158 Modern Dogs. 



by judicious crossing with hounds and terriers, otter 

 hounds most likely. A few couple of the latter 

 and of cross-bred hounds had always been kept in 

 Yorkshire, where they were used for mart hunting, 

 once a most favourite pastime with north country 

 sportsmen, and the above crossed with some 

 ordinary dark-coloured, wire-haired terriers could 

 very easily bring about such a dog as the Airedale 

 terrier is now. 



Of late years he has been most carefully bred, the 

 over-sized ears have almost entirely disappeared, 

 and in their place is a neat, drop ear quite in keep- 

 ing with the character of the dog and the work 

 he has to do, and there are few varieties of the 

 terrier that have made greater progress in popularity 

 than the one of which I write Personally, I have 

 been astonished at the number of Airedale terriers 

 I have seen in the south of England and in the 

 suburbs of the metropolis; after the fox terrier, who 

 comes first in numbers, he certainly appears to divide 

 favouritism with the Irish terrier. This is, perhaps, 

 because he is a sensible sort of dog, and too big for 

 the dog stealer to pick up and hide away in the 

 pockets of his greatcoat. Then he is not without 

 his admirers in America and on the Continent, and 

 is a special favourite in Holland and in various 

 parts of Germany. 



