The Greyhound. 23 



strikingly bright. The best look fiery and flash like lightning, resembling 

 those of leopards, lions, or lynxes." Markham says, "a full clear eye, 

 with long eyelids." The latter pecularity I have never observed, probably 

 from want of a close attention to the point ; but the clear, bright, and 

 fiery eye is always a necessity, although, of course, the condition of the 

 dog and the circumstances under which he is seen must be considered in 

 judging of it ; the colour varies with that of the coat, as in all breeds. 



Of the ears Arrian writes, "they should be large and soft, so as to 

 appear broken ; but it is no bad indication if they appear erect, provided 

 they are not small and stiff." This description would not be accepted as 

 satisfactory now ; ears are preferred small, and free from all coarseness ; 

 neither does Markham' s "a sharp ear, short, and close-falling," quite 

 convey the modern idea of a greyhound's ear; it should be soft, fine in 

 leather, and folded with the shoulder of the ear, strong enough to carry 

 the whole up when the dog is excited or his attention fixed. 



The neck is the next point, and it is one of very great importance ; it 

 must belong, strong, well clothed with muscle; yet withal light, airy, and 

 possessing wonderful flexibility and suppleness. Arrian says, " The neck 

 should be long, round, and flexible, so that if you forcibly draw the dogs 

 backwards by their collars it may seem to be broken, from its flexibility 

 and softness." The neck is certainly wonderfully pliant, and readily 

 bent to either side at will. Our royal writer says, " The neck should be 

 grete and longe, and bowed as a swanne's neck;" Markham, "a long 

 neck, a little bending, with a loose hanging wezand." The last point is 

 not correct, and might convey the idea that there was a looseness of skin 

 underneath ; the windpipe, although easily felt, does not hang loose, 

 the whole neck being neat, round, clean made, and elegantly carried. A 

 long neck, as well as long head, are necessary to enable the dog to pick 

 up, carry, or bear the hare without stopping, which he will do, throwing 

 his head up with the hare in his mouth ; but a dog with a short neck 

 would have to stoop so in catching his hare that there would be every 

 chance of his coming a "cropper," the force at which he was going 

 throwing him heels over head. 



Continuing from the neck we have the broad, square, beam-like back 

 of good length and great strength ; without this the dog could not endure 

 the exhaustive process of the "pumpers" he is submitted to. The 

 chest, too, must be deep and fairly wide. Arrian says, ' Broad chests 



