THE ITALIAN GREYHOUND. 633 



graduating the prescription to the more delicately organ- 

 ized human being. The Italian should have, in formation, 

 the same points of excellence as the English Greyhound, 

 with little or no variation from the fixed standard; but the 

 special fanciers of this variety of the species allow consid- 

 erable margin in some few points, as in the form of the 

 head, the greater fullness of the eye often giving them that 

 "dish-faced" appearance that greatly detracts from the 

 beauty of a large Greyhound. 



Their tails are inclined to be shorter in proportion to 

 the size of the body, their ears larger, and much allowance 

 is made for the lack of muscle; but by judicious and careful 

 breeding these points can be wholly overcome, and a 

 specimen that will, in truth, be a miniature English Grey- 

 hound will reward the efforts of the fancier. 



However, in too many instances, instead of breeding to 

 produce a perfect Italian Greyhound, the money value only 

 has been considered, and little effort has been made in this 

 country to build up a reliable strain of this breed. My first 

 experience in trying to secure one of the Italians was so 

 unfortunate that it put a damper on my enthusiasm which 

 took some years to overcome. I sent to a breeder in one of 

 the Western States for a female, and after receiving several 

 very enthusiastic letters concluded to order one. When 

 the little creature came, to keep her company the party 

 sent along a changed dog weighing somewhere about twelve 

 pounds, on chance of my taking him too. 



I received them of the express company, paying, I remem- 

 ber, a rather long price for the immense box in which they 

 were shipped, took them home in the evening to the sub- 

 urbs of the city in which I then resided, opened the box with 

 all confidence that they would come to me to be fondled; 

 but what was my astonishment to find them as wild as a 

 coyote. They would scarcely come near the house, and for 

 two weeks were like wild dogs, staying in the woods and 

 fields at a good safe distance from any residence. 



They were finally captured in a large trap, by a neigh- 

 bor, after two days of careful watching, he being especially 



