64 The Fox Terrier. 



terriers Mr. Gibson has owned. The last named, who was 

 purchased by Mr. F. Burbidge, requires something more 

 than a passing notice, for there are many persons at the 

 present day who considered her, when living, as the best 

 of her race, and now, when dead, believe her equal has not 

 yet been seen. Dorcas, born in 1873, was at the height 

 of her successful show career, two years later, a bitch 

 about i61b in weight, with one side of her face black and 

 tan, body white, with one spot on it. She possessed one 

 of the best heads of the Foiler stamp, long and powerful, 

 well shaped on the skull, and quite terrier-like in muzzle, 

 her excellent expression being increased by her beautiful 

 eyes, sharp and sparkling, ever on the look-out for " rats." 

 She was not of the cobby stamp, though rather long in 

 back, bone not heavy, but apparently of excellent quality. 

 Dorcas' neck and shoulders were perfection, so were her 

 feet and fore legs, the latter as straight as they could be 

 made, still not stiff and stilty to the extent of giving a 

 narrowness in front and a deficiency of heart room, so 

 increasing a defect amongst the modern prize winners. 

 The ears of this bitch were nicely carried, neither too big 

 nor too little, and in the early portion of her career her 

 coat was hard, short, and close ; later, it became a little 

 soft. The hind quarters were not quite so neat as one 

 would like to have seen, arching a little too much and more 

 crooked at the stifles than is actually to be wished ; still, 

 all round, Dorcas was one of the very best fox terrier 

 bitches we ever saw, and as such fully deserving the 

 eulogiums bestowed upon her. Still, good bitch as she 

 was, Mr. W. Allison, in judging her by points in 1877, 

 placed her below Bloom, making the latter almost perfect 

 by giving her 96 out of a possible 100 ; Dorcas being 



