THE DEERHOUND 91 



h'indlegs should be well bent at the stifle, with great 

 length from the hip to the hock, which should be 

 broad and flat. Cow hocks, weak pasterns, straight 

 stifles, and splay feet are very bad faults. 



COAT. The hair on the body, neck, and quarters, 

 should be harsh and wiry, and about three or four 

 inches long ; that on the head, breast, and belly is 

 much softer. There should be a slight hairy fringe 

 on the inside of the fore and hind legs, but nothing 

 approaching to the feathering of a collie. The Deer- 

 hound should be a shaggy dog, but not over-coated. 

 A woolly coat is bad. Some good strains have a 

 slight mixture of silky coat with the hard, which 

 is preferable to a woolly coat, but the proper cover- 

 ing is a thick, close -lying, ragged coat, harsh or 

 crisp to the touch. 



COLOUR. Colour is much a matter of fancy ; but 

 there is no manner of doubt that the dark blue- 

 grey is the most preferred. Next come the darker 

 and lighter greys or brindles, the darkest being 

 generally preferred. Yellow and sandy-red or red- 

 fawn, especially with black points i.e., ears and 

 muzzle are also in equal estimation, this being the 

 colour of the oldest known strains, the McNeil and 

 the Chesthill Menzies. White is condemned by all 

 the old authorities, but a white chest and white toes, 

 occurring as they do in a great many of the darkest 

 coloured dogs, are not so greatly objected to, but 

 the less the better, as the Deerhound is a self- 

 coloured dog. A white blaze on the head or a 

 white collar should entirely disqualify. In other 

 cases, though passable, yet an attempt should be 

 made to get rid of white markings. The less white 

 the better, but a slight white tip to the stern occurs 

 in the best strains. 



