The Skye Terrier. 345 



grown fox and kill him. Some of the Camusennaries have been known 

 to enter a pool of water three feet deep, enter a crevice below the water, 

 and bolt an otter. 



" The next letter is from a captain, late of the 42nd Highlanders, 

 residing in the Island of Mull : * Sir, Mr. G. (Knoch) has asked me to 

 give you some information regarding a breed of Skye terriers kept by 

 the late Col. Campbell, of Knoch. I remember them when I was a boy, 

 now many years ago. They were generally of a dark grey colour, some 

 quite black when young, but used to turn blue and grey when some 

 two or three years old. There were also among his terriers some 

 reddish-brown, with dark muzzles ; both colours equally good at all 

 sorts of vermin. They were kept purposely for otter-hunting, and no 

 dogs could beat them at that sport. Their coats were short, thick, and 

 wiry no silky brutes among them ; they were short-legged, and pretty 

 long in the body, but not much out of proportion ; small, sunken eyes, 

 with very thick eyebrows; the ears were small, but not erect; their 

 tails were carried by them pretty high, with a slight curve. To the 

 best of my belief there is not one of the breed in Mull. A friend of 

 mine, a Capt. M'Donald, of Waternish, Skye, is one of the best 

 authorities on what a real Skye ought to be in all the highlands. 

 Should you apply to him, I am sure he would be glad to give all 

 information on the subject.' 



" I shall now give another quotation from the letter of another gallant 

 officer, residing in Skye, who used to keep a pack of these game little 

 dogs : " Sir, I have always heard that the long-haired fancy terriers 

 were the result of a cross from some Eussian poodles, and not by any 

 means native. Your description of what I have and hold to be the real 

 original Skye working terrier is as near as possible correct. I had them 

 from dogs bred by Capt. Martin M'Leod, Gesto ; Donald M'Askill, Ehue- 

 dunner; Donald M'Leod, Esq., Kingsburgh ; John M'Norman, Esq., 

 Pyleahin. Pure, they are very scarce and rare, of late years have been 

 much crossed, and, in some instances, were spoilt by in-and-in breeding ; 

 but the chief reason has been the demand by visitors for anything in 

 the wool. I have only one dog alive now, as for many years I have 

 given up keeping a pack. I liked them, and those I gave them to had 

 the same value for them, as ' very cool hands,' once well entered. They 

 are perfect for otters and foxes, never ' giving a cheep ' till in grip 



