[Footnote 24: The late Lord Oxford reduced four stags to so perfect a
degree of submission that, in his short excursions, he used to drive
them in a phaeton made for the purpose. He was one day exercising his
singular and beautiful steeds in the neighbourhood of Newmarket, when
their ears were saluted with the unwelcome cry of a pack of hounds,
which, crossing the road in their rear, had caught the scent, and
leaving their original object of pursuit, were now in rapid chase of the
frightened stags. In vain his grooms exerted themselves to the utmost,
the terrified animals bounded away with the swiftness of lightning, and
entered Newmarket at full speed. They made immediately for the Ram Inn,
to which his lordship was in the habit of driving, and, having
fortunately entered the yard without any accident, the stable-keepers
huddled his lordship, the phaeton, and the deer into a large barn, just
in time to save them from the hounds, who came into the yard in full cry
a few seconds afterwards.
('Annals of Sporting', vol. iii. 1833.)]
[Footnote 25: The author of the 'Field Book' says that he saw an
extremely small pointer, whose length, from the tip of the nose to the
point of the tail, was only two feet and half an inch, the length of the
head being six inches, and round the chest one foot and three inches. He
was an exquisite miniature of the English pointer, being in all respects
similar to him, except in his size. His colour was white, with dark
liver-coloured patches on each side of the head, extending half down the
neck. The ears, with some patches on the back, were also of the same
colour, and numerous small dark-brown spots appeared over his whole body
and legs.
This beautiful little animal had an exquisite sense of smell. Some of
the same breed, and being the property of the Earl of Lauderdale, were
broken-in and made excellent pointers, although, from their minute size,
it could not be expected that they would be able to do much work. When
intent upon any object, the dog assumed the same attitude as other
pointers, holding up one of his feet.
('The Field Book', p. 399.)]
[Footnote 26: Another writer in the same volume gives also an
interesting account of the management of the setter.]
* * * * *
CHAPTER IV.
THE VARIETIES OF THE DOG.
THIRD DIVISION.
'The muzzle more or less shortened, the frontal sinus enlarged, and
the cranium elevated and diminished in capacity.'
At the head of this inferior or brutal division of dogs stands
THE BULL-DOG.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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