Bingley's "Memoirs." 17 



close of the eighteenth century had a strain of white 

 terriers, of which one writer said that, from his dog Pitch 

 all the white terriers in the country were descended. 



In Bingley's " Memoirs of British Quadrupeds" (1809) 

 two terriers are beautifully etched by Howitt. In a copy 

 of this excellent work, now lying on my library table, the 

 plates are coloured. One of the dogs, wire-haired, is a 

 sort of dark blue and tan in hue, with semi-prick ears and 

 an uncut tail ; the other, with erect ears, is smooth coated 

 and black and tan, both rich in colour, less than 2olb. in 

 weight, and likely enough from their appearance to kill 

 either fox, rat, or weasel. As a fact, the wired-haired 

 terrier has just given the finishing shakes which have 

 extinguished the last sparks of life in a foulmart, whilst 

 the smooth dog, more in the background, is evidently 

 .growling and snarling at his mate for having had the little 

 bit of work all to himself. The admired author of the book 

 says : 



"This dog has its name of terrier or terrarius from its 

 usually subterraneous employment in forcing foxes and 

 other beasts of prey out of their dens, and, in former 

 times, driving rabbits from their burrows (sic). It is 

 generally an attendant upon every pack of foxhounds, and 

 is the determined enemy of all kinds of vermin — such as 

 weasels, foulmarts, rats, &c. The terrier is a fierce, keen, 

 and hardy animal, and will encounter even the badger, 

 from which he sometimes meets with very severe treat- 

 ment. A well-trained and veteran dog, however, frequently 

 proves more than a match for that powerful animal. Some 

 terriers are rough, and others smooth haired. They are 

 generally reddish brown or black, of a long form, short 

 legged, and strongly bristled about the muzzle." 



