THE ITALIAN GREYHOUND 53 



In shape, he should as nearly as possible resemble the English 

 greyhound, as described elsewhere. The nose is not usually 

 80 long in proportion, and tlie head is fuller both in width and 

 depth. The eyes, also, are somewhat larger, being soft and full 

 The tail should be small in bone, and free from hair. It is scarcely 

 so long as that of the English greyhound, bearing in mind the 

 difference of size. It usually bends with a gentle sweep upwards, 

 but should never turn round in a corkscrew form. 



The color most prized is a golden fawn. The dove-colored 

 fawn comes next; then the cream color, and the blue fawn, or 

 fawn with blue muzzle, the black-muzzled fawn, the black- 

 muzzled red, the plain red, the yellow, the cream-colored, and the 

 black ; the white, the blue, the white and fawn, and the white and 

 red. Whenever the dog is of a whole color, there should be no 

 white whatever on the toes, legs, or tail ; and even a star on the 

 breast is considered a defect, though not so great as on the feet. 



The size most prized is when the specified weight is about six or 

 eight pounds ; but dogs of this weight have seldom perfect sym- 

 metry, and one with good shape and color, of eight pounds, is to 

 be preferred to a smaller dog of less perfect symmetry. Beyond 

 twelve pounds the dog is scarcely to be considered a pure Italian, 

 though sometimes exceptions occur, and a puppy of pure blood, 

 with a sire and dam of small size, may grow to such a weight as 

 sixteen pounds. 



I have never yet seen an Italian greyhound more nearly ap- 

 proaching perfection than Mr. Pirn's Bismark, a considerable 

 prize-winner at Bristol and in Ireland, although he has recently 

 been twice unnoticed, beyond a high commendation at Birming- 

 ham and the Alexandra Park Shows. These defeats were, how-= 

 ever, maiiily owing to the excellence of the bitches amongst 

 which he was classed ; for at Birmingham there were four of that 

 sex only a trifle behind the celebrated Molly in shape and color, 

 while at the Alexandra Park there were nearly as many. Bis- 

 mark is, nevertheless, a very neat dog, and, barring his round 

 head and his color, which has a shade of blue in the fawn, he is 

 rery little behind the first-class bitches of his day. His pedi^ee 



