Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-01-03
Grand Canine Exhibition-An English DOG.
Show,

And the Prince of the Gipsies is swinging on high.
Grand Canine Exhibition-An English DOG.
Show.
The famous Birmingham Cattle and Poul-
try Show is now open, and the collection is
declared to equal in most respects the exhi-
bitions of previous years. There is, how
ever, one notable novelty-an exhibition of
sporting and other dogs. This feature of
the show is thus described by the London
Times:
Under the presidency of Lord Curzen and
the management of an influential commit
tee, prizes of large amounts are competed
for by some 300 dogs, in the horse repOsi-
tory of Messrs. Bretherton & Harrison, No
such complete classification has ever been
attempted before. Viewing the strange di-
versities in form, capability and disposition
of the dogs in this whining, growing and
barking menagerie, we can scarcely admit
the doctrine that the animals are merely
varieties of one species, and that all have
been developed by differences of food, cir
cumstances and training from single ori-
ginal pair; or, as some say, are collectively
q tanned derivation from the lean and saw
age wolf. In this gathering of all descrip-
tion of hounds, for instance what extraor-
dinary differences are observable in the ma
Iure anu use oil the SeNeral breeds.
Whatever of swiftness in pursuit of nim-
bic game, of miraculous keenness of scent
for hidden or flying enemy, of untiring
patience of search, of 1.-the agility or en-
during speed, may be required for hunting
over the open field, across the deep food in
3 the burrowed intrenchment or the recesses
Of the rock-in short, whatever excellencies
and peculiar instincts are valuable in the
mighty, hounds that chase the antlered deer I;
in the keen. swift and sturdy hound that
seeks the willy fox; in the SLENDER facie
Greyhound, all elegance and ease, in rapid
flight and leap; in the shaggy, halfamphib-
= ious otter hound; in the terrible blood
hound, with his pendant lip; in the clever
pointer and careful retriever-all are illus
trated by perfect and unusually fine exam
pies among numbers of the highest supe-
riority of breed. The blood-hounds form
very grand class, to which the Earl of Bagot
contributes the most magnificent specimens,
remarkable for their character of head and
expression
The fox-hounds would have been larger
class at any other season of the year. The
Viscount Curzon and Earl Grosvenor are
the prize winners. Harriers and beages are
but few. The large, rough coated deer.
hounds make fine show, each a seeming
original of Landseer picture. There are
some specially fine gray-hounds. The large
pointers are the principal class, most of them
of great merit; and the small pointers, es-
Decially the bitch class, still more extraordi-
Dary-the Hon. H. w. Powers, Dir. ]. s.
SOresby, Mr.. II. Gilbert, the Earl of Derby
and the Earl of Lichfeld carrying off prizes
The English settlers are highly thought Of
The Irish settlers are not so grand as class,
though the prize dogs are very fine. Some
settlers and spaDiels, shown by Mr.. Burdett,
are considered unequal. The ret levers are
exceedingly good, Mr.. Brailsford and Lord
A. Raget winning the prizes. There is a good
class of Clumber spapiels used for cover
shooting. Mr.. Boales and Earl Spencer eI-
hibit the most meritorious. The two Ger
man boar, hounds were much admired for
their strength and handsome appearance.
Turning to the other division of the show,
we have the majesty of the massively framed
mastif ferocious as tiger to strangers, sa-
gacious "as a Christian" in detecting thiev-
cry and chicane, gentle as a lamb to the
band that feeds and loves him 4; and we have
the weedy, slim Italian greyhound, in form
suffering from internal and external structure,
yet all grace and tenderness; shiVeriug at
the end Of riband OF a watch. chain, and in
capable of stronger field exercise than the
hunting Of a guinea-pig. There is the no.
bility Of the powerful Newfoundland, with
his colossal paw-humane savior of wrecked
mariners from the swallowing wave and
IuC4S 10 luC duAlC-lONluB Loy~ttTIl6T, TlulCu~
lous for its littleness, delighting to be ca
resed upon his lady's knee. There is the
chick, iron -jawed bulldog, with his stealthy
spring and unrelenting gripe, fierce un-
finchiDg 10 the death; and there is the tiny
spaniel, which loves 10 be nursed and
handled, or peeps timidly out Of the shelter
of his misiresss muif.
There is the active black and tan terrier,
sworn enemy of all four footed yermin; and
there is The lazy curly King Charles, in an
ungaiuly state Of plethora of good living,
able TO WAddle after a comely dame or repose
upon her handsome hesrth.rug.
There is the homespun, plain, intelligent
sheep-dog and there are the grotesque,
negro featured pug, and the Skye terrier,
1.-THE like ferret, and shaggy beyond recog-
superb class; the black Newfoundland equally
good; the bulldogs repulsve yet interest
ing from the very eXtravagance of sullen
saysgeness and latent brutality in their ex-
preston, and for their well.known pluck
and prize.ring qualities. Sheep dogs are
fairly represented the terriers attractive
and maintaining the credit OF their order.
One trough customer" of Scotch terrier is
indeed marvel; he is said TO weigh less
than three pounds yet he is over two years
old, and day oT-two ago killed fierce big
rat and his selling price is fifty guineas.
One inimltably ugly pug, that as a lapdog
would by contrast give charms TO gofgoa,
is priced at thousand guineas. The Italian
greybounds and diminutive toy-terriers OF
course attract most attentiOa from the fair
visitors. The alpine mastitfs, St Bernard
dogs, sn awtplly rough Russian terrier, the
Tare Maltese lion dogs, aud Esquimaux fox
dogs, are also a source Of great interest.