A BOOK OF DOGS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 65, 8 June 1927, Page 7

A BOOK OF DOGS

GREYHOUND'S POPULARITY SIX THOUSAND YEARS AGO "It has always been a mystery to me how the majestic Irish wolfhound and the tiny Yorkshire terrier can be one and the same variety of life!” writes the Duchess of Newcastle, in an introduction to Mr. Edward C. Ash's monumental book, "Dors: Their History and Development," publised by Ernest Benn. London. "Very little is known,' adds: the Duchess, "as to the origin of the various varieties, "but the work leaves no stone unturned to find solutions to these mysteries. “I have always looked on the greyhound family as the oldest type in dogs. Those two magnificent stone carvings sold at the dispersal of the Hope Collection, some years back, at Christie's, of Egyptian origin, dating, I believe, 4,000 8.C., portrayed the recumbent. rather over life-size figures of what would be typical greyhounds to-day, and this rather bears out my contention.” The Duchess bears testimony to the extraordinary value to breeders of Mr. Ash’s book, which, she declares, is “a classic on dogs.” The illustrations are not the least fascinating part of the two alluring volumes. There is a reproduction of a bas-relief from the tombs of Thebes, about 1450 8.C.. showing dogs of the greyhound and Saluki type, attacking game.