The Borzoi or Russian Wolfhound. 313 



purely fancy variety ; there are no wolves for him 

 to kill, hares and rabbits are out of his line, and 

 deer must be left for the big foxhound and the 

 Highland deerhound. 



I have written of the Borzoi as we know him 

 here, and as he will in the future be known, taking 

 no account of the various strains said to be in the 

 Czar's dominions, and the following description of 

 him, translated from the Russian by M. A. Boldareff, 

 a member of the Imperial Hunt, Moscow, and which 

 appeared in the Stock Keeper in July, 1896, will be 

 found interesting : 



" The general appearance of the Borzoi is noble 

 and elegant. This is shown in the shape of the 

 head, the silkiness and brilliancy of the hair, and 

 even in the gait, which should be full of energy and 

 grace. The different points of the dog, taken 

 separately, have no value in the general appearance ; 

 the dog may have defects in head properties, in the 

 body, in the legs, the coat may be too short, but 

 nevertheless its air of nobility and elegance, its blue- 

 blood aspect, will indicate purity of breeding. Only 

 pure blood and careful breeding for several genera- 

 tions will impart this look, which excites the 

 admiration of connoisseurs of Borzois and all other 

 lovers of dogs. 



"It is a pity that nowadays many of our sportsmen 



