212 Modern Dogs. 



it seems strange that they do not possess more staying powers 

 than they are generally accredited with. The head is very 

 beautiful, being nearly smooth, and with immense length and 

 strength of jaws, armed with teeth which make one feel glad 

 to meet the Borzoi as a friend. The eyes are bright and wild, and 

 have the peculiarity of varying in colour with the colour of the 

 dog. Thus, a white dog marked, with lemon eyes ; a mouse- 

 coloured, eyes of the same tinge, and so on. 



The favourite colour of all, and by far the rarest for these dogs, 

 is pure white, but this is seldom met with. The usual colour 

 is white, marked with fawn, lemon, red, or grey more or less 

 mixed. Perhaps the prettiest features of all in the Borzoi are its 

 ears, which are very small, fringed with delicate silky hair, and 

 should be pricked with a half fall-over like a good colley's. In 

 his movements he much resembles a wild animal, and has quite 

 the slouching walk and long sling trot which is a characteristic of 

 his born enemy, the wolf. Yet to see a Borzoi trot out with his 

 long swinging action, and then just break into a canter, has 

 always reminded me of a two-year-old cantering down to the post. 

 The muscles on the quarters, thighs, and arms should be well 

 developed, as these dogs are intended, and in fact used, to course 

 the wild wolf. Strong must be the muscles, long the teeth, 

 and indomitable the pluck of the Borzoi, who has to encounter 

 single-handed the wild wolf in his own haunts. No doubt the 

 Borzoi, on such occasions, remembers the well-known fact that the 

 favourite meat of the wolf is dog, and acts accordingly. It is 

 usual, however, to employ two Borzois to course a wolf, and it is 

 only the best specimens that can be trusted to account for one 

 single-handed. 



Perhaps, before going more fully into the Borzoi 

 as a British dog, the following extract from an article 

 by Mr. F. Lowe, who two years ago spent some 

 time in Russia, will give an idea of the extent of 



