teaspoonful to a table spoonful, with one or two drops of wine of iron twice a day. LIST OF DEUGS. 9 ANODYNES. Anodyne medicines are given either to soothe the general nervous system, or to stop diarrhoea ; or something to relieve spasm, as in colic or tetanus. Opium is the chief anodyne used in canine veterinary medicine, and it may be employed in very large doses. ANODYNE PEESCEIPTIONS. 1. FOR SLIGHT PURGING. — Prepared chalk, 2 drachms ; aromatic confection, 1 drachm; tincture of opium, 5 to 8 drachms ;" rice water, 7 ounces. Mix; dose, two tablespoonfuls after every loose motion. 2. FOR LONG-CONTINUED PURGING. — Diluted sulphuric acid, 3 drachms ; tincture of opium, 2 drachms ; compound tincture of bark, 1 ounce ; water, 6f ounces. Mix ; two tablespoonfuls every four hours. 3. Castor-oil, 2 ounces ; tincture of opium, 1 ounce. Mix by shaking ; a table- spoonful night and morning while the bowels are loose. 4. Powdered opium, f to 2 grains ; prepared chalk, 5 to 10 grains ; catechu, 5 grains ; powdered ginger, and powdered caraways, of each 1 to 3 grains. Mix, and form it into a pill with syrup, and give every three hours. ANTISPASMODICS. Antispasmodics, as their name implies, are medicines which are intended to counteract excessive muscular action, called spasm, or, in the limbs, cramp. 1. ANTISPASMODIC MIXTURE. — Laudanum and sulphuric aether, of each ^ to 1 drachm; camphor mixture, 1 ounce. Mix, and give every two hours till the spasm ceases. 2. ANTISPASMODIC INJECTION. — Laudanum, sulphuric aether, and spirit of turpentine, of each 1 to 2 drachms ; gruel, 3 to 6 ounces. Mix. APEEIENTS. APERIENTS, or purges are those medicines which quicken or increase the evacuations from the bowels, varying, however, a good deal in their mode of operation. Some act merely by exciting the muscular coat of the bowels to contract ; others cause an immense watery discharge, which, as it were, washes out the bowels ; whilst a third set combine the action of the two. The various purges also act upon different parts of the canal, some stimulating the small intestines, whilst others pass through them without affecting them, and only act upon the large bowels ; and others, again, act upon the whole canal. There is a third point of difference in purges, depending upon their influencing the liver in addition, which mercurial purgatives certainly do, as well as rhubarb and some others, and which effect is partly due to their absorption into the circulation, so that they may be made to act by injecting into the veins, as strongly as by actual swallowing and their subsequent passage into the bowels. Purgatives are likewise classed, according 10 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. to the degree of their effect, into laxatives acting mildly, and drastic purges acting very severely. 1. STRONG APERIENT BOLUS.— Calomel, 4 grains; jalap, 14 to 20 grains. Linseed meal and water, enough to make one or two boluses, according to size. 2. A GOOD APERIENT BOLUS. — Blue pill, | scruple; compound extract of colocynth, 1 scruple ; powdered rhubarb, 5 grains ; oil of aniseed, 2 drops. Mix, and give to a large dog, or divide into two or three for medium-sized or smaller ones. 3. CASTOR OIL MIXTURE. — Castor oil, ^ pint; laudanum, ^ ounce; oil of aniseed, 1 drachm; olive oil, 2 ounces. Mix, and give one, two, or three table- spoonsfuls, according to the size of the dog. 4. PURGATIVE INJECTION. — Castor oil, f ounce ; spirit of turpentine, 2 drachms ; gruel, 6 to 8 ounces. Mix. ASTRINGENTS Cause contraction in those living tissues with which they come in contact, whether in the interior or exterior of the body ; and whether immediately applied or by absorption into the circulation. They are divided into astringents adminis- tered by the mouth, and those applied locally to external ulcerated or wounded surfaces. 1. ASTRINGENT BOLUS USEFUL IN DIABETES OR HEMORRHAGE. — Powdered opium, 2 to 3 grains ; gallic acid, 4 to 6 grains ; alum, 5 to 10 grains ; powdered bark, 10 grains ; linseed meal, enough to form a bolus, to be given to a large dog (or divided for a small one) two or three times a day. 2. ASTRINGENT WASHES FOR THE EYES. — Sulphate of zinc, 5 to 8 grains ; water, 2 ounces. Mix. Or, goulard extract, 1 drachm ; water, 1 ounce. Mix. Or, nitrate of silver, 2 to 8 grains ; water, 1 ounce. Mix, and drop into the eyes with a quill ; or wine of opium to be dropped into the eye. 3. WASH FOR THE PENIS. — Sulphate of zinc, 6 to 10 grains ; water, 1 ounce. Mix. Or, chloride of zinc, f to \\ grains ; water, 1 ounce. Mix. 4. ASTRINGENT OINTMENT FOR PILES.— Gallic acid, 10 grains ; goulard extract, 15 drops ; lard, 1 ounce. Mix. BLISTEES Require great care in their application to the skin of the dog, and should never be used without a muzzle, which may only be removed during feeding time. Before applying them, cut off the hair with scissors from the part to be blistered. 1. ORDINARY BLISTER FOR PURPOSES OF COUNTER-IRRITATION. — Powdered cantharides, | ounce ; Venice turpentine, 6 drachms ; lard, 3 ounces. Mix, and rub in with the hand. 2. SWEATING APPLICATION FOR ENLARGED GROWTHS. — Eed iodide of mercury, LIST OF DRUGS. 1 drachm; lard, 1 ounce. Mix; rub 'in a little every day till a watery discharge is produced, then desist for a day or two ; and repeat as often as necessary. 3. Tincture of iodine, 1 ounce. Paint on some of the tincture every day till a sufficient effect is produced. CAUSTICS Are substances which burn away the living tissues of the body, by the decom- position of their elements. They are of two kinds, viz., first, the actual cautery, consisting in the application of the burning iron, and called firing ; and, secondly, the potential cautery, by means of the powers of mineral caustics such as potash, lunar-caustic, corrosive sublimate, &c. Firing is seldom practised on the dog, but sometimes it may be had recourse to with advantage, when a very thin iron must be used. The red-hot iron is also sometimes needed to stop bleeding from warts in the mouth removed by the knife > or in a similar way for piles. STRONG SOLID CAUSTICS are as follows : — 1. FUSED POTASS. — Difficult to manage, because it runs about in all directions, and little used in veterinary medicine. 2. LUNAR CAUSTIC, OR NITRATE or SILVER. — Very valuable to the veterinary surgeon. It should always be kept at hand in the portable wooden case made specially for it. 3. BLUE STONE, OR SULPHATE OF COPPER. — May be handled safely, and no case therefore is required. When used, it should be freely rubbed into the part affected, It is valuable for unhealthy sores, &c. 4. CORROSIVE SUBLIMATE is only required to remove warts, but can seldom be trusted to any but a practised surgeon. CORDIALS Are medicines which act as warm temporary stimulants, augmenting the strength and spirits when depressed, and often relieving an animal from the ill-effects of over-exertion. 1. CORDIAL BALLS. — Powdered caraway seeds, \ to If drachms ; ginger, 20 to 40 grains ; oil of cloves, 3 to 8 drops. Mix. and give 10 grains for a dose. 2, CORDIAL DRENCH. — Tincture of cardamoms, \ to 1 drachm ; sal volatile, 15 to 30 drops ; infusion of gentian, f to 1 drachm ; camphor mixture, 1 ounce. Mix. DIURETICS Are medicines which promote the secretion and discharge of urine, the effect being produced in a different manner by different medicines ; some acting directly upon the kidneys by sympathy with the stomach, while others are taken up by the blood-vessels, and in their elimination from the blood cause an extra secretion of the urine. In either case their effect is to diminish the watery part of the blood, and thus promote the absorption of fluid effused into any of the cavities, or into the cellular membrane, in the various forms of dropsy. 12 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. 1. DIURETIC BOLUS. — Nitre, 6 grains ; digitalis, ^ to 1 grain ; ginger, 4 grains. Linseed meal and water to form a bolus, which is to be given night and morning. 2. DIURETIC AND ALTERATIVE. — Iodide of potassium, 3 grains ; nitre, 4 grains ; digitalis, f grain ; extract of gentian, 5 grains. Mix, and give twice a day. EMETICS Are sometimes required for the dog, though not so often as is commonly sup- posed. Vomiting is a natural process in that animal, and seldom wants provoking ; indeed, if emetics are often had recourse to, his stomach becomes so irritable that neither medicine nor food will remain on it ; hence their administration should be carefully kept within the bounds of absolute necessity. 1. STRONG EMETIC. — Tartar emetic, \ to 1 grain ; powdered ipecacuanha, 4 to 5 grains. Mix, and dissolve in a little water, to be given as a drench ; and to be followed by half a pint of lukewarm water in a quarter of an hour. 2. COMMON SALT EMETIC. — A teaspoonful of salt and half this quantity of mustard are to be dissolved in half a pint of warm water and given as a drench. EXPECTORANTS Excite or promote a discharge of mucus from the lining membrane of the bronchial tubes, thereby relieving inflammation and allaying cough. 1. EXPECTORANT BOLUS. — Ipecacuanha powder, 1 to If grains ; powdered rhubarb, 1 to 3 grains ; compound squill pill, 1 to 2 grains ; powdered opium, \ to 1 grain. Linseed meal and water enough to make a bolus, to be given night and morning. 2. Ipecacuanha powder, and powdered opium, of each a grain. Confection enough to make a pill, to be given every six hours. 3. AN EXPECTORANT MIXTURE FOR CHRONIC COUGH. — Friar's balsam, 10 to 15 drops ; syrup of poppies, 1 drachm ; diluted sulphuric acid, 5 to 10 drops ; mucilage, \ ounce ; water, \ ounce. Mix, and give two or three times a day. 4. AN EXPECTORANT IN RECENT COUGH. — Tincture of lobelia, 10 to 15 drops ; almond emulsion, 1 ounce ; extract of conium, 2 to 3 grains ; ipecacuanha wine, 5 to 10 drops. Mix, and give two or three times a day. LINIMENTS OR EMBROCATIONS Are applied to the skin for the purpose of producing counter-irritation, and are specially useful in chronic rheumatism, colic, &c. The most generally useful is the following : — Laudanum, liquid ammonia (strong), spirit of turpentine, soap liniment, of each \ ounce. Mix. LIST OF DBUGS. 13 FEBRIFUGES. Fever medicines are given to allay fever, which they do by increasing the secre- tions of urine and sweat, and also by reducing the action of the heart. 1. FEBRIFUGE PILL. — Calomel, 1 to 3 grains ; digitalis, -| grain ; nitre, 3 to 5 grains. Confection to form a pill, to be given every night. Or, 2. Nitre, 3 to 5 grains ; tartar emetic, i grain. Confection to form a pill, to be given night and morning. 3. FEVER MIXTURE. — Nitre, 1 drachm ; sweet spirits of nitre, 3 drachms ; mindererus spirit, 1 ounce ; camphor mixture, 6| ounces. Mix, and give two table- spoonfuls every six hours. OINTMENTS Are greasy applications, by means of which certain substances are brought into contact with the vessels of the skin. 1. MANGE OINTMENT. — Green iodide of mercury, 1 drachm; lard 1 ounce. Mix, and rub in a small quantity every other day to the parts affected. N.B. — Not more than a quarter of the body should ever be dressed at one time. Care should be taken to avoid leaving any superfluous ointment on the surface of the body. 2. DIGESTIVE OINTMENT. — Red precipitate, 1 ounce ; Venice turpentine, 1^ ounces ; bees' wax, f ounce ; lard, 2 ounces. Mix. STOMACHICS Are given to increase the tone of the stomach in particular. 1. STOMACHIC PILL. — Extract of gentian, 5 grains ; powdered rhubarb, 2 grains. Mix, and give twice a day. 2. STOMACHIC DRAUGHT. — Tincture of cardamoms, ^ drachm; compound infusion of gentian, 1 ounce ; tincture of ginger, 5 drops. Mix, and give twice a day. STYPTICS. Styptics are remedies which have a tendency to stop the flow of blood either from internal or external surfaces. They are used either by the mouth, or to the part itself in the shape of lotions, &c. ; or the actual cautery, which is always the best in external bleeding. 1. INTERNAL STYPTICS — FOR BLOODY URINE, OR BLEEDING FROM THE LUNGS. — Superacetate of lead, 12 to 24 grains ; tincture of matico, | to 1 ounce ; vinegar, 2 drachms ; water, 7 to 7| ounces. Mix, and give two tablespoonfuls two or three times a day to a full-sized dog. TONICS Augment the vigour of the whole body permanently, whilst stimulants only act for a short trnv. They are chiefly useful after low fever. 14 THE DOGS OF THE BEIT1SH ISLANDS. 1. TONIC PILLS. — Disulphate of quinine, 1 to 3 grains ; ginger, 2 to 3 grains. Extract of gentian, enough to form a bolus, to be given twice a day. 2. TONIC MIXTURE. — Compound tincture of bark, 1 ounce ; decoction of yellow bark, 7 ounces. Mix, and give two tablespoonfuls twice or thrice a day. 3. DISTEMPER TONIC. — Aromatic spirit of ammonia, 1 drachm; decoction of yellow bark, 1 ounce ; compound tincture of bark, 1 drachm. Mix. WASHES OE LOTIONS. 1. MANGE WASH. — Calvert's carbolic wash diluted with twenty times its bulk of water, and rubbed into the roots of the hair in red mange. 2. BISHOP'S MANGE LOTION is a preparation of lime, &c., which is said by good judges to be extremely successful in curing mange, and especially red mange. It is at all events not likely to be injurious. WOEM MEDICINES. 1. Areca nut powdered, of which 2 grains for every pound the dog weighs is the dose, for worms generally. 2. Santonine is the remedy for round worm. Dose for the average dog, 3 grains in a pill. 3. Spirit of turpentine, 1 to 4 drachms, to be tied up in a piece of bladder and given as a bolus in obstinate cases of tape worms. 4. MALE FERN. — Eoot, 1 to 3 drachms ; oil, 10 to 30 drops, in tape worm. OHAPTEE II. ADMINISTRATION OF REMEDIES. ITHOUT some little patience and a knowledge of the temper of the dog, it is often very difficult to administer physic in any shape. A large powerful animal, of a savage temper, is scarcely to be controlled even kv his keeper ; but any dog of less than 401b. or 501b. weight is within the power of a resolute man, especially with his hands properly guarded by gloves. In giving a pill or bolus to a small dog, he should be gently taken into the lap of the operator, or left in that of his attendant, then laying hold of the space between the canine teeth and the molars on each side with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, the mouth is forced open, and the pill dropped into the throat by the other hand, following it rapidly with the forefinger and pushing it down as far as the finger will reach. The mouth is then kept shut for a second or two until the pill has had time to reach the stomach. ADMINISTBATION OF EEMEDIES. 15 A large dog must be backed into a corner, then stride over him, and put a thick cloth into his mouth. The ends of this should be brought together over his nose, and held with the left hand. An assistant then lays hold of the lower jaw with the aid, if necessary, of another cloth, and wrenches the jaws apart, the right hand of the operator pushes the pill or bolus down the throat, taking care, as before, to keep the head up with the jaws closed for a short time. The mode of drenching is either to pour the fluid down, using the cheek as a funnel, as shown in the engraving, or to open the mouth as for a bolus, and pour it down the throat by means of a small sauce ladle, or a soda-water bottle. The mouth must be shut directly the fluid is received, to enable the dog to swallow it. BOOK III. THE ORDINARY DISEASES OF THE DOG AND THEIR TREATMENT. CHAPTER I. FEVERS. SIMPLE EPHEMEEAL FEVER. N the Dog, simple fever is merely a condition in which there is first a chilliness, accompanied by actual increase of surface heat, and quick respiration and pulse ; then loss of appetite and diminished secretion of urine, with frequently costive bowels ; and, finally, a tendency to con- gestion in the mucous membrane of the lungs or nostrils, or of some other internal organ, but generally of the lungs and nose, producing cough and running at the nose and eyes. The febrile symptons usually run a short course, seldom going beyond three days, but the congestion of the mucuous membrane often remains much longer. In the first place, complete rest should be accorded ; next, a dose of aperient medicine, with calomel, in the following shape, will generally be advisable, as it will clear away any sources of irritation which may exist : Calomel, 2 to 4 grains ; jalap in powder, 10 to 15 grains ; ginger, 1 grain — mix. The dose will be in proportion to the size and strength of the dog, giving one-half or a quarter to a small one, or to a young puppy. When this has operated, with the assistance of some gruel, very little more will be necessary under ordinary circumstances, and in a few days the dog will be well. SIMPLE EPIDEMIC FEVER, OR INFLUENZA. This species of fever is closely allied to the preceding variety in everything but the cause, which, instead of being exposure to cold, is some peculiar condition of the air, to which the name epidemic is given, in order to conceal our ignorance, for it is really only giving a name and nothing else. The term influenza is precisely similar, both only signifying the peculiar and general prevalence of the complaint, and not defining its nature or its cause. The latter term is, however, applied more especially to epidemic catarrh, which is the form we are now considering. As the DISTEMPER. 17 symptoms are very closely similar to those of simple cold, or ephemeral fever, it is unnecessary to repeat them ; nor is the treatment in the first stage at all different. But as the cough and running seldom disappear without some extra care and attention, it does not always do to trust to nature here for a cure. Lowering medicines and diet after the first few days are not at all successful ; and, on the other hand, warm expectorants, with tolerably good and nourishing slops, will be found to answer the best. The expectorant bolus, No. 1, may be given night and morning with advantage. As soon as the cough and running at the nose have some- what subsided, and before exercise is allowed, the bark mixture (Tonic No. 2) may be given ; and only when the strength and spirits are so recruited as to warrant the supposition that the health is greatly restored is the dog to be allowed exercise, and then only at first with great caution. It is often the case that a premature exposure to air and excitement brings on a relapse, and especially when the lungs are at all implicated either in their substance or mucous membrane: A human patient can be taken out in a carriage, but dogs, unless they are great pets, are seldom allowed that indulgence ; and hence the necessity for the above precaution. DISTEMPER Distemper may be defined as a feverish disease, always marked by rapid loss of strength and flesh, in proportion to the severity of the attack. It may occur at any period of life, and even more than once in the same individual ; it is, however, generally met with in the puppy, and in most cases the dog is afterwards exempt. The essence of -the disease appears to consist in a poisoned state of the blood, which may be either produced by contagion or by putrid emanations from filthy and overcrowded kennels ; and it is from the efforts of nature to throw off this poison that the various symptoms are produced by which we know the disease. These symptoms differ according to the peculiar constitution of each dog, and to the state of the air and other causes which produce them. Hence it is usual to speak of distemper as either simple or attended with certain complications in the head, chest, belly, &c. But, although they are all essentially the same disease, these variations may be conveniently described as — 1st, Mild Distemper ; 2nd, Head Distemper ; 3rd, Chest Distemper ; 4th, Belly Distemper ; and 5th, Malignant Distemper. In Mild Distemper there are in almost all cases the following symptoms, which also show themselves in the other kinds, with the additional symptoms peculiar to each. The first thing noticeable is a general dulness (particularly shown in the eyes), accompanied by a dislike to play or take any kind of exercise, and by a want of appetite. Soon there appears a short cough, attended by a disposition to sneeze ; and the dog often seems as if he hardly knew which of these acts to do first. The cough and sneezing are seldom heard while the dog is quiet, but when he is brought out of his kennel into the air, and particularly after he begins to play or run about, the mucous membrane is irritated and the coughing is set up, either by itself or alternately with sneezing. There is some slight thirst, a warm dry nose generally (but not invariably), a disordered state of the bowels, which may be either confined 18 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. or relaxed, and a scanty secretion of high-coloured urine. In a few days the dog loses flesh and strength to a great extent, but then gradually recovers. Head Distemper commences in the same way as the mild form, but the cough or sneezing is very slight, and sometimes there is not a vestige. On separating the eyelids, the whites are seen to be covered with blood-vessels loaded with dark blood, and a strong light seems to give pain. This kind of distemper is often indicated, soon after its commencement, by a fit, lasting a short time, and leaving a state of torpor from which the dog can with difficulty be aroused. If the brain is not relieved, the fits recur at short intervals, and the stupor increases, until the dog becomes quite insensible, and dies in a violent convulsion. Chest Distemper appears to be an extension downwards into the chest of the irritation which produces the cough. It there generally sets up the kind of inflam- mation known as bronchitis, together with which, however, there is often inflamma- tion of the substance of the lungs (pneumonia), or even of the external surface (pleurisy). Distemper of the Belly is too often the result of mismanagement, produced either by the abuse of violent drugs or by neglect of attention to the secretions for some time previously. In the former case the bowels become very relaxed at the end of a week or ten days from the first commencement of a case of mild distemper, and then there is a constant diarrhoea, soon followed by the passage of large quantities of blood. This may be quite black and pitchy when it comes from the small intestines, or red and florid where the lower bowels are affected. Sometimes these symptoms appear of themselves, but generally they result from calomel or other violent medicines. When there has been neglect, and the bowels have been allowed to become confined, while at the same time the secretion of bile has been checked, a most dangerous symptom, known as " the yellows," shows itself, the name being given in consequence of the skin and white of the eyes being stained of a yellow colour, from the presence of bile. This may occur without distemper, and then it is not so fatal; but when it comes on during an attack of this disease it is almost invariably followed by death. Malignant Distemper may come on at first, the dog attacked being as it were at once knocked down by the severity of the poison ; or it may show itself at the end of a week or ten days from the first commencement. It may follow either of the four kinds already described, being marked by an aggravated form of the symptoms peculiar to each ; but there are some additional evidences of the poisoned state of the blood, which show themselves in the four stages into which the disease, when well marked, divides itself. These stages are — 1st, incubation, during which the disease is, as it were, hatching or brewing ; 2nd, reaction, when nature is working herself up to throw off the poison ; 3rd, prostration, following these efforts ; and 4th, convalescence, wherein the constitution recovers its usual powers. In a well-marked case of malignant distemper these four stages average about a week or ten days each ; and it is important to ascertain their existence, inasmuch as the treatment proper to each varies very considerably. The period of incubation is known by the symptoms described as common to mild distemper, as well as to the other kinds ; DISTEMPEE. 19 but, in the malignant form, the strength is lost much more rapidly, while the appetite is almost entirely absent, and the secretions are very much disordered. During the reaction, the pulse becomes quick and hard, the breathing is much hurried, and is often much quicker than the pulse without the existence of any inflamma- tion. This is very important to notice, as, when such is the case, any lowering measures are highly improper ; but, on the other hand, the pulse may be very high and strong, and the breathing laboured, which, together with other unmistakable evidences afforded to the practised ear, prove the existence of inflammation, and require energetic and lowering treatment. At this time, also, are developed those dangerous affections of the brain, bowels, or liver, to which I have before alluded. When the stage of prostration sets in the whole system is thoroughly reduced, the dog is so weak that he is unable to stand, his appetite is often entirely gone — so that he must be drenched if he is to be kept alive ; his gums, tongue, and teeth are coated with a black fur, and his breath is highly offensive. At this time an eruption of the skin generally shows itself, sometimes consisting in mere purple spots, in others of small bladders filled with yellow matter, but most frequently of bladders, varying in size from a pea to half a hen's egg, and containing matter more or less stained with purple blood, or occasionally blood alone. This eruption is thickest on the skin of the belly and inside of the thighs, but sometimes it extends to the whole body. It is a favourable sign, taken by itself, though it generally attends upon severe cases. In the convalescence from malignant distemper, health gradually returns ; but without the greatest care in all respects a relapse is very apt to occur, and is then generally fatal. To distinguish these several forms of distemper from the diseases which most nearly resemble them, it is chiefly necessary to bear in mind that the peculiarity of distemper, especially in its malignant form, is the rapid tendency to loss of strength and flesh which accompanies it. Thus a common cold with cough is attended with slight feverishness, languor, loss of appetite, &c., but it may go on for several days without the dog losing much flesh, and with a very partial loss of strength. So} also, with ordinary diarrhoea ; it is astonishing how severe an attack is required to reduce a dog in anything like the same degree which a few days' distemper will effect. In diarrhoea the dog gets thin, it is true, but he does not become the living skeleton which distemper produces ; nor does he lie exhausted in his kennel, utterly unable to rise from his bed, and obliged to be supported in order to relieve himself. The same may apply to simple inflammation of the lungs, which may be treated most energetically by bleeding and lowering medicine with good effect, and without knocking the dog off his legs; while in chest distemper, even though the local symptoms are apparently as severe, a treatment one-half as energetic will be fatal from the exhaustion following upon it. The sequels of distemper should also be alluded to, as consisting of chorea, commonly called " the twitch," and a kind of. palsy, known as " the trembles." Both are produced by some obscure mischief done to the brain or spinal marrow in the course of the disease, and they generally follow the kind which I have described as head distemper. Chorea may be known by a peculiar and idiotic-looking drop 20 THE DOOS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. in one fore-quarter when the dog begins to move, so that he bobs his head in a very helpless way. Sometimes the twitch is slight and partial, at others it is almost universal ; but it always goes off during sleep. Shaking palsy affects the whole body, and is far more rare than chorea, which is fortunate, as I believe it to be incapable of cure. The treatment of the several forms and sequels of distemper must always be conducted upon the acknowledged principle that this is a most debilitating disease, and that any very lowering measure must be avoided, if possible. On the other hand, inflammation is always to be feared attacking either the brain, lungs, or bowels ; and as bleeding and other remedies of a similar tendency form the most active means for getting rid of inflammation, there is often left to the person in charge only a choice between two dangers. Two things, therefore, are to be attended to in the general treatment. 1st. Not only to avoid lowering the system, but also in bad cases to support it by good diet, as far as is consistent with the avoidance of the encouragement to inflammation. 2nd. To take especial care that inflammation does not go far enough to destroy life, or to leave such organic change in the brain or lungs as shall render the dog useless for the purposes to which he is designed. This requires some experience in practice, though in theory it is simple enough ; and, indeed, one is sometimes obliged to blow hot and cold at the same time, lowering the dog with one hand and propping him with the other. It must always be remembered, also, that this is a disease which has a natural tendency to recovery, its essence being an effort of the powers of the system to throw off a poison in the blood. Hence nature requires to be aided, not opposed ; and that man will succeed the best in the long run who interferes the least with her operations. With these preliminary observations I shall proceed to give special directions for the treatment of each form. 1. GENERAL TREATMENT. — In the early stage give a mild dose of aperient medicine, such as castor oil and syrup of poppies in equal proportions ; or, if the liver is not acting, calomel and jalap. It is always better, however, to avoid giving calomel if there is plenty of bile in the evacuations. After the early stage is gone by, give nothing in the shape of medicine, but keep the kennel dry, clean, and airy, but warm. Change the litter frequently, and avoid exercise till the cough and running at the eyes have entirely ceased. For several days the diet should consist of nourishing broths, thickened, when there is diarrhoea, with flour, rice, or arrow- root ; or, if the bowels are confined, with oatmeal. If there is little water passed, give every night (as a drench) five or six grains of nitre, with half a teaspoonful of sweet spirits of nitre. 2. HEAD DISTEMPER requires very energetic local treatment in addition to that recommended above. From four to eight leeches may be applied to the inside of the ears, washing the part well with milk and water first. Then put in a seton to the back part of the neck, first smearing the tape with blistering ointment. If the head is very much affected apply cold water to it by means of a wet cloth, or if that is not allowed, by the watering-pot. Calomel and jalap must be given to act on the liver and bowels, and a pill (consisting of half a grain to one grain of tartar DISTEMPEE. 21 emetic) two or three times a day. As soon as the urgent symptoms have dis- appeared, the dog often requires supporting with beef tea and tonics, as described in No. 5. 3. CHEST DISTEMPER must be met with bleeding if there is evidence of inflam- mation ; but if not, it is better to avoid such a lowering measure, and trust to antimony or ipecacuanha. Mix one grain of either of these with half a grain of opium, and give two or three times daily. If there is long-continued mischief, apply a blister to the chest, or rub in mustard mixed with vinegar. When the breathing is more rapid than the pulse, stimulants will be required, such as the bark and ammonia mixture in No. 5. 4. DISTEMPER OF THE BELLY, attended with purging, requires the immediate use of astringents, of which opium is the best. There is nothing better than the following mixture. Take of prepared chalk 2dr., mucilage of acacia loz., laudanum loz., tincture of ginger 2dr., water 5^oz. Of this give from a dessert-spoonful to a tablespoonful every time the bowels are relaxed. The diet should be almost entirely of boiled rice, flavoured with milk or broth, and if there is much thirst rice-water only should be allowed. On the other hand, where there is a confined state of the bowels, which is generally attended with "the yellows," calomel, rhubarb, and aloes are the only remedies to be relied on. Take of calomel 3gr. to 5gr. ; rhubarb and aloes of each 5gr. to lOgr. ; mix, and form into a bolus with water, and give twice a day till it acts freely. A turpentine enema may also be administered, but this requires some practical skill to carry out. Should bile begin to flow, there is still great care required to avoid checking the diarrhoea on the one hand, while on the other the exhaustion caused by it is often frightfully great. Strong broths thickened with flour or rice must often be given by force, as the appetite is generally much reduced in this disease. Where there is great exhaus- tion from diarrhoea, arrow-root with port wine will be of use. 5. MALIGNANT DISTEMPER is less difficult to manage than that of the head, and far less than " the yellows," when complicated with the ordinary attack. The great thing is to avoid reducing the system in the early stage, and to give at that time only such remedies as are imperatively required. A mild dose of oil, as described under No. 1, will be of service, after which the less done the better till the usual weakness shows itself. In the interval it may be necessary to treat the case as one affecting the head, chest, or belly, as described under Nos. 2, 3, or 4 ; but so soon as the excessive exhaustion shows itself, there is no chance of recovery without resort- ing to strong tonics and good food. For this purpose there is no remedy like port wine, or bark and ammonia — the former of which may be given, mixed with an equal part of water, and with the addition of a little spice, such as nutmeg or ginger. For the latter, take of decoction of bark loz., aromatic spirit of ammonia Idr., compound tincture of bark Idr. Mix and give twice a day to a large dog, or half the quantity to a small one. The greatest care here is required to support the strength by drenching the 'dog, if needful, with beef tea ; and, if the bowels are at all relaxed, give the dog the astringent mixture ordered under No. 4. Clean straw, a warm, dry kennel, and absolute rest, are also essential to recovery. 22 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 6. CHOREA or PALSY may be treated by a change to country air if the puppy has been in the town, and by giving from 3gr. to 5gr. of sulphate of zinc in a pill every day. The eyes are best left to themselves ; and, however bad they may appear, they will generally recover their- brilliancy as the strength is restored. If not, apply a wash composed of 2gr. or 3gr. of nitrate of silver dissolved in loz. of distilled water, or the same proportions of the sulphate of zinc and water. N.B. — The above doses are calculated for a full-sized dog. For their reduction see the directions at the head of list of drugs at page 8. RHEUMATIC FEVER, Or Acute Rheumatism, is a very common disease in the dog, though not very generally attended to or described by writers on their complaints. It arises from exposure to cold, when the dog has been overfed, and rendered unfit to bear its attacks upon a system full of inflammatory matter. The pampered pet is the most liable ; but greyhounds and pointers which are highly fed, and sometimes not sufficiently exercised, are also very liable to its approaches. In the dog rheumatism is either confined to the muscular system or to the coverings of the spinal marrow, which sometimes take on the rheumatic inflammation to such an extent as to cause paralysis of the hind-legs. General rheumatic fever, or acute rheumatism, is characterised by intense soreness of the surface, so that the dog shrinks on the approach of the hand from fear of being touched. He will almost always retire to some corner, and refuse to leave it on being called by his owner ; and if brought out by force, he will stand and snarl at every hand ; and this is one of the best methods of diagnosis with which we are acquainted. The treatment should be as follows : First give a smart purge (1) or (2) in the list of aperients. After this has acted give the following pill, or half of it, according to the size of the dog, three times a day until the pain has abated : Calomel and powdered opium, of each 1 grain ; colchicum powder, 2 grains ; syrup to form a pill. When the pain is gone, if the bowels are not very relaxed, give a dose of castor oil ; and during the whole continu- ance of the pain use a warm anodyne embrocation, composed of laudanum, spirit of camphor, and liq. ammoniae in equal proportions. This will act still better if the dog is first put into a hot bath at 100 degrees of Fahrenheit, then dried well by a good fire, and afterwards the liniment rubbed into the parts which are most full of pain. For the more chronic forms, called kennel-lameness and paralysis of the hind-quarter the warm bath and liniment may be used with the aperients, as above ; but instead of the calomel and opium, give one or two tablespoonfuls of the following mixture twice a day : Iodide of potassium, 1 drachm ; sweet spirits of nitre, 3 drachms ; nitre, 1J drachm; camphor mixture, 6 ounces. Mix. The diet in each case should be low, all animal food should be taken away, and the dog fed upon meal or rice according to the state of the bowels. It is a disease in great measure the result of too stimulating a food, and a withdrawal of meat will go far towards a cure, which, however, is seldom of long continuance when the disease has become chronic. CHRONIC EHEUMATISM. 