The Dog by Youatt, William, 1776-1847

A westerly wind stands next to a southerly one, for a hunting morning. This is all simple enough, and needs not the mystification with which it has been surrounded. A valuable account of this may be found in Johnson's Shooting Companion, a work that is justly and highly approved.

Mr. Delme Radcliffe has also, in his splendid work on "the noble science," some interesting remarks on the scent of hounds. He says that there is an idiosyncracy, a peculiarity, in their several dispositions. Some young hounds seem to enter on their work instinctively. From their first to their last appearance in the field they do no wrong. Others, equally good, will take no notice of anything; they will not stoop to any scent during the first season, and are still slack at entering even at the second; but are ultimately distinguished at the head of the pack; and such usually last some seasons longer than the more precocious of the same litter.

THE TONGUE.

The manner of drinking is different in the different animals. The horse, the ox, and the sheep do not plunge their muzzles into the water, but bring their lips into contact with it and sip it gradually. The dog, whose tongue is longer, plunges it a little way into the fluid, and, curving its tip and its edges, laps, in the language of Johnson, with a "quick reciprocation of the tongue." The horse sucks the water that is placed before him, the dog laps it; and both of them are subject to inflammation of the tongue, to enlargement of that organ, and to a considerable or constant flow of saliva over it.

Extending from the base to the tip of the tongue there is on either side a succession of tendons, which help to retain the tongue in the mouth, and to curve the edge of it, so as to convey the food or the water to the posterior part of the mouth. These all spring from one central cord, and ramify over the membrane of the tongue. On opening the mouth, and keeping it open by means of two pieces of tape, one behind the upper canine teeth, and the other behind the lower ones, and drawing the tongue from the mouth and exposing its under surface, a cuticular fold or ridge will present itself, occupying a middle line from the base of the tongue to its very point. If this is opened with a lancet, a minute fibrous cord will be exposed through its whole extent. It is the cord which governs the motions of the tongue.

This cord is, sometimes, foolishly and uselessly detached from its adhesions, so far as we can effect it, and drawn forward with a tenaculum and divided. There is one abominable course pursued in effecting this. The violence used in stripping down the tendon is so great, and the lacerated fibrous substance is put so much on the stress, and its natural elasticity is so considerable, that it recoils and assumes the appearance of a dying worm, and the dog is said to have been wormed. For the sake of humanity, as well as to avoid the charge of ignorance, it is to be hoped that this practice will speedily cease.

THE BLAIN.