The Maltese Terrier. 



43* 



little dog is a Skye terrier in miniature," and I should think most 

 admirers of the breed will agree with me that comparison to a bulldog 

 would have been quite as near the mark as comparison to a spaniel. 



By what system of selection these dogs have been brought to their 

 present form I cannot say, although it is not difficult to imagine several 

 ways of arriving at the end which has been gained. I, however, accept 

 the dog as he is, and call him a Maltese terrier, quite certain that at 

 least he has as good a right to be called terrier as Maltese. 



Among the earliest and most successful of exhibitors of this variety 

 stands Mr. R. Mandeville, who for a considerable time held undisputed 

 sway. I believe Mr. Mandeville still breeds a few, but rarely exhibits. 

 The last time his Fido competed was at the Crystal Palace Show, 1878, 

 when I, acting as judge, placed him second to Lady Giffard's Hugh, and 

 before Lord Clyde, a decision which Mr. Mandeville expressly endorsed. 



Hugh and Lord Clyde are brothers, being out of Madge by Man- 

 deville's Fido, and their sire, Prince, is by his Old Fido ; and, indeed, 

 all the Maltese terriers of any note that are shown are more or less 

 purely of Mandeville' s strain. 



Breeders of this variety are few in number. At the present time, Mr. 

 J. Jacobs, Maltese Cottage, Headington Quarry, Oxon, is, I think, the 

 principal one ; whilst on the show bench Lady Giffard's exquisite little 

 pets Hugh, Lord Clyde, Bob Eoy, Pixie, Mopsey III., &c., are each 

 more charming than the other, and prove invincible wherever they are 

 shown. 



The general appearance of these dogs depends much on how their toilet 

 has been attended to. In show form they are little animated, heaps of 

 pure white glistening silk. The long straight hair falls evenly all over 

 the body, on the head it is so long that it quite covers the whole face, 

 but it is kept parted down the centre and brushed aside, to show the 

 long Dundreary whiskers and moustache, with the bright black peery 

 eyes shining like diamonds, and almost outdoing the jet-like nose in 

 depth of colour. The head, face, and muzzle, if carefully examined, 

 will be seen to show more terrier than spaniel character, and the ears, 

 though small, should fall, and are well covered with long, soft, straight 

 hair, which falls almost to the ground. 



Although the coat hides the shape of body, enough is seen to show 

 the dog is short backed, and the carriage of tail adds to this appearance. 