23 CHRONIC RHEUMATISM. This generally receives a specific name according to the part attacked. Thus, if it seizes on the muscles of the chest or shoulders, it is called KENNEL LAMENESS, OR CHEST-FOUNDER, which is the great bugbear of the foxhound kennel, and is produced in these animals from cold, after the extraordinary fatigues which they undergo. When a hound is worn down by long-continued exhaustion, and is then placed to lie in a damp or cold kennel, he is almost sure to contract rheumatism, especially if he is fed upon stimulating food, which most hounds are, in order to enable them to bear their labours. Thus, over- work and no work at all alike engender the disease, but in a very opposite state ; the former producing an active fever of a rheumatic character, whilst the latter brings on a more chronic and low kind, attended with great muscular stiffness, but not with high fever. PARALYSIS, or loss of power in the hinder extremities (improperly so called), is another result of the low kind of rheumatic fever which comes on from long- continued high feeding followed by cold ; and it is exactly of the same character as chest-founder, but confined to the hinder limbs instead of the shoulders. I have said that it is improperly called paralysis, and my reason for this is, that it is not at all analogous to other forms of paralysis, though there is temporary loss of power ; but so there is in all rheumatic conditions ; yet who would say that the poor rheumatic subject, who can neither move hand nor foot, is suffering from paralysis. Assuredly no one who understands the nomenclature of disease, because the essence of paralysis is considered to be loss of power from disease in the nervous system ; hence, when the loss is dependant upon want of tone in the muscles affected, it is clearly a misnomer to apply the term paralysis. The treatment of these local affections is often attended with little or no advantage, but the following somewhat empirical remedy has been found to be successful in many cases. At all events I know no more reliable remedy. It is called the red herring recipe, and is as follows : Score a red herring with a knife and well rub in two drachms of nitre ; give every morning on an empty stomach, and keep the dog without food for two hours after ; at night give a drachm of camphor made into a ball. The herring may be mixed with a little broth and meal if he will not eat it otherwise. Trimethylaniine, which is obtained from a similar source, has been recommended by Dr Richardson as superior to the red herring. The dose is from 5 to 15 drops given in milk. 24 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. OHAPTEE II. INFLAMMATIONS. BABIES. (IMPROPERLY CALLED HYDROPHOBIA.) OST MORTEM examination has not revealed with certainty the exact seat of this disease, but there is little doubt that it is confined to the spinal cord and base of the brain. It is admitted by the medical pro- fession throughout Europe and America that no cure has yet been discovered for this terrible disease, and therefore it will only be needful here to describe the symptoms, so that proper precautions may at once be taken, when they appear, to prevent the dog from communicating the disease by his saliva, or, if he has already bitten man or animal, to stamp it out in the latter case, or in the former to prevent the inoculation from taking effect by absorption. The Hon. Grantley Berkeley has taken on himself of late years, with very little experience of rabies, to resuscitate the long exploded fallacy that the rabid dog may be distinguished from the animal whose brain is only attacked in an ordinary way, by the fear of water, which the former, as he alleges, always displays. Every modern authority is against him, yet he fearlessly recommends owners of dogs which are attacked by madness of any form to run all sorts of risks so long as they show no fear of water. He says they may handle such patients with perfect impunity ; and as his name stands high with the multitude because of his position in the world of sport, he is likely to mislead a good many into taking his advice. My own experience is not much greater then his in true rabies, having only seen three cases of it ; but, as far as it goes, it is dead against him, there being no fear of water in either of the cases seen by me, but, on the contrary, a strong desire and craving for it. In each case the disease was propagated from, and in two of them both from and to, others ; so that there could be no doubt of its being true rabies. Still, I should lay little stress on so limited a number, and prefer to rest the question on the general opinion of the medical profession, which, as I said before, is unaminous on this point, and I shall therefore dismiss it as settled without further discussion. The symptoms of canine madness are very much the same in all cases, though varying somewhat in their manifestations. The first and most marked is a change of disposition and temper, so that the naturally good tempered dog becomes morose and snappish, and those which are usually fondling in their manners are shy and retiring. Sometimes the change is even so great that the usually shy dog becomes bold ; but this is not nearly so common as the opposite extreme. Generally EABIES. 25 the rabid dog shows a warning of his coming disease by this change of manner for several days before it breaks out with severity; though I have seen one well- marked attack which began and ended in death within forty-eight hours. This was in a Newfoundland dog, which I bought in perfect health to all appearance, and shut up in order to accustom him to his new master for a week or ten days, feeding him myself at the end of the first twenty-four hours, and observing no change from the usual habits of a strange dog. On the evening of the tenth day, however, after he had appeared in very good spirits, and eaten his dinner from my hand in the morning, he began to show signs of bad temper, and exhibited that peculiar snapping at imaginary objects well described by Mr. Youatt. On the next day he was in a highly rabid state, and died in the night after. When these premonitory symptoms have lasted an uncertain time, varying from twenty-four hours to three or four days, the dog begins to attack imaginary objects, and if real ones are presented to him he will tear them savagely to pieces. He is now exceedingly irritable, and wanders restlessly from place to place, having apparently a strong desire to do something, but not caring what that is, so that he is not quiet. If he is confined by a chain he will try and gnaw it to pieces ; and if restrained by a door within narrow bounds he vents his fury upon that. In this state he knows not the sensation of ordinary pain, but will bite a red-hot poker presented to him exactly as if it were a cold one. As the disease advances water is eagerly swallowed, but in his hurry the dog will generally upset his stock of that fluid ; and hence he is often thought to be unable to swallow, whilst all the time he is burnt up with thirst, and will constantly imbibe it, if he can do so without knocking over the vessel containing it in his haste. The howls and groans are generally peculiarly deep and melancholy, and by them a mad dog in confinement may often be recognised, though sometimes the patient is quite silent, and in that state is said, in common language, to be " dumb mad." When at large, however, no warning noise is made, and the dog seems only determined on a straightforward trot. If he is interfered with in any way, and more especially if he is struck, he will wreak his vengeance on the offender ; but he seldom goes out of his way to do a mischief, and will often pass through crowds of people without biting them ; even if pursued and annoyed by cries and hootings, he takes no notice until he is injured, and then more frequently endeavours to escape into solitude, than turn upon his assailants. This desire to wander appears to me an instinctive attempt to get rid of the disease by muscular action, and if indulged in quietly, I am inclined to think that there might be some chance of a recovery ; but as it would not be wise to run the risk, the experiment can never be tried. The disease is evidently caused by some poison, and, as in other cases, poisons are got rid of by some extraordinary secretion, so I am lead to believe that the wearing down of the muscular, and with it the nervous system by long-continued fatigue, is the natural cure of the disease. PREVENTIVE MEASURES are the only ones of service in this complaint, which if fully established, has hitherto been uniformly fatal in all animals attacked by it, including man himself. When a bite has taken place, the best plan is to destroy E 26 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. the animal at once : for though excision may most probably prevent the occurrence of the disease, no risk should be run. In man, immediate excision, followed by caustic, should always be had recourse to, previously taking care to suck the wound, with a mouth free from ulcers, to discover which put a little salt in the mouth, when it will by its smarting show their existence, if there are any. It is supposed that confinement is the cause of the disease ; and I am strongly inclined to believe that such is the case, as in those countries where dogs are suffered to be at large, rabies is an unknown disease. A wooden caustic case, containing a pointed piece of lunar caustic, is sold by all chemists, and should be carried in the pocket by those who run any risk of a bite from a rabid dog. The average time elapsing between innoculation and the appearance of the disease is about two or three months. It has been known to break out in less than three weeks ; and, on the other hand, not till fully six months after the reputed bite. TETANUS Is a disease very similar in its nature to rabies, but manifesting itself in spasms of the muscles, rather than in general irritability of them. I have, however, only seen one case in the dog, which was the result of a severe injury, and it is said to be very rare indeed. No remedy seems to exert any power over it any more than over rabies itself. Chloroform, by inhalation, might be tried ; but I can scarcely expect any good result in the dog, when its effects on the human being are so far from satisfactory. TIJENSIDE Appears to be an inflammation of one side of the brain only, producing a ten- dency to turn round in a circle, like " the gidd" of sheep. It is rather a rare disease, and is easily recognised by the above characteristic sign. There is no apparent constitutional disturbance, and the dog eats much as usual; but the moment he attempts to walk he begins to turn round. In a case which I saw some years ago, the dog recovered by the use of a seton, with purgatives, followed by nitrate of silver, given three times a day in a pill, as follows : — Nitrate of silver, carefully powdered, 2 grains ; crumb of bread, enough to make eight pills. INFLAMMATIONS OF THE EYE. The EYE is the seat of various inflammations, coming on from causes totally distinct from one another. Thus, in distemper, there is generally an inflammation, with discharge, and sometimes the inexperienced attendant will fear that the eye will be lost ; but if the dog recovers his strength, the eye, in almost all cases, is restored also, and especially if it is not interfered with. If, on the other hand, an attempt is made to apply remedies, with the intention of saving the sight, the effect is the reverse of good, and the disease is aggravated so far as often to cause the ulceration to extend through the cornea, and destroy the eye. In ordinary ophthalmia, arising from cold, there is considerable injection of the vessels of the INFLAMMATION OF THE EYE AND EAR. 27 white of the eye, which becomes red and swollen. In this kind, if an ulcer appears, it will often eat through the cornea, and the eye will be lost by a discharge of its contents. Sometime, again, in a weakly young dog, there is a low kind of inflam- mation, with great intolerance of light, and a discharge of watery fluid instead of thick pus. This is strumous ophthalmia, and requires a very different treatment. A third kind of ophthalmia, the rheumatic, is unattended by discharge ; the vessels are deeply gorged, and the pain great. This, however, is a disease peculiar to old dogs, and from that cause may generally be distinguished from the strumous, and from the ordinary ophthalmia, by the absence of discharge. There is also an inflammation, the result of accident, which sometimes destroys the eye rapidly, and requires energetic treatment. The Treatment of ordinary ophthalmia should depend upon its severity, which, if great, will demand bleeding and .strong purgatives? followed by a grain of calomel and opium two or three times a day. When an ulcer appears, a wash should be used daily, consisting of the nitrate of silver in solution, or the sulphate of zinc, according to the formulas given under Eye-washes. In the strumous kind tonics are necessary, consisting of 1 grain of quinine and 3 of hemlock, in a pill, three times a day. When the rheumatic form shows itself, a brisk purge must first be given, and then the iodide of potassium should be adminis- tered according to the formula at page 12. If this does not succeed, a seton may be inserted in the neck. CATARACT consists in an opacity of the crystalline lens, for which nothing can be done ; for although it might be removed by operation, the dog would still be unable to see for want of the glasses, which, in the human subject, supply its place. It may easily be recognised by the clear white pupil, which takes the place of the ordinary dark centre of the organ. DROPSY of the eye is only the result of chronic inflammation, and little can be done to alleviate it, as the eye is almost always destroyed before the disease pro- ceeds so far as to cause dropsy. AMAUROSIS, or paralysis of the nerve, is generally a sign of disease of the brain, either produced by injury or from overfeeding. The dog is more or less blind without the eye showing any change in form, and even at first being preternaturally bright. But if the dog is watched, he is seen to be blind by his striking his head against objects in his way, and by his timid mode of moving about. If the disease is recent, the dog may possibly be cured by smart purgatives and a seton ; but, in most cases, very little benefit is experienced from these remedies. INFLAMMATIONS OF THE EAR. DEAFNESS often arises from severe cold, and may then be expected to disappear as the dog recovers, but it is sometimes congenital, and when such is the case, no remedies are of any avail. If it comes on after distemper, it will generally dis- appear, or if it occurs from ordinary cold. Whenever it is obstinately persistent for more than a fortnight, a seton in the neck is the best remedy, kept in for some weeks. 28 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. CANKER of the ear is an eruption attacking the ear passage or external ear, as the case may be, rather than a disease of the ear itself. According to ita seat, as above mentioned, it is termed external or internal, and then requires very different treatment. Internal canker may be suspected when the dog is seen to shake his head constantly without having any eruption on the external ear to account for this habit. On looking into the ear passage, it will generally be found to be full of yellow matter, bnt sometimes the membrane lining is thickened, red, and dry. In either case it is inflamed, and requires local as well as general treatment. A solution of nitrate of silver should be dropped into the passage every other day, alternating its use with the green iodide of mercury, which should be blown in without admixture with lard. The dog should be physicked with a mild aperient, his diet should be reduced in quantity and quality, and some boiled green vegetables should be added to it every other day. These remedies generally effect a cure in a fortnight, unless the disease has extended beyond the drum of the ear into the delicate structures of the interior, in which case it is often incurable. EXTERNAL CANKER attacks the tips of the ears, producing a scabby sore, on one or both, which is greatly aggravated by the dog continually shaking his head. Hence it often requires a canvas cap to be tied on, so as to confine the ears, without which, in bad cases, no remedy is effectual. The general treatment is the same as for internal cankers, but the sores require touching with bluestone after rubbing off the scales, and afterwards applying the ointment of green iodide of mercury. In very bad cases of either kind, when the system is in a very gross state, 6 or 8 drops of liquor arsenicalis should be added to the food twice a day, proportioning the dose to small dogs accordingly. It should be continued for weeks or even months, until it produces a redness of the white of the eye. INFLAMMATION OF THE MOUTH. The MOUTH is liable to inflammation from decayed teeth, or from the collection of tartar about them. The only remedy is the removal of these causes of irritation. WARTS sometimes infest the mouth to a very troublesome extent. They must be removed with scissors, and the bases should then be touched with a small red- hot iron; or with lunar caustic, the former being simpler, and giving less pain, if properly applied. INFLAMMATION OF THE NOSE (OZENA). The NOSE is sometimes attacked by inflammation of its lining membrane, producing a stinking discharge, which the dog is constantly dropping about. A solution of chloride of zinc (2 grains to the ounce of water) may be thrown up with a syringe daily. SKIN DISEASES. 29 INFLAMMATION OF THE SKIN. MANGE is the kennel term for several inflammations of the skin, whether acute or chronic, the chief popular distinction from surfeit or blotch being, that it is communicable from one to the other by contact — that is to say, that it is " catching." Hence, tbe sporting public exclude surfeit, blotch, &c., from this definition, and only include under the term mange those chronic eruptions which are capable of being taken by one dog from another. There are, however, several distinct varieties, which are not sufficiently described ; and every now and then I see a fresh and perfectly new form, so that I cannot give a complete epitome of them. Every sportsman must know that when his dog has an eruption, the first question asked is the following, namely, " Is it mange, or not ? " and to this it is not always easy to give a satisfactory reply. The following are, however, the forms of mange which I have met with ; but, as I said before, I am constantly meeting with a new variety. 1. VIRULENT MANGE, in its more ordinary form, occurs most commonly in utterly-neglected and large kennels, where dogs are suffered to remain in large numbers together, in all their filth, and without exercise. It is seldom met with elsewhere, but it is highly contagious. The skin is bare of hair in large patches, but these are not in regular forms, being gradually shaded off into the hairy parts, as if from scratching, and are nowhere quite free from hairs. It is dry and rough, with a few oozing scabs here and there, and with inflamed creases, extending wherever there is a fold. The eruption is generally confined to the back, bosom, and inside of the thighs. The health is not much affected, but from the loss of sleep, and constant irritation caused by the itching, there is sometimes some little fever. An insect (acarus) is the cause of this form of mange, but my readers will be none the wiser for reading its scientific name. The treatment consists in a gentle dose or two of aperient medicine internally, and externally of the application of the ointment of green iodide of mercury, which should not be rubbed in at one time over more than ono quarter of the body, for fear of absorption. In such virulent cases, therefore, as extend to more than this extent of surface, a part should be first anointed sparingly, taking care to leave no superfluous ointment on the coat but rubbing it till it has nearly or quite disappeared. With this precaution no danger is to be apprehended from licking, as a small quantity does no harm to a dog of average strength. By repeating the application every second or third day, the most severe cases are soon cured, no remedy within my knowledge being so certain in its operation. In case of failure, Bishop's mange lotion may be used instead. It is sold by Messrs. Barclay and Son, Farringdon-street, London. 2. MANGE, WITH THICKENING OF THE SKIN, appears to be more dependent on constitutional disorder than the first variety, and for it the arsenical solution is no doubt very valuable. In this disease the discharge is very offensive ; the skin is thick, and pouring out an irritating ichor, which occasions a constant and violent itching ; the hair falls off, and the dog is continually scratching himself. 30 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. The REMEDY for this state is a cooling diet, without any animal food of any kind, and composed chiefly of potatoes and other vegetables. A smart purge may be first given, and then the liquor arsenicalis in doses of from two to ten drops three times a day, mixed with the food, according to the size of the dog. If this dose makes the eyes red, or stops the appetite, or occasions vomiting, it may be diminished one-half; but the best plan in all cases is to begin with a full dose at first, and when the desired effect is produced, gradually to diminish it. Less than two or three months will seldom effect a cure, and green iodide ointment will often be required to complete it. 3. RED MANGE, is the most easily detected of all the varieties, because it always shows itself by altering the colour of the hair, whether the dog is white or not. If white, the hair becomes pink ; and if brown or red, it is of a brighter shade ; while if black, it becomes reddish brown. It does not, however, fall off, except from the constant scratching which takes place. There is no eruption visible, but the skin is more red than natural. The REMEDY is either the ointment of green iodide of mercury, which, however, sometimes fails, or Bishop's mange lotion wash above mentioned applied to the roots of the hair with a stiff brush every other night. Liquor arsenicalis should also be given as above described. BLOTCH OR SURFEIT is one of those skin diseases which is dependent upon too gross a diet, and is not of a specific nature, that is to say, it is not caused by contagion, nor by a parasitic insect. It begins with an irritation of the skin, which causes the dog to be constantly scratching. On examination, there is a matted mass of loose hair, as if some starch had been dropped on the coat ; and when this comes off, the skin underneath is red, and deprived of its cuticle, dis- charging also a thin watery fluid. These patches occur chiefly on the back and the inside of the thighs, and also on the scrotum, where they are very commonly met with. The TREATMENT consists in giving cooling and laxative medicines, with starvation and plenty of exercise. This will almost always effect a cure. Locally a piece of bluestone may be rubbed upon the sores, but they will not heal until the constitutional foulness of blood has been relieved, after effecting which local measures are seldom needed. An ERUPTION between the toes is also constantly occuring in sporting dogs ; and it is precisely similar in its nature and cause, and also in the treatment. Bluestone is almost invariably successful, if combined with purgation and starvation. It generally requires to be well rubbed into the roots of the nails, and also to the clefts between the toes. INFLAMMATION OF THE ORGANS OF RESPIRATION. The LARYNX, situated at the top of the windpipe, is not so often the seat of acute inflammation as in man and the horse, but chronic laryngitis is by no means unfrequent in the dog. Both are recognised by the hoarseness of the cough and PLEURISY. 31 bark, and by a rough sound in breathing, sometimes very audible at a short distance ; and accompanied by a certain degree of increased quickness in respiration, vary ing according to the intensity of the attack. The TREATMENT will vary according to the acuteness and severity of the disease ; and if this is urgent, bleeding and emetics will be necessary, followed by small doses of calomel, digitalis, and nitre, as prescribed at page 13. If, on the other hand, the more common form of chronic laryngitis is developed, remedies of a different nature must be adopted. A seton should be inserted in the throat, and a good discharge from it promoted by the application of blistering ointment to the tape. Iodide of potassium may generally be given in one, two, or three grain doses, with five or six drops of ipecacuanha wine, and five grains of nitre three times a day, mixed in a little water. When this has been given for a short time without benefit, any of the warm expectorants given at page 12 may be tried ; and sometimes one, and sometimes another, will be of service. The dog, during the continuance of this disease, must be kept rather low than otherwise, but not rigidly starved, as is necessary in some inflammations of the respiratory organs, and should have a fair allowance of walking exercise. PNEUMONIA, or inflammation of the substance of the lungs, must be dis- tinguished from pleurisy (inflammation of the pleura) and bronchitis, which, when simple, is confined to the lining membrane ; but very commonly there is a combina- tion of two out of three in the same attack. All are characterised by fever, with quickened respiration and pulse ; generally there is cough, but not always ; and in all cases there is great anxiety depicted in the countenance. The following series of symptoms mark the difference between the three forms of inflammation, whether acute or chronic : SYMPTOMS OF ACUTE PLEURISY COMMENCE with shivering, with slight spasms and sweats. Inspiration short, unequal, and interrupted, as from pain ; expiration full ; air expired not hotter than usual. Slight cough only, and without expectoration. Pulse quick, small, and wiry. The STETHOSCOPE gives the usual respiratory murmur, accompanied with a rubbing sound in the parts attached. PERCUSSION elicits at first little or no deviation from the natural sound ; after effusion has taken place there is a dull sound. DISEASE TERMINATES in a gradual disappearance of the symptoms, or in the effusion of fluid (pus or lymph). SYMPTOMS OF CHRONIC PLEURISY. INSPIRATION always deep ; expiration short. Cough dry, sometimes with expectoration ; frequently changing from dry to moist cough. STETHOSCOPE indicates an absence of respiratory murmur in the lower parts of 32 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. the chest, and sometimes a gurgling noise. Strong respiratory murmur in the superior portion of the lung, very often of one side only. TERMINATES either by cure or by effusion and infiltration of the whole of the cellular membrane of the chest and belly, and sometimes of the scrotum and thighs : at last the serum in the thorax presses upon the lungs till it causes suffocation. SYMPTOMS OF ACUTE PNEUMONIA COMMENCE with shivering, without spasms. Inspiration full ; expiration short ; air expired hot, Nostrils red in the interior. Cough generally violent, with expectoration of rusty mucus, not very profuse. Pulse quick, full, and soft. The STETHOSCOPE gives a crackling sound in the early stage, followed by increased dullness, and, finally, by crepitating wheezing. PERCUSSION gives after the first stage a dull return to the finger. DISEASE TERMINATES in resolution, with cessation of the bad symptoms ; or in solidification, called hepatization ; or sometimes in abscess of the lung. SYMPTOMS OF CHRONIC PNEUMONIA. INSPIRATION and expiration both difficult and interrupted. Cough present, but not frequent, and evidently avoided and suppressed. Expectoration rarely profuse ; sometimes absent. STETHOSCOPE indicates hepatization, from the entire absence of murmur. PERCUSSION also gives a very dull return to the fingers. Sometimes there is a mucous rattle. TERMINATES sometimes in resolution ; or, if fatal, in a discharge from the nostrils of purulent matter, coloured with blood, and often very fetid. The animal never lies down at length, but sits up on his hind legs. SYMPTOMS OF ACUTE BRONCHITIS COMMENCE also with shivering, followed by constant hard cough. Air expired warm, but not so hot as in pneumonia. Inspiration and expiration both full. Cough after a time attended with expectoration of mucus, at first sticky, soon becoming frothy, and, finally, profuse and frothy. Pulse full and hard. The STETHOSCOPE gives a soap-bubble kind of sound, with wheezing. PERCUSSION elicits nothing of consequence. DISEASE TERMINATES either by resolution, or by extention to the cellular membrane, constituting pneumonia in combination with bronchitis. SYMPTOMS OF CHRONIC BRONCHITIS. RESPIRATION free, but quicker than natural. Cough constant and intense, evidently not restrained by fear of pain ; sometimes to such an extent as to cause soreness of the muscles of the belly. ACUTE BRONCHITIS. 33 STETHOSCOPE gives a rattling sound, as of soap bubbles, with a great deal of wheezing. PERCUSSION gives no result different from a state of health. TERMINATES in resolution ; or, if fatal, in an accumulation of mucus, and consequent suffocation. Until very near suffocation the dog will almost always lie down ; whereas the contrary is the case in pneumonia. The TREATMENT will a good deal depend upon which of the above three con- ditions is present, though not to such an extent as to be of very great consequence. In pleurisy and pneumonia, bleeding will almost always be required in the early stage, but not in bronchitis, which seldom is benefited by loss of blood. Blisters, again, relieve pneumonia and bronchitis, but are actually prejudicial in pleurisy, where the close relation between the vessels of the pleura lining the chest, and the skin covering it, often causes the irritation of the latter to extend to the former, and thus increase the mischief it was intended to relieve. With regard to internal medicines, they are, fortunately, much the same in all three. Calomel and opium, with or without digitalis and tartar emetic, will generally be useful ; and in bronchitis, rhubarb, opium, and ipecacuanha, as follows : — Calomel and opium in powder, of each | to 1 grain ; tartar emetic, f to f grain ; digitalis, | grain. Confection enough to form a pill, to be given three times a day. Or, Rhubarb powder, 2 grains ; ipecacuanha powder, ^ to 1 grain ; extract of opium, | to 1 grain ; compound tincture of benzoin, 2 drops. Mix, and form a pill, to be given three times a day. When these remedies have had the desired effect of relieving the inflammation, as evidenced by the breathing and pulse becoming slower, and by the dog being able to lie down, if the pneumonia has been present, some one of the cough mixtures or pills given in the chapter on drugs, under the head of Expectorants will be found beneficial ; but it is generally difficult to say which of them will best suit any particular case. A trial may be made of one for two or three days, and if that fails, another should be substituted for it. The diet should be very low at first, and afterwards only a milk and farinaceous one, with vegetables, should be allowed for some weeks. When dropsy of the chest supervenes upon pleurisy, tapping has occasionally been had recourse to ; but for sporting dogs it is wholly useless, because the animal never recovers sufficient bodily powers to be of real service in the field ; and it is only in pets whose lives are valued by their masters or mistresses that this operation should ever be had recourse to. CHRONIC BRONCHITIS, WITH SPASM, usually known as spasmodic asthma, is very common among ladies' pets, who become overfed in consequence of the kindness of their mistresses, and their blood vessels gorged with foul blood, when spasm comes on with congestion of the mucous membrane of the large air-tubes, causing that frightful panting for breath which is so distressing in the human subject, and which even in the dog is by no means calculated to afford pleasure to the spectator. A fat, pursy, and asthmatic old dog is a miserable object of pity, and had far better be destroyed than suffered to live on in misery. The nose 34 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. is dry and hot, the animal spirits are flagging ; there is a distressing cough, and exercise is followed by an aggravation of the symptoms. The TREATMENT should be by giving nauseating doses of tartar emetic, camphor, and henbane ; or of ipecacuanha with the two last, as follows : — Ipecacuanha, f to If grains ; camphor, 1 to 2 grains ; extract of henbane, If to 3 grains. Make into a pill, and give three times a day. A blister or seton may be applied to the side, and low diet in small bulk should be given ; but there is little chance of doing more than to relieve a dog labouring under this complaint. CONSUMPTION, OR PHTHISIS, is a disease of the lungs, in which a peculiar condition, called tubercle, is developed in them ; and when aggravated by cold, or often by the natural constitution of the dog, they become inflamed, are converted into abscesses, and cause the death of the animal by constitutional fever (hectic), and by the suffocation produced either by a vessel giving way, or by the quantity of matter discharged into the air-passages. The symptoms are very insidious, and many dogs have them developed to a great extent before their owners take any notice of their condition. Very little good can be effected by treatment, but some- times cod-liver oil, with steel, will be of temporary service. In sporting dogs, however, it is seldom that it is desirable to prolong life with this condition of the system ; and it is never right to breed from dogs or bitches suffering under this disease, it being decidedly hereditary. INFLAMMATION OF THE HEART is another of the diseased conditions which attack the dog, generally from over-exertion in an unprepared state. There is usually a very rapid action of the heart, with a strong bounding pulse, and laborious breathing, unaccompanied by cough. The TREATMENT is to be conducted upon lowering principles, with digitalis and nitre, and blistering or a seton in the side. INFLAMMATION OF THE OEGANS OF NUTEITION. GASTRITIS, or inflammation of the stomach, is either acute or chronic. Acute gastritis is generally caused by poison administered wilfully, or by some similar accidental circumstance, such as highly-seasoned food, &c. There is constant violent retching, with intense thirst, and apparently great pain. The nose is dry, and the breathing quick ; no kind of food is retained on the stomach ; and the poor wretch lies extended on the cold earth with his belly applied closely to it. There is a constant desire to lick cold marble or iron, so as to cool the tongue, and cold water is eagerly sought after. The TREATMENT chiefly consists in removing the sickness, which is best accom- plished by calomel and opium, 1 grain of each in a pill twice a day. HEPATITIS, or INFLAMMATION OF THE LIVER, is one of the most common of all diseases to which the dog is subject. In the acute form it is the disease which is characterised by the yellow skin and eyes, commonly called " the yellows," which in sporting dogs is very commonly fatal. Acute hepatitis comes on from exposure to INFLAMMATION OF THE INTESTINES. 35 cold and wet, one or two days after which the dog is shivering and feverish, with a small, hard, and wiry pulse, and a dry nose ; there is generally obstinate costiveness, and when the bowels are moved, the motions are white or slate-coloured and entirely devoid of bile. If these symptoms are not soon alleviated, the inflamma- tion goes on to destroy the substance of the liver, and the dog dies rapidly from constitutional disturbance, arising chiefly from the want of depurating power of the liver. To remove the inflammation, bleeding is sometimes necessary in the early stage, but as it reduces the strength greatly, and as this is required to be kept up during convalescence, it is always attended with danger. Calomel, with or without opium, is the only medicine to be relied on in extreme cases, but when there is time enough, podophyllin may be substituted for it. If there is no diarrhoea produced by these drugs, opium may be omitted, but it must be added to counteract that effect in sufficient doses. If the bowels are confined, a dose of rhubarb and castor-oil may be given, mixing 10 grains of rhubarb with a tablespoon- ful of oil and a teaspoonful of syrup of poppies for a full-sized dog, and less, in pro- portion, for a smaller one. Sometimes a blister must be applied to the side when the inflammation runs very high ; and, in all cases, the mercury must be continued until the motions acquire a natural colour, when the stomachic No. 2 may be given and the mercury discontinued. Chronic hepatitis is a very different disease, and is more frequently the result of bad general management than of cold. Want of exercise is the usual cause, which has given the liver the work of the lungs. The symptoms of chronic hepatitis are multiform, and no one can be depended upon except the absence of bile in the faeces, which is an invariable sign, for no gland in a state of chronic inflammation will be able to secrete good bile. The TREATMENT is to be conducted by rubbing into the region of the liver on both sides the ointment of biniodide of mercury, together with castor oil and rhubarb internally, in sufficient doses to keep the bowels gently moved. If the mercurial ointment does not soon cause the bile to flow, it may be assisted by small doses of blue pill or Plummer's pill, added to the rhubarb and oil, and the stomachic draught, No. 2, should be regularly administered in addition. If these means are perseveringly continued, and the dog is regularly but gently exercised, with plain farinaceous food, mixed with weak broth, the disease, unless very inveterate, will generally subside, and if a free flow of bile is obtained little doubt need be felt of the ultimate recovery. INFLAMMATION OF THE INTESTINES May be said to be divided into four varieties, though one of them is more of a spasmodic than of an inflammatory nature ; these are — first, peritoneal inflammation ; secondly, colic, or inflammation and spasm of the muscular coat ; thirdly, diarrhosa, or acute inflammation of the mucous coat ; and, fourthly, constipation, from chronic inflammation of the same membrane. 1. PERITONITIS and ENTERITIS are merely different parts of the same mem- brane inflamed ; the former comprehending the peritoneum lining the abdominal 36 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. walls, whilst the latter embraces the peritoneum covering the intestines. In practice, there is very little difference between them, and the symptoms and treat- ment are the same. It is a frightful disease, and soon runs its course to a fatal termination ; beginning with shivering, cold legs, ears, and nose ; breath hot ; pulse hard, quick, and small ; the expression is an anxious one, with a staring eye ; the tail is pressed firmly against the anus, and there is intense tenderness of the belly ; bowels generally costive, and urine scanty ; tongue dry and rough ; with thirst and loss of appetite. As the disease advances all these symptoms become aggravated, and very soon the dog dies, worn out with irritation and pain. The TREATMENT consists in full bleeding, with calomel and opium, of each a grain every four hours. Blisters, or stimulating applications to the belly, and a warm bath, will be beneficial in some few cases ; but whatever is done must be done quickly, as the disease soon passes on to a fatal termination, if unchecked by remedies. 2. COLIC is very common in all kinds of dogs, and is partly of a spasmodic, partly of an inflammatory nature. There is intense pain, coming on in paroxysms, during which the dog howls with agony. Very often the attack is quite sudden, and comes on after a full meal which has been eaten much as usual ; suddenly the dog starts up, with something between a moan and a groan, and then lies down again ; soon after there is another groan, and a shifting of the position, and then, after an interval of rest, and perhaps sleep, there comes on a regular paroxysm of pain, with violent howls, which soon, however, cease, only to be repeated at intervals, varying in length according to the severity of the attack. The nose is not dry or hot, the tongue is clean and moist, and the appetite even is not affected ; pulse full and soft, and not much quicker than natural. There is no tenderness of the belly, and pressure seems to alleviate the pain, rather than to increase it. The TREATMENT consists of giving ether and laudanum internally, in doses of from thirty to sixty drops of each, and a clyster of turpentine and laudanum, one teaspoonful of each in a half a pint of gruel. The stimulating embrocation, page 12, should be well rubbed into the bowels ; and in bad cases a very hot bath may be administered. When the colic comes on in young dogs, the injection of turpentine with laudanum and a little ether will generally Suffice without any internal medicine; but a dose of castor oil will almost always be necessary to carry off the offending matter. Sometimes colic is followed or attended by INTUSSUSCEPTION, in which one contracted part of the bowel is driven into the expanded part below it. It cannot be distinguished from colic, and the animal is sure to die, unless an operation is performed to liberate the bowel ; which might be easily done if the disease could be discovered with certainty ; but, unfortunately, this is not the case. 3. DIARRHCEA, or DYSENTERY, comes on either from epidemic causes, or from some irritating and improper food, or from too violent aperient medicine. Unless there is an epidemic raging at the time, or the diarrhoea is clearly connected with distemper, the treatment should generally commence with a dose of castor oil, having with it a few drops of laudanum. If this is not enough to stop the purging, INFLAMMATION OF THE BLADDER. 37 the anodyne mixture, No. 1, may be tried, and failing that, No. 2, adding more laudanum to each dose, if necessary, up to any extent, for this medicine is well borne by the dog in full doses. Rice-water is to be the only drink allowed ; and arrowroot or rice the only food, flavoured with milk or weak mutton-broth. If the dysentery is very bad, an injection of laudanum and starch may be tried ; but it is seldom retained, even for a minute or two, and unless mechanical pressure is kept upon the anus by means of a towel, it is quite useless. 