l; long ears, half
erect; long, sharp muzzle; black and fulvous in colour, often mingled
with brown and white, the Shepherd's Dog yields to none in fidelity and
sagacity. In his own peculiar calling, nothing can exceed his
vigilance, his quick comprehension, and his intimate knowledge of every
individual entrusted to his care. Rushing into the middle of his flock,
he singles out any one member of it, and brings it to his master. Fierce
in the defence of all, he keeps them together by incessantly prowling
round them, dragging the wanderers back to their companions, and
fiercely attacking those who would offer them an injury. At night he
guides them to their fold; and if this should be in an exposed
situation, he throws himself across the entrance, so that the intruding
enemy will have to pass over his body to commence his work of
destruction.

A ludicrous instance of the promptitude with which he punishes
offenders, is related by Colonel Smith, in the following manner:--"We
have witnessed the care they take of their charge, and with what
readiness they chastise those that molest them, in the case of a cur
biting a sheep in the rear of the flock, and unseen by the shepherd.
This assault was committed by a tailor's dog, but not unmarked by the
other, who immediately seized him, and dragging the delinquent into a
puddle, while holding his ear, kept dabbling him in the mud with
exemplary gravity; the cur yelled, the tailor came slipshod with his
goose to the rescue, and having flung it at the sheep-dog, and missed
him, stood by gaping, not venturing to fetch it back until the
castigation was over and the dog had followed the flock."

[Illustration: THE SHEPHERD'S DOG AND CUR.--Page 102.]

As a proof of the comprehension of the shepherd's dog, I quote the
description of Mr. St. John, in his "Highland Sports:"--"A shepherd
once, to prove the quickness of his dog, who was lying before the fire
in the house where we were talking, said to me, in the middle of a
sentence concerning something else, 'I'm thinking, Sir, the cow is in
the potatoes.' Though he purposely laid no stress on these words, and
said them in a quiet, unconcerned tone of voice, the dog, who appeared
to be asleep, immediately jumped up, and leaping through the open
window, scrambled up the turf roof of the house, from which he could see
the potato field. He then (not seeing the cow there) ran and looked into
the byre [farm-yard], where she was, and finding th