Varieties of the Dog. 27 



in most cases, also, there is a knee close to the ground, 

 and thus the fore and hind quarters agree in formation, 

 and will assuredly act together. When these points are 

 combined, they make a perfect fore-quarter, and only 

 want a strong useful foot, with a thick horny sole, to com- 

 plete the requisites. As with the hind foot, so with this : 

 [ am not fond of the very upright, small, and round foot ; 

 such feet are always drawing their nails, though tli^y are 

 certainly well suited for fine turf ; but on fallows, or rough 

 ground of any kind, the strong and moderately flat foot 

 is the more useful kind. The knuckles ought to be strong 

 and well up, but the dog should not be too much on his 

 toes ; a spreading foot, however, with a thin sole devoid 

 of horn, will never stand work, and should on that account 

 be avoided. 



The colour is one of those points in the greyhound 

 which has been most disputed by different judges of his 

 merits ; one party considering it of the greatest impor- 

 tance, while the other decides that '^ a good dog, like a 

 good horse, cannot be of a bad colour." With most 

 people there is more or less of prejudice in this matter, 

 and I am not perhaps exempt from this failing, when I 

 own my leaning is to blacks and reds. This leaning, 

 however, is not entirely guided by the eye, because it will 

 be found that a large proportion of the winners in The 

 Coursing Calendar are of one or other of those colours. 

 Indeed, my belief is, that all the colours exhibited by the 

 greyhound are to be traced to them, and that when united 

 with white (the result of domestication) they will produce 

 an/ of the many other shades which appear in the lists. 

 Thus, by ringing the changes of black, red, and white, every 

 shade will be produced, as shown in the following table :— 

 The Mixture of Result. 



Black and red, No. i ... ... Red, with black muzzle, 



Do. Xo. 2 ... ... Red-brindle. 



Do. No. 3 Black and tan. 



Black and white ... Blue. 



Red and white ... ... ... Fawn or cream. 



Black, red, and white, No. I ... Blue-fawn. 

 Do. do. No. 2 ... Fawn-brindle. 



Do. do. No, '\ ... Blue-brindle. 



