34 DOMESTICATED HUNTING-DOGS. 



muscle. The knee should be bony, and not bent too much back, 

 which is an element of weakness, though seldom to such an extent 

 as to be prejudicial to real utility. The leg, or bones below the 

 knee, should be of good size, the stopper (or upper pad) well 

 united to it, and firm in texture, and supported upon a foot of the 

 formation recommended under that head. 



The COLOURS commonly met with among high-bred greyhounds 

 are black, blue, red, fawn, brindled, and white, variously mixed. 

 There are also sometimes seen cream, yellow, brown, dun, and grey 

 dogs. When a plain colour is speckled with small white marks, 

 the dog is said to be ticked. The black, red, and fawn are the 

 most highly prized by most coursers, especially when the last two 

 have black muzzles. Some people are partial to blue dogs, of 

 which several good specimens have been met with, as may also be 

 said of the brindled colour, but, as before remarked, the general 

 opinion is in favour of black, red, and fawn. I believe that black, 

 red, and white may be considered as the primary colours, and that 

 the others arise out of their mixture in breeding. Thus a black 

 dog and a white bitch will produce either blacks, whites, black and 

 whites, blues, or greys ; while a red dog and white bitch will have 

 red, white, fawn, red and white, yellow, or cream puppies. Black 

 and red united together make the red with black muzzle or the 

 black brindle, while the blue and fawn give rise to the blue brindle ; 

 or sometimes we see the black or blue- tanned colour, as we meet 

 with commonly enough in the setter, spaniel, and terrier. Mr. 

 Thacker was of opinion, with some of the early writers on the 

 greyhound, that the brindle was a mark of the descent from the 



