The English White Terrier. 61 



have heard, when living in the north, that at least 

 one of the very best bitches of the early time, and 

 from which many of the best were descended, was 

 " stone deaf." No doubt this is the dog Mr. 

 Roocroft alluded to in Vero Shaw's " Book of the 

 Dog" as being one of the best he ever saw, and 

 which preceded the favourite Tim. 



For show purposes, which means when it is 

 required to place the animal before the judges to 

 the best advantage, it is usual to cut off the 

 whiskers, to singe or clip the under part of the tail 

 where it might be clad with coarse hair, and to cut 

 or shave what in the " fancy " are considered super- 

 fluous hairs from the ears. Indeed, the latter is 

 done to such an extent, and evidently acknowledged 

 as being quite honest and straightforward, that at 

 the autumn show of the Kennel Club in 1893 I 

 saw an exhibitor clipping hairs from the ears of a 

 white terrier whilst on its bench, in full view of 

 the company present ; and strangely enough this 

 public " faking " did not appear to attract any 

 attention. 



During 1893 some attention was drawn to the 

 decadence and seeming neglect of the breed, and it 

 was almost sad to see one of its admirers, and the 

 owner of specially good specimens, writing pretty 

 much in the same strain as I have done as to the 