4. COSTIVENESS is generally the result of chronic inflammation of the bowels, or of the liver, by which their functions are impaired ; and when the former is torpid, the healthy stimulus of the bile is not afforded. Dogs which are regularly exercised are not very liable to costiveness, but those which are confined to the house or to their kennels, are often terribly tormented by it, and suffer severely from the consequences, including that painful affection, piles, to which the dog is much subject. Very often the dog suffers very severe pain from the obstruction afforded by pent-up faeces, and is utterly unable to pass them until Nature has set up an inflammation of the rectum, by which mucus is poured out, and the mass comes away with much straining. The dog thus affected is almost mad with pain ; he runs to and fro, rushes into odd corners, and shakes his head in the most odd manner, and in this stage may very easily be mistaken for a " mad dog ; " but the suddenness of the attack, and the mass of hardened faeces easily felt in the flank mark the difference between the two cases. The TREATMENT of costiveness should be by diet if possible, and the substitution of oatmeal, with or without the addition of boiled green vegetables, will generally effect this. If not sufficient, give a pill of rhubarb and ipecacuanha — 5 to 30 grains of the former, with f grain of the latter — at the time of feeding, every day. INFLAMMATION OF THE KIDNEY AND BLADDER. INFLAMMATION OF THE KIDNEY is not very common in the dog, but it some- times occurs from the use of turpentine as a vermifuge. Very rarely there is met with in the kidney a formation of stone, called Renal Calculus, but no means can be used to remove it, nor are there any symptoms which indicate its presence during life. INFLAMMATION OF THE BLADDER AND URETHRA is very usual in the dog, and is marked by a discharge of yellow mucus from the end of the penis. This is the result of high feeding generally, though sometimes it comes on from mechanical irritation. The TREATMENT is to be conducted by giving saline aperients : sulphate of magnesia, \ to 1 ounce ; nitre, 10 to 15 grains ; water enough to dissolve. Mix, and give twice a week. Balsam of copaiba may be given in obstinate cases, in does varying from 4 to 15 drops, in a little mucilage ; but it seldom is retained on the stomach, and the best chance is to give one or two of the capsules now commonly sold, which may be 38 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. pushed down the throat. When the discharge is clearly in the sheath, a wash of the sulphate of zinc, as here prescribed, may be used. Sulphate of^zinc, 10 to 15 grains ; rose water, 1 ounce. Mix. CHOREA AND SHAKING PALSY. The former is almost always a sequel of distemper, and may be known by the peculiar nodding of the head, or twitch of the fore-leg, which all dog owners must have seen. Shaking palsy is a general agitation of the body, without the twitching so characteristic of chorea. Chorea generally occurs as a sequel of distemper (see page 19) ; but sometimes it appears without that combination. Little can be done in either case ; but nitrate of silver, in doses of -|th of a grain, has sometimes effected a cure of chorea. When the disease first comes on, a general tonic treatment should be tried, the first principle being to improve the general health by good food and fresh air, aided by stomachic medicines ; and secondly, to give such strengthening and tonic medicines as are likely to improve the tone of the nervous system. Fresh country air is of the utmost consequence, and this alone will often dispel the attacks of chorea ; but when united to a liberal diet it is doubly likely to be successful. The puppy should have plenty of good milk, or, if that cannot be obtained, beef tea or mutton broth, with oatmeal or wheaten flour added in proportion to the looseness of the bowels. If these are confined, they must be acted on by castor oil or rhubarb and aloes, or some of the aperients which merely act without producing much loss of strength. When the strength is somewhat improved by diet and stomachics, sulphate of zinc, in doses varying from 2 to 4 grains three times a day, may be given ; or a grain or two of quinine, with 2 or 3 grains of extract of hemlock in a pill, will be likely to be serviceable, but either must be used regularly for some weeks in order to have a fair chance of success. By these means many bad cases may be relieved, or perhaps nearly cured ; but with sporting dogs, if the attack is really severe, it is seldom that sufficient improvement is effected to make the dog as efficient as before. Hence, in this instance it is perhaps better to destroy him, than to persist in patching him up in a way which will only render him a burden and disgrace to his master. Shaking palsy, I have already remarked, is wholly incurable. EPILEPSY May be distinguished from the fits of puppyhood by the great champing of the jaws and struggling of the limbs during the fit, and also by the frothing at the mouth which is generally an accompaniment of it. It comes on without notice} and in the setter and pointer is peculiarly annoying, because it generally shows itself at the time when their services are most wanted, namely, during the middle of a day's shooting. Very often this happens during the excitement of the " point," but the fit is scarcely marked till the birds are sprung, when the dog generally falls, and is seized with struggles and foaming at the mouth. Generally this lasts for a few minutes, extending sometimes to half an hour, after which he recovers himself, and will even continue his work without loss of nose. With regard to the GENERAL DROPSY. 39 causes of epilepsy nothing is known, but its attacks are aggravated by improper food, and by the addition of flesh without due preparation, as is often heedlessly done just before the shooting season. The TREATMENT consists in attention to the general health, which is all that can be done, as in confirmed epilepsy a cure is seldom effected. If recently developed, bromide of potassium should be given in from 3 to 5 grain doses, and this should be continued for at least a month or six weeks. By FITS may be understood those which occur to the puppy during dentition or from distemper, both of which indicate either disease of the brain, or great disturbance of the digestive apparatus in consequence of worms. These fits are accompanied by slight convulsions, but no foaming at the mouth, and the dog is not speedily recovered from them, but lies exhausted after he recovers his con- sciousness. They are very fatal in distemper, being symptoms of great mischief in the brain ; but they are not invariably fatal, because the severity of the fit does not always indicate a corresponding degree of internal mischief. In their TREATMENT Mr. Mayhew recommended injections of ether and laudanum ; but I can scarcely assign to this remedy the credit which he claims for it, knowing that many epileptic fits are recovered from without any aid at all, and finding that he classes all under the one head of "fits." In the kind I am now considering, there is generally some exciting cause present, as distemper, or the irritation of worms, or of teething ; and if these are removed, the fits will generally subside, and, consequently, the whole attention should be directed to this object. These fits seldom recur many times in succession, being either speedily fatal, or else ending in a complete cure ; and in this respect they are unlike epilepsy, as well as in their symptoms and treatment. GENERAL DROPSY. ANASAECA, or general dropsy in the dog, is not a very uncommon disease among old kennelled dogs, owing to the improper way in which they are fed and kept without exercise. It consists of an infiltration of serum from the blood vessels into the cellular membrane, caused by the kidneys refusing to act, as a consequence generally of inflammation ; and the disease, therefore, is merely a symptom of inflammation of the kidneys, for which reason I might have classed it among the inflammatory diseases, but that it sometimes occurs from a different condition of that organ, owing to a want of tone in the general system. Its most frequent cause is either improper stimulants — in the case of the stallion greyhound, a very frequent cause — or a gross kind of food, or sometimes from simple over-crowding of the dogs in a small kennel, occasioning a breaking down of the system, and an exudation of serum as a consequence. Among over- stimulated pets, which are not allowed any exercise, it is a very common disease, and often carries them off in a very dis- gustingly loathsome condition. When the liver is in fault, by throwing too much work upon the kidneys, as is sometimes the case, the urine is yellow, but in the usual way it is highly charged with salts, and dark brown, not yellow. 40 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. THE TREATMENT consists in acting in accordance with the cause — that is to say, in treating the case so as to relieve the dropsy, and not upon any fixed prin- ciples ; thus, supposing the kidneys are inflamed, blood must be taken, and calomel and digitalis given in grain doses of each, without any violent diuretics, which will only aggravate the disease. If the dropsy is merely a symptom of a breaking down of the system, this must be propped by bark and steel, with perhaps ammonia in addition. When the urine is mixed with blood, in a broken down constitution, the following mixture may be given, on the authority of Mr. May hew, and I have my doubts of its success : — Tincture of cantharides, 3 drops ; water, two ounces. To be given twice a day. If the dropsy is from the kidneys refusing to act, 6 or 8 grains of nitre may be given two or three times a day, in the diuretic mixture, No. 2, but the great prin- ciple is to make out the cause and act accordingly. WORMS. The PRESENCE of WORMS in the intestinal canal is one of the greatest annoyances to the proprietors of dogs of all classes. In the greyhound they are a constant source of mischief, and in the other varieties of sporting dogs they are equally common. In the puppy they are particularly injurious, cutting off his supplies of food, and also irritating his nervous system, to a degree which can scarcely be credited without actual experience. Whenever a puppy is seen to look rough and unhealthy in his coat (mere roughness is 110 indication), and when he is also thinner than he ought to be, with a ravenous appetite, and the constant passing of small quantities of faeces, the first part of which is solid, while the latter part is loose and frothy ; when he also is more dull than natural, with a hot dry nose, and offensive breath, it may generally be concluded that he has some kind of intestinal worm, and the only thing is to find out which species is present, and then to exhibit the appropriate remedy, For this purpose the areca nut is a very useful medicine, given in proportion to the age and size, from a whole nut powdered, which is the dose for a full grown dog of 401b. or 501b., down to a quarter of a nut for a little dog of lOlb. weight. This should be given, and followed in a few hours by a mild dose of castor oil, when some of the worms present will most likely make their appearance, and according to their nature must the remedy be. The VARIETIES of WORMS are as follows : 1. The COMMON MAW- WORM. — This is a short white worm, about an inch long, with a pointed head, and a flat broad tail, the intervening part being nearly oval. These worms exist chiefly in the large intestines, where they are often in great numbers, and they are generally supposed not to interfere much with the health of the dog ; but as it appears, according to Dr. Cobbold, that they are joints of the tape worm, it may, I suppose, be considered that this idea is not correct. 2. The LONG BOUND-WORM (Ascarls lumbricoides). — A pink or red worm, resembling the garden worm in appearance, but somewhat less in size, and not so red in colour. They chiefly inhabit the small intestines, and are very injurious to WOEMS. 41 the health, interfering with the digestion in every way, since they take up the chyle for their own use, and also irritate the mucous membrane by their presence. 3. The TAPE-WORM (Tcenia solium and Tcenia lota). — This worm is found in two or three species, but for our purpose it is sufficient to describe its general appearance, which is that of a long flat worm, divided into joints, and often coming away in portions, but leaving the head behind. It is, when suffered to remain long enough, from six to eight feet long, and the dog may often be seen running about with a foot or two hanging from his anus, or curled round his tail, to his great annoyance and 'disgust. The tape-worm inhabits the small intestines, and is much worse even than the round worm in its effects upon the health of the animal. Its expulsion should therefore be effected with great care, and its head, which is larger considerably than the diameter of the rest of the body, should be diligently sought for, for until this is found it cannot be asserted with positive certainty that the vermifuge has been successful. The GENERAL PRINCIPLES of treatment consist in starving the dog for from twelve to twenty-four hours, and then administering the appropriate vermifuge followed by a mild dose of aperient medicine, to carry off the worms from the intestines. The following is a complete list of vermifuges suited to the various conditions and kinds of worms ; but it will be necessary to repeat here what are the best for each kind, and their respective advantages and disadvantages, for, unfortunately, all are more or less injurious to the dog, and their use is only to be encouraged as a less evil than the continued existenee of worms. The REMEDIES FOR ROUND-WORM are as follows : — Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). Garlic (Allium sativum). Cowhage (Macuna pruriens). Santoniiie, or the active principle of worm-seed (Artemisia contra). Indian Pink (Spigelia Marylandica). Areca nut (Nux areca). Stinking hellebore (Helleborus foetidus'). Powdered tin and glass. Calomel (Hydrargyri chloridum). For TAPE-WORM or MAW-WORM the following may be used with advantage : Areca nut (Nux areca). Kousso (Bray era anthelmintica). Barbadoes tar (Petroleum Sarbadense). Pomegranate bark (Punica granatum). Male fern (Felix mas). Spirit of turpentine (Spiritus terebinthince). Of these wormwood, garlic, and cowhage are nearly inert : santonine is G 42 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. useful for round worms, as also are Indian pink and hellebore ; calomel is unsafe in the highest degree, and powdered tin and glass nearly useless. With the exception of Barbadoes tar, all the remedies enumerated for tape- worm are efficacious, but more or less injurious when the constitution is at all weakly. Areca nut is the remedy upon which reliance is now chiefly placed, its careful and repeated exhibition being almost always sufficient to procure the expulsion of the worms ; the dose of the freshly grated nut is 2 grains for each pound the dog weighs, and this should be given freshly mixed in broth, or, if the dog refuses it, mixed into a pill with a little jam or treacle ; it should be repeated every four or five days for about four or five doses, when it may reasonably be hoped that a cure is effected, but, if not, a second course will almost always succeed. For round worm santonine is the most efficacious remedy, the full dose being 3grs. RICKETS AND ENLARGED JOINTS. When a puppy is unable to stand strongly on his legs, which are more or less twisted and the joints enlarged, the condition is known by the name rickets, and if the case is a bad one, he had better be destroyed. The disease is often produced by bad management, but sometimes it is the result of breeding " in and in," or of diseased parents. Phosphate of lime is the main agent in stiffening the skeleton, and if food containing this salt is not afforded in sufficient quantity the bones are of a gelatinous character, easily bending under the dog's weight, and consequently rendered by nature too bulky for his future well-being as an animal fitted for the chase. Many breeders like to see a puppy show larger joints than usual, and consider them an indication of strength; but I am strongly of opinion that the reverse is the case, and that the puppy which has them is not nearly so strong as one whose limbs are grown more like those of an old dog. This, however, is a disputed point, and I would never advise the rejection of a puppy because his joints were all enlarged ; but, if one is much larger than the others, it is a sign of worse disease than rickets, and more nearly allied to what, in human pathology, is called scrofula. Sometimes the swellings disappear, and the disease is cured, but generally these joints become more and more inflamed, and finally go on to form matter, and to make the dog entirely lame. Little can be done for this in the way of treatment, and the destruction of the puppy is the best plan of proceeding. In rickets, however, a great change sometimes takes place, and the bending of the limbs or the enlargement of the joints gradually disappears, leaving only some slight indication of what has existed. Too often, however, the bone is weak and liable to fracture ; and at the time when the dog is wanted for the sport to which it is dedicated, the bone gives way, and the time and trouble occupied- in its rearing are found to have been totally thrown away ; hence the necessity for good feeding in the rearing of all young dogs, and too much c are can scarcely be bestowed upon them. CANCER— DISEASES OF PARTURITION. 43 CANCER AND FUNGUS H^MATODES. These malignant diseases usually attack the bitch either in the uterus or teats. Cancer, in the early stage, is known by its peculiar hardness, while fungus is distinguished by its comparatively soft and elastic feel, and by its general tendency to bleed. Both are incurable, and the only chance is to remove the tumours with the knife if they occur in the teats, but the disease generally returns. ENCYSTED TUMOURS Are very common in the dog, and consist of small soft bags, lying close under the skin, of a circular form, and devoid of pain or inflammation. They vary in size from that of a pea to the volume of a small orange. The only remedy is the knife, which may be used with perfect safety, by anyone accustomed to it. The skin must be saved and dissected back, and the tumour, when exposed, may readily be lifted out of its bed without much dissection ; after which the parts may be suffered to heal of themselves. DISEASES OF PARTURITION. In HEALTHY PARTURITION the bitch seldom suffers much ; but sometimes in a small bitch, when the sire is of much larger size, the disproportion between the whelps and the mother is so great as to occasion great difficulty and danger. This sometimes also happens without any apparent reason. In order to ascertain whether or not the bitch is in pup,' a careful external examination will generally be necessary ; when, on pressing the fingers deeply into the flank, several small round or oval bodies may be felt, in number according to the future litter. Between the fourth and seventh weeks the whelps cannot so easily be felt; but, though they are said to be lost, a careful examination by a practised hand will always detect nearly all of them lying close against the spine. After the seventh week they appear very plainly, and the belly rapidly swells till it attains the size which it presents at whelping time ; about three or four days before which the teats begin to swell, and on the day before generally are full of milk — a pretty sure indication of the near approach of labour. In the PROCESS OP PARTURITION, the bitch should be left to herself as much as possible ; and if of good size and healthy, she will nearly always pass through it without trouble. Sometimes, however, her pelvis is too small to allow of the passage of the whelp, and then either she must die, or man must afford his aid by mechanical means ; but this operation is too difficult for any but a practised hand, and therefore I should recommend the aid of a skilful veterinarian to be in all cases called in. If a part of the whelp is bom, and the remainder does not come 44 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. away for some time — owing apparently to the exhausted condition of the bitch — • it is quite safe to give a little brandy and gruel by the mouth, and then steadily to draw away the whelp, by laying hold of the part presenting with a piece of tape round it, or a strip of calico. As soon as all the whelps are born, the bitch may be allowed to rest for a short time, unless she is very much exhausted, when the brandy and gruel may be given, as directed in the last paragraph, After an hour, a little lukewarm gruel may generally be allowed; and in the course of four hours another quantity of the same. No meat of any kind should be given for three days, during which time the state of the bowels should be regulated, if necessary, by castor oil ; and milk thickened with oatmeal or wheat-flour, or broth with the same thickening, or with arrowroot, if diarrhoea is present, should be the only food. Sometimes, after the first week, the whole litter is too great a draw upon the system, and part mvst be removed from the bitch, and brought up by hand, if it is wished to preserve them, feeding them from a common baby's bottle, with the india-rubber nipple, now so commonly in use ; but a very thick and stout one should be selected, or the puppy will compress it too much with its tongue. When the bitch is much reduced by her suckling, she sometimes is subject to fits, for which the only remedy is the removal of her whelps, and the exhibition of strong beef tea, with bark, and ammonia in addition ; together with port wine and arrowroot, if the bowels are relaxed. After the first week, and, indeed, gradually during the fourth, fifth, and sixth days, meat must be added to the other food, or earlier even if the bitch has had much animal food before whelping. If the bitch is inclined to devour her young, she should be allowed to remain very quiet, and very little animal food should be given her. A dose of oil should always be given a short time before her whelping time, and if she should, never- theless, devour them, another dose should follow, so as to carry off the effects of so heating a meal. If a foster-mother is determined upon, all that is necessary is to muzzle her until the strange whelps have sucked her, and lain for some time with her own ; she will then fail to distinguish between them, and her own offspring may be removed with safety, leaving the foster- whelps to her care, which she will exercise just as fully towards them as if they were really hers. If the bitch has been " put by," as it is called, and is not in whelp at the end of nine weeks from her " heat," she will be fat and indolent, with her teats full of milk. At this time it is better to take a little blood from her, and to give her a smart purge once or twice, together with vegetable food; after which she will generally recover her health and spirits, and become much as usual at the expiration of another month or five weeks. This ought to be fully considered in the case of all sporting dogs. CUTS, TEAES, AND BITES Are easily treated in the dog, because his skin is very readily healed, though not so speedily or in the same manner as that of man. In man a clean cut, if CUTS, TEAES, AND BITES. 45 properly treated, heals as if by magic ; and in three days large surfaces of many inches in extent will often be firmly healed by a kind of glue thrown out from the cut surfaces, which afterwards becomes organised. In the dog and horse, however, no such glue is thrown out, and the oozing is always of a watery nature ; so that apposition must always be maintained by stitches, and even they are only of use in preventing extreme displacement while they remain inserted. In slight cuts, tears, and bites, therefore, it is better to leave them alone to the healing powers of the dog's tongue; but in those cases where a large flap is torn down, as in the legs, for instance, a stitch or two should always be inserted, over which a bandage should be fixed, and the- dog kept muzzled until union takes place. Without the last precaution stitches and bandages are of no use, since the dog will always manage to remove them, and will tear out any stitches which may be inserted, however carefully they may be tied. The first thing to be done is to wash the parts, if dirty, and then with a common needle and thread to put in several stitches, according to the extent of the wound ; but only fixing it so as to keep it nearly in position, for an exact adaptation is of no use whatever. In putting in the stitches, the following is the plan to be adopted: take the needle and thread and insert it in the outside of the skin, on one side of the wound, and bring it out on the inside; then pass it from the inside towards the out of the opposite part of the corresponding flap on the other side, and tie the ends so as to close the wound. Repeat this as often as necessary, and cover all up with the bandage as already directed. After four or five days the threads may be cut and removed, because they are no longer serviceable, and only serve to irritate the skin; and from this time the whole dependence must be placed upon the bandage in keeping the parts together. In some parts — as, for instance, the flank, a bandage can scarcely be applied; but even there it is wonderful how nature fills up an apparently irremediable gap. I have often seen a flap torn down by a spike, which has hung down from the flank for five or six inches, but at the end of a month scarcely any scar can be seen. The owner therefore need never despair as long as the skin only is the seat of the accident; but when the abdominal muscles also are torn the bowels are apt to protrude, and the parts, if left to themselves, will never regain their original condition. Here a circular stitch must be practised, so as to pucker up the parts like the mouth of an old-fashioned purse, and if the walls are thick enough the plan may be practised with success; but in the thin tendinous expansions covering the middle of the belly there is great difficulty in carrying out this plan of rectifying the injury. The mode by which nature heals all the wounds of the dog is by granulation, in which small red bladders are thrown out by both surfaces, which, after they are in contact for some hours or days, coalesce and form a bond of union; but if they are allowed to rub against each other this union cannot take place, and the growth is confined to the angle of the wound only. Hence the use and necessity of a bandage, which keeps the two surfaces in close contact, and hastens the cure in a remark- able manner; effecting in ten days what would often require ten weeks if left 46 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. to the dog's tongue alone. When the granulations rise above the level of the surrounding skin, a piece of bluestone may be rubbed over them daily ; and if the whole sore is too red, and the granulations large and smooth, a little friar's balsam may be brushed over it ; or, what is far better, a solution of nitrate of silver, of the strength of from three to eight grains to an ounce of distilled water. FEACTIJEES May easily be treated in -the dog by any person possessed of ordinary mechanical ingenuity. The bones most commonly fractured are those of the extremities ; but almost all throughout the body are at times subject to this accident. FRACTURES OP THE BIBS are very common from the kick of a horse, or from the thick boot of a man, who sometimes in his rage, at the attack of a dog, administers a blow with his iron-shod toe which is sufficient to destroy life, or, at all events, to break one or more ribs. When from any cause they are fractured, the best plan is to apply a horse-girth round the whole chest, by buckling it smoothly twice round, or, if the size of the dog will not admit of this, the girth may be adapted to one circle only. This may be buckled so tightly as to prevent the dog using his ribs in breathing, and to confine him to the use of his diaphragm for that purpose, by which means the ribs are kept quite still, and nature in about three weeks unites the broken ends. For a broken shoulder-blade, or true arm, there is little to be done, nor in the case of a fractured pelvis or upper thigh-bone can much good be effected by interference. Nature will in all cases work a cure so far as to enable a new joint to be formed ; but the animal is rendered useless for sporting purposes, and can only be kept for his or her breed. In FRACTURES OF THE LIMBS, splints or strips of deal should be neatly applied round the limb and encircled with tapes to keep them in position. The first thing to be done is to adapt the splints to the leg, so that the parts shall be kept in a tolerably correct position while the inflammation is being subdued ; for if the fracture has been the result of much violence there will be considerable swelling of the soft parts, and the tapes require constant attention to prevent undue pressure. Some experience in such matters is, however, required, and a surgeon should always be called in when the animal is of sufficient importance. DISLOCATIONS Consist in a displacement of the end of a bone from its connexion with the one above it ; and they may occur at the hip, stifle, shoulder- joint, or knee, as well as the joints of the toes. The hock is seldom dislocated without fracture, but such an accident has been known to occur, and great trouble would be experienced in its DISLOCATIONS. 47 reduction, on account of the shape and nature of the joint. Dislocation of the stifle-joint is not very common, it being very strongly guarded by ligaments, and broad also in the surface of the bones of which it is composed. The hip-joint is very often the seat of dislocation, and is one of the most intractable of all to manage. The socket projects in a prominent manner from the body of the pelvis, and when the head of the thigh bone is thrown out of its cup in sinks at once deeply by the side of it, and can scarcely be drawn out of its bed by any force which can be applied. In the anterior extremity, the knee is the chief seat of this kind of accident, and it is dislocated quite as frequently as the hip, but its reduction is ten times as easy, because both bones can easily be grasped, and extension being made, they are speedily brought into a proper relative position. But though they are readily reduced, they are as easily thrown out again ; and, therefore, great care is required to prevent this unhappy result. The elbow and the point of the shoulder are seldom put out, because these joints are so securely guarded that the bones of which they are composed are more inclined to break than to leave their sockets. In both the hind and fore-legs the toes are often put out ; and, besides this accident, the tendons are apt to give way, causing the accident which is called " the letting down of the toes." The TREATMENT of all dislocations consists in putting the displaced bone back again into its socket as speedily as possible, for if allowed to remain long out of its proper situation it contracts fresh adhesions, and can scarcely be drawn away from them by any practicable force. The dislocated knee is reduced simply by pulling steadily the two bones away from one another ; an assistant seizing the arm, and the operator making extension by laying hold of the foot and pastern. After it is reduced, a piece of list should be crossed in the form of a figure of eight behind the joint, so as to prevent it from being straightened, and thus again displaced; and this position must be maintained for some time, in order that the torn ligaments may have time to unite. In the dislocated hip, unless very recently done, chloro- form should be used, because the muscles of that joint are very powerful and it will require great force to overcome their action without its assistance. The dog is first placed on a table, with a firm cushion under it ; chloroform is then administered, by placing a sponge dipped in it in the end of a leather muzzle, such as is used for the greyhound. The holes at the side should be stopped, by pasting strong paper over them, so as to make a complete cone, one end of which is adapted to the jaws, and the other is closed by the sponge ; so that the dog, when it is put on, can only breathe through the sponge. After a short time he snores, and breathes heavily, and then the sponge may be withdrawn for a time, and the attempt made to lift the bone into its socket. I have, however, lately failed, even with the aid of this agent, in reducing a hip dislocated only for about ten days ; and I am not aware of any case of more than a few hours' duration where a hip has been replaced. Nevertheless, in a valuable dog, such as that in which I made the attempt, which was a highly-prized puppy, presented to me, and of a very scarce breed, the attempt is worth making, especially as it occasions no pain. 48 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. OPERATIONS. IN OPERATING ON THE DOG, either a regular muzzle should be put, or ordinary tape or cord should be applied to the mouth, as indicated in the annexed engraving, binding it firmly round the jaws two or three times, and carrying it back to encircle the neck so as to prevent the dog pulling it off. -€§3H BOOK IV. JUDGING AT DOG SHOWS AND FIELD TRIALS, CHAPTER I. JUDGING AT SHOWS. HATEVEE difference of opinion may exist as to the utility of dog shows in improving the breeds of this animal, there can be no doubt of their popularity, or that they have become permanent institutions. Large sums of money are annually spent in rearing and feeding dogs with the express purpose of exhibiting them; and it may, therefore, be admitted without argument that it is desirable to conduct these shows in the way most likely to give satisfaction to their supporters. From their institution at Newcastle in 1858 there has been a growing feeling of dissatisfaction with the awards of the judges. Animals which have been successful under one set of judges in obtaining a first prize, have been altogether overlooked by another, not even obtaining a commendation, though in equally good condition at both places, and often with the same or nearly the same competitors. That these have been exceptional cases is true enough, but nothing has been more common than that the position of first and second prizeholders should be reversed within the same month — remarkable examples of which might be adduced, but the instances are so well known that it is needless to specify them. I have repeatedly drawn attention to these facts, and attempted to demonstrate that for the cause of this fickleness we must look to the absence of any recognised standard by which to measure the particular breed which is being judged. Among cattle and sheep-breeders it is generally admitted that certain leading qualities shall be considered all-important, such as the propensity to carry flesh of good quality on the parts most valuable to the butcher, early maturity, and, in the sheep, quantity and quality of wool. But in horses and dogs, and more especially in the varieties of the latter, there is not the same unanimity, even in leading principles; and in matters of detail, as may naturally be supposed, the difference of opinion is very great. At the present time (1877) Dog Shows have reached such a pitch of general interest, that the question of judging demands a very careful consideration, and very recently in the Field I inserted the following article with that view: — H 50 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. "ON JUDGING AT DOG SHOWS." " It is needless for us to return to the much- vexed questions relating to the discrepancies between the decisions given on the merits of competing dogs at the various exhibitions of those animals which are now so common as to occupy our columns largely with their reports from week to week throughout the year. That they exist is admitted by all who are in the slightest degree acquainted with the facts, and that they are much to be lamented is equally to be taken for granted. The subject for our present consideration is how this lamentable state of things is to be avoided or. reduced within reasonable limits ; for no one can expect absolute uniformity in any machinery composed of fallible human beings. " In regard to this selection of prize winners, there are now five open questions under general consideration : First, shall the judges be public or private ? secondly, shall there be one, two, or three judges ? thirdly, shall the judge or judges select the prize winner at random, or be guided by any written law? fourthly, shall he or they be compelled to draw up a numerical estimate of each of the prize winners, founded on a standard of points furnished for the purpose ; and if so, shall it be published ? and fifthly, how shall the judges be elected ? Each of these subjects we now propose to discuss seriatim. " In reference to public v. private judging, the general verdict is certainly in favour of the former whenever it can be managed, and all the clubs devoted to any particular breed have, we believe, adopted it. The only large show whose managers hold out against it is that held at Birmingham, where the want of space is a sufficient reason to forbid it ; and the choice lies between the abandonment of Curzon Hall, with all its counterbalancing advantages, and the continuance of the old system of judging in private. The Birmingham Show being the oldest annual exhibition of dogs, and having always been well managed on the whole, has obtained a strong hold on the public, and, in spite of the abovementioned drawback, it seems likely to continue its career with success. Nevertheless, it is quite clear that public- judging is now established, and will be adopted at all other large shows. "The next question is not so easily settled, and it is only recently that it has been fairly tried. One thing has, however, been fully shown by experience, viz., that when more than one judge is appointed, they should possess equal knowledge of the breed or breeds placed before them. Nothing is so liable to lead to dissatisfaction as the importation of a judge specially acquainted with a particular breed, and the coupling of him with a ' gentleman of position.' Wherever this has been done some fiasco has occurred, and at length the plan has been abandoned. Our own opinion, founded on a long experience in every department of dog shows, is that ultimately single judging will be found to act most beneficially ; but it requires some length of education to develop firm- JUDGING AT SHOWS. 