THE ITALIAN GREYHOUND. 631 



and should the average Italian Greyhound be shown a hare, 

 a rat, or other vermin, he would undoubtedly show fear 

 rather than a desire to kill. 



Now and then one may be seen with courage enough to 

 stand for his rights, and may be so pugnacious as to dis- 

 pute your right of entrance to the house. Two good speci- 

 mens that have been under my observation for several 

 years will destroy the largest rat with all the skill and 

 eagerness of a Terrier, and I can see no reason why the 

 breed should not serve a useful purpose in this direction; 

 but it will require considerable care in breeding and train- 

 ing to overcome the natural timidity and extreme sensitive- 

 ness that they possess in such a marked degree. 



Those bred in England and in this country have only 

 been used as pets and lap-dogs, but in Italy they have been 

 put to more practical use, and there they show more cour- 

 age, gameness, and better staying qualities. 



Where the questionable sport of box- coursing with 

 small rabbits has been indulged in, the Italian Greyhound 

 has been crossed out with the Fox Terrier and the Bull 

 Terrier, with the object of increasing the speed of the Ter- 

 rier and adding to the gameness of the Italian. 



The cross produces a very useful little dog, with a strong 

 inclination toward the form of the Terrier, and such dogs 

 have been found useful in coursing hares. 



The Italian has also been crossed with the Black and Tan 

 Terrier, with a view to softening and refining the latter, and 

 the experiment has been attended with considerable suc- 

 cess, but it is necessary to breed back to the Terrier the 

 second time to fully establish the color and restore the 

 formation to the standard for that breed. 



I can see but little to be gained by outcrossing with the 

 English Greyhound, as only a small specimen of the Grey- 

 hound would be the result, and this would be neither orna- 

 mental nor useful, and there could scarcely be any gain in 

 either formation or disposition. 



But the position that they should occupy in the canine 

 world is that of a lap-dog or parlor pet. Here they are in 



