THE COMMON GREYHOljND. 2/5 



an inseparable companion — ^the very apple of their eyes ; they feed him 

 carefully, and bestow as much care on the purity of his race as on that 

 of their horses. An Arab will go any distance to get a good mate for 

 his dog, and the whelps are attended to affectionately ; in fact, General 

 Daumas says the women sometimes suckle them. When he is broken in, 

 he passes the day by his master's side and the night in his bed ; he is 

 clothed to protect him from the cold, and is adorned with rich collars 

 hung with amulets to keep off the "evil eye." When the dog dies the 

 women and children lament him like a member of the family ; often, 

 indeed, he has been the main support of the family. A dog that can run 

 down a gazelle is valued at the price of a camel ; one that can capture a 

 larger antelope is as valuable as a good horse. 



THE COMMON GREYHOUND. 



It is hardly possible to conceive an animal which is more entirely 

 formed for speed and endurance than a well-bred Greyhound. Its long 

 slender legs, with their whipcord-like muscles, denote extreme length 

 of stride and rapidity of movement ; its deep, broad chest, affording 

 plenty of space for the play of large lungs, shows that it is capable of 

 long-continued exertion ; while its sharply-pointed nose, snake-like neck, 

 and slender, tapering tail are so formed as to afford the least possible 

 resistance to the air, through which the creature passes with such ex- 

 ceeding speed. 



In England great attention has for years been paid to the breeding 

 and training of the Greyhound, where it is used for coursing the hare, 

 chiefly in matches. 



In actual speed the Greyhound far surpasses the hare, so that, if the 

 frightened chase were to run in a straight line, she would be soon snapped 

 up by the swifter hounds. But the hare is a much smaller and lighter 

 an'mal than her pursuer, and, being furnished with very short forelegs, 

 is enabled to turn at an angle to her course without a check, while the 

 heavier and longer-limbed Greyhounds are carried far beyond their prey 

 by their own impetus, before they can alter their course and again make 

 after the hare. On this principle the whole of coursing depends ; the 

 hare making short, quick turns, and the Greyhounds making a large 

 circuit every time that the hare changes her line. The sport is con- 

 ducted in this wise : A couple of dogs are held in what is called a pair 