51 ness of purpose sufficient to carry good principles into fair practice, and there are many men possessed of sufficient knowledge, who have yet such a deficiency of moral courage as to make them require a coadjutor to share the onerous responsibility of condemning to the ranks the dogs of their friends. On the other hand, if, as we allege, it is necessary that both the judges of a class should be possessed of equal knowledge, it reduces its amount to a much lower level if double or treble the number of individuals are required, since we all know that the managers of our shows have not a very large circle from which the choice can be made. The question is, however, now fairly submitted to the test of experience, and we need not, therefore, discuss it more at length. "But now we have to examine the most vexed of the five questions before us, and yet it seems to us so clear as to be incapable of two opinions about it. In examining it, we must remember that the judicial bench is not composed of the same individuals at the various shows, and that many of them are known to have proclivities as regards types, &c., which render it possible for a clever exhibitor to ' place ' successfully under different judges, the various members of his kennel, all of which could scarcely have a chance of a prize under any one judge possessed of reasonable consistency and fairness. It is quite true that it is impossible entirely to avoid this, and that, even with all the much- vaunted integrity of the judges in our higher courts of law, well deserved as it no doubt is, suitors and their solicitors are very apt to have a preference founded upon well-known proclivities. But without statute laws, .and precedents equally binding in our common law, our courts would resemble a lottery office still more than they now do, and we think no one but a madman would desire to wash out the written and unwritten code which guides us in all our transactions. Why, then, should we leave our canine judges to a ' rule of thumb,' when in our more important relations of life we adopt a different plan ? To this question we know no answer, and we confess that this judicial blindness of the world of 'doggy ' men is beyond our comprehension. The only explanation we can give is that it allows each exhibitor to use his powers of ' placing ' with a reasonable hope of success, and that he thinks in that way he can cover the defects in his dogs by his own cleverness. The special clubs have, however, in most cases abandoned this plan, and have each drawn up a code of points, not only describing most minutely the dog they combine to glorify and improve, but appending a numerical value to each point ; and in setting this example they have, no doubt, done good service in the cause to support which they have been called into being. It may therefore be concluded that the days of judging by ' rule of thumb ' are numbered. " Having thus reached a stage when it may be laid down as decided that the judges of our shows are to be guided by a written code of laws, it may reasonably be deduced that they shall carry out this code in a practical manner. To show the fallacy of depending on a code theoretically, we may instance the judging of Mr. Bassett at the recent show of fox terriers at Lillie Bridge — under the club specially formed to supervise that fashionable breed of dogs. 52 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. Prior to the show the club had drawn up and published a code of points describing each minutely, and allotting to them the following numerical value : — POINTS OF THE Fox TERRIEE. Yalue. Head and ears 15 Neck 5 Shoulders aiid chest. . . 15 35 Yalue. Back and loin 10 Hindquarters 5 Stern .. 5 20 Grand Total 100. Value. Legs and feet 20 Coat 10 Symmetry and cha- racter 15 45 " Now, by almost general consent, the above-named gentlemen is admitted to have an excellent knowledge of the fox terrier, and, on the whole, his decisions were accepted ; but the curious feature attending them is that, with a class of dogs so near together as to take him almost two hours to select the prize winner, no attempt was made to reduce the theory of points into practice with the aid of pencil and paper. At the end of an hour and twenty minutes Mr. Bassett had drawn six from the sixty-seven dogs of which the class was composed, five of them being compact and strong-bodied animals, with slight variations in other points, but all very near together, while the sixth is a dog with a beautiful head, but possessing a body of almost greyhound-like proportion. Now, surely with such opposite types, and with a code of points at his disposal, drawn up by a club who had appointed him, any reasonable man would aid his memory by jotting down in pencil the numerical value of the points in each of the competitors according to the above code. Of what use is such a code, if not thus applied? we ask of all men possessed of common sense. How otherwise can the beautiful head of the winner (Brockenhurst Joe), coupled with his light body, be compared with the inferior head, but wonder- fully good body and legs, of the second dog (Moslem) ? That it was a near thing between them, as admitted by all, only makes this numerical comparison the more needful; and, though we do not by any means impugn the decision, we think it highly probable that if Mr. Bassett had taken out his pencil he would have come to a different conclusion: at all events, he would have given his estimate of the points exhibited by the six dogs formerly selected by him, which would have been of great interest to breeders of the fox terrier, in which every point in detail is now weighed and considered with great care by thousands of both sexes throughout the land. But, much as we think the paper and pencil were wanted in this class, they were still more needed by him in his judging of the rough bitch class. In this small lot of six, Bramble, bred by Mr. Wootton, exhibited as beautiful a head as that of Brockenhurst Joe, coupled with a light body, but not nearly so light as that of Mr. Gibson's dog — though looking more so than usual from the effects of a recent sea voyage — and in addition very good legs and feet. Minx, who was placed first by Mr. Bassett, was also bred by Mr. Wootton, but was by no means equal to Moslem in body; and between her and Bramble, if judged numerically according to the above standard, the decision would, as we think, have been JUDGING AT SHOWS. 53 deservedly in favour of the latter, who only took the third prize. In any case, however, these decisions are not consistent, and indicate that even an acknowledged good judge should assist his memory with paper and pencil ; and at the same time add to the knowledge of his supporters by giving them the benefit of his opinions, not only as to the prize winners as a whole, but of their respective points when dissected and analysed by him. In practice it has been sometimes found that this use of the pencil has led to a great expenditure of time, and at the show of bulldogs held under the auspices of the club devoted to that breed, the judge retired for some hours, in order to cast up his accounts. Such a proceeding, however, is wholly unnecessary, unless the judge is unable to do a sum of simple addition ; for surely it is easier to estimate the proportionate value of any individual head or back, as compared with fifteen or ten, in the dog's presence than in his absence; and, if so, what is the use of retiring ? We contend, from practical experience, that, in judging five or six selected dogs near together in merit, it is the simplest and quickest plan to judge numerically by points, and we have not the slightest doubt that before long no other will be used. " Lastly, we have to consider the best method of election, the choice lying between that by the votes of the subscribers, that by the committee of management made at the last moment, and that by the committee announced at the time of publishing the programme. All these plans have been tried, and experience has shown that there are drawbacks to each, to which it is very difficult to assign an exact value. For this reason, we shall not therefore venture to give a decided opinion on the present occasion." In addition to the cases mentioned above, numerous instances have occurred in which the advantages of judging by points, had it been acted upon, would have been made manifest; and in the present absence of all written law in many breeds I do not see how it is possible to prevent the recurrence of such cases. A well-known instance of the difficulties connected with judging by rule of thumb occurred some few years ago in the large pointer bitch class at Birmingham. One of the bitches, which we will call A., had a bad head and very light ears, combined with a strong useful middle, but spoilt by short shoulders. In addition, she had good legs and feet, an elegant stern, well carried, and an absence of quality, her age being eighteen months, when a small bitch is fully developed. Another, B., showed a better head, but inferior legs and feet, a coarse stern, and a heavy, lumbering middle. A third, C., exhibited a magnificent head, beautiful ears, capital legs and feet, fine stern, good shoulders, with great liberty of action; but these fine points were counterbalanced by a deficient girth of chest, for which, being only twelve months old, some considerable allowance should be made, the judges having a statement of the age of each animal on their books for this special purpose. Here, then, -was a case of some difficulty, and though I do not agree with the award, I by no means assert that it was decidedly wrong. But, supposing, for the sake of argument, the pointer were said to have five properties, viz., 1, head and neck; 2, legs and feet; THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. 3, body ; 4, stern ; 5, quality and coat ; and that to each of these were allotted the following proportion of points, viz., head and neck, 30; legs and feet, 24; body 20; stern, 16; quality and coat, 10— total, 100; the judge (being provided with books for the purpose, with the number and age of the entries duly written in) would only have to insert under each property such a number as would mark the degree of approximation to perfection — this being represented by the maximum figure given at the head of each column. CLASS 27. No. Age. Head and Neck. Maximum. 30. Legs and Feet. Maximum. 24. Body. Maximum. 20. Stern. Maximum. 16. Quality and Coat. Maximum. 10. Total. Maximum. 100. 1 2 3 4 5 1 yr. 6 mo. 9 mo. 3 years 4 years 1 year 5 10 rejected rejected 28 20 16 20 12 8 6 14 6 14 4 3 8 55 43 76 Had such a plan been adopted — and I can conceive nothing more simple or easy to carry out — the dogs A., B., and C. would have been placed in the order 5, 1, and 2, whereas the awards were given in the order the dogs stand on the lists. At present the judges make their notes opposite each entry, but they are so indefinite that afterwards it is necessary that all the animals likely to take a prize shall be compared together at the same time — a far more tedious operation than that which requires them to be carefully examined only once. I do not for a moment assume that the numbers I have attached to each property are correctly apportioned, or that I should have carried them out in practice exactly in the manner I have indicated for the three pointers; I only contend that, supposing the judges to be each furnished with a book containing definitions of a similar nature for their guidance, they would have far less difficulty in deciding than at present, while the public would be able to ascertain the reasons which guided them, and would know what to expect in sending their animals to a show. It will no doubt take some time to settle finally the relative value of the head as compared with the locomotive organs, in the several breeds of dogs, for they vary in almost all. Thus the pointer, however well formed in his back, chest, and shoulders, is perfectly useless unless he has a head which will not only contain a good brain, but also sensitive olfactory organs. So, also, with the feet and legs ; unless these are capable of sustaining work equally with the back, chest, and shoulders, the latter, however good, are thrown away. The National Dog Club, however, in 1869, made the attempt, which, though it was somewhat hastily and carelessly carried out, has served as a very useful foundation for subsequent labours in the same field. Unfortunately, only a portion of the judges at their Islington show carried out their code of points into practice, great difficulties being thrown in their way by the paucity of attendants, and the distance between the benches and the field in which JUDGING AT SHOWS. 55 all the dogs were led out. On the whole, however, this first attempt on the large scale to combine public judging with the aid of a scale of points was eminently successful, but, nevertheless, it has not been followed to the full extent at any other exhibition. The Birmingham council, in spite of the strenuous efforts of Mr. Murchison, have steadily opposed these innovations, and their only concession has been to guarantee that every dog shall be seen by the judges off the bench to which he is chained. In the series of articles now published I have introduced the points adopted by the several special clubs, with short alterations where I think them needed, as in the case of the bulldog, but still they must have the authority of some generally recognised body before they can be made imperative on judges. In 1869, a great improvement on the then existing mode of judging by points was suggested — by a correspondent in the Field, who was a noted breeder of mastiffs, and as his letter contains the whole of the argument, stated in a clear and convincing manner, I reproduce it at length. " gIBj — Although I believe it to be most desirable that the judges at our dog shows should be guided in their awards by a settled standard of points and marks, it will, I believe, be found in practice very difficult, if even possible, to give satisfaction by this method, unless some such plan as I venture to suggest be followed. " In order to have a claim to be classed as a prize dog, it seems to me that an animal ought to be fairly good in every point, and the plan of judgment I would suggest, which is adopted from the method often followed in scholastic examinations, is this : Presupposing that every point in the animal ought to be fairly good, the positive marks scored in the dog's favour would represent degrees of excellence. Should, however, the animal under judgment be notably deficient in any particular point, I consider that not only should no positive marks be allotted for this particular point, but negative marks should be given to it in proportion as the point in question fell below fairly good. " Possibly the system may be already followed, but if not, I think it would be found to work fairly and well. The book put into the hands of the judges would run thus : Bull Terrier. Positive Marks. Negative Marks. Head ... 25 Chest .... 10 Neck .... 10 Shoulders .... 10 Feet and Legs .... 10 Loin .... 10 Colour .... 10 Temper .... 10 Tail .... 5 Total .... 100 56 THE DOOS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. " It might in practice be found advisable that the negative marks should never exceed the possible positive marks in number; or, again, that an animal notably deficient in any one special characteristic of his breed would be considered disqualified. " These are, however, minor points ; but I hope and think that the principle I suggest, unless it has already been thought of, may be found practical and useful. " MASTIFF." " April 3, 1869. This suggestion removed the only objection in my mind to the plan of judging by points, and with its aid every animal shown, whether horse, dog, poultry, bird, or pigeon, should, I think, be judged. I have endeavoured to persuade the managers of the various shows to adopt this amended system, but hitherto without success. Still, as it is never too late to mend, and as I am convinced that, sooner or later, it must come into use, I give a specimen table of an open class of large pointers, with the points filled up of half a dozen selected specimens, between which it is obvious to the judges the three prizes given must rest. Of course it would be an enormous sacrifice of time to set down the points of the whole of the above class, but an experienced judge can readily point out four, five, or six, as the case may be, all of which may be carefully "pointed," as is shown in the following table, which is supposed to be a copy of a page of the judge's book filled up. In this way I believe that time may be saved rather than wasted, as I have found that the fixing on the numerical value of the several points is much easier than the judging two nearly equal dogs on their general merits. There is a very general impression in the minds of judges that the method here advocated would be a great waste of time ; and on one occasion, at the recent show of bull dogs by the club specially formed for their improvement, the judge thought it necessary to retire for several hours in order to fill up his book. Now, this proceeding was simply absurd, because the only thing which could possibly be done in the absence of the dog was to cast up the score made when examining them, and that process could not occupy more than a few minutes. The fact, I have no doubt, was that he was nervous at having to define his opinions on the several points; but a really well informed judge ought surely to have no such feeling. Having myself tried the experiment several times, I find that I can easily set down the points of six dogs, previously selected, in half an hour, exercising the greatest care, whilst in most cases I can do it in half that time; and I am quite sure that in all important classes fully half an hour is occupied by the usual rule of thumb process. The following tabular form is suggested as the most convenient. The figures in italics are those supposed to be filled in by the judge. TABLE OF POINTS. 57 R p CD a Qo PH Pn fe i PH EH i> PH Qo 06 E| t> £ O }; 9 p™ 58 Qo 05 Ob <*> eso^j en I 111 O 58 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. By inserting the points given at the end of each article in the following chapter, instead of those of the pointer, a series of scales may easily be compiled for the use of judges. DISQUALIFICATIONS. In consequence of the uncertainty prevailing as to what shall be considered a proper ground of disqualification, the Kennel Club have recently (1881) appointed a committee to report to them on the subject. Their report has been accepted, but up to the time of this sheet going to press, it has not been embodied in any definite code of rules. I may, however, state that the old practice of disqualifying for dyeing or faking is to be continued, and that the removing of the tips of retrievers' tails, and the use of blacking or flour are in future not to be allowed. CHAPTER II. ON JUDGING AT FIELD TRIALS. HE judging at Field Trials has for some years been conducted on the above principles at Stafford and Shrewsbury, without any negative points, which were, however, introduced at Vaynol, in September, 1871, and gave great satisfaction. The following is the scale adopted at the Stafford and Shrewsbury trials, which prevailed up to that time. Under it, a dog, which we will call Pilot, refusing to back, but reasonably good in other points, would score 52, but under the negative scale 10 would be deducted from his totals, and very properly so, that being the amount of the allowance for backing, which is not only not to be calculated in his favour, but is absolutely to be deducted from his total score. Now, as the dog refusing to back does mischief to the sport so far as often to spoil it altogether, it is quite right that he should be severely punished for his offence, and on that account I think the principle is quite sound. It was at first considered that backing is merely the result of breaking, and therefore is no test of the utility or otherwise of a stud dog. Hence, nose, point, pace, and range were made the chief tests, omitting all notice of- backing, dropping to shot, &c. This ON JUDGING AT FIELD TEIALS. 59 was, I think, a mistake as regards backing, which is as inherent in some breeds as the point, and quite as difficult to impart by education. ME. BRAILSFORD'S SCALE OF POINTS AS USED AT STAFFORD AND SHREWSBURY. 20 20 15 20 15 10 100 g General o p p be bb be bb .1 jf 3 V rt 05 Remarks. .3 i g ^3 /- 1 § > -*^ 0 .9 §2 g .a •Q pfl 'o fc O r2 0 1 1 1 o £ 02 -*i 02 s Pilot ,- •fO 10 /7 /a n «•« ? "I O / t/ 1 C/ c/ 7 %• u t?<* tx The scale used at Bedford and Bala was somewhat different ; but still it did not introduce the negative points. I insert it as filled up at Bala by " The Prior " in the case of the celebrated Hamlet : "IDSTONE'S" SCALE, AS USED AT BEDFORD AND BALA. & p «H O att^^,e shooting without dogs by the aid of human beaters has greatly reduced the demand for this dog, which was formerly adopted in beating almost all large woodland preserves. The points of the Clumber spaniel are as follows : POINTS OF THE CLUMBER SPANIEL. Value. Head 20 Ears 10 Neck . 5 35 Value. * Value. Length 15 Colour 5 Shoulders and chest. . . 10 Coat 5 Back 10 Stern 5 Legs and feet 15 50 15 Grand Total 100. 1. The head (value 20). — The skull of this dog is large in all dimensions, being flat at the top, with a slight furrow down the middle, and a very large occipital protuberance. Sometimes this part is heavy in excess, but this is far better than the opposite extreme. The nose is very long and broad, with open nostrils. The end should be of a dark flesh colour, but even in the best strains it is sometimes of a cherry or light liver colour. The eye is large and soft, but not watering. 2. The ears (value 10) are peculiar in shape as compared with other spaniels, being setter-like or vine-shaped, and indicating that this kind of spaniel is the original " setting spaniel " of olden times, now converted into the setter. They are slightly longer than those of most setters, and feathered, but not heavily, especially on the front edge. 3. The neck (value 5) is long and strong, but lean, and free from dewlap in front, where, however, there is a slight ruff of hair. 4. In length (value 15) this spaniel should be two and a half times his height. 5. Good shoulders (value 10) are very important qualities in so heavy a dog, who tires in any covert rather too soon, and, with heavy shoulders, drops into a walk after a single hour's work. The chest must also have a large girth. 6. A strong bach and loin (value 10) are equally necessary, and for the same cause. The latter ought to be free from arch, as the back should be from droop, and the back ribs should be very deep. 7. The legs and feet (value 15) of the Clumber must be carefully attended to, being of great importance to him in standing his work. He is very apt to be out MR. LINDOE'S IRISH WATER SPANIELS "BAKE" AND "BLARNEY.' THE IEISH WATEE SPANIEL. 101 at his elbows from his width of chest, and occasionally his legs are bowed from rickets, to which disease he is especially prone. These defects when present should be heavily penalised, as they are faults of great importance. 8. The colour (value 5) is always white, with more or less lemon ; and when the latter is freckled over the face and legs the colour is perfect. The face should always be white, with lemon head, and at the best a line of white down its middle. 9. The coat (value 5) must be soft and silky, slightly wavy, and, though abundant, by no means long, except in feather. 10. The stern (value 5) must be set low, and carried considerably downwards, especially when at work. THE IEISH WATEE SPANIEL. In Ireland two breeds of this dog are known, which are distinguished by the prefixes North and South, the latter being also named after Mr. McCarthy, a gentle- man who, between thirty and forty years ago, alone possessed it in perfection. At the present time the M'Carthy strain may be considered to be the type of the Irish water spaniel ; and his description published in the Field in 1859 is the standard by which the breed is judged, and must therefore be so regarded. Most of the prize winners of late years have been more " on the leg " than Capt. O'Grady's dog (an engraving of which was published in my first edition in 1865) ; but several bitches have been successful even lower than he was. They all show, however, in greater perfection one peculiarity of the strain, viz., the total absence of feather both on tail and legs ; whereas Capt. O'Grady's dog, though good in tail, was feathered considerably on his legs. I shall therefore substitute portraits from remarkably good photographs of Mr. Lindoe's celebrated brace, Eake and Blarney, which for five or six years shared with Mr. Skidmore's Doctor (half brother to Eake) the chief prizes of the various English shows. Eake was descended from M'Carthy's celebrated dog Boatswain, on the side of his dam ; but his grandsire on the other side, also called Boatswain, was from another kennel. He was considered by Capt. Montresor and by Mr. M'Carthy himself to be a good specimen of the breed ; and their endorsement must be regarded as final. The Irish water spaniel has been imported into England in considerable num- bers, but not to such an extent as to become common ; why, I am at a loss to know, as from Mr. Lindoe's experience, and that of Mr. Englebach (formerly of Tedding- ton), in addition to the account given originally by M'Carthy himself, I am led to believe that he is by far the most useful dog for wildfowl shooting at present in existence. " Notwithstanding their natural impetuosity of disposition," Mr. Lindoe says, "these spaniels, if properly trained, are the most tractable and obedient of all dogs, and possess in a marked degree the invaluable qualities of never giving up or giving in. From real personal experience of almost every kind of dog," he goes on to say, "they are the cleverest, gamest, and most companionable of all." Judging from my knowledge of Mr. Englebach's Pat, bred by Mr. Skidmore, to 102 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. which dog my experience of the breed is confined, I should say he is too quarrel- some to be companionable, except to those who are fond of repeated impromptu dog fights, and he is admitted to be too impetuous for work on land. England appears to have obtained the cream of the strain, as the above-mentioned English- bred dogs, Doctor and Pat, took the first and second prizes at the Dublin show of 1872 ; while young Doctor was first in the champion class at Belfast in 1876, and Mr. Skidmore's sister to Barney divided the puppy prize at the same show. The chief prizes in England have fallen to dogs belonging to Mr. Skidmore, of Nant- wich, Mr. Eobson of Hull, Mr. P. J. D. Lindoe, the Eev. W. J. Mellor, Capt. Montresor, and Mr. Engelbach, all being of the McCarthy strain, while Mr. N. Morton of Ballymena is at the head of the Irish breeders. The dog is readily taught to retrieve, but care must be taken to prevent his impetuosity leading to a " hard mouth." Recently (1882) the breed has deteriorated in England, why I am at a loss to know, and the classes for Irish Spaniels have been almost empty at most shows. The points of the breed are as follows : POINTS OF THE IRISH WATER SPANIEL. Value. Head 10 Face and eyes 10 Topknot 10 Ears 10 40 Value. Chest and shoulders. . . 7| Back and quarters ... 7£ Legs and feet 10 25 Grand Total 100. Value. Tail 10 Coat 10 Colour 10 Symmetry 5 36 1. The head (value 10) is by no means long, with very little brow, but moderately wide. It is covered with curls, rather longer and more open than those of the body, nearly to the eyes, but not so as to be wigged like the poodle. 2. The face and eyes (value 10) are very peculiar. Face very long, and quite bare of curl, the hair being short and smooth, though not glossy ; nose broad, and nostrils well developed ; teeth strong and level ; eyes small and set almost flush, without eyebrows. 3. The topJcnot (value 10) is a characteristic of the true breed, and is estimated accordingly. It should fall between and over the eyes in a peaked form. 4. The ears (value 10) are long, the leather extending, when drawn forward, a little beyond the nose, and the curls with which they are clothed two or three inches beyond. The whole, of the ears is thickly covered with curls, which gradually lengthen towards the tips. 5. Chest and shoulders (value 7|). There is nothing remarkable about these points, which must, nevertheless, be of sufficient dimensions and muscularity. The chest is small compared with most breeds of similar substance. THE ENGLISH WATEE SPANIEL. 103 6. The lack and quarters (value 7|) also have no peculiarity, but the stifles are almost always straight, giving an appearance of legginess. 7. Legs and feet (value 10). The legs should be straight, and the feet large, but strong ; the toes are somewhat open, and covered with short, crisp curls. In all dogs of this breed the legs are thickly clothed with short curls, slightly pendent behind and at the sides, and some have them all round, hanging in ringlets for some time before the annual shedding. No feather like that of the setter should be shown. The front of the hind legs below the hocks is always bare. The tail (value 10) is very thick at the root, where it is clothed with very short hair, and is well shown in the portrait of Blarney. Beyond the root, however, the hair is perfectly short, so as to look as if the tail had been clipped, which it some- times fraudulently is at our shows ; but the natural bareness of tail is a true characteristic of the breed. 9. The coat (value 10) is composed of short curls of hair, not woolly, which betrays the poodle cross. A soft, flossy coat is objected to as indicative of an admixture with some one of the land spaniels. 10. The colour (value 10) must be a deep puce liver without white; but, as in other breeds, a white toe will occasionally appear even on the best-bred litter. 11. The symmetry (value 5) of this dog is not very great, and I have conse- quently only estimated it at 5. Mr P. J. D. Lindoe's Eake is by Eobson's Jock out of Duck, by Tuffnell's Jack, a son of McCarthy's Boatswain, Jock by Lord Eglinton's Boatswain out of Flush. He has won nine first prizes, besides several seconds. Blarney is by Tollemache's Boatswain out of Skidmore's Juno, and has won three first prizes, besides seconds and highly commendeds. THE ENGLISH WATEE SPANIEL. Although a class for this variety of the spaniel is often included in the prize lists of our shows, the exhibits are generally of a most miscellaneous character, and I do not pretend to be able to settle the points of the breed with anything like accuracy or minuteness. The following description will probably serve to include all the variations : Head, long and narrow ; eyes, small ; ears, long and clothed with thick curls ; body, moderately stout and barrel like, but not so much so as the field spaniel; legs, rather long, straight, and strong; feet, large and spreading; stern, bushy and curly-coated; colour, liver and white, varying in the proportion of these colours. 104 • THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. CHAPTER IV. RETRIEVERS. THE RETRIEVER PROPER — THE WAVY-COATED RETRIEVER — THE CTJRLY- COATED BLACK RETRIEVER — RETRIEVERS OTHER THAN BLACK — WILDFOWL RETRIEVERS — THE DEERHOUND. S there are several purposes for which, dogs are required to retrieve, so there are special breeds which fulfil those various requirements in the best manner. Thus a dog may be wanted to retrieve partridges in a turnip field; or he may be required to road a running grouse on the moors ; or again, a winged pheasant or a broken-legged hare in covert may test his nose and tender mouth. For these several purposes, what is now called the retriever is the fashion of the day, and the same animal may sometimes be called on to take water in order to fetch a wounded duck or widgeon, or even a wild goose or swan. Lastly, the red deer, when wounded by the rifle ball, and not killed, sometimes goes away at a great pace, and tries the speed, and even the stamina, of the deerhound or other dog which is slipped after him. Hence it is necessary under this article to describe (1st) the retriever proper, including (a) the wavy- coated black, (&) the curly-coated black, (c) the retriever other than black, (d) the wildfowl retriever ; and (2nd) the deerhound. 1.— THE RETRIEVER PROPER. Until within the last twenty years, many good sportsmen were not satisfied unless their pointers and setters retrieved the game shot to them, and G-en. Hutchinson still maintains that it is a good plan to teach them to do so. Fashion is, however, altogether against this last-mentioned combination, partly because no southern shooter can do without a retriever in walking up birds in turnips ; and, as he must have such a dog for part of the year, the more practice that dog has, the better, and consequently, the shooter seldom goes out without one — either on the moors or elsewhere. My own experience is, that with a pointer or setter of very high courage it is almost impossible to keep him steady at " down charge " if he is allowed to retrieve ; but, on the other hand, a slack worker will no doubt be encouraged if he is permitted to go to his bird and bring it to his master. Consequently, there are two sides to the argument, as I think; and before attempting to form a reliable opinion, it is well to know the breed of pointers or setters which is to be worked. I am, however, inclined to believe that no retriever proper possesses as good a nose as THE RETRIEVER PROPER 105 the pointer or setter, though there are some dogs of these latter breeds who seem incapable of trying for anything but a body scent— and they, of course, are useless as retrievers. Some years ago I endeavoured to devise a plan of trying retrievers in public, and in my experiments I used an old worn-out pointer, which happened to be the only retrieving dog at hand. Constructing a trap on a tripod, which, on pulling a string, would drop a bird with its wing feathers cut in a field of turnips or other covert, I found the old dog invariably bring it to hand, although ori one occasion the bird had reached the next field, fully three hundred yards from the trap ; and, as the result of these private experiments, I produced the machine at Vaynol in 1871, in full confidence that it would serve the purpose of the retriever trials. But there the retrievers proper could do nothing with a winged partridge dropped on turnips exactly as I had done in private, and if the bird happened to get away more than fifty yards, the scent was very seldom taken up ; and if found at all, the success was owing to perseverance in seeking at random, and to accident, rather than nose. Mr. R. J. Lloyd Price's Devil, a curly liver-coloured dog, apparently a cross between the Irish water- spaniel and the poodle, bred by Sir P. Nugent, is the only dog I have ever seen perform in public to my satisfaction, showing great perseverance in hunting, with a good nose, but not coming up to the level of the old pointer above alluded to. With this exception, the best private retrieving I have ever seen has been with crosses of the terrier and beagle ; for with one of these little dogs I never yet lost either fur or feather, though of course he could not carry a hare across a brook or over a gate. Still, we must take the world as we find it, and the world now demands a retriever proper, black by preference, and either wavy-coated or curly. In the early shows up to 1864, the classes for retrievers were open to all, and it was not till after the second and third held at Birmingham that any decided opinions began to be expressed. In 1860 the celebrated Wyndham was brought out by Mr. R. Brailsford with success, and he was at once accepted as the type of the wavy-coated strain, being apparently nearly or quite pure Labrador. Next year, at Leeds, Wyndham was second to Mr. Riley's Sam, a curly-coated dog, of good shape, but inferior to that gentleman's Royal, afterwards winner of several prizes in England, and of the gold medal at Paris. In 1861 Mr. Riley again succeeded in taking the first prize with his Cato, of about the same pretensions as Sam ; the second prize being awarded to a curly-coated dog exhibited by myself, bred by Mr. Whitbread's keeper at Cardington, with an admitted colley cross, and, though handsome in shape, without any of the points which would now be demanded by the judges of the strain, and notably deficient in that bareness of face at present considered a sine qua non. At Islington in 1862 Mr. Riley's Royal was in high form ; but at Birmingham in the same year Wyndham again came out first. In the following year Mr. Hill bought Wyndham, and showed him with his Jet at Islington, with which latter he took the first prize, Wyndham only getting the third. In 1863 Wyndham came out as champion at Birmingham ; and, after these ups and downs of the wavy and curly coats, the committee of the Chelsea Show decided on dividing the retrievers into distinct classes, their example being followed 106 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. at Birmingham and elsewhere. In this year Wyndham and Jet again changed hands, Mr. Gorse, who had long before been engaged in breeding retrievers, becoming their new master, and succeeding in getting first at Birmingham with Jet in the curly-coated class, but, curiously enough, being only second in the wavy- coated class to another Wyndham, belonging to Mr. Meyrick, of Pembroke, but bred by Capt. Sparling. The two Wyndhams were much of the same type, nearly or quite pure Labrador, and were about equally successful on the show bench. For some years Mr. Gorse carried all before him in the curly-coated classes of the various shows with Jet and his son Jet II. ; but in 1872 Mr. Morris, of Rochdale, brought out True, a magnificent specimen of the breed, with which he has since that time swept the board in the champion classes, his grand bitch X L being almost equally successful in her own class. From the year 1870, when Meyrick's Wyndham only took a third prize at Birmingham, Mr. Gorse, Mr. Shirley, and the various owners of Morley have shared the prizes in the smooth-coated classes, Major Allison's Victor being their chief competitor. This dog shows more of the setter than is approved of by Dr. Bond Moore, who takes the lead as a retriever judge, and who has apparently influenced his coadjutor, whether Mr. Lort or Mr. Shirley, in the case of Victor ; but has nevertheless, in conjunction with those gentlemen respectively, at the Alexandra Palace and Birmingham Shows of 1874, and more recently at the Islington Show of 1877, awarded a first prize to Melody, a bitch showing even more of the setter than Victor, according to my judgment. In each case the class was a large one, and that at Birmingham was noted by the judges as " extraordinarily good." With such conflicting fiats, it is difficult to arrive at any definite opinion of the strain considered by the cognoscenti to be the proper type of the smooth-coated retriever, and I have therefore selected one of each kind, my own impression being decidedly in favour of the setter cross, as likely to possess the best nose. Melody is a beautiful bitch, no doubt, but she has no pretensions to superiority in any respect over Victor, and hence the above-mentioned decisions are the more incompatible. Both Paris and Morley are said to be pure Labradors, the former being by Sir Henry Paulett's imported Labrador Lion, out of Bess, an imported Labrador bitch. Paris has won repeatedly the champion prizes at the Crystal Palace and Dublin shows. Melody's pedigree is unusually long in com- parison with other retrievers, and is as follows : AC -i fn \ f Moses by Nap (West). -m~ . , M1/1 f Sailor (Gorse) ......... [ Di (Adm. Curry). Mr. G. Brewis's Melody ............ ImLuUMM ^ f Wyndham (Mejrick). (Shirley) ... [?££ Bounce (Hull). How she gets her setter blood I am at a loss to know, but her ears, flag, and feather show it in a most unmistakable manner. (a) THE WAVY-COATED RETRIEVES,. It is generally supposed that this breed is a cross between the Labrador dog, or the small St. John's, Newfoundland, and the setter ; but in the present day the most successful on the show bench, as above remarked, have been apparently, and often THE WAVY-COATED EETEIEVEE. 107 admittedly, pure. In the belief that the nose of the pure Labrador is inferior to that of the setter, I certainly should advise the cross-bred dog for use ; but to be successful on the show bench, under such judges as Dr. Bond Moore, Mr. Handley, and Mr. Lort, the competitor should display as little as possible of the setter. In all other respects Major Allison's Victor was perfect, his symmetry being of the most beautiful order; but Dr. Bond Moore could not forgive his setter-like ears, and his fiat was against him. According to my general rule, I shall therefore describe this breed in its show form, the following being the numerical value of the points : POINTS OF THE BLACK WAVY-COATED RETRIEVER. Value, j Value. Value. Skull 10 Nose and jaws 10 Ears and eyes 5 Neck 5 Loins and back 10 40 Quarters and stifles ... 10 Shoulders 6 Chest 4 Legs, knees, and hocks 10 Feet 5 35 Grand Total 100. Tail 5 Coat 5 Colour 5 Symmetry and tem- perament 10 25 1. The skull (value 10) should be long, wide, and flat at the top, with a very slight furrow down the middle. Brow by no means pronounced ; but the skull is not absolutely in a straight line with the nose. 2. The nose and jaws (value 10) are to be considered from two points of view — first, as to the powers of scent ; and secondly, as to the capacity for carrying a hare or pheasant without risk of damage. For both purposes the jaws should be long, and for the development of scenting powers the nose should be wide, the nostrils open, and its end moist and cool. 3. The ears and eyes (value 5). — The ears must be small to suit the ideas of the Labrador fancier. With the setter cross they are considerably larger. In any case they should lie close to the head, and be set on low. With regard to the hair on them, it must be short in the Labrador ; but in the setter cross it is nearly as long as in the setter itself. The eyes should be of medium size, intelligent-looking, and mild in expression, indicating a good temperament. 