DOMESTIC DOGS 



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than in the English greyhound ; while the eyes are proportionately larger and 

 softer. There are several colors, among which a golden fawn is the most 

 valued ; next to this coines a dove-colored fawn, after which come cream color and 

 the so-called blue fawn. There are also black, red, yellow, white, and parti-colored 

 varieties, several of which depend for their value upon the color of the muzzle. In 

 the uniformly-colored varieties there should not be a single spot of white. 



The Scotch deerhound, or rough greyhound, is larger and heavier 

 than the English greyhound, frequently standing as high as twenty- 

 eight inches at the shoulder, while its weight may exceed eighty pounds, whereas 

 that of the English greyhound is seldom above sixty-five pounds. The body is 

 clothed with a rough and rather shaggy coat of hair, the texture of which varies in 

 different breeds, being sometimes as stiff as in the wire-haired terriers, while in 

 other cases it is of a more silky and woolly nature. The legs should be devoid of a 

 fringe of hair ; while the tail should likewise be comparatively smooth. The favor- 

 ite colors in the Scotch deerhound are dark, slaty gray, fawn, grizzled, or brindled. 

 White should be absent, although a small spct on the forehead is not objected to. 

 When the fawn-colored variety has the ears tipped with brown it is considered per- 

 fect. The Scotch deerhound used to be employed both for deerstalking and for 

 coursing, and this different use has given rise to various strains of the breed. 



The ancient wolf-dogs of Ireland formerly enjoyed a reputation for 

 great power and strength and their prowess against wolves. The 

 original breed, or rather breeds, appear, however, to have completely 

 died out, and we are thus acquainted with these animals mainly by tradition and 

 history, although attempts have been made to reproduce them. It appears that 

 there were formerly in Ireland two races of wolf-dogs, one of which was a grey- 

 hound and the other a mastiff, somewhat resembling the great Dane ; and it is 

 shown from an old figure that there was also a cross breed between the greyhound 

 and the mastiff-like dog, in which, however, the characteristics of the latter pre- 

 dominated. Skulls of these dogs have been discovered in various parts of Ireland, 

 which indicate animals of great size and power. Some of these, belonging to the 

 mastiff -like breed, are considerably larger than the skull of a German boarhound, 

 which stood thirty-two and one-half inches at the shoulder. 



In Eastern Europe and Western Asia there are several well-marked 

 breeds of long-haired greyhounds or deerhounds differing more or less 

 markedly from one another, of which the Grecian, Persian, and Rus- 

 sian are the best known. The Grecian greyhound, which is used for coursing hares 

 and can run either by scent or by sight, differs from the English greyhound by its 

 completely pendent ears, the moderately long and silky hair clothing the body and 

 the thickly-haired setter-like tail. The Albanian greyhound is a somewhat 

 heavily-built animal, with finer hair on the body and longer and coarser hair on the 

 tail. The Persians have long been celebrated for the excellence of their greyhounds, 

 which, although less fleet than the English breed, are used in relays for coursing ga- 

 zelles, in which they are aided by falcons. They are likewise employed in hunting the 

 wild ass. The Persian greyhound differs from the Grecian in having the ears fringed 

 with long hair, in its more hairy nose, and also in the greater development of the fringe 



