PERFORMING COLLIES-SOME CLEVER FEATS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2086, 15 February 1894, Page 35

PERFORMING COLLIES-SOME CLEVER FEATS.

Collie fanciers frequently claim for their favourities a capacity for being able to do " almost anything," and no doubt with some reason. The sagacity of the collie is beyond question ; bub for some cause or another it is very seldom that specimens of the breed are met with playing the part of performing dogs where such "resources of civilisation" are brought into play for the delectation of the public. That they are not as well adapted for shining so brightly in that capacity as they are in other directions cannot, however, be said of them in future, for the performances at present being given by a team of them afc fche Aquarium in London are of such a character as to stamp them "the performing dogs" par excellence. As the Field, in a description of their doings in these performances, tells us, it is seldom that ordinary collies are seen performing amongst the companies of poodles, terries, &c, which repeatedly appear on the stage. The troupe at present engaged at fche Aquarium consists of five collies, not rough, unkempt brutes, but handsome sable and white creatures, evidently highly bred from a modern point of view, nor would they disgrace the person who placed them on fche show bench. Indeed, so pretty do the dogs look fchafc immediately fche curtain is raised a murmur of approbation buzzes round the hall. "Professor" Duncan makes hjs bow J one dog leaps from his chair and walks on his hind legs very erect and very well. Others, also on their hind legs, jump over hurdles considerably higher fchan " stage dogs " are accustomed to ; some "on and off" leaping was creditably performed, followed by a mosfc difficult; feat undertaken by a dark sable and white dog, the handsomest of the lotshall we call him "King," for undoubtedly he is the leader of the company. This dog leaped on fco an iron bar evidently not more fchan 4in in circumference, springing from his hind legs alone, and balancing himself steadily on the bar, still on his hind feefc. A more difficult feat followed, in which the same creature in a similar manner leaped from the ground and balanced himself on fche topmost part of the back of an ordinary wooden chair. Before doing this clever feat satisfactorily, "King" failed two er three times, but came up, as it were, smiling, and made fresh attempts until he proved successful. Walking on rolling barrel*, both backwards and forwards, standing on their hind legs only, two or three of the dogs did exceedingly well, and 6ome pretty skipping rope feats followed. In the first instance, three of tho collies, erect on their hind legs and all at the same time, " skipped " with their teacher ; then they had some fun by themselves, the same three running in and out of the skipping rope, just; as a bevy of school girls are accustomed to do — one jump, and out afc the other side. This proved a neat accomplishment, so the "skipping lessons" were continued until the timo came for what the public evidently consider the crowning piece in the performance. A house is on fire at one end of the stage ; " King," the fireman's dog, comes through the wings pushing a fire escape in front of him. This is placed to the window of the burning building ; a lad in his nightdress, feigning great alarm, descends. The dog is told a life is still to be saved ; it ascends the escape* disappears through the window, and soon reappears, bearing a dummy baby in its mbuth (the neighbouring magistrate refused to allow .a living infant to be used for the purpose), with which ifc descends, depositing the "infant" safely on the ground. The "rescuer" then falls down apparently dead— suffocated, no doubt. The "infant" istakenoff the stage, "King "is placed upon a stretcher, an ambulance is brought in by another dog, a canine mourner appears, and as the " dead march 't is played by the orchestra, the fireman's dog is wheeled off the stage, and fche curtain falls. That the large audience thoroughly appreciated the cleverness of the collies was apparent by the enthusiasm with which they called for King and Professor Duncan, who had to make more than two or three appearances in front of the curtain. One of the charms of the performance was the thoroughly free and willing manner with which the various feats were accomplished, and not one of them pleased us more than that in which the leading dog failed at the first attempt, and "tried, tried, tried again," just as a human being would do, until he was safely balanced on the back of the chair.