4. Neck (value 5). — Whatever be the breed of this dog, his neck should be long enough to allow him to stoop in seeking for the trail. A chumpy neck is especially bad ; for, while a little dog may get along on a foot scent with a short neck, a comparatively large and unwieldy dog tries himself terribly by the necessity for crouching in his fast pace. 5. The loins and lack (value 10) must be wide and deep, to enable the retriever to carry a hare over a stone wall, a brook, or gate. 6. The quarters and stifles (value 10) must be muscular, for the same reason ; and, to enable the retriever to do his work fast enough to please the modern sports- man, with ease to himself, the stifles should be set wide apart. 7. The shoulders (value 10) should be long and sloping ; otherwise, even with a proper length of neck, the dog cannot stoop to a foot scent without fatigue. 108 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. 8. The chest (value 4) should be broad as well as deep, with well- developed back ribs. 9. Legs, knees, and hocks (value 10). — When tolerably fast work is to be done by a heavy dog, it is important that these parts should be strong and free from disease in their joints. Hence the legs must not only be long and muscular, but they must be clean and free from gumminess. The knees should be broad, and the hocks well developed, and clean. 10. The feet (value 5) are rather larger proportionately than in the setter, but they should be compact, and the toes well arched. Soles thick and strong. 11. The tail (value 5) in the " Bond Moore " type should be bushy, and not feathered, which is a sign of the setter cross. It should be carried gaily, but not curled over the back. 12. The coat (value 5) is short, but not so short as in the pointer or hound ; set close, slightly wavy, and glossy. 13. The colour (value 5) should be a rich black, free from rustiness. In many good imported dogs there is a white star on the breast, and a white toe or two ; but the fashionable breeders now go in for a total absence of white, and this point is therefore to be estimated accordingly, as long as Dr. Bond Moore and his coad- jutors maintain their position. That the public do not agree with him is plain from the fact that, in answer to an advertisement offering to give away several puppies bred by him with white on their toes, &c., he received more than 150 applica- tions. It also shows that even his own breed cannot be depended on for absence of white, and that it is purely an arbitrary sign, altogether independent of race. Hence, in my opinion, it is absurd to disqualify a dog absolutely because he shows a small white star or a white toe, but it is quite within the powers of the judge to penalise him to the extent of the allowance for colour in the scale of points. 14. Symmetry and temperament (value 10). — The symmetry of this dog is often considerable ; and, though there is no grandeur, as in the large Newfoundland and St. Bernard, still there is a due proportion of size and strength, with elegance all through, which takes the eye, and should be valued highly. The walk of the Labrador is not so loose and shambling as that of the large Newfoundland. The evidences of good temperament should be regarded with great care, since the utility of this dog mainly depends on it. A sour-headed brute, with a vicious look about the eyes, should at once be penalised to the full extent of this point, and a retriever shown with a muzzle on, as has often happened, should be regarded with great suspicion. Of course a dog may be so savage in a show as to require a muzzle, yet perfectly mild and inoffensive in the field ; but such cases are exceptional, and a judge ought always to satisfy himself of the general good temper of a retriever requiring a muzzle. Mr G. Brewis's Paris has been very successful on the show bench, and has a fine body and good coat, but I confess I neither like his head nor his short jaw. Nevertheless, it is impossible at present to find a better type of the pure Labrador. Melody is a beautiful specimen of the setter cross. pq THE BLACK CUELY-COATED EETEIEVEE. 109 (6) THE BLACK CUELY-COATED EETEIEVEE. Little or nothing seems to be known of the history of this dog, now so exten- sively bred throughout the United Kingdom. At all events, there is no getting at the exact source of the breed, and on that account I am led to think that some non-sporting dog, such as the poodle, has been used. Possibly successful breeders do not like to give information which may lead to a repetition of their success in other hands; but my experience does not lead me to place much reliance on this interpretation of their secresy. It is admitted that the curly-coated dog is remark- ably sagacious, and more " tricky " than the smooth, and this confirms the above suspicion ; but I confess that I have no proof whatever to allege in its support, and my theory must be taken for what it is worth as such. The general belief is that the water spaniel and small Newfoundland have been used in establishing the breed, and there is little doubt of the truth of the theory. This variety of the dog has certainly not increased in numbers of late years, or improved in symmetry, and has notably gone off in the shape of head, which is now too narrow by far. The falling off numerically is probably due to the fact that the public have pronounced in favour of the Labrador, which has been largely imported by " Idstone " and others, as well as extensively bred by Dr. Bond Moore and Mr. Shirley, who have with Mr. Lort and Mr. Handley, composed the goodly company of judges in this department. From whatever cause, however, the curly-coated dogs of the present day are not exhibited in such large and good classes as they were about ten years ago, and they are notably deficient in those indications of good temper which should always be looked for in the retriever. There is some little difference in the points of the two breeds, the main ones being those connected with bareness of face and texture of coat. I insert the altered scale : POINTS OF THE CUELY-COATED EETEIEVEE. Value. Skull 10 Nose and jaws 10 Ears and eyes 5 Neck 5 Loins and back 10 Quarters and stifles 5 45 Value. Shoulders 6 Chest 4 Legs, knees, and hocks 5 Feet .' 5 Tail... . 5 25 Grand Total 100. Value. Texture of coat and bareness of face ... 15 Colour 5 Symmetry and tem- perament 10 30 11. The tail (value 5) is the first point in the list above given wherein the curly-coated dog differs from the wavy-coated retriever. In the latter, as described in the points of that variety, it may be either bushy or setter-like ; but in the curly-coated retriever the hair must be short and curly, and though not quite bare as in the Irish water spaniel, it should be nearly so towards the tip. The tail also should be stiff, and only slightly bent, without any approach to a curl beyond a very gentle bend, as shown in the illustration which accompanies this chapter. 110 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. 12. The texture of coat and bareness of face (value 15) constitute the chief difference between the two breeds. The texture of coat should be intermediate between wool and hair, like that of the Astrakan sheep, with even a crisper curl, each of which should be quite distinct. The breed has naturally a very oily coat, which serves to protect the skin when in the water ; but for show purposes artificial oil is often added to such an extent as to soil the hand considerably when stroking the dog. This fraud though not so great as dyeing or clipping, is still one which should be deprecated, and, if clearly established, ought to disqualify a dog from competition. On the whole face, up to nearly the middle of the ears, the coat should be quite short, without the slightest wave even ; and here clipping is some- times resorted to, and should be punished in the same way — it can easily be detected by the absence of bloom at the parts clipped. Plucking is useless, as it leaves the skin bare. With the above exceptions, the whole body should be clothed with short curls, and the occurrence of a patch of uncurled hair on the back, called a " saddle," is greatly objected to. The illustrations accompanying this chapter are portraits of Mr. Bartram's Nell and Mr. Morris's True. Nell obtained the remarkable distinction of being placed above True as "the best retriever in the show" at Birmingham in 1875, by Dr. Bond Moore and Mr. Shirley, and I have therefore coupled her with that dog in the most prominent position. The following is her pedigree : Mr. Bartram's Nell f Oscar (Schofield) ... C Sweep (Hodgson) C Hector (Riley). (late Mr. E.W. Bichardsj (jet (Mr. J. Holmes) [ Bess (Gill) (.Old Bess (Ferrand). Mr. Morris's True is by Challoner's Sam, of the Duke of Portland's breed, out of Watson's bitch. He is a winner of a host of first and champion prizes, including that of the Kennel Club Show, at Islington, in 1877. (c) THE KETRIEVEKS OTHER THAN BLACK. Classes defined as above have been made specially with a view to include those liver-coloured specimens which are met with constantly in litters bred from black curly-coated parents, indicating the spaniel cross. Thus, in 1866, Mr. Jones and Mr. Harrison took the first and second prizes at Birmingham with Neptune and Sailor respectively, both being by the celebrated Jet, and the former out of a black daughter of that dog, while the latter was out of Gorse's Gyp, also black. Both were liver-coated dogs ; and in 1865 Sailor was placed second to Mr Gorse's Jet, Mr. Harrison asserting his superiority to that dog in all other respects, and on that account a separate class was made next year ; but the result was not more favourable to the then treasurer and prime mover of the show, as he only got a second to Neptune, as above stated. This class is not defined at all, so that the judges may have to decide between curly-coated of both, colours, wavy-coated of a black, brindled, black and tabby, black and tan, or red colour ; and, of course, can have no rule but the rule of thumb to guide them. In such a class, colour must be MR. FIELD'S DEEEHOUND " BEAN." THE DEEKHOUND. HI left out of consideration ; but a well- coated and finely-shaped curly-coated liver dog would generally achieve success. The weight of the modern retriever proper is about 801b; height, 25 to 26 inches. (d) WILDFQWL RETBIEVERS. A great difference of opinion exists as to the comparative merits of the Labrador and the curly-coated retriever for water. In any case, the latter is not improved by the setter cross for this purpose, as- the coat of that dog is not nearly so oily as the Labrador's. As far as I can learn from wildfowlers, there is no reliable evidence to found an opinion on. In tenderness of mouth the wavy-coated dog is said to be superior to his rival, but without doubt there are many curly-coated retrievers whose mouths are tender enough. Notably Mr. Gorse's Jet was so ; and, indeed, from " information received," I am led to believe that he was far above the average in this respect as well as in nose. The Irish water spaniel makes an excellent water retriever, as does the poodle also. 2.— THE DEERHOUND. This dog is now more ornamental than useful, his former trade of retrieving wounded deer in Scotland being often entrusted to colleys, whole or half-bred, and cross-bred dogs of various kinds, but in the south his grand size and outline make him a great favourite with country gentlemen, and more especially with the ladies of their families. For this fashion Sir Walter Scott with his Ban and Buskar, immortalised in " Waverley," is mainly responsible, as with the Dandie Dinmonts in " Gruy Mannering." There is no doubt that the Scotch deerhound and the thorough Scotch grey- hound were identical in shape, and could scarcely be distinguished by good judges, and even by them only when at work, the deerhound galloping with his head considerably higher than the greyhound. Pari passu with the disappearance of the rough greyhound has been the rarity of the deerhound in modern days, the former being displaced by the smooth breed, and the. latter by various crosses, e.g., that between the foxhound and greyhound advocated by Mr. Scrope; the mastiff and greyhound cross of the Earl of Stamford, and all sorts of crosses between the colley and greyhound, rough as well as smooth, as mentioned above. In the present day pure deerhounds kept for the retrieving of deer are comparatively rare, and I believe even those in Her Majesty's kennel are not used for that purpose. Hence it is idle to attempt to describe this dog solely from the deer- stalker's point of view, and he must be estimated rather from an artistic stand- point, in which capacity he rivals, and perhaps surpasses, all his brethren, having the elegant frame of the greyhound united with a rough shaggy coat, which takes off the hardness of outline complained of by the lovers of the picturesque as attaching to the English " longtail." Still, though the deerhound of modern days is to be considered as a companionable dog rather than as a deer retriever a he has always hitherto been regarded as coming under the latter category, and i as is 112 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. so classed in all our shows, I shall not attempt to displace him from his old time-honoured position. As a companion he must depend for a good character on his ornamental appearance, rather than on his utility as a protector of dames, in which capacity he is quite useless as compared with the mastiff, St. Bernard, or Newfoundland. He is not so quarrelsome as the colley, but when attacked defends himself with great power, quickness, and courage. His chief defect as a companion is his proneness to chase any moving object, and he will even pick up little dogs, especially if they attempt to run away from him ; and if not broken early from this habit, he often occasions trouble to his owner. On the other hand, he is seldom offensive to strangers, but he does not take to children, and is seldom to be trusted with them. Unless well broken, he will chase hares and rabbits, and of course deer, and on that account he should not be taken into deer parks or game preserves by those who are not sure of being able to control him. The disproportion between the sexes is greater than in any other breed of dogs, the average difference in height in the same litter being often from five to six inches. When this dog is slipped at a wounded deer, he pursues it either by scent or sight, the latter being, of course, used in preference, but the nose being lowered for the trail the moment the deer is lost to the eye. In hunting the trail, however hot and fresh, the deerhound does not throw his tongue out as a rule, though, as is the case even with some of the highest bred greyhounds, occasionally a low whimper is heard. When a stag stands at bay, the dog opens with a loud sharp bark, and continues till his master appears to give the coup de grace, unless his quarry is sufficiently exhausted by loss of blood to permit his pinioning him; but a stag in possession of his full powers is beyond the reach of any dog from the front, and a well-bred deerhound does not make the attempt unless he sees an opening from behind. A cross with the bulldog was tried some years ago in order to give courage, which it did ; but it also gave the peculiar bulldog tendency to go at the head of the deer, and led to the loss of so many valuable animals that it was abandoned. The numerical value of the points of this dog is as follows : Value. Skull 10 Nose and jaws 5 Ears and eyes 5 Neck _10 30 POINTS OF THE DEERHOTTND. Value. Chest and shoulders... 10 Back and back ribs ... 10 Elbows and stifles 10 Symmetry and quality 10 40 Grand Total 100. Value. Legs and quarters ... 7£ Feet 7i Colour and coat 10 Tail 5 30 1. In skull (value 10) the deerhound resembles the large coarse greyhound, it being long and moderately wide, especially between the ears. There is a very slight rise at the eyebrows so as to take off what would otherwise be a straight line from tip of nose to occiput. The upper surface is level in both directions. THE DEEEHOUND. H3 2. ~Nose and jaws (value 5). — The jaws should be long and the teeth level and strong. Nostrils open but not very wide, and the end pointed and black ; cheeks well clothed with muscle, but the bone under the eye neither prominent nor hollow. 3. Ears and eyes (value 5). — The ears should be small and thin and carried a trifle higher than those of the smooth greyhound, but should turn over at the tips. Pricked ears are sometimes met with, as in the rough greyhound, but they are not correct. They should be thinly fringed with hair at the edges only ; that on their surfaces should be soft and smooth. Eyes full and dark hazel, sometimes by preference blue. 4. The neck (value 10) should be long enough to allow the dog to stoop to the scent at a fast pace, but not so long and tapering as the greyhound. It is usually also a little thinner than the corresponding part in the dog. 5. Chest and shoulders (value 10).— The chest is deep rather than wide, and in its general formation it resembles that of the greyhound, being shaped with great elegance, and at the same time so that the shoulders can play freely on its sides. The girth of a full sized dog deerhound should be at least two inches greater than his height, often an inch or two more, but a round unwieldy chest is not to be desired, even if girthing well, shoulders long, oblique, and muscular. 6. Back and back ribs (value 10). — Without a powerful loin a large dog like this cannot sustain the sweeping stride which he possesses, and therefore a deep and wide development of muscle filling up the space between wide back ribs and some- what ragged hips is the desideratum. A good loin should measure 25 or 26 inches in show condition. The back ribs are often rather shallow, but they must be wide, or what is called " well sprung," and the loin should be arched, drooping to the root of the tail. 7. Elbows and stifles (value 10), if well placed, give great liberty of action, and the contrary if they are confined by being too close together. These points should therefore be carefully examined. The elbows must be well let down to give length to the true arm, and should be quite straight, that is, neither turned in or out. The stifles should be wide apart and set well forward to give length to the upper thigh. Many otherwise well-made deerhounds are very straight in their stifles. 8. The high symmetry (value 10) of this dog is essential to his position as a companionable dog, and it is therefore estimated accordingly. Quality is also to be regarded as of great importance. 9. Legs and quarters (value 7^). — Great bone and muscle must go to the formation of these parts, and the bones must be well put together at the knees and hocks, which should be long and well developed. The quarters are deep but seldom wide, and there is often a considerable slope to the tail. Some of the most suc- cessful dogs lately exhibited, and notably Mr. Musters' s Torunn and Mr. Beasley's Countess, have been nearly straight backed, but this shape is not approved of by deerstalkers. 10. The feet (value 7^) should be well arched in the toes and catlike — a wide spreading foot is often met with, but should be specially condemned. 11. Colour and coat (value 10). — The colours most in request are dark blue, 114 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. fawn, grizzle, and brindled, the latter with a more or less tint of blue. The fawn should have the tips of the ears dark, but some otherwise good fawns are pale throughout. The grizzle generally has a decided tint of blue in it. White is to be avoided either on breast or toes, but it should not disqualify a dog. The coat (value 5) is coarser on the back than elsewhere, and by many good judges it is thought that even on the back it should be intermediate between silk and wool, and not the coarse hair often met with ; and there is no doubt that both kinds of coat are found in some of the best strains. The whole body is clothed with a rough coat sometimes amounting to shagginess, that of the muzzle is longer in proportion than elsewhere, but the moustache should not be wiry, and should stand out in irregular tufts. There should be no approach to feather on the legs as in the setter, but their inside should be hairy. 12. The tail (value 5) should be long and gently curved, without any twist. It should be thinly clothed with hair only. The most successful exhibitor at our shows for the last ten years is Mr. Chaworth Musters, of Kirk Langton, with his two Torunns, father and son. The old dog was of the Monzie strain, and was the sire of several prize winners, including Brenda, Hylda, Meg, Mr. Parkes's Be vis, Hilda and Teeldar, the younger Torunn, and Mr. Fitt's Bruce, all which (except the first two) were from sister to Morni, his chief competitor on the show bench. Next to him comes Mr. J. N". Beasley, of Brampton House, Northampton, with Alder and Countess, both with unknown pedigrees; and third, very nearly approaching them indeed, is Mr. Hickman, of Birmingham, whose Morni alone has taken eight first or champion prizes, whereas Old Torunn stopped short at five. Countess was undoubtedly, in my opinion, the most beautiful deerhound I ever saw, and quite unapproached by either dog or bitch ; Mr. Allen's fawn bitch Hylda (the dam of Morni), who took the second prize to her at Birmingham in 1867, being also a splendid specimen of the breed. The latter was by a dog in Her Majesty's kennels. Bran, whose portrait is retained as showing well all the points of the deerhound, was by Mr. Stewart Hodgson's Oscar, son of a dog belonging to Colonel Lennard, of Wickham-cross, and of the breed of Mr. M'Kenzie, of Applecross, Ross- shire. His dam was Mr. Cole's (Her Majesty's keeper) Hylda, by his Old Kieldar out of Tank ; Old Kieldar by Hector, a dog presented to Her Majesty by Mr. Campbell, of Monzie. The measurement of Bran was as follows : From nose to setting on of tail, 47 inches; tail, 22 inches; height, 32 inches; length of head, 12 inches; circum- ference of head, 17^ inches; round arm at elbow, 9| inches; girth at chest, 33| inches ; girth at loin, 24 inches ; round thigh, 17^ inches ; round lower thigh hock, 7 inches ; knee, 7 inches. ftfHRsL. wwm •' • •£'. ! ': GBEYHOUNDS.— MB. W. LONG'S "DAVID" AND MB' C. EANDELL'S " EIOT." BOOK II. HOUNDS AND THEIR ALLIES. CHAPTER I. THE GREYHOUND. S ITS NAME IMPLIES, this variety of the dog must be classed with the hounds, but it differs from all the others of this division in being used for the pursuit of hares by the eye alone. Its congener, the deerhound fills up the gap between the two being encouraged to take up the scent of its game when it loses view. But it must not be supposed that our modern greyhound is entirely without the power of scent, as there are numberless proofs to the contrary in the shape of pure-bred dogs of this kind which are used as lurchers. A good dog of this sort will run from view to scent and back again as often as is required by the nature of the ground, and will account for every hare he is allowed to hunt undisturbed. Indeed, the chief difficulty with the trainer of greyhounds is to keep his charge from using their noses, which many strains are very apt to do, to the great disgust of the public courser ; though the tendency of this development of the olfactory organ is so much in favour of " currant jelly " that the private courser does not always object to it. On the whole, however, the greyhound may be defined as the only British dog hunting its game by the eye alone. As the points of this dog have been fully described in " The Greyhound," and as it is desirable to keep them before the public without any alteration, I shall insert them in the ipsissima, verba which are introduced in that book. " Experience has convinced all coursers that a dog with plenty of length from his hip to his hock is likely to be speedy, because there is a greater than usual length of muscle to act upon the hock, and also a longer stride. The same unerring criterion has also led us to believe that a good back will give increase of power; in fact, that, cceteris paribus, size is power. But this law must not be taken without exceptions, since there must of necessity be a due proportion of parts, or else the successive actions necessary for speed will not take place in due order and with the proper regularity of stroke, and also because, by a well-known mechanical law, what is gained in power is lost in speed or time. This framework, then, of bones and muscles, when obtained of good form and proportions, is so 116 much gained towards our object; but still, without a good brain and nervous system to stimulate it to action, it is utterly useless ; and without a good heart and lungs to carry on the circulation during its active employment, it will still fail us in our need. Again, even if all these organs are sound and formed of good proportions by nature, if mismanagement or other causes interrupt their proper nutrition by digestion and assimilation, the framework speedily falls away, and our hopes are irrecoverably wrecked." The following are the points in the greyhound : Value. Head 10 Neck 10 Chest and fore quarters 20 40 Value. Loin and back ribs ... 15 Hind quarters 20 Feet 15 50 Grand Total 100. Value. Tail 5 Colour and coat... 5 10 1. The head (value 10). — " I have already said that in my opinion, the head should be large between the ears, and in a dog from 25in. to 26in. high, should measure at least 14f in. in circumference midway between the eyes and ears. This point is one which is not usually insisted on, many coursers preferring the narrow and elegant head, which will easily allow the neck- strap to slip over it. My own conviction is so strong that I do not hesitate to advise the selection of the head with a wider neck to it, and as narrow and low as it can be obtained between the eyes. Very little intelligence is required in the greyhound ; and if it were possible to obtain the full development of the appetite for his game (the seat of which is no doubt in the back of the brain) without any corresponding increase of intellectual faculties, it would be desirable to do so. But, unfortunately, this is not attainable without some slight drawback ; for, though it may be possible to selact heads in which there is very great increase in volume in the back of the head, in proportion to the en- largement of the forehead, still the latter part is more or less developed, and in these animals greater care is necessary in the rearing to prevent them, from self- hunting, or from assisting the sheepdog of the farm in finding and killing what rabbits and hares are in the neighbourhood. But when that care has been taken, this greyhound is really valuable ; his courage is immense ; no amount of injury or work seems to cow him (though he is not necessarily stout, for this quality, I believe, resides in the whole nervous system, and not in any part of it), and even the whip only subdues for a time his appetite for blood. The jaw can hardly be too lean, but the muscle should be full, and there should be little or no development of the nasal sinuses. I am not fond of long-nosed greyhounds ; but I have seen good ones possessing that appendage in almost every variety of shape. The eye should be full and bright, giving the idea of high spirits and animation. As to the ears, there is a very great variety in the different breeds, from the large upstanding ones of the Heatherjock variety to the small and elegantly-falling ear of most of our modern greyhounds. The bitch has always a neater and more compact head than her brothers, and there is generally a livelier look about the eye ; but, though the THE GEEYHOUND. 117 head is smaller, it is still in the same relative proportion to the whole body, which is more neat and elegant also. No courser should omit to examine the teeth, which require to be strong and long enough to hold the hare when taken." 2. The neck (value 10) of the greyhound, in the old rhyme, was compared to that of a drake, and of all the comparisons therein contained this is the nearest to the truth. It certainly is not so long or so round as a drake's, but sometimes approaches very nearly to it. This form will enable the greyhound to seize his game while in full stride without losing his balance ; but I have known many good killers with short necks, almost like that of a bull ; still, as a rule, a long neck is of great importance, and should be well considered in selecting a cross. Too often the thick compact form has also the bull neck ; but in some breeds, as in the Curler and Vraye Foy family, which are very muscular, the neck is proportionally long. " The points I have been considering are not immediately connected with speed ; but now I have to describe the framework by which locomotion is effected. It must be apparent to anyone who watches the gallop, that its perfection depends upon the power of extending the shoulders and fore legs as far as possible, as well as of bringing the hind legs rapidly forward to give the propulsive stroke. Upon the due relation between these two parts of the action everything depends ; and if the one part is more perfect than the other — that is to say, if the hind quarters are well brought into action, while the shoulders do not thrust the forelegs well forward — the action is laboured and slow ; whilst, on the contrary, if the shoulders do their duty, but the hind legs are not brought well forward, or do not thrust the body onwards with sufficient force, the action may be elegant, but it is not powerful- and rapid. For these various purposes, therefore, we require good shoulders, good thighs, a good back, and good legs, and, lastly, for lodging the lungs and heart, whose actions are essential to the maintenance of speed, a well-formed and capacious chest." 3. Chest and fore quarters (value 20). — "With regard to the chest, there are two things to be considered— namely, capacity for the lodgment of the lungs and heart, and the attainment of that form most conducive to speed and working. It must not be too deep, or the animal is constantly striking it against obstacles ; it must not be too wide, or the shoulders are unable to play smoothly upon it, as they must do in the action of this quarter; but it must be of sufficient capacity to lodge the heart and lungs. A just relation between these three counterbalancing essentials is therefore the best form — neither too small for good wind, nor too wide for speed, nor too deep to keep free from, the irregularities of the ground, but that happy medium which we see in our best specimens, and which the portraits of most of our best dogs will exhibit to the eye of the courser. The shoulders must be so formed as to thrust the forelegs well forward, and to do this the shoulder-blade must be as oblique as possible. The reason for this is, that its muscles may be able to exert their full power upon the true arm, in bringing it into a straight line with the axis of the shoulder-blade. This alone is a great advantage ; but, by the greater angle which it forms with the arm, it also enables the greyhound to bear the shock of a fall upon his legs in coming down from a leap without injury, which is another 118 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. most important feature. An oblique shoulder is likewise usually accompanied by a longer true arm, because the point of the shoulder must be raised higher from the elbow to allow of the obliquity, and in proportion to the increased length will the fore foot be extended forward ; thus this form gives longer levers with greater power of leverage, and more space for the lodgment of muscles. If then, we have this form, combined with good length from the elbow down to the knee, compared with that from the knee to the ground, and with a good development of bone and muscle in addition, perfection in this essential part of the frame is insured. In this last point (from the elbow to the knee) there is a very great difference in greyhounds ; but, by a careful measurement of various well-formed legs, I am inclined to think that from the elbow to the knee ought to be at least twice the length from the same point to the ground. In this measurement the dog would be standing on a level surface with his weight bearing upon both legs, and I think the measure should be taken in this way, and not from the base of the two middle nails, because in the stride the action is from the ball of the foot, and not from the end of the toes. In variously- formed feet there is a difference of nearly an inch in length of toes , and many a dog with short toes would measure from the ground nearly an inch less than another with long toes ; which latter would nevertheless measure, from his toe- iiails to his knee, nearly an inch more than the former. " Such are the general points of importance in the fore-quarter ; the minor ones are, good bony and well-developed shoulder points, elbows neither turned in nor out, muscular arms, good bony knees, not too much bent back, and large strong pasterns, the bones composing which are of full size." 4. Loin and ~back ribs (value 15). — " In order to unite the hind and fore quarters, and to assist in fixing the pelvis, from which the muscles composing the haunch take their fulcrum, a good back is required, and when of a good form it has been compared to a beam. Now the back is composed of a series of vertebrae, having the ribs attached to the sides of the first thirteen, but in those of the loins depending alone upon the hip bones and lateral processes for the lodgment and attachment of muscles. It must be self-evident that every additional inch in length of back increases the stride by that amount exactly, and therefore if prolonged indefinitely it would be advantageous till counter-balanced by the disadvantages inseparably connected with this form, in consequence of the diminished strength. The length of back should therefore be looked for between the neck and the last rib, rather than between the last rib and the hip bone, and this is a very important consideration too often neglected. The back ribs should be well spread and deep ; for, unless they are in this form, a sufficient attachment cannot be afforded to the muscles of the loins, which constitute the chief moving power in drawing the hind legs forward, and in fixing the pelvis. The loins must therefore be broad, strong, and deep, and the measure of their strength must be a circular one. Breadth alone will not do, since the lower muscles require to be well developed as well as the upper, but a good measurement round the loin is a good test of power in that quarter. It was the fashion from 1840 to 1850 to select flat and straight backs, and these certainly are handsomer than the high-arched backs previously so much in THE GEEYHOUND. 119 vogue. Either form may be qualified to do its duty, if there is only the power of straightening the line in the arched back; but if permanently arched it becomes what is called the ' wheel back,' and the power of extension in the gallop is very much limited. Since the time of Bedlamite, who was very drooping in his quarters, and possibly partly in consequence of the attention which he drew to this point, the very level back is not so much in fashion, and the arched loin, coupled with the Bedlamite quarters, is much sought after." 5. Hind quarters (value 20). — These are of "more importance than the fore quarters, and are composed of three separate divisions, varying greatly in total and comparative length in different individuals. These three divisions are — the true thigh between the hip and stifle joints ; the false or lower thigh, answering to the leg of a man, and situated between the stifle and hock ; and, lastly, the leg, between the hock and foot. The first two of these divisions should be nearly equal in length, and in most well-proportioned greyhounds are each about one-fifth longer than the lower arm; whilst the leg, from the hock to the ground, should bear about the same relation to each of the thigh bones as the fore pastern does to the arm — that is to say, it should be about one-half, generally rather more than less. Many good greyhounds vary much in these proportions ; and the stifle joint is often placed far from midway between the hip joint and the hock — generally it is a little nearer the hip — but I have seen it much lower than the mid-point, but never in a greyhound of good pace and performance. With a greyhound thus formed, having both the upper and lower thigh bone one-fifth longer than the lower arm, with the hock also placed a little above the level of the knee, and the top of the shoulder-blade only the length of the thigh bone above the elbow, it follows either that the top of the hind quarter will be considerably higher than the fore, or that the hind legs will be bent at the hock and stifle joint considerably out of the straight line. Either of these forms is conducive to speed ; but the latter is the more elegant, and also appears to be the best calculated for preserving the equilibrium in the turn. If the hind legs are straight, and yet the back is level, the fore legs must be long, or else there can scarcely be sufficient speed. This form is, however, inferior to the bent hind legs, and correspondingly short anterior extremities. The type of the best formation is seen in the hare, in which there is a still greater disproportion ; and as the grey- hound has to cope with her in speed and working, he must to a certain extent be formed upon the same model, and so he really is when the proportions are carefully examined in a skinned hare. In the portraits of Mr. Eandell's Euby and Mr. Brown's Bedlamite (given in "The Greyhound"), the best form of stifles may be seen. The latter dog himself possessed remarkably developed stifles, which have been transmitted to many of his descendants, and on which I believe much of their success has depended. This peculiarity consists in the stifles being set on wide apart, so that they can be brought well forward in the stride without any difficulty. Good bony stifles and powerful hocks are essentially requisite for the attachment and leverage of the various muscles ; and unless these are large and powerful in the haunches and thighs no greyhound can be of first class powers. This point is, however, so well known, that it is scarcely necessary to insist upon it." 120 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 6. The feet (value 15) of the greyhound are met with in two varying but useful forms, namely, the catlike and the hare foot. In the former case they are round and close with upstanding knuckles, and by many people they are much preferred. Such toes are, however, very likely to "break down;" and for use the hare foot, longer and natter, is by many coursers preferred. In any case a flat open foot is to be discarded. 7. The tail (value 5) should be fine and nicely curved ; but this point is only to be looked at as a mark of good breed. 