HYDROPHOBIA. 311 
he is forced to return again to earth he mistrusts his fore-limbs, and alights upon his 
hinder feet, making one or two small leaps upon those members before he ventures to 
place his fore-feet on the ground. When he is accompanying his master in the fields, 
and comes to a gate or a gap in a wall, he dares not leap through the aperture, as most 
Dogs would do, but hops up, and then down again, upon his hind-feet alone. 
The real Bull-terrier of the first cross is a marvellously brave animal, falling but 
little short in courage from his bull-dog ancestor, and very far exceeding that animal in 
agility and intellec tual quickness. Fear seems to make no part of a good Bull-terrier’s 
character ; and he dashes with brilliant audacity at any foe which his master may indicate 
to him, or which he thinks he ought to attack without orders. Mr. Andersson, in his 
valuable work entitled “Lake Neami,” gives an account of the courage and sagacity of 
one of these animals which accompanied him in his travels through South-western Africa. 
He had wounded a rhinoceros, which ran a few hundred yards, and then came to a stand. 
“At break of day my men went on his trail. He had still strength enough to make a 
dash at them; and would probably have laid hold of some of them, neal not a small bitch 
(half Terrier and half bull-dog, called Venus, in derision of her ugliness) caught the enraged 
animal by the lower lip, w here she stuck with such te nacity that the rhinoceros, with all 
his fury, was unable to shake her off. She only relinquished her hold when her huge 
antagonist was fairly laid prostrate by a ball. 
But the sagacity of this favourite Dog was as great as her courage. Being now ina 
game country, all sorts of beasts of prey abounded, more especially jackals, which might be 
seen running about by dozens. In order not to frighten the elephants, and other large 
animals, we were in the habit of encamping some little way from the water, to which Miss 
Venus regularly resorted to bathe and drink. On perceiving a jackal she instantly 
crouched, looking very timid. Reynard, mistaking her posture for an indication of fear, 
and probably thinking that from her diminutive size she would prove an easy conquest, 
boldly approached his supposed victim. But he had reckoned without his host, for the 
instant that the cunning Dog found her antagonist sufficiently near, she leaped like a cat 
at his throat, and, once ‘there, the beast had no chance. 
She then returned to camp, where her contented looks and bleeding jaws soon 
attracted the attention of the men, who immediately went on her track and brought the 
jackal, who was valued on account of his fur.” 
The quaint-looking SkyE Terrier has of late years been much affected by all classes 
of Dog-owners, and for many reasons deserves the popularity which it has obtained. 
When of pure breed the legs are very short, and the body extremely long in propor- 
tion to the length of limb ; the neck is powerfully made, but of considerable ‘length, and 
the head is also rather elongated, so that the total length of the animal is three times 
as great as its height. The “dew-claws” are wanting in this variety of domestic Dog. 
The hair is long and straight, falling heavily over the body and limbs, and hanging so 
thickly upon the face that the eyes and nose are hardly perceptible under their luxuriant 
covering. The quality of the hair is rather harsh and w iry in the pure- -bred Skye Terrier ; 
for the “silky texture of the generality of “toy” Skyes is obtained by a cross with the 
spaniel. It is easy to detect the presence of this cross by the scanty appearance of the 
hair on the face. 
The size of this animal is rather small, but it ought not to imitate the minute 
proportions of many “toy” Dogs, Its weight ought to range from ten to seventeen or 
eighteen pounds. Even amongst these animals there are at least two distinct breeds, while 
some Dog-fanciers establish a ‘third. 
It is an amusing and clever Dog, and admirably adapted for the companionship of 
mankind, being faithful and affectionate in disposition, and as brave as any of its congeners, 
except that epitome of courage, the bull- dog. Sometimes, though not frequently, it is 
employed for sporting purposes, and is said to pursue that avocation with great credit. 
A uistory, however short, of the Dogs would be incomplete without some reference 
to that terrible disease called “ Hydrophobia,” which at times arises among the canine 
