CHAPTER XIII. 

 THE SKYE TERRIER. 



THE question which is now agitating those who are 

 most concerned in the welfare and well-being of the 

 Skye terrier is a peculiar one. " What is it? Is it 

 to be a toy or a sporting dog ? " is the question for 

 discussion, and, as usual where a controversy is con- 

 cerned, there are at least two parties who seemingly 

 hold different opinions. 



We all know that of late years at any rate, the 

 Skye terrier has been produced to such perfection, 

 so far as length of coat is concerned, that it would 

 be actually impossible for him to perform the proper 

 duties of a terrier. Then, too, the coat is soft, not 

 so hard and wiry as it ought to be, and, of course, 

 more suitable for carrying wet and dirt than for 

 getting rid of it. Strangely, there are modern 

 writers who have identified the description of the 

 " Iseland" dogges mentioned by Caius as identical 

 with the Skye terrier. I am pretty well certain that 

 the hardy, warlike, matter-of-fact Scots who lived 