8. The colours (value 5) preferred are black and red, or fawn with black muzzles. Black-tan is very rarely seen, but almost every other colour is occasionally met with. White greyhounds are by many disliked, being considered delicate ; but I do not know that this objection is founded upon reliable premises. The brindled colour is also supposed, without reason, to be a mark of the bulldog cross, as I am satisfied it existed before there is any evidence of that cross having been used. The relative value of these several points varies a good deal from those of dogs whose breeding can chiefly be arrived at by external signs — e.g., the stern, colour, and coat in the pointer and setter. Here the pedigree is well known for many generations ; and therefore, although the breeding may be guessed at from the appearance of the individual, it is far better to depend upon the evidence afforded by the Coursing Calendar, or, if that is not forthcoming, to avoid having anything to do with breeding from the strain. " In measuring a dog I should take only the following points, which should be nearly of the proportions here given in one of average size : " Principal points : Height at the shoulder, 25in. ; length from shoulder point to apex of last rib, 15in. ; length of apex of last rib to back of buttock, 13in. to 15in. ; length from front of thigh round buttock to front of other thigh, 21in. " But to be more minute, it is as well to measure also the subordinate points as under : Circumference of head between eyes and ears, 14|in. to 15in. ; length of neck, 9in. to lOin. ; circumference of chest, 28in. to 30in. in condition ; length of arm, 9in. ; length of knee to the ground, 4|in. ; circumference of the loin, 18in. to 19in., in running condition ; length of upper thigh, 10|in. ; lower thigh, llin. ; and leg from hock to ground, 5|in. to 6in. " In taking these measurements the fore legs should, as nearly as possible, be perpendicular, and the hind ones only moderately extended backwards." The specimens selected to illustrate this chapter are Biot and David, which were perhaps the best greyhounds for all kinds of ground which ever ran, not even excepting the two treble winners of the Waterloo Cup, as they were not tried over the downs. Riot was the property of Mr. C. Randell, of Chadbury, and was not only the winner of seventy -four courses in public, with the loss of only ten, but she was also the dam of several good greyhounds. David had also the same double distinction, but was not quite so celebrated in the coursing field as the bitch. He had, however, the advantage at the stud, as might be expected from his sex, and a goodly list of winners are credited to him. Curiously enough, both were bred in the same kennel, from which they were transferred as whelps, in the case of the GENERAL REMARKS. bitch, to Chadbury, and in that of the dog to Mr. W. Long, of Amesbury, both distinguished in the south as public coursers, and pitted against one another in many a stake. I might point to the numerous descendants of Beacon and Scotland Yet, and to Cerito and Master McG-rath, as having been more successful over the plains of Altcar; but I believe that no strain of blood has done more over all sorts of ground than the combination of Bedlamite and Blackfly in Riot, and that of Motley and Wanton in David, and again in his son Patent. CHAPTER II. MODERN HOUNDS HUNTING BY NOSE. GENERAL REMARKS — THE BLOODHOUND — THE FOXHOUND — THE HARRIER — THE BEAGLE — THE OTTERHOUND. NDER this general heading are included by sportsmen those varieties of the dog which pursue and kill their game by the nose only, and above ground. As a consequence, greyhounds, deerhounds, pointers, setters, /3fiS- spaniels, and terriers are excluded from the list — greyhounds, because they do not ordinarily hunt by scent ; deerhounds, because they are only used to retrieve their quarry when wounded by the rifle ; pointers, setters, and spaniels, for the reason that though they find their game by the nose they leave the gun to kill it; and terriers, because they work underground as well as above it. From the latter half of the word greyhound and deerhound, it might naturally be inferred that they could be considered hounds ; but in sportmen's language they are not so, and if a man was heard to say that he saw a lot of hounds out on a certain farm, when it turned out that they were greyhounds, he would at once be set down as ignorant of sport and its belongings. The term is therefore confined in the present day to the bloodhound, staghound, foxhound, harrier, beagle, and otterhound. Except in Devonshire and Somerset, the staghound is not allowed to kill his quarry, being whipped off as soon as the deer stands at bay; and in all other packs either a pure foxhound of full size is used, as in Her Majesty's, or a bloodhound, as in Mr. Nevill's and Lord Wolverton's, and hence these last are included under the bloodhound or foxhound classes. The Devon, and Somerset are, however, said to be of the pure old Southern hound strain R 122 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. drafted for speed until they are now able to go such pace as fits them for the modern ideas of hunting, which demands a good gallop as the essential to sport. Never having seen them, I can only form an opinion of them on second-hand testimony, but it appears to me from this evidence that they only differ in colour from Mr. Nevill's black tans, being in fact light and corky bloodhounds, and in all probability derived from the same source. It is quite clear, from the series of portraits published in the Field, three years ago, that in France a much greater variety has been developed in the hound than in England, where the foxhound has absorbed nearly all the others into its own capacious net. Even the harrier is now very seldom met with pure, and the old-fashioned beagle is equally rare. Patience is no longer a virtue cultivated by English sportsmen, by whom the dash and forward cast of the foxhound are greatly preferred, to the careful puzzling out of a cold scent on which our forefathers set so much value. Many good sportsmen contend that a modern foxhound, even of the fastest strains, can make out a cold scent as well as a bloodhound or a beagle, and that it is the change in our farm management from that of former times which makes the existing foxhound appear to have a worse nose than his predecessors. That there has been such a change is indisputable in the corn districts, but in the grass lands — at all events during a wet season — no such excuse can be made, and yet it is notorious that after the lapse of a very few minutes there is now little chance of doing any good with a fox, whereas a hundred years ago no huntsman would think of giving up, if he was sure of the line a full hour after a fox had been viewed. All the hounds — pure and simple — have heads of average size, long and broad noses, and full pendulous ears. They all give tongue when on a scent, and their note is musical, not like that of the terrier, shrill and squeaky. With the exception of the otterhound and the Welsh harrier, which closely resemble one another, all our modern hounds have stout coats, but their sterns show a fringe of hair underneath. All carry their sterns " gaily," that is, with a considerable upward tendency, but not curled over their backs beyond a right angle. With these characters in common, I now proceed to distinguish each breed from the others. As the series of articles in the present edition of the "Dogs of the British Islands" is confined to the description of existing varieties, I do not include among them any of those which, though formerly common enough, are now extinct. Consequently, no notice is taken of the Talbot, or of the old Southern hound. THE BLOODHOUND. The majestic head of this dog has frequently attracted the notice of the poetical and pictorial artist, and, without doubt, he is deserving of it ; indeed, from this point of view, he probably excels the whole animal creation as far as the greyhound surpasses them in elegance of outline and grace of movement. It is somewhat remarkable that these two attributes, so different in themselves, should be possessed to this full extent by two members of -the canine race. The prefix "blood" has been given to this hound in consequence of his being used to track deer and sheep MR. BAY'S BLOODHOUNDS "ST. HUBERT'' AND "BARONESS.' THE BLOODHOUND. 123 stealers by the scent of the blood dropped on the line ; but his fine nose was also employed to follow the body scent, whether of man or animals; and in this way he was employed in former days to pursue runaway slaves, but being rather unmanageable when he reached them, the Cuban mastiff, or a cross between this mastiff and the bloodhound, was generally preferred on account of his greater amenity to the discipline and control of 'his master. At present the bloodhound is little used in this country, two packs of staghounds comprising the whole extent to which his employment in hunting reaches; Lord Wolverton's is said to be pure, but Mr. Nevill's differs greatly in appearance from the recognised type of the breed. The bloodhound in the hands of our chief exhibitors is now kept for ornament only, or for the purpose of exhibition and prize taking; and it must be estimated accordingly from the artistic point of view alone. Until within the last twenty years, or thereabouts, the bloodhound has been almost entirely confined to the kennels of the English nobility ; but at about that distance of time Mr. Jennings, of Pickering, in Yorkshire, obtained a draft or two from Lord Faversham and Baron Rothschild, and in a few years, by his skill and care, produced his Druid and Welcome, a magnificent couple of hounds, which he afterwards sold, at what was then considered a high price, to Prince Napoleon for breeding purposes. In the course of time, and probably from the fame acquired by these dogs at the various shows, his example was followed by his north- country neighbours, Major Cowen and Mr. J. W. Pease, who monopolised the prizes of the show bench with successive Druids, descended from Mr. Jennings' s dog of that name, and aided by Draco, Dingle, Dauntless, &c., all of the same strain. Up to 1869 the only other largely successful dogs in this class were the two Rufuses (Mr. Boom's and Mr. Brough's), whose pedigrees are chiefly composed of Faversham and Rothschild blood, either through Jennings's -Druid or other channels. In 1869, however, another candidate for fame appeared in Mr. Holford's Regent, a magnifi- cent dog, both in shape and colour, but still of the same strains, and until the appearance of Mr. Reynold Ray's Roswell in 1870 no fresh blood was introduced among the first-prize winners at our chief shows. His pedigree is not well ascertained, but no doubt from his stock it is a good one. This dog, who died in 1877, maintained his position for the same period almost without dispute, and even in his old age it took a good dog to beat him. The head of the bitch is so very inferior in majesty to that of the dog, that, as this is the peculiar feature in the breed, it is by the male alone that it is adequately represented. As above remarked, the bloodhound must now be regarded chiefly as a companionable dog, though he is always included at our shows in the division comprising the " Dogs Used in Field Sports." He is in considerable demand amongst country gentlemen ; but, having been much in-bred for many years, there is a great difficulty in rearing puppies in this country, though in France and Germany, probably from the change of climate and soil, bloodhounds have been successfully bred and reared from the stock imported from England. From the keen nose possessed by this hound, he has no doubt been employed as a cross for the black and tan setter, and some mastiff breeders have resorted to him to give 124 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. majesty to the heads of their favourites ; but in both cases I think there has been a loss in point of temperament ; for there can be no doubt that the bloodhound is not very amenable to the discipline required in these two breeds. Occasionally an exception is met with, in which a pure bloodhound is controllable under all circumstances ; but, as a rule, I have no doubt that he is a very unmanageable dog, and can only be employed usefully by letting him have his own way, to work out his own instinctive promptings and appetite. The Hon. Grantley Berkeley's celebrated dog Druid was beyond even his control when excited, and, with the long experience of dogs and well-known pluck of that gentleman, it must be something out of the common that would make him give way to any animal. Like the bulldog, the bloodhound is amiable enough when not excited ; but once get his " hackles up," and he is not easily turned from his object. It is sometimes asserted that this character only belongs to badly-bred animals ; but whenever I have had the opportunity of visiting a kennel of highly-bred bloodhounds, I have put the matter to the test by asking the master to show a whip to his dog, and, with the exception of Mr. Ray's dogs, which seem remarkably amiable, the result has always satisfied me that he dared not use it — that is to say, if the dog was at liberty. Personally, I have had no experience of the breed except in the case of the bitch, two of which (both very highly bred) I have possessed at different times, and certainly their tempers were not to be depended on, though they would not turn on me, as I have more than once seen a dog hound do on his master. My experience and the evidence afforded by that of others lead me, therefore, to conclude that the temper of the bloodhound is not of such a nature as to make him a pleasant and safe companion ; but I am bound to state that several breeders who have considerable practical acquaintance with this dog have recently given an entirely opposite opinion in the columns of the Field, and the question must therefore be considered undecided. In his style of hunting he usually carries his head very low, and is slow in his quest, dwelling on the scent when at all doubtful until he has assured himself of its truth. In pace and stamina he cannot compare with the foxhound, who could beat him by one-half at the very least in both respects. His voice is full, deep in tone, and melodious; and this in itself is regarded by many as a claim entitling him to very high consideration. The points are numerically as follows : POINTS OF THE BLOODHOUND. Yalue. Head 15 Ears aud eyes 10 Flews 5 Neck . 5 Chest and shoulders... 10 Back and back ribs ... 10 Legs and feet 20 40 Grand Total 100. Value. | Value. Colour and coat 10 Stern 5 Symmetry 10 26 1. The head (value 15) is the peculiar feature of this breed ; and I have accordingly estimated it at a very high rate. In the male it is large in all its THE BLOODHOUND. 125 dimensions but width, in which there is a remarkable deficiency. The upper surface is domed, ending in a blunt point at the occiput; but the brain case is not developed to the same extent as the jaws, which are very long and wide at the nostrils, hollow and very lean in the cheeks and notably under the eyes. The brows are moderately prominent, and the general expression of the whole head is very grand and majestic. The skin covering the forehead and cheeks is wrinkled in a remarkable manner, wholly unlike any other dog. These points are not nearly so fully developed in the bitch ; but still they are to be demanded in the same proportionate degree. 2. Ears and eyes (value 10). — The ears are long enough to overlap one another considerably when drawn together in front of the nose ; the " leather " should be very thin, and should hang very forward and close to the cheeks, never showing the slightest tendency to " prick " they should be covered with very short, soft, and silky hair. The eyes are generally hazel, rather small, and deeply sunk, showing the third eyelid or " haw," which is frequently but not always of a deep red colour ; this redness of the haw is, as a rule, an indication of bloodhound cross wherever it is met with, whether in the mastiff, Gordon setter, or St. Bernard, though occasionally I have met with it in breeds in which no trace of the bloodhound could be detected. 3. The flews (value 5) are remarkably long and pendant, sometimes falling fully two inches below the angle of the mouth. 4. The neck (value 5) is long, so as to enable this hound to drop his nose to the ground without altering his pace. In front of the throat there is a considerable dewlap. 5. Chest and shoulders (value 10). — The chest is rather wide than deep, but in any case there should be a good girth ; shoulders sloping and muscular. 6. The back and back ribs (value 10) should be wide and deep, the size of the dog necessitating great power in this department. The hips, or " couples," should be specially attended to, and they should be wide, or almost ragged. 7. Legs and feet (value 20). — Many bloodhounds are very deficient in these important parts, owing to confinement. The legs must be straight and muscular, and the angles of full size; but it is not to be expected that the upright and powerful pasterns so dear to the M.F.H. should be found in the bloodhound. The feet also are often flat, but they should be, if possible, round and catlike. 8. Colour and coat (value 10). — In colour the bloodhound is either black and tan, or tan only, as is the case with all black and tan breeds. The absence of black is a great defect, but many well-bred litters contain one or two tan puppies without it. The black should extend to the back, the sides, top of the neck, and top of the head. It is seldom a pure black, but more or less mixed with the tan, which should be a deep rich red. There should be little or no white. The coat should be short and hard on the body, but silky on the ear and top of the head. 9. The stern (value 5) is, like that of all hounds, carried gaily in a gentle curve, but it should not be raised beyond a right angle with the back. The lower side is fringed with hair about two inches long, ending in a point. 126 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. 10. The symmetry (value 10) of the bloodhound as regarded from an artistic point of view should be examined carefully, and valued in proportion to the degree in which it is developed. The engraving of the celebrated Druid, which originally illustrated this breed in the "Dogs of the British Islands," gives a good view of his frame and legs; but it is on too small a scale to convey an adequate idea of the remarkable head which the bloodhound possesses. I have therefore confined Mr. Baker's attention to this feature alone, and have selected that of Mr. Bay's St. Hubert as the type of the male, while his Baroness is an excellent example of the female, the contrast between the two being, as usual in this breed, very great. St. Hubert is a son of Roswell, and presents the most wonderful head I have ever seen, but, having deformed legs, from, a bad attack of distemper, he has never been exhibited. Mr. Baker's sketch is a wonderfully careful copy of this dog's head ; and I think bloodhound breeders generally will admit that the choice I have made is fully deserved. Baroness is good throughout, and has taken two prizes. The following are the pedigrees of this fine couple of bloodhounds — that of Roswell is given in the Kennel Club Stud Book as by the Duke of Beaufort's Warrior out of sister to Field's Rufus; but I believe this pedigree is not very reliable, and, therefore, I have not included it in that of either : ST. HUBERT Champion Roswell (58) Luna 1 Warwick 1 Mona (4v/33) Champion Regent (50) Mona (4033) Trimbush (64) Stella Cowen's Druid (16) Empress Cowen s Druid (16) Breuda (5) Boom's Rufus Welcome. BAKONESS 1 Baron (4028) 1 Magdala Champion Champion Roswell (58) Peeress (46) Cuba 1 Vepo Champion Regent (50) Holford's Duchess 's Druk Cowen's Druid (16) Rushton's Countess. LORD POLTIMORE'S FOXHOUND "LEXICON. THE FOXHOUND. 127 THE FOXHOUND. No dog has for so long a time been carefully bred, reared, and trained in large numbers as the English foxhound. Up to the time of the passing of the present Game Laws, the public greyhound was confined to a very few kennels, and in them only were pedigrees preserved with anything like care ; but in many fox- hound kennels careful records have been kept of the breeding of every litter for, at least, 150 years; and, I believe, there is no instance in which a cross of any kind has been tried — masters being content with improving the breed by selection of the best within its limits, taking care to go out of their several kennels for sires to prevent the close in-breeding which would otherwise inevitably lead to a delicacy of constitution inconsistent with the severe work demanded from the foxhound. When it is remembered that this hound is often kept moving for eleven or twelve hours without food, and after a fast from the previous noon, and that during the greater part of that time he is either forcing his way through thick covert in "drawing," or running at his best pace in pursuit of his game, the amount of stamina required is at once apparent. To be sure of obtaining this constitutional quality, it is necessary to attend carefully to pedigree ; for, without it, a handsome and useful hound, as far as appearance goes, might often be preferred on account of his exterior to another of lesser pretensions to beauty, who might yet from his breeding prove to be far the better animal when both had been entered to their game. As in the case of the racehorse, with regard to the Darley Arabian, most of our best hounds now trace back to the Osbaldeston Furrier, Sir E. Button's Hercules, or the Belvoir Comus ; but since their days masters of foxhounds in every hunting country have vied with each other in breeding, not only a single hound of that form and quality, but a whole pack so " suity," as to vie with them in all important points. Nose combined with speed and stoutness have always been considered as the essentials for the fox- hound ; but of late years, owing to the enormous " fields " which have attended our leading packs, and the forward riding displayed by them, another feature has been demanded, and the supply in the " grass countries " has been obtained in a remarkable manner. I allude to the gift peculiar to our best modern hounds, of getting through a crowd of horses when accidentally " slipped " by the pack. This faculty is developed to a very wonderful extent in all the packs hunting " the shires," varying, of course, slightly in each ; and it is no less remarkably absent in certain packs otherwise equal to the Quorn and its neighbours, or even superior to them. The peculiarity is well known to hunting men ; but no little annoyance is felt by the members of the several hunts to which I allude when reference is made to individuals; and having great respect for the tender feelings of every master of foxhounds and his followers, I shall not venture to make any attempt to allude more particularly to this matter. The appearance of the modern foxhound is greatly altered by the universal practice of " rounding " the ears, which has existed during the whole of the present 128 THE DOGS OP THE, BEITISH ISLANDS. century, if not longer. That the ciistom is useful in preventing " canker," either from foul blood or mechanical injury, is clear enough, and I can see no possible objection to it except from Mr. Colam's point of view. " Idstone " dislikes it on the score that the full ear " is a natural protection to the eye . in drawing a covert or thorny brake, and that it is given by Nature for that purpose ;" but I confess I cannot understand how this can be the case unless the drawing is performed in a retrograde manner, as, even when at rest, the ear does not approach the eye; and in drawing a thorny brake, it must be pushed back some inches behind the organ which, he says, it covers. The sole use of an abnormally large ear, as far as I can see, is to aid the internal organ of hearing, and it is only found in hounds which depend on co-operation for success — that is to say, who hunt in packs. In this kind of hunting, the ear is required to ascertain what is given out by the tongues of the leading hounds, so as to enable " the tail " to come up; but whether or no "rounding" diminishes the sensitiveness of the organ of hearing, I am by no means prepared to say. It is, however, admitted by physio- logists that the external ear aids the sense of hearing, and as this large folding ear is confined to hounds hunting in packs, which, as above remarked, depend on hearing for co-operation, it is reasonable to suppose that the hound's large ear is given him to aid in this kind of hunting ; and, if so, it is by no means clear that rounding is an unmixed good, but that it has not the disadvantages attributed to it by " Idstone," is as clear to me as noonday. Another mental peculiarity of the foxhound is his superior " dash " and tendency to cast forward rather than backward, for the bloodhound, otter hound, and old-fashioned heavy harrier still have a tendency to dwell on a scent, and sitting on their haunches mark their enjoyment of it by throwing their tongues heavily and with a prolonged series of notes, during which their game is getting away from them. Such a deed would sentence any foxhound to the halter if seen by his master, and undoubtedly it is by selection, or possibly by crossing with the greyhound, that the change has been effected. However produced, there is no doubt that it exists, and that the foxhound is distinguished by it from all other varieties of his class. The points of the foxhound are as follows : Yalue. Head 15 Neck 5 Shoulders 10 Chest and back ribs 10 io POINTS OF THE FOXHOUND. Yalue. Back and loin 10 Hind quarters 10 Elbows 5 Legs and feet 20 45 Grand Total 100. Colour and coat. Stern Symmetry Value. .. 5 .. 5 5 15 1. The head (value 15) should be of full size, but by no means heavy. Brow pronounced but not high or sharp. There must be good length and breadth, THE NORTH WARWICKSHIRE FOXHOUND "Eosy. THE FOXHOUND. 129 sufficient to give in the dog hound a girth in front of the ears of fully 16in. The nose should be long (4|in.) and wide with open nostrils. Ears set on low and lying close to the cheek. 2. The neck (value 5) must be long and clean, without the slightest throatiness. It should taper nicely from the shoulders to the head, and the upper outline should be slightly convex. 3. The shoulders (value 10) should be long and well clothed with muscle without being heavy, especially at the points. They must be well sloped, and the true arm between the front and the elbow must be long and muscular, but free from fat or lumber. 4. Chest and back ribs (value 10). — The chest should girth over 30in. in a 24in. hound, and the back ribs must be very deep. 5. The back and loin (value 10) must both be very muscular, running into each other without any contraction or " nipping " between them. The couples must be wide even to raggedness, and there should be the very slightest arch in the loin, so as to be scarcely perceptible. 6. The hind quarters (value 10) or propellers are required to be very strong, and as endurance is of even more consequence than speed, straight stifles are preferred to those much bent, as in the greyhound. 7. Elbows (value 5) set quite straight, and neither turned in nor out, are a sine qua non. They must be well let down by means of the long true arm above mentioned. 8. Legs and feet (value 20). — Every master of foxhounds insists on legs as straight as a post, and as strong ; size of bone at the ankle being specially regarded as all important. The desire for straightness is, I think, carried to excess, as the very straight leg soon knuckles over, and this defect may almost always be seen more or less in old stallion hounds. The bone cannot, in my opinion, be too large, but I prefer a slight angle at the knee to a perfectly straight line. With the exception, however, of Mr. Anstruther Thompson I never yet met with a master of foxhounds who would hear of such an heretical opinion without scorn. The feet in all cases should be round and cat like, with well developed knuckles, and strong horn, which last is of the utmost importance. 9. The colour and coat (value 5) are not regarded as very important, so long as the former is a " hound colour," and the latter is short, dense, hard, and glossy. Hound colours are black tan and white — black and white, and the various " pies " compounded of white and the colour of the hare and badger, or yellow, or tan. In some old strains the blue mottle of the southern hound is still preserved, but it is generally voted " slow." 10. The stern (value 5) is gently arched, carried gaily over the back, and slightly fringed with hair below. The end should taper to a point. 11. The symmetry (value 5) of the foxhound is considerable, and what is called " quality " is highly regarded by all good judges. Lord Poltimore's Lexicon, and the North Warwickshire Rosy may still serve to illustrate the foxhound as well as any modern specimen. 8 130 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. THE HARRIER. In the present day it is very difficult to meet with a harrier possessed of blood entirely unmixed with that of the foxhound, though many a master will no doubt put in a claim to that distinction. The most beautiful pack I have ever seen is that of Sir Vincent Corbett, which is said to be pure, and no doubt has as good a claim to be so distinguished as any other, and if their breeding had been confined within the limits of their own kennels during the lifetime of their master, I should accept his statement to that effect as proving their purity, but he has had recourse — as all masters must — to other strains for occasional crosses, and in that way the evidence is rendered somewhat doubtful. In any case the modern harrier is very unlike his predecessor of forty or fifty years ago, and is assimilated in appearance and style of hunting to the foxhound, from which he differs very slightly, even in the most pure specimens, in either particular. Breeders still take special care to have a combination of intelligence and high scenting power sufficient to meet the wiles of the hare, which are much more varied than those of the fox, and hence in most good harriers the head will be found wider and altogether heavier than that of the foxhound, and the nose longer and broader. The ears also are set on rather more backward, and are not usually rounded, but with these exceptions there are no distinguishing marks between these two hounds, and even they are often exceedingly small. In the field there is often a marked and peculiar style differing from that of the foxhound, but I have seen it displayed almost equally in packs admitted to be of pure foxhound blood, and believe it to depend more on the huntsman than on the hound. If hounds are not interfered with as long as they are industrious, they work very differently from the style they show when constantly capped and lifted. The modern harrier which should sit down on his haunches and " lift up his voice " on a scent would not suit even the most bigoted " thistle whipper," and yet our ancestors rather liked it than otherwise so long as the sitting was not too prolonged — and that it was only exhibited when first owning the scent — especially that left in a form from which " puss " had just gone. The tongues of these old-fashioned harriers were full and melodious, and I confess, until I once more hear the " merry peal " which I can so well remember in my youthful days, I shall not believe in pure harrier blood. The points of the modern harrier with the above slight difference are the same as those of the foxhound, and I need not, therefore, repeat them. In height he varies from 16in. to 20in. Mr. Evans' Clamorous, which illustrated the article on the harrier in the first edition of this book, will serve the purpose now as well as any that I know. The BOUGH WELSH harrier still exists in a state of comparative purity, and resembles in appearance the otter hound, which will presently be described, when unmixed with other strains. When so crossed, every intermediate condition occurs, some being only slightly rough, and others approaching the otter hound in that respect as well as all others. MB. EVANS'S HARRIER "CLAMOROUS. WELLS. DEL ME, CRANE'S BEAGLES "GIANT" AND " KINGLET." THE BEAGLE. 131 THE BEAGLE. This little hound is probably as old a breed as the northern hound, being, in fact, a miniature specimen of it. It was formerly very much in demand for hunting the hare on foot ; but went out of fashion for some years, to be again revived as a form of modern athletics. The intention has always been to obtain a hound of delicate nose, united with so slow a pace as to allow of "the field" keeping up without the aid of horses. With the exception of the head and ears, the modern beagle has all the points of the foxhound. The former is much larger proper- tionally, both in width and height, while the latter are almost like those of the bloodhound in size and hanging. Foot beagles should not much exceed nine inches in height; but for "Young England" they are now often used up to eleven and even twelve inches, going a pace which requires a good runner, in. prime condition, to keep up with them. A great many packs of " foot beagles " are now kept throughout the country, some for hunting rabbits, others for hare, and others again for "drag." Usually these little packs are of a "scratch" character, and would not show to advantage by the side of Mr. Crane's beauties, two of which served to illustrate the article in the last edition, and cannot well be improved on, and which I have therefore retained. The following description of the pack is reproduced from the last edition : — " A diminutive pack of rabbit-beagles, the property of Mr. Crane, of South- over House, near Bere Regis, Dorset, contains the best 'patterns' we have ever known. We have seen them on a cold bad scenting day work up a rabbit and run him in the most extraordinary manner, and although the nature of the ground compelled the pack to run almost in Indian file, and thus to carry a very narrow line of scent, if they threw it up it was but for a moment. Mr. Crane's standard is 9in., and every little hound is absolutely perfect. We saw but one hound at all differing from his companions, a little black-tanned one. This one on the flags we should have drafted, but when we saw him in his work we quite forgave him for being of a conspicuous colour. Giant was perhaps the very best of the pack, a black-white-and-tanned dog hound, always at work and never wrong. He has a capital tongue, and plenty of it. A bitch, Lily, has the most beautiful points we have ever seen, and is nearly all white, as her name implies. Damper, Dutch- man, Tyrant, are also all of them beautiful models. We give the measurement of Damper : Height, 9in. ; round the chest, 16in. ; across the ears, 12in. ; extreme length, 2ft. 4in. ; eye to nose, 2|in. " The beagle was in great force in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and ' singing beagles ' were bred as small as possible. A pack of the Virgin Queen's (it is said) could be carried in a man's glove. " Mr. Crane's standard is kept up with great difficulty. He has reduced the beagle to a minimum. Many of his mothers do. not rear their offspring, and distemper carries them off in troops. Single specimens may occasionally be found excessively dwarfed and proportionately deformed. These hounds would 132 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. perhaps be wanting in nose or intelligence if they could be produced ia sufficient force to form a pack ; but Mr. Crane's are all models of symmetry and power, and are as accomplished and as steady as Lord Portsmouth's hounds. " The Southover beagles are as small as it is possible to breed them (in sufficient numbers to form a pack) without losing symmetry, nose, intelligence, and strength; and we hold those to be the best which possess all the requisites for rabbit hunting in the smallest compass. Our experience warrants us in asserting that it would not be prudent to attempt forming a pack of less height than 9in. " We sincerely wish every pack of beagles was multiplied by twenty ; and we express this wish, not only because we believe hunting on foot a most healthy and inspiring exercise, but because we "are bitter foes to the rabbit, which has been the bane for years of the English yeoman. A pack like Mr. Crane's, steady from hare and hunted on heath and common with ability and discretion, could in no way injure fox or hare hounds, and would provide recreation for many an embryo foxhunter. We believe we are correct in stating that ten or more of the most celebrated masters of the day learnt their first lessons with the merry beagles. " The dwarf beagle should be formed on the model of the foxhound. He should be a ' Pocket Lexicon.' As in the case of the harrier, it is not customary to round his ears. He should be of a hound colour, and smooth-coated. The rough beagle is similar to the smooth in all but coat, which, like the Welsh harrier's, resembles that of the otterhound." Since the above was written, Mr. J. Grimwood, of Stanton House, near Swindon, and Sir Thomas Davin Lloyd, of Bromwyd, Carmarthenshire, have been the chief prize winners in the beagle classes of our various shows, Mr. Crane, having, however, been 1st and 2nd in 1865, with Pilgrim, Crafty, Gossip, and Famous ; Mr. D. Everett, and Mr. E. Loftus Bevan, have also shown some very neat little hounds of this breed. The points of the beagle are similar to those given for the foxhound, except as to head and ears mentioned above, and I must refer to the article on that animal for their numerical value. THE OTTEE HOUND. This hound, by an oversight, was entirely overlooked in the first edition of the " Dogs of the British Islands," although there are few breeds of a more distinct character and type. Packs of these hounds possess a great advantage in being able to show sport during the summer, and by some it is alleged that otter hunting and angling may be made to dovetail with each other on alternate days of the week ; but this is scarcely practicable, inasmuch as the artificial preservation of the otter, in any considerable numbers, is antagonistic to the preservation of the fish on which he wastefully feeds. The angler consequently shows him no mercy, and MR. CARRICK'S OTTER HOTTND " STANLEY. THE OTTER HOUND. 133 on " good rivers " the appearance of an otter is the signal for a foray against him with gun, trap, and spear. In Cumberland, Devonshire, and some parts of Wales there are, however, many large brooks and embryo rivers, where the fish run too small for good sport with the rod, and yet afford the otter sufficient food. Here hunting him is prosecuted with great zest, and no one can possibly object to such an amount of preservation as will not supply the adjacent districts with more than a casual visitor, whose appearance is soon signalled to the master of the nearest pack, and a short shrift is given him when once his " spraint " is discovered there. It is alleged by many good sportsmen that the otter does little or no damage to a fishery, but the above is the general impression among the angling fraternity. The otter hound is no doubt a lineal descendant of the southern hound, with his coat roughened by a long process of selection and careful breeding. He evidently has not been crossed with any breed other than hound, or he would have lost some one or more of the characteristics peculiar to the hunting dog, either in shape of body, length of ear, style of hunting, or tongue. In all these, qualities he is a southern hound to the letter, with the addition of a rough coat, the history of which is not known. In many cases a pure foxhound has been used with success against the otter, and, as far as the mere hunting goes, he fulfils the task set him admirably ; but it has usually been found that in a very short time the wet tells on him, and he either becomes rheumatic or is attacked by disease of the chest in some shape. It is not the long hair of the true otter hound which saves him from these penalties, but the thick woolly under-coat, with which he is furnished for the same purpose as in the colley and Dandy Dinmont terrier. He also strongly resembles the southern hound in his style of hunting, which is low and slow, but very sure, his nose being of the tenderest kind, and often owning an air bubble or " vent " at the distance of some yards. Like him, he is apt to sit down o/n his haunches and throw his tongue with delight at first touching on a scent, as is shown in the engraving in a most characteristic manner. Subscription packs of otter hounds are kept at Carlisle under the mastership of Mr. Carrick; in North- umberland, near Morpeth, under Mr. A. Fenwick; and at Cockermouth, hunted by a committee. In South Wales, Col. Pryse and Mr. Moore have each a pack; while in England the Hon. Geoffrey Hill hunts the otter from his kennels at Hawkeston, Salop, and Mr. Collier's from Culmstock, near Wellington. In the west, Mr. Cheriton and Mr. Mildmay also pursue the sport. The points of the otter hound are like those of the bloodhound, except as to the coat, which should be composed of hard and long hair, somewhat rough in its lying, and mixed with a short, woolly under-coat, which serves to keep the body warm even when wetted by long immersion. The colour differs also in not being confined to black-and-tan or tan — the former, however, being often met with, as in the case of Mr. Carrier's Stanley, whose portrait accompanies this article. This dog is of a grizzled black-and-tan colour, and of a very fine shape both in head and body. He is by Mr. Carrick's Bingwood out of Harrison's Glory, and took several first prizes at Glasgow, Birmingham, and Nottingham in 1872-3. 134 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. CHAPTEE III. THE FOX TERRIER (SMOOTH AND ROUGH) AND THE DACHSHUND. THE SMOOTH FOX TERRIER. EOM the very commencement of foxhunting in this country, small terriers were kept at each of the various kennels, for the purpose of bolting the fox from his earth when run to ground by the hounds. Originally these dogs were for the most part black and tan in colour; but from this cause they were so frequently mistaken for a fox when drawing a covert, that they were bred white or pied. The dogs used for bolting foxes by some of the most famous masters of hounds and their families for generations were similar to the old English terrier, and were many of them white, slightly wire-haired, and with no more of the bulldog in them than in the Italian greyhound, that cross making them so savage as to kill rather than bolt the fox ; they had plenty of pluck ; their noses were sharp, and they were small enough to go to ground wherever a fox or badger could go — indeed, they would " lay on " either, if they could not bolt them, till they were dug out. A terrier was a thoroughbred animal per se, but it could only be called a fox terrier when fit to be used for the bolting of a fox. About forty years ago, Sir Watkin Wynn and Mr. Foljambe were famous for their breeds of fox terriers. These strains closely resembled each other, and were short-headed, full in the eye, with fair stop, and what would be called well chiselled out under the eye. They were remarkably strong — indeed, rather inclined to be cobby and bull-necked, with very short straight legs. They were particularly wide sprung in their ribs and broad in the brisket, short-backed, light in the hind quarters, and generally with the stern carried too high. Their colour was invariably white, with red ears or patch, and often a spot in the centre between the ears. The coat was very thick, and somewhat coarse. Mr. Ffrance, of Cheshire, had another breed, which were very different, being rather leggy, with fine light oval bone ; and they had a sharp foxy face, showing more of the Italian greyhound style, with small eye and fine coat. After a time the Badworth blood was crossed with the Wynnstay, the result being a coarser dog altogether, with black ears or spot on the head. In those days a black and tan headed fox terrier was never seen. The late Duke of Rutland is said to have used some of his black and tan terriers to cross with the Belvoir terriers, and so produced the coloured head so much coveted in the present day ; but the deep red is the original Foljambe and Wynnstay colour. Jack Morgan's dogs THE SMOOTH FOX TERRIER. 135 had all red ears, till Grove Nettle appeared. The celebrated Old Jock was by a black and tan dog, and he and Old Trap brought out the coloured heads, being very much used to every kind of fox terrier bitch. During the last ten years the fox terrier has risen into great celebrity; but among the multitude of his admirers and patrons there is a strange difference about his necessary qualifications, as evidenced by the various distinct types which meet with favour at dog shows. It is important, therefore, to recall attention to the purposes for which the dog is intended, and consider how far they can be carried out by the possession or otherwise of certain points in his make ; and in discussing the subject I shall confine myself to this feature, and exclude his fighting and killing merits, which among many people seem to be the chief objects of their desire in breeding this dog, though they are a positive disqualification for his intended use in bolting the fox. When brought up and employed solely for fighting and cat slaughter he ceases to be a fox terrier. With regard to size, I cannot describe what it should be better than in the language of a letter which has recently appeared from that old and thoroughly experienced master of foxhounds, the Hon. Grantley Berkeley, who says : " What is wanted with foxhounds is a terrier so small as to be well able to go to ground, with pluck enough to keep to or bark at a fox, to bolt the fox, or prevent his earthing further." For real work — that is, going to ground to fox or badger — no terrier should be higher than 13in. to 14in. at the shoulder, or heavier than 161b. With the Trelawny hunt small terriers of lOlb and 121b. are used, and in the S.D.H. country the late master had them of 121b. and 141b. Mr. A. F. Boss, the present master of the latter hunt, is using a brace by Mr. Murchison's old dog Lancer which are about 141b. each, with plenty of bone and quality, and he is very fond of them, as they work wonderfully well. The chest, also, should not be too wide, as it is impossible for such dogs to go to ground in most rabbit earths, or up drains frequented by foxes, so as to reach the end. The Wynnstay and Grove terriers of forty years ago did not exceed 151b. to 161b. at the outside, though the Yorkshire dogs were larger ; but the former were very plucky, and in those days cherry noses and red eyes were not uncommon. The question of length of leg depends much upon the configuration of the dog, and it is difficult to lay down any defined " hard and fast " line as to their form per se. For instance, a dog with a deep brisket, sloping shoulders, and elbows well let down, can race away with short forelegs ; for the pace comes from the loins and hind legs as the propelling power. Again, a long-backed dog, always remembering he is well loined, so as to give breadth enough, does not require such length of leg as a short-backed dog. The famous bitch Grove Nettle was very long in her back. A dog to race must have freedom of action, and this he gets from length ; but the fox terrier must also have good back ribs, as well as muscular development in shoulders and loins, to do his work well underground. The legs should be good round-boned ones, and strong at the pasterns (the part immediately above the toes), to enable them to travel easily over wet or rough ground. It is not absolutely necessary that the fox terrier should be a fast galloper, and, 136 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. indeed, it can scarcely be expected that he can keep up with foxhounds, particularly in a long run ; and if he could, it would scarcely be fair to send him half exhausted to hard work underground. In some countries they do run with the pack, but in most cases they are either carried on horseback, or are taken in panniers, a boy riding on a pony with them ; while sometimes a man is sent out with them, to follow on foot, otherwise, in many instances, their presence when required could not be depended on. A long-legged terrier cannot travel over all descriptions of ground like a short-legged one, nor can he last out a long day so well. The smooth-coated dog is generally preferred to the wire-coated fox terrier ; but he should be stout in constitution, so as to withstand wet, cold, or fatigue ; and he must have courage enough to face punishment, without showing unnecessary irritation. The greatest care should be taken in first entering terriers, as with hounds. If a deerhound is not properly entered, he will seize the haunch of a stag, and there hold him. A well-known keen sportsman tells me that he used to wound most severely a deer, get up to him, and sit on the body if he could, and then enter the hound at the neck only. The dog* would always afterwards seize that part. So with fox terriers, if entered on large rats, or on a very savage dog fox, or on a vixen with cubs, they never do well. The teaching should be gradual till the dog has confidence in his own abilities. With the exception of some foxhounds and greyhounds, there is not a dog in England with an authentic pedigree that will go back to the year 1800 ; but with regard to fox terriers their pedigrees are specially obscure, and it is singular that most of those which became noted at the commencement of the popularity of the breed had no known reliable pedigrees, though they had specific parentage given to them. The establishment of the " Kennel Club Stud Book " has to some extent remedied this defect, but there are still grave doubts as to the lines in some of the best dogs. The following are the points of the fox terrier, chiefly as settled by the club specially formed for his improvement. I have not altered the numerical value, but in the description of one or two points I have changed the wording without greatly interfering with the sense. POINTS OF THE Fox TEEEIEB. Yalue. Head and ears 15 Neck 5 Shoulders and chest 15 Back and loin 10 45 Yalue. Hind quarters 5 Stern 5 Legs 10 Feet -. 10 30 Grand Total 100. Value. Coat 5 Colour 5 Size and symmetry ... 15 25 1. Head and ears (value 15) : a. The skull should be flat and moderately narrow ; broader between the ears and gradually decreasing in width to the eyes. Not much " stop " should be THE SMOOTH FOX TEEEIEE. 137 apparent ; but there should be more dip in the profile, between the forehead and top jaw, than is seen in the case of a greyhound. b. The ears should be V-shaped, and rather small ; of moderate thickness, and dropping forward closely to the cheek, not hanging by the side of the head, like a foxhound's. c. The jaw should be strong and muscular, but not too full in the cheek; should be of fair punishing length, but not so as in any way to resemble the grey- hound or modern English terrier. There should not be much falling away below the eyes ; this part of the head should, however, be moderately chiselled out, so as not to go down in a straight slope like a wedge. d. The nose, towards which the muzzle must slightly taper, should be black. e. The eyes should be dark rimmed, small, and rather deep set ; full of fire and life. /. The teeth should be level and strong. 2. The neck (value 5) should be clean and muscular, without throatiness, of fair length, and gradually widening to the shoulders. * 3. Shoulders and chest (value 15). — The shoulders should be fine at the points, long, and sloping. The chest deep and not too broad. 4. Back and loin (value 10). — The back should be straight and strong, with no appearance of slackness behind the shoulders ; the loin broad and powerful (and particularly so if the back is long), and very slightly arched. The dog should be well ribbed up with deep back ribs, and should not be flat-sided. 5. The hind quarters (value 5) should be strong and muscular, quite free from droop or crouch; the thighs long and powerful; hocks near the ground, the dog standing well up on them, like a foxhound, without much bend in the stifles. 6. The stern (value 5) should be set on rather high, and carried gaily; but not over the back, or curled. It should be of good strength, anything approaching a pipe-stopper tail being especially objectionable. 7. The legs (value 10), viewed in any direction, must be straight, showing little or no diminution in the size of the ankles when viewed in front. They should be of strong bone throughout, the elbows working freely just clear of the sides. Both fore and hind legs should be carried straight forward in travelling, the stifles not turning outwards. 8. The feet (value 10) should be round, compact, and not too large, the toes moderately arched, and turned neither in nor out. There should be no dew claws behind. 9. The coat (value 5) should be smooth, but hard, dense, and abundant. 10. In colour (value 5) white should predominate. Brindle or liver markings are objectionable. Otherwise this point is of little or no importance. 11. Symmetry, size, and character (value 15). — The dog must present a generally gay, lively, and active appearance. Bone and strength in a small compass are essentials ; but this must not be taken to mean that a fox terrier should be cloggy or in any way coarse. Speed to some extent, and endurance, must be looked to as well as power, and the symmetry of the foxhound taken as a model. The terrier T 138 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. like the hound, must on no account be leggy ; neither must he be too short on the leg. He should stand like a cleverly-made hunter — covering a lot of ground, yet with a broad and powerful loin, as before stated. He will thus attain the highest degree of propelling power, together with the greatest length of stride that is compatible with the length of the body. Weight, within certain limits is not a certain criterion of a terrier's fitness for his work. General shape, size, and contour are the main points; and if a dog can gallop and stay, and follow his fox up a drain, it matters little what his weight is to a pound or so, though, roughly speaking, it may be said he should not scale over 201b. in show condition. In my opinion the weight should be little, if any, over 16Z&. DISQUALIFYING POINTS. 1. Nose, white, cherry, or spotted to a considerable extent with either of these colours. 2. Ears, prick, tulip, or rose. 3. Mouth, much undershot. There is no breed of dog that has risen so high and so quickly in popular favour and estimation as the fox terrier has done since 1866, but a large proportion of those bred at the present day are useless for the practical purpose of bolting a fox or badger, from their size alone. There was not even a class for this breed at the first two or three Birmingham shows ; but in 1862 Mr. Wootton entered there the first fox terriers — as such — in a class for " white and other smooth-haired English terriers (except black and tan)," when Jock won. In 1863 a distinct class for fox terriers was given at Birmingham, when Mr. Wootton entered a considerable number, and again won with Jock. In 1864 there were more than forty exhibited at Nottingham; and, if I mistake not, it was here that the celebrated Tartar made his debut. At the Dublin Show, in the same year, there was a fair fox terrier class, and Mr. Stevenson's Patch took the first prize back to Chester — a feat she repeated at Birmingham soon after. In 1867 and 1868 there were respectively 62 fox terriers exhibited at Birmingham, being on each occasion about one-twelfth and one-thirteenth of the total number of dogs at the show. In 1869 there were 69 at Islington, or one-fifteenth of all the dogs exhibited; while at Birmingham that year the number increased to 115, or nearly one-seventh the whole exhibition. At the Crystal Palace in 1870 the number was 104, or nearly one-ninth of the total number of dogs; and in the same year at Birmingham it was 116, or one- eighth the whole show. In 1876 the number at the Crystal Palace was 141, or one-eighth of all the show ; at Brighton 166, or one-fifth ; and at Birmingham 120, or one-ninth. Two shows were held in 1876-7 specially for fox terriers (smooth and wire- haired), at Nottingham and Lillie Bridge. At the former (of the smooth alone) the number exhibited was 157, and at the latter 190. I believe the largest number THE SMOOTH FOX TEEKEEK. 139 at any one show was at Nottingham, in 1873, when it was above 270, or about one-third of all the show. As regards Scotland, at the Glasgow Show in 1871 there were only 11 fox terriers ; at Edinburgh the other day there were 41. In the past, the most famous fox terriers as prize winners have been Jock (known better perhaps as Old Jock), Trap (or Old Trap), Trimmer, Vandal, and Grove Nettle — names which have become household words among the fanciers of this breed. Jock won 33 first prizes (8 of which were champion) and 4 second prizes (one of which was champion), beginning at Birmingham in 1862, and ending at the Crystal Palace in 1870. He was long 'considered the beau ideal of a terrier, and by many people is still referred to as a model. From Mr. Wootton he passed into the hands of Captain Kindersley, and thence into those of Mr. Cropper, who sold him to Mr. Murchison, in whose possession he died of old age in November, 1872. Old Trap was not exhibited often, but he won a few prizes, and I believe he was about the best fox-terrier dog as to size and make that has yet been seen. According to my view, he was a better dog than Jock, and any of his blood is much sought after. He also became the property of Mr. Murchison, in whose hands he died a few years ago, having lived his full time. Trimmer had a splendid career of prize winning from 1868 to 1871, having in that time won no less than forty first prizes, nearly the whole of them consecutively. On two occasions he won the champion prize at the Crystal Palace, and also the special prize for the best fox terrier in the show. Had he possessed a little more bone and substance, this dog would have been as near perfection as could be. In 1874 Mr. Murchison sold Trimmer to Sir E. Kerrison, some time after which the dog was killed through an accident. Vandal was another of Mr. Murchison's dogs, and a grand one in appearance, shape, size, and pluck. He won twenty-four first prizes, and he also was killed by an unfortunate accident on his way home from his last victory, in December, 1874, being then only in his prime, and a great loss to his owner. Grove Nettle, though not much shown, was a prize winner ; but irrespective of this, she was considered by far the best bitch of her day. When about 7£ years old, the late Mr. Bishop, of Nottingham, sold her at a high price to Mr. Murchison, and she subsequently died of milk fever. At the present time (1877) the most noted show fox terriers are Mr. Burbidge's Bitters, Nimrod, Eoyal, Nettle, and Dorcas, Mr. Abbott's Moslem, Mr. Hyde's Buffett, Mr. Murchison's Forceps, Olive, Natty, and Whisky, Mr. Gibson's Boxer and Joe, Mr. Fletcher's Eattler, and Mr. Whittle's Yorick. The most successful breeders of these have been Mr. Luke Turner and Mr. Gibson, the former having bred Nettle, Olive, and Joe, besides the first bitch puppy at the Lillie Bridge Show, while the latter has bred Dorcas, Buffett, Natty, and Boxer. I have selected for the engraving, as the best specimens, Bitters and Olive, 140 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. the former being, I "believe, the nearest of any of the dogs to the requirements of a fox terrier, and the latter more close to perfection as a bitch than any I have ever seen. Bitters won his first prize (under the name of Jock) at Ep worth in 1872, and has althogether won nine first and nine second prizes. He was first shown by Mr. Denton, of Doncaster, who sold him to Mr. Murchison (who changed his name to Bitters) ; then he came into the hands of Mr. Gibson, and now belongs to Mr. Burbidge. In 1876 Bitters was first in the champion class at Maidstone, and second champion at Brighton ; in 1877 he was second champion at Nottingham. He is said to be by Tyrant, but the name of his dam is very doubtful. Olive has been shown only twice, namely, at Brighton and Bristol, winning first each time, and also the special prize at Brighton for the best fox terrier never shown before, beating at the same time Burbidge's Nettle, who was first at the Crystal Palace in 1876, and at Lillie Bridge in 1877. Olive is by Belgrave Joe — Tricksey by Chance ; Belgrave Joe by Belvoir Joe — Branstone's Vic, great granddam of Burbidge's Nettle. THE ROUGH FOX TERRIER. Until within the last thirty years a rough or broken-haired terrier, differing altogether from the modern Skye, Dandie, and Yorkshire blue-tan, was commonly met with throughout England, where, curiously enough, he was often called " Scotch " — lucus a non lucendo — such a dog being almost unknown across the Tweed. He closely resembled the dog now called the rough fox terrier ; but had usually rather a longer coat on the body, and of a coarser texture, the beard being considerably more prominent than that approved of in the present day. Somewhat of this kind was the Rev. Thomas Pearce's Venture, whose portrait was given in the Field among the " Terriers of no Definite Breed " in 1866 ; but she more nearly approached the modern rough fox terrier than the old-fashioned wire-haired breed, and indeed was from strains used with foxhounds by Mr. Radclyffe and the Rev. J. Russell in the West of England, some of which were rough and others smooth. In general character she closely resembled Mr. Lindsay Hogg's Topper, selected by me to illustrate the rough fox terrier dog, partly on account of his beautiful shape throughout and remarkable quality, and partly from his close resemblance to my first pet, a wonderfully game " ratter " and badger terrier. Undoubtedly he is not quite deep enough in his back ribs for perfection ; nor, indeed, is Bramble, my other selection ; but it would be difficult to find any other fault with either of them, and, until I see a specimen of the breed with deep back ribs, united with all their other good points, I am content to take them to represent the type of the rough fox terrier of the day. A white colour, more or less marked with tan or black, was always preferred for vermin terriers ; but a great many black and tans, or rather grey and fawn were met with, and also grey throughout, or a very dark grizzled tan, brown, or badger-grey, as in Mr. Radclyffe's breed, of Cherwell Grange, Shropshire, which last, however, were possessed of tulip ears, a fault no doubt in the opinion of the " fancy," and therefore condemning them to private life at the shows, where they were exhibited by that gentleman some ten years ago. In the present day THE EOUGH FOX TEEEIEE. 141 (1882) the Scotch terrier proper, as the breed is called, has been resuscitated, in which the prick ear is approved of, and Mr. Eadclyffe's Bough closely resembles them in every respect. In my young days the broken-haired terrier was always cropped ; and, never having seen one au naturel, I am not aware whether the ears were originally tulip, rose, or falling; but I imagine they would resemble that of the modern dog, many of which are more or less pricked, even in the best bred litters. Partly, or wholly, in consequence of the correspondence which appeared in the Field some years ago, a special class for rough fox terriers was introduced into the Glasgow Show of 1872 ; and this example has been followed since then at most of our large shows, the classes being sometimes called " wire " or " broken-haired," and at others " rough fox." At Birmingham, in 1872, in a broken-haired class, Mr. Sanderson, formerly of Cottingham, now residing at Beverley, took a second prize with his afterwards celebrated dog, Venture, the first being withheld for want of merit in the opinion of the judge, Mr. S. Nisbet, who was here a little out of his element, being specially retained for Skyes and Dandies. Next year, at Manchester and the Crystal Palace, Mr. Sanderson exhibited a grand team, including Venture, Tip, and Turpin, with which he took several prizes, and also the fancy of Mr. Wootton, who purchased the lot, and, after gaining prizes with them at the Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton, sold Venture to Mr. Carrick, jun., for use with the otterhounds at Carlisle, where he is much valued. In the interval, I suppose, Mr. Nisbet has seen his error; for at the Birmingham Show of 1874 he gave Venture the first prize in the wire-haired class, that dog having previously been awarded a similar honour at Nottingham. But time and hard work in the water have told their tale too much for him to show the type in perfection ; besides which, he is more leggy than Topper, with even less claim to perfection in his back ribs. At the late Show at Lillie Bridge several good dogs of this breed were shown, Venture being placed first, Mr. Easten's Tip second, and Mr. Lindsay Hogg's Topper third, the three being so close together that the choice must always be, in my opinion, a matter of fancy. The points of the rough fox terrier are the same as those of the smooth (described on p. 135), with the exception of the coat, the proper nature of which is correctly given in the points of the Fox Terrier Club, quoted in the Field. The club description does not, however, I think, sufficiently insist on the thick and soft under-coat, which, as in the Dandie Dinmont, should always be regarded as of great importance in resisting wet and cold. An open, long coat is even worse than a thick, short one for this purpose, as it admits the wet to the skin, and keeps it there ; whereas the short coat speedily dries. Topper, bred by Sir F. Johnson, is about three years old, white in colour, with very slight lemon markings on the ear and hip; and his blood has been in the Legard family for more than ninety years, he being by Sir F. Johnson's Topper out of Mr. E. Crowle's Vic; she by the Eev. -- Legard's Sam — Nettle; Nettle by Tartar — Missy. He has won the following prizes and commendations, never having been elsewhere exhibited, viz. : 1866, h.c. Filey ; 2nd, Maidstone ; v.h.c., 142 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. Crystal Palace; 2nd, Cork; and 2nd, Brighton. 1877, 3rd, Nottingham; and 3rd, Lillie Bridge. Bramble, bred by Mr. Wootton, is by Turpin — Vic. Besides a third prize at Lillje Bridge, she took first prize at Cork in 1876, and the same at Dublin in 1877. Since the article appeared in the Field she has taken several first prizes. THE DACHSHUND, OE GEEMAN BADGEE-DOG. This dog is generally considered in Germany to be of a pure and independent breed, for a long time confined to the mountain chain and high forests of Southern and Central Europe, extending through Germany and into France, where he is probably the original of the basset a jambes torses. The old English turnspit somewhat resembled him, but differed in his ears, which were more terrier-like, and also in his nose, which had even less of the hound character than that of the dachshund. During the last ten or fifteen years this breed has been largely imported into England, where it has also been bred by the Earl of Onslow, Mr. Schweizer, and Mr. Fisher (a most successful exhibitor), and to a small extent in the Eoyal as well as several private kennels. Several hundred specimens have been imported and sold by Mr. Schuller, and the breed has been well tried in England as badger dogs, as well as for hare hunting. Opinions differ as to their merits in these capacities, some declaring, with Mr. Barclay Hanbury, that they are inferior to our own beagles and terriers; while others, including Mr. Schweizer — whose German proclivities may, however, render him partial — maintain that a good one will face any badger with as much pluck as our gamest terrier.* The balance of evidence in my possession is, however, strongly against this last opinion, and I think it may be alleged that any of our terriers will beat him in going to ground to fox or badger. As to nose, I am induced to believe that it is, on the average, better than that of our modern beagles, who certainly do not equal in that respect the old miniature southern hounds, which in my young days used to be commonly met with throughout England. Dr. L. J. Fitzinger, in his book on dogs, mentions twelve varieties of the dachshund, but it is generally believed that all but one of these are cross-bred. The one pure strain is that described by him as der Tcrummbeinige, or crooked-legged, which is known in this country as the dachshund par excellence, and will be alluded to here only. This dog, in proportion to his height and weight, possesses great strength ; but his muscular power can be better displayed in digging than in running, wherein his remarkable short and crooked fore legs render his gait ungainly and rolling to a degree amounting to the ridiculous ; hence his use in Germany is mainly to mark the badger or fox to his earth, for which also his keen nose is well suited; and, as the entrance to the sleeping chamber of the former is kept as small as is consistent with his size, the dachshund is able to dig away the earth, so as to reach the exact spot, which his tongue at the same time serves to show his master, and thus enable him to dig down to it. In the extensive MR. BARCLAY HANBURT'S DACHSHUNDS "FRITZ" AND "DINA,' THE DACHSHUND, OR GERMAN BADGER DOG. 143 vineyards of Germany and France, which are often on hillsides, the badger makes numerous earths, and here he is diligently pursued by the peasants, either from love of sport or to get rid of a troublesome intruder. The dachshund is also used for driving deer to the gun ; but for this purpose the straight-legged cross, geradbeinige dachshund, is most in demand, which variety is generally also larger in size and more hound-like in character. In constitution the dog is hardy, but in temper somewhat wild and headstrong, so that he is often difficult to get under command when once on the scent. He is also snappish in kennel, and inclined to fight on the slightest provocation, or often without it. His tongue is loud and shrill, without the deep bell-note of the old-fashioned hound. The best breeds are met with in the vicinity of the Schwarzwald, Stuttgard, Lonberg, and Eberstein, near Baden Baden. Mr. Fisher's celebrated dogs are from the kennels of Prince Edward of Saxe- Weimar. The points of the dachshund are as follows in numerical, value and description. For much valuable information on this breed I am indebted to Dr. Fitzinger's work (kindly translated for me by Mr. Perceval de Castro, of Kensington, who is an enthusiastic lover of the dachshund), Prince Albert Solms, Mr. Barclay Hanbury, Mr. Fisher, Mr. Schuller, and Mr. Schweizer. Value. Skull 10 Jaw : 10 Ears, eyes, and lips ... 10 Length of body, in- cluding neck 15 45 POINTS OF THE DACHSHUND. Yalue. 15 Feet 7| Stern 10 Coat ... 5 Value. Colour 7| Size, symmetry, and quality 10 Grand Total 100, 1. The skull (value 10) is long and slightly arched, the occiput being wide, and its protuberance well developed ; eyebrows raised, but without any marked " stop." 2. The jaw (value 10) is long, and tapering gradually from the eyes ; but, nevertheless, it should not be " pig- jawed " — the end, though narrow, being cut off nearly square, with the teeth level and very strong. 3. The ears, eyes, and lips (value 10). — The ears are long enough to reach nearly to the tip of the nose when brought over the jaw without force. They are broad, rounded at the ends, and soft in "leather" and coat, hanging back in graceful folds ; but, when excited, brought forward so as to lie close to the cheeks. Eyes rather small, piercing, and deeply set. In the black and tan variety they should be dark-brown, or almost black ; but in the red or chocolate deep hazel. Dr. Fitzinger has often observed the two eyes vary in colour, and even in size. The lips are short, but with some little flew towards the angles ; not at all approaching, 144 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. however, to that of the bloodhound. The skin is quite tight over the cheeks, and indeed over the whole head, showing no bloodhound wrinkle. 4. Length of body (value 15). — In taking this into consideration the neck is included: this part, however, is somewhat short, thick, and rather throaty. The chest is long, round, and roomy, but not so as to be unwieldy. It gradually narrows towards the back ribs, which are rather short. The brisket should be only 2^in. to Sin. from the ground, and the breast bone should project considerably. The loin is elegantly arched, and the flanks drawn up so as to make the waist look slim, the dog measuring higher behind than before. The quarters are strong in muscle as well as the shoulders, the latter being especially powerful. 6. Legs (value 15). — The fore legs should be very short, strong in bone, and well clothed with muscle. The elbows should not turn out or in, the latter being a great defect. The knees should be close together, never being more than 2iin. apart, causing a considerable bend from the elbows inwards, so as to make the leg crooked, and then again turning outwards to the foot, but this bend at the knees should not be carried to the extent of deformity. In order that the brisket should approach the ground as above described, the fore legs must be very short. On the hind leg there is often a dew claw, but this is not essential either way. 6. The feet (value 7f) should be of full size, but very strong and cat-like, with hard, horny soles to the pads. The fore feet are generally turned out, thus increasing the appearance of crookedness in the legs. This formation gives assistance to the out-throw of the earth in digging. 7. The stern (value 10) is somewhat short and thick at the root, tapering gradually to the point, with a slight curve upwards, and clothed with hair of moderate length on its under-surface. When excited, as in hunting, it is carried in a hound-like attitude over the back. Its shape and carriage indicate high breeding, and are valued accordingly. 8. The coat (value 5) is short and smooth, but coarse in texture, and by no means silky, except on the ears, where it should be very soft and shiny. 9. The colour (value 7|). — The best colours are red, and black-and-tan, which last should be deep and rich, and this variety should always have a black nose. The red strain may have a flesh-coloured nose, and some good judges in England maintain that this is indispensable, but in Germany it is not considered of any importance. In the black-and-tans, the tan should extend to the lips, cheek, a spot over each eye, the belly and flank, under-side of tail, and a spot on each side of breast bone ; also to the lower part of both fore and hind legs and feet. Thumb marks and pencilling of the toes are not approved of in this country ; but they are often met with in Germany. Whole chocolate dogs are often well bred, but they are not liked in England, even with tan markings, which are, however, an improvement. Whole blacks and whites are unknown out of Germany, where they are rare. In England white on toes or breast is objected to, but not in Germany. 10. Size, symmetry, and quality (value 10). — In size the dachshund should be in an average specimen from 39in. to 42in. long, from tip to tip, and in height lOin. to THE DACHSHUND, OR GEEMAN BADGES DOG. 145 llin. at the shoulder ; the weight should be from lllb. to 181b., the bitches being considerably smaller than the dogs. In symmetry the dachshund is above the average, as may be judged from a reference to the excellent examples belonging to Mr. Barclay Hanbury, which I have had drawn by Mr. Baker, who has caught the peculiar characteristics of the breed with marvellous truth. Though not able to show as many first prizes as Mr. Fisher's Feldmann or the Earl of Onslow's Waldmann, they are quite up to the level of those dogs, and being within easy reach of Mr. Baker, I have selected them accordingly. Their dimensions are as follows : — FRITZ (red tan). — Imported by Mr. Schuller from the royal kennels, Stuttgard (pedigree unknown) : Height, lOf in. ; length from tip to tip, 42in. ; head, Sin. ; ears, 7in. ; age 1| years. DINA (black and tan). — Imported by Mr. Schuller (pedigree unknown) : Height, lOin. ; length, 40|in. ; head, 7|in. ; ears, 6in. ; age, 2f years. I append the following interesting and very valuable letter received from Germany, which, in the main, confirms the information previously obtained from the various sources above-mentioned; although in unimportant details there is, of course, some difference of opinion. I may observe, in reference to Herr Beck- mann's insisting on the propriety of regarding the dachshund as used only underground in Germany, that I have nothing to do with the intentions of those who originally bred the dog ; all that is now within my province is to describe him as he exists. NOTES ON THE GERMAN TYPE OF THE DACHSHUND. (By HERB LUDWIQ BECKMANN, of Dusseldorf .) SIR. — There has been a great deal of correspondence in the Field and other sporting papers regarding the points of the dachshund, and yet the question seems to be still unsettled. This uncertainty is rather striking, if we notice that hundreds of dachshunds have already been imported into England, and among them certainly many well-bred, if not even high bred, dogs, which might serve as a model for the real dachshund type every moment. The writer of these lines has bred and worked dachshunds all his life, and, as he has given the subject peculiar attention, he begs to state his opinion as to what may be the cause of this uncertainty, and in what respect some English fanciers might perhaps be in error regarding points, size, colours, or employment of this ancient German breed. 1. The Houndlike Type. — The dachshund has had the misfortune, on his intro- duction into England, to be confounded by some authors with the French basset. This mistake was favoured by the fact that even our modern German and French kynologists* make no difference between the two races. M. A. Pierre Pichot, editor * Vide Prof. Fit/inger, " Der Hnnd tmd seine Eacen," p. 179 ; and De la Blanchere in his excellent book, "Les Chiens de Chasse." De la B. says verbally (p. 110): " Les bassets sont extremement nombreux en Allemagne, et qnelqnes races ont les oreilles tellement enormes, qu'elles trainent jusqu'a terre." I beg to state here that dachshunds of that kind have never existed. The French basset was identical with the German dachshund in days of yore, and was most IT 146 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. of the Revue Britannique, was the first who cautioned the English dachshund fanciers against confounding the dachshund with the basset, " the dachshund being quite a different breed."* Nevertheless, the desire for "long ears, houndlike head, and much throatiness " was going on, though one of our first and most successful breeders protested in the Field f against these erroneous points on several accounts. Some fanciers of the dachshund breed went even a step further, and regarded the bloodhound, with its peaked skull and " drapery-like " ears, as the beau ideal of our little dachshunds ! (I beg to state here that the G-ermans have never had a native breed of dogs with head and ears like the present English bloodhound, and least of all a breed of dachshunds.) In recent times those points are somewhat modified, but the desire for " hound- like type" seems to prevail still. In the Field of January 13, 1877, I find published a short scheme of points on dachshunds, from which I beg to quote the following points : " Head thoroughly houndlike, occiput very decided, ears of good length and full of fold, lips ' Hppy,' nose large with open nostrils, much throatiness, and chest round without much breadth (like the bloodhound)." I suggest that the author of this scheme has not at all the intention to create a new breed, but that he really is desirous to find out the true type of the German dachshund. If so, I am very sorry to say that those points will certainly turn out to be untenable, and to be quite opposite to the opinions of most of our sportsmen and breeders. Dogs of that kind are no longer " dachshunds," but " dachsbracken " J (in English perhaps dachs-talbots) . It is much to be regretted that the advocates of the hound-like type in dachshunds, who have evidently so much sympathy for these little courageous dogs, are endeavouring still to support an imaginary beau ideal of the breed, which neither is derived from the antecedents of the breed, nor accords in any respect with the points of our present high-bred dachshunds and their chief employment — " underground work." The German dachshund is perhaps one of the most ancient forms of the domesticated dog. The fact is that he has for centuries represented an isolated class between the hound and the terrier, without being more nearly connected with the one than the other. His obstinate, independent character, and his incapacity to be trained or broken to anything beyond his inborn, game-like disposition, are quite unrivalled among all other races of the dog. Regarding his frame, he differs from the hound, not only by his crooked fore legs and small size, but by the most refined modification of all parts of his body according to his chief task — to work under- probably imported from Germany into Flanders, and from there to France (compare Jacques du Fouilloux, " Venerie," Paris, 1573, p. 89, et Verrier de la Conterie, "Ecole de Chasse," Rouen, torn. ii., p. 172). But, as the dachshund has been employed in France chiefly to hunt above ground, and is crossed with most races of the French hound (chien courant), he has lost his original frame and character, and has become completely a hound in course of time. — HERE L. BECKMANN. * In the Live Stock Journal, 1875, vol. ii., No. 87. f May 27, 1876, and following numbers, signed " S." J Bracke or Braken is the old German hound (from Bracco) ; the German word Hund is equivalent to dog in English. THE DACHSHUND, OE GEEMAN BADGEE DOG. 147 ground. It is not possible to imagine a more favourable frame for an " earth dog " than the real dachshund type, which I shall describe afterwards. I beg to say that some of our high-bred dachshunds are near perfection, according to German points ; they do not want much improvement, but propagation, for they are seldom met with even in northern Germany. If I had to choose a likeness or model for these active little dogs, it would certainly not be the bloodhound, but the weasel ! The desire for " hound-like type " in dachshunds would never have originated if the natural vocation of this breed (underground work) had not been overlooked. The consequence of this erroneous idea will be that well-bred dachshunds will be regarded as a " terrier cross," and that it will be next to impossible for many dog fanciers to get a clear idea of the real type of the dachshund. Having concentrated all varieties of the badger dog to one single class — the crook-legged, short-haired dog, with head neither hound nor terrier like, weight from 81b. to 201b., colour black- tan and its variations — we shall still meet here many varying forms. With some attention we shall soon distinguish the common breed (Landschlag) and the well or high-bred dachshund. The first is a stout, strong boned, muscularly built dog, with large head and strong teeth ; the back not much arched, sometimes even straight ; tail long and heavy ; forelegs strong and regularly formed ; the head and tail often appear to be too large in the dog ; the hair is rather coarse, thick set, short, and wiry, lengthened at the underside of the tail, without forming a brush or feather, and covering a good deal of the belly. These dogs are good workmen, and are less affected by weather than high-bred ones ; but they are very apt to exceed 181b. and even 201b. weight, and soon get fat if not worked frequently. From this common breed originates the well and high-bred dog, which may at any time be produced again from it by careful selection and inbreeding without any cross. The well and high-bred dog is smaller in size, finer in bone, more elegantly built, and seldom exceeds 161b. to 171b. weight ; the thin slight tapering tail is only of medium length ; the hair is very short, glossy like silk, but not soft ; the under part of the body is very thin-haired, rendering these nervous and high-spirited dogs, rather sensitive to wet ground and rain. These two breeds are seldom met with in their purity, the vast majority of dachshunds in Germany ranging between the two, and differing in shape very much, as they are more or less well bred or neglected. In this third large group we still meet with many good and useful dogs, but also all those aberrant forms, with pig snouts and short under jaws, apple-headed skulls, deep set or staring eyes, short necks, wheel backs, ring tails, fore legs joining at the knees, and long hind legs bent too much in the stifles and hocks. The following points of the dachshund are fixed by the author, in strict con- junction with one of our best connoisseurs, Mr. Gustav Lang, of Stuttgart, and in agreement with some of our first breeders, with the judges on dachshunds at the dog shows in Hamburgh and Cologne in 1876, and with the editor of the periodical Der Hund. As these points are taken from the best existing specimens of the breed, and with regard to the employment, anatomy, and history of this dog, they may give a true picture of the real dachshund type as far as this is possible at present. 148 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. Points. Head, elongated, large, and combined with the neck in a rather obtuse angle. When viewed from the side, the protuberance of the occiput is not much developed ; skull not high vaulted ; forehead descending to the eyes without any marked stop, but eyebrows raised ; space between eye and ear comparatively much wider than in the hound and pointer, owing to the ears being placed high and far back ; nose straight or very slightly arched between top and root, nostrils not too large ; jaw neither pig-snouted nor square, but moderately pointed by a sloping line from tip of nose to the chin, and widening gradually from there towards the throat ; lips short, not overlapping the lower jaw, but with a little flew at the angles. The superior maxillary bone and the jaw muscle protrude so much as to give the face a hollow- cheeked appearance. When viewed from above and in front, the skull is broad between the ears, and only slightly vaulted (neither narrow and conical nor perfectly flat; the jaw or muzzle tapering gradually from the eyes; skin rather tight over the whole head, showing no wrinkles when the dog is not excited. The shape of bone and muscles must be marked sharply and distinctly in the head, and this lean and plastical appearance (trockner Kopf) must remain in the head, even when the body of the dog is laden with fat. Eyes, ears, and teeth. — In good heads, with long jaw, the centre of the space between tip of nose and occiput will be found to be in the hind angle of the eyes. The eye should be of medium size, open, bright, intelligent, and fiery (small deep-set eyes, showing the " haw," are even as objectionable in dachshunds as protruding eyes) ; iris rich brown in black-tan dogs, never brighter than the tan except in the bluish varieties (wall eyes). The ear is a very important point in dachshunds, and its situation, shape, and carriage are quite peculiar to the breed ; but it should by no means be noticeable in the head from its largeness, ornamental folding, and low situation. The ear of the dachshund is set on so high that its base is nearly even with the outline of the skull and neck; and it is situated so far backwards and distant from the eyes (vide head), that it covers a good deal more of the neck than of the cheeks ; it should be broad at the base, of equal width, and the lower edge bluntly rounded, not filbert- shaped or pointed ; it should hang down quite close and smooth to the cheek, without the slightest inclination to any twisting, folding, or curl. The ears are of sufficient length if they are half as long as the head; they should not over-reach the outline of throat, and should cover about half-an-inch of the angle of the mouth when stretched gently towards the nose. There is no blemish in their being somewhat longer, but, as long as ears are neither useful nor characteristic of the breed, they should never be brought to an excess. The leather of the ears should be very thin, but the hair of the upper surface very short, smooth, and silky. In fighting and attacking, an ear of this description is drawn back and upwards suddenly, and knitted together so much that it is scarcely to be seen in front of the dog. When the dachshund pricks his ears they are not lifted above their usual level, but only bent forwards, until they stand out rectangularly from both sides of the face in their whole usual breadth, without any folding, the fore THE DACHSHUND, OR GERMAN BADGER DOG. 149 edge of the ear lying close to the cheek. The teeth of the dachshund should be level, strong, and well shot, with sharp fangs. A peculiar arrangement of the teeth is to be found in more than one-third of our dachshunds. The two first or corner teeth of the incisors in the upper jaw are developed to a remarkable size and strength, so as to form, with the corresponding tusk or fang, a deep and narrow notch, in which the fang of the under-jaw glides. These " double fangs " (zan- gengebiss) are not to be found in any other breed of German dogs besides dachshunds. But as this criterion of the breed seems every year to disappear more, and as there are at present so many good dachshunds without this peculiarity, it cannot be regarded as a " point," except perhaps in such a case where the judge had to decide between two dogs of equal merits. The neck should be long, strong, clean, and flexible. When viewed from the side, it should be finer where it joins the head, and gradually widening to the full proportions of the chest. The upper outline of neck should not be much arched, the lower outline sloping from the throat down to the protuberance of the breastbone. Throatiness is very objectionable in dachshunds, only the common dog having sometimes a tendency to " looseness " of skin in the throat. When viewed from above, the neck is wide, strong, and not too much tapering towards the broad skull. The trunk (including shoulders and haunches) of the dachshund is not at all hound-like ; in many respects it is more like that of the pointer, in others like that of the greyhound. When viewed from the side, it is long ; the chest very deep and roomy, with breast-bone projecting ; back ribs rather short, and the flanks well drawn up ; shoulders rather low, with slight drop in back behind, and corresponding elegant arch of the long and deep loins ; quarters not very sloping, and stern set on rather high, these dogs being somewhat higher in the hind quarters than in shoulders. When viewed from the front, the chest is very wide between the joints of the shoulder, but, being neither barrel-like nor square, it slopes gradually between the forelegs, and is rather narrow beneath at the fore-end of the brisket, but widening again towards the belly. When viewed from above, the largest diameter of the dog is to be found in the middle of the shoulders behind the joint, owing to the powerfully developed muscles of the upper arm and blade ; from there the trunk narrows gradually towards the stern. The ribs spring up well behind the shoulders, and the muscular haunches project suddenly at the quarters, but not to such an extent of width as in the shoulders, even not fully in bitches. Dachshunds with narrow chest and wide hind-quarters are unfit for hunting underground : they are soon tired, and are very apt to get squeezed in narrow passages. Forelegs very short, strong in bone ; forearm well clothed with muscles ; knee broad and clean ; pasterns strong, broad, and not too short ; feet broad, rounded, with thick large toes, hard soles, and strong, long nails. Owing to the original employment of the dachshund, his forefeet are much larger and stronger than the hind ones. When viewed from the side, the foreleg should appear pretty straight, the knees not protruding much, the slope of the pasterns not exceeding a slight 150 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. deviation from the straight line, the toes not twisted or turned out too much. When viewed from above, the elbows should not be turned out (out of shoulders) nor in when the dog is standing quietly ; in walking they will always be turned out more than in other dogs, When viewed from the front, the forelegs should have by no means a crippled appearance, as if the dog had rickets, or as if the legs were not able to resist the pressure of the weight of the body, and had broken down so much as to join at the knees. Forelegs of that kind will do pretty well for bassets and dachsbraken, to prevent their running too fast in hunting above ground, but not for our badger dog. His forelegs must appear as firm supports of the body, and as powerful shovels in digging away the ground, but without too much arresting the movableness of the dog in other respects ; therefore the forearm should be bent inwards in a slight regular curve, the inside of the knees not projecting too much, and the inner outline of the pasterns (from knee to sole of foot) nearly straight. The pasterns should by no means slope too much sideways ("splayed feet"); if so, they will not be able to support the forearm sufficiently, and will give way every year more. All that is wanted is that the foot should be turned somewhat outwards; and this turning should begin already in the joint of the knee. Therefore, the inner edge of the knee will project very slightly in front, while its outer edge is turned more backwards. In some dogs the pastern and feet are standing perfectly straight, only the toes being twisted outside, which is very bad. The shape of the forelegs in dachshunds has often been mistaken, even by German breeders. They should have a simple, pleasing sweep, like that of the leg of an elegant but solid piece of rococo furniture. The bending of the forearm should harmonise with the shape of the chest, and the pasterns and feet be not more splayed and turned out than is required to restore the equilibre. When the dog is lying on his back the whole foreleg from elbow to tip of toes should lie quite close to his body, like the nippers of a seal. Owing to the movableness of the forequarters in dachshunds, it is next to impossible to take exact measures from the positions and width of the legs. In regularly built dogs with wide chest I always found the distance between the knees to be equal to one-third of the diameter (measured across and outside) of the shoulders. The distance between the feet (from heel to heel) should never exceed the width between the knees more than about half or three-quarters of an inch. The toes should not fully reach sideways to a line which is drawn perpendicularly from the most prominent point of the shoulder to the ground. Hind legs comparatively higher and less powerfully developed than the fore ones ; the haunches muscular ; the under thigh remarkably short ; the leg (or that part from hock to heel) high ; the feet small, but, like the fore one, round, with thick, well-closed toes and strong nails. When viewed from the side, the hind leg appears rather straight, as it is not much bent in the stifles and hocks, that part from hock to heel standing nearly straight. When viewed from behind, quarters wide, the haunches showing great development of muscle ; the legs should be wide through them, the hocks being turned in very slightly, and the feet standing out a little ; but this deviation from the straight line should not be very noticeable. In THE DACHSHUND, OE GEEMAN BADGEE DOG. 151 common dogs the feet sometimes stand out so much that the hocks touch. This is a blemish, though not so objectionable as the contrary, when the hocks are turned out and the feet in. Dew-claws are seldom met with in dachshunds, and should be removed directly where they appear in a whelp. Stern, set on rather high, strong at the root, tapering slightly to a fine point, short-haired, length not much exceeding that of the head, and not touching the ground when hanging straight down. Carriage of stern : the root or first third should be nearly straight, the two remaining thirds bent into a rather wide curve, the slender point standing straight again, or even sweeping upwards a little. The tail should be carried gaily, like that of the foxhound, either upright over the back, or straight down when the dog is tired. Horizontal carriage is not objectionable, but it usually indicates a drowsy temper ; if the stern is at the same time very thin and long, it gives an objectionable appearance, when it becomes stiff and bare, by old age of the dog. The common dog has the stern longer and heavier, the hair on its under side longer ; the lower two-thirds of the stern are in some specimens nearly straight, and the last third crooked suddenly in a short semi-circle, forming a hook at the end of the stern. This is a blemish, as well as the " ring tail " and much leaning to the right or left. I have mentioned already the " otter-tailed " dachshund, a peculiar old strain — but now seldom to be found — with short, broad, or flat stern, very hairy beneath, and carried straight down. Coat (skin and hair) : The skin of the dachshund is (with the exception of the head and extremities) rather full, but of sufficient elasticity to prevent looseness, which is only to be found in the common dog to a certain degree. The hair should be short, glossy, smooth, but wiry — not soft and silky, except on the ears, where it is extremely short and thin, the " leather " becoming often quite bare and shiny when the dog gets old. The longest and coarsest hair is to be found under the stern, lying close to the tail in well bred dogs ; and even in the common breed it should never form a perfect brush. The hair is often very scarce under the chest and belly, which is not at all favourable for a dog standing so close to the ground. Colour : black and tan is the most ancient and legitimate colour of the class ; but this colour is not so constant as to prevent the accidental appearance of a puppy whose colour varies into any tinge or shading, produced by combination, separation, or blending of the black ground colour and the tan of the marks — such as Hack, chocolate, light brown, and hare-pied with blackish ears and dark stripes along the back, either whole coloured or with tan marks. Sometimes the colour of the marks (tan) appears alone, and produces the " whole-coloured tan" with all its varieties of shading through red, ochre, fawn, and sandy. In all the darker varieties of the black-tan dog the nose and nails should be perfectly black, and even in the brightest whole or self-coloured tan, fawn, and sandy dogs, they should be at least as dark as possible. Eosy or fleshy noses and nails indicate that there is white in the breed ; they cannot be excused by the colour of the coat — not even in whole-coloured tan and sandy dogs — or else the nails in the tan- coloured paws of our black-tan dogs must also be changed into fleshy or horn-coloured 152 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. ones. Besides, the original ground colour of the dog is black, and will appear again sooner or later in the whole-coloured tan offspring. The extension and design of the marks in black-tan dachshunds is nearly the same as in the English terrier. The tan of the cheek should not be divided in dachshunds, but ascend abruptly towards the jaw-muscle, so as to give the eye the appearance as if it was surrounded beneath by a black semi-circle. On the hind legs the tan is not limited to the inside of the legs, but extends over the whole front of them, and the half outside of the feet ; from hock to heel runs a black stripe. Pencilled toes in the forefeet are nothing else but the imperfect repetition of this black stripe, both according pretty well to the position and bending of the extremities during the embryonal state of the dog. (The tan marks seem to be limited chiefly to those parts which are covered and pressed by the bending of the extremities in the embryo.) Pencilled toes appear and disappear in black-tan puppies of any breed in Germany ; therefore they cannot be regarded as indicating a " terrier cross " in dachshunds, the English terrier being quite an unknown animal in many of those remote places in Germany where good dachshunds are bred. On the forearm and the under- thigh the black melts gradually into the tan ; but on all other parts of the body the two colours should be divided distinctly, and without any blending. White toes, and indeed white anywhere, are great blemishes ; but there are few black- tan dachshunds to be found without having at least a small greyish tuft of hair on the breast-bone, or a narrow line along the brisket, which is only to be seen when the dog is sitting on his haunches. More rarely met with are the bluish alterations of the black-and-tan (for instance, slate-grey, mouse, silvery-grey, and the " tigerdachs "), which are all to be regarded as a more or less " imperfect albinism" originating in want of pigment in the hair. The " tigerdachs " is nothing else but a black-tan dog whose ground colour is altered only on some parts of the coat into a bluish tinge, while other parts have preserved the original ground colour (" partial imperfect albinism "), and form now irregular black or brown stripes and blotches. None of these bluish varieties can be regarded as a distinct breed, nor are they only limited to the dachshund class.* Nose and nails of the bluish varieties are dark, fleshy, even rosy or black-spotted, as the ground colour of the coat has been altered more or iless. The eyes are bluish, or quite colourless (wall-eyed). All these bluish dogs should have no white marks, except the tiger-dachs, which should be as variegated as possible, and therefore white on the breast and belly of these dogs is no blemish; but they should not have white toes or white marks on the head, body, nor end of stern. White, as a ground colour, with hound-like blotches, spotted or mottled, is much disliked by most of our breeders ; and these colours should disappear entirely from the dachshund class, and be limited to the basset and the various " dachsdracken," White dachshunds are kept and bred as a curiosity, and the * The bluish colours are to be found among all possible breeds of German dogs which are not crossed too much, and even in black cats. A beautiful specimen of a tiger-dachs-coloured colley I saw at Kyle-Rhea, near Skye, in September, 1874. THE DACHSHUND, OE GERMAN BADGEE DOG. 153 origin of most of them is very dubious. The only reason for breeding them is that white dogs are easier kept in sight when hunting a covert. But the qualification for hunting above ground is not at all the criterion of the dachs- hund class. The legitimate colours of the dachshund may be divided into four groups : — 1. With tan marks: Black, chocolate, light brown, hare-pied; the brighter varieties often showing a blackish stripe along the back, and black ears; eyes, rich brown, never brighter than the tan marks ; nose and nails black ; no white. 2. Whole coloured : Black, chocolate, light brown, hare-pied ; and also the tan varieties, red, tan, ochre, fawn, sandy ; the brighter varieties often with a darker stripe along the back ; ears and muzzle also often darker than the body ; no tan marks ; eyes, rich brown or light brown, never brighter than the colour of the coat; nose and nails, black, no white. In bright tan and sandy dogs the nose and nails should be at least much darker than the coat, and never fleshy. 3. Bluish varieties : Slate, mouse, silver-grey, either whole coloured or with tan marks ; eyes, bluish or colourless (wall-eyed) ; nose and nails blackish, fleshy, rosy ; no white. 4. Variegated varieties (tiger-dachs) : Slate, mouse, silvery-grey, with irregular black, chocolate or, tan stripes and blotches, with or without tan marks ; eyes, at least one of them, bluish or colourless ; nose and nails, fleshy or spotted ; white marks on throat and breast are not objectionable in the tiger-dachs. In judging dachshunds no difference should be made between the four groups of colours, except when there were two dogs of equal merit ; there the black-tan dog should be preferred, or that dog would have developed the marks most exactly in the richest tone, and with no white at all. Size, symmetry, and quality. — The height of an average specimen is from 9in. to lOin. at the shoulder; the weight should be from 151b. to 171b., bitches being always smaller than dogs of the same litter. I have mentioned already that the class will most probably embrace dogs from 91b. to 201b. weight, owing to the different sized dogs used to hunt underground by our sportsmen. In a regularly built dog of 171b. weight I found these proportions : head, from nose to occiput over the skull, Sin. ; neck to shoulders, 4f in. ; back, 15in. ; stern, Sin. ; distance from ground to brisket, 2|in. ; from ground to elbow, Gin. ; to shoulders, lOin. ; to hip, lOfin. In judging dachshunds it must be borne in mind that the frame of these dogs has preserved pretty well all the proportion of a large or middle-sized dog, only the legs are shortened ; while in the terriers all parts of the body have been reduced equably. A cross with the terrier will be directly indicated in the offspring by alteration of the peculiar proportions of the dachshund, and therefore the badger dog cannot be called " dachs-terrier," it not being a cross. We must also notice that the reduction of the legs is not quite equal in all parts of the legs, but is chiefly limited to the bones of the forearm (radius and ulna) and those of the 154 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. lower thigh (tibia and fibula). The consequence is that the paws of the fore-feet appear large and broad, and the hind-leg (from hock to heel) rather high and straight. These peculiar proportions become unfavourable when carried to excess ; but even then they are not so bad as the contrary (too long forearms being out at the shoulders and joining at the knees, and too long under-thighs being bent too much in the stifle and hocks). The disadvantage of the short lever in the hind legs must be compensated by powerful arched loins. The dachshund runs pretty fast on level ground ; he must even be able to jump and to climb, which will often save his life in steep passages underground, where an unwieldy dog is quite helpless. A good dachshund should be built long and low, but never to such an extent as to become unwieldy. The whole outline must be most elegant, something like a weasel ; head and neck carried neither quite horizontally nor straight upright. The two dachshunds, Fritz and Dina, are pretty good representations of the breed respecting their bodies ; and I was very glad to find them not cor- responding much to the hound-type scheme of points proposed in the Field of Jan. 13. But there is something very strange in their heads, particularly in the foremost dog : there the skull is far too much vaulted, the ears are set on too low, and not at all of a dachshund-like shape and carriage. The jaw should be larger and stronger, and the tail somewhat shorter. Heads of this kind are the mistaken qualities (missverstandne Schonheit) in dachshunds, and more fit for house pets and for dogs used in hunting above ground than for an earth dog. If I had to fix the value of the points, I should rank them thus : Value. Head 15 Ears, eyes, teeth 10 Neck 10 35 Yalue. Body 10 Fore legs 15 Hind legs 10 35 Grand Total 100. Value. Stern 10 Coat 10 Size, symmetry, quality 10 30 Many particulars will have to remain open to conclusion till we have had a show for dachshunds only (e.g., extension or division of the class, white ground colour, carriage of stern, and so on). Where opinions differ among our fanciers, I have always added the arguments for my assertions. Perhaps my description of the dog has become too minute by these additions ; but I hope it has not thereby been rendered unintelligible. I know very well that there are few dogs to be found that will agree in all respects with the particulars I have mentioned in describing the points. But nobody who is acquainted with the endless variety of animal forms will expect to find all well- bred dachshunds having exactly the same proportions. No dog is perfect, and those particulars are taken from the best head, best neck, best leg, &c., which were to be found among a number of regularly-built dogs, in order to find out the arche- type of the breed, which is rarely, if ever, reached in a single specimen. THE DACHSHUND, OE GEEMAN BADGEE DOG. 155 Before I conclude my writing I may mention shortly some particulars about breeding, disposition, and employment of the badger dog. I have seldom found bitches whelping more than four or five pups ; they are born with straight forelegs only the paws turn outside somewhat more than in other dogs. This would lead to the old theory of " hereditary rachitis " in dachs- hunds; and I have offered already a number of hopeful puppies for osteological researches in this direction, but without any noticeable success. Dachshunds are not much subject to distemper if kept in a dry, warm, and clean place. When they are full grown — say when twelve or eighteen months old — they will mostly be ready for business, when once seeing an old dog doing his work underground. By frequent exercise with rats, foxes, &c., their education will be completed sooner ; but they should not be used to badgers before having reached their second year and their full development. When going to the burrows the dogs should not be allowed to tire themselves out during the walk, but should be carried in a basket in a wheel- barrow, or taken in the box of the dogcart when driving. Young dogs should always be taken up as soon as they show an indisposition to go to ground, or return too often from the earths. Many old dogs have the habit of coming out when they have received a first blow from the badger or fox. Some people say, " He comes to show his wound " ; but the dog only wants to have a glance round above to see if all is right there, and, if so, he will go in again without being asked. There are many badger dogs that will kill their fox under ground, and drag the dead body out to the surface if possible ; but I remember only two dachshunds who had the strength and the will to " draw " an old badger from its den, and this was only managed when they had the good fortune to seize the unlucky badger from behind in the haunches, the channel at the same time being neither too narrow nor too steep. I have already said that this is not at all the task of our dachshund, who has only to hunt and to attack his game till it quits the den or stands at bay. For bolting a fox (spregen) one small game dachshund will be sufficient when the shooters (for the fox is shot in Germany) have been posted cautiously and noiselessly ; but, in digging out a badger or fox, one small dog will seldom be able to resist his enemy at the moment when the drain is opened, and the badger or fox is frightened by the daylight. Therefore, at least one large dog, or two small ones, should be used for this purpose. Dogs which are used often to hunt coverts are seldom persevering earth dogs ; besides, they are accustomed to give tongue as soon as they come upon the track, which is the worst an earth dog can do (weidelaut). On the contrary, we find often good earth dogs hunting quite silent above ground till they get sight of the game. In hunting above ground the dachshund follows more the track than the general scent (witierung) of the game ; therefore he follows rather' slowly, but surely, and with the nose pretty close to the ground. His noise in barking is very loud, far sounding, and of surprising depth for a dog of so small a frame ; but, in giving tongue while hunting, he pours forth from time to time short, shrill notes, which are quickened as the scent gets hotter, and, at sight of the game the notes are often resolved into an indescribable scream, as if the dog were being punished in a most cruel manner. 156 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. Though not a pack hound, the dachshund will soon learn to run in couples; and two or three of these couples, when acquainted with one another, or forming a little family, will hunt pretty well together. They do not frighten their game so much as the larger hounds, and, when frequently used, they will learn to stay when arrived at the line of the shooters, not by obedience to their master, but because they are intelligent enough as to see that it is quite useless to run longer after the game. For tracking wounded deer or a roebuck a dachshund may be used when no bloodhound (schweisshund) is to be had ; but they must be accustomed to collar and line for this purpose, and then they are rather troublesome to lead in rough ground or coverts. They retrieve better by running free or slipped, but must carry a bell, for they are apt to keep silence when they find their game dead ; and beginning to lick at the wound where the ball has gone into the body, they will slowly advance to tearing and to eating their prey. No dog is so sensitive to rain and wet ground as the dachshund. They will often steal away from the coverts on a wet day, and sneak homewards. Dachshunds are very headstrong and difficult to keep under command ; and, as they are at the same time very sensitive to chastisement, it is next to impossible to force them to do anything against their will. Many good badger dogs have been made cowards for their whole life by one severe whipping. They must be taken as they are — with all their faults, as well as their virtues. When treated always kindly, the dachshund is very faithful to his master, and not only a useful, but a most amusing dog — a very humourist among the canine family. In spite of his small frame, he has always an air of consequence and independence about him ; but, at the same time, he is very inquisitive, and always ready to interfere with things with which he has no concern. He seems to have an antipathy to large dogs, and, if they object to be domineered over, the dachshund will certainly quarrel with them. When his blood is up he will care neither for blows or for wounds, and is often bitten dreadfully in such encounters. Therefore dachshunds should not be kept in kennels with larger dogs. When kept in houses, and accustomed to children, they will make good pets, for they are clean, intelligent, and watchful, without being noisy, though often snappish with strangers. The names which are given to dachshunds in Northern Germany are usually the 'same old-fashioned ones, indicating chiefly their employment or their quarrel- some disposition. For instance : Names for dogs — Bergmann (miner), Erdmann (earth-man), Judas, Krup-in (creep-in !),.Kuhlmann (pit-man, miner), Waldmann (forester), Zanker (quarreller) ; for bitches, Bergine, Erdine, Hertha, Valda Waldine, Zang (tongs, nippers). In England the earth dog is already represented by the various terriers, andj with respect to the great difference between English field sports and German " Jagerei," I doubt if the dachshund will ever become so useful and favourite a sporting dog in England as he has for centuries been in Germany. Foxes and their cubs are sacred personages in most English districts, badgers are comparatively rare, and the destruction of vermin is generally left to the gamekeepers. Therefore I believe that dachshunds will be kept and bred in England chiefly for hunting THE BASSET-HOUND. 157 coverts, or to serve as house pets and for show purposes, as an object of fashion or fancy. Both employments will inevitably alter the type and disposition of the dog as soon as his qualification for underground work is regarded to be only secondary. But I believe there are also many sportsmen and fanciers of the dachshund in England who would like to preserve these dogs as they are bred originally, and who wish to know how we in Germany are going to fix the points of this breed — as we Germans are desirous of becoming acquainted with the English points of English breeds of dogs. To describe the real old type of dachshund, and to prevent, if possible, the creation of a new cross breed, was my intention in sending these notes. THE BASSET-HOUND. (By GEORGE E. KBEHL.) A few years ago both the name and appearance of this breed were strange to the untravelled Englishman. One or two basset-hounds may have been imported as curiosities by dog lovers who had come across them in their journeys abroad, or on account of their sporting merits by followers of the chase, who had seen them used by their continental friends. In either case, they did not come to public notice by the medium of the show-bench. Mr. Everett Millais was the first to exhibit a specimen of the breed, and its appearance caused no little excitement and amusement in canine circles. Many pronounced it a turnspit, others an abnormal dachshund, while a few " remembered to have seen such dogs in old French hunting pictures." Basset-hounds are one of the oldest and purest breeds in France. The earliest French authority, Du Fouilloux, gives two illustrations of them in his " La Venerie." In regard to these illustrations, I have noticed with some amusement that, although our ancient author describes them as " bassets d'Artois," yet a dachshund fancier has claimed them to be representatives of his hobby-breed, whereas I should imagine that dachshunds (a later off- shoot of the Flemish basset-hound) entered as little into the philosophy of Du Fouilloux as our own bull terrier. Du Fouilloux explains the title " d'Artois " by telling us that the breed originally came from that province and the near-lying Flanders. He divided them into two varieties : — The Artesian, " with full-crooked forelegs, smooth coats, brave, and having double rows of teeth like wolves ;" the Flemish, " straight-legged, rough-coated, black, and sterns curled like a horn." This division was confirmed by two later old authors, Selincourt and Leverrier de la Conterie. The last-named expressed his preference for the Flemish, as being " faster, but they gave tongue badly, and were babblers ;" he found the Artesians " courageous in going to earth (as shown in Du Fouilloux's engraving), long in the body, and with noble heads." The descendants of the Flemish type still exist in the Foret Noire, in the Vosges, and, I believe, in the German dachshund, which, according to my theory, is descended from basset-hounds that found their way into South Germany (Wurtemberg, 158 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLAISTDS. the home of the dachshund) via Alsace, and were there crossed with the terrier, to give them that individual courage that is lacking in the hound. The Artesian type is that with which English dog- show lidbitues are now familiar. In the many political storms that have swept over France, carrying away her monarchical pageantry , and the imposing ceremonies of the chase, many of that country's ancient breeds became almost extinct. Amongst them the basset-hound fared a little better than its blood neighbours — the hounds of Artois, Normandy, Gascony, and Sainteonge. Thanks to the sporting and patriotic instincts of a descendant of the old noblesse, Count le Couteulx de Canteleu, who spared neither trouble nor expense in his purpose, the smooth, tricolour basset-hound of Artois has been preserved in all its purity. The breed was not revived ; it had never died out, but it was necessary to search all over the "basset" districts to find, in sportsmen's kennels, the few true and typical specimens, and to breed from them alone. In these efforts on behalf of the old breeds, the Count was greatly benefited by the valuable assistance of Monsieur Pierre Pichot, Editor of the " Revue Britannique." For our purpose it will be sufficient to divide the basset-hounds of to-day into two groups — the rough and smooth. The former are of Vendean extraction, a branch of one of the original breeds. They have rough hard coats, with a woolley undergrowth, and are generally white, with lemon markings, or else iron grey, like our otter-hounds', which they so closely resemble that, if one can imagine an otter-hound reduced in size, and put on short legs, they will have the Basset- Griff on before them. Their legs are very short, usually straight or demi-torse, bodies low, strongly built, and not very long. They are very hardy, and equal to any rough work. Mr. Macdona's Eomano, often exhibited in variety classes, is of this type. It is, however, with the smooth and nobler race that I will now deal. These are inseparably connected with the famous kennel of Chateau St. Martin, and hounds of Count Couteulx' s strain are now as highly prized and eagerly sought for in England as in France. They are very aptly described by the French writer De la Blanchere as " large hounds on short legs." It is the massiveness of these miniature hounds that first strikes a stranger's fancy. The curious formation of their body and limbs, the grand head, and brilliant colouring, combine to make a whole that is quaint and picturesque, and in harmony with mediaeval character. They are the dogs one expects to see on tapestries or roaming about castle-keeps. The following lines from Shakspere are remarkable in their faithfulness to this breed : go flewe