22 The Fox Terrier. 



the new school." Blaine proceeds to say that there are 

 two prominent varieties of the terrier, rough and smooth, 

 the first named appear to have been more common in 

 Scotland and the north, " the rigours of a more severe 

 climate being favourable to a crisp and curled coat." 

 One of Blaine's terriers is neither more nor less than a bull 

 terrier, bearing the orthodox brindled or brown patch on 

 one eye, and its ears are cut. 



Others, too, copied the statements made by Blaine, or at 

 any rate made similar ones, just as Taplin, in his " Sporting 

 Dictionary," and the author of the "Sportsman's Repo- 

 sitory," had done those of writers who preceded them. 



The reasons hold good now that were so admirably set 

 forth then, but even fewer terriers are used with packs of 

 hounds than when Blaine wrote, and, unless under excep- 

 tional circumstances, a master is contented to leave his fox, 

 which has contrived to get safely to ground, with his mask 

 safe and his brush intact, if a little bedraggled. That, with 

 an increasing love of hunting, so apparent during the past 

 century, it is not surprising that the terrier came to have 

 consideration with some men little inferior to that bestowed 

 on the hound himself. Pretty nearly each hunting country 

 held its own particular strain, and that these were for the 

 most part dark in colour (usually black and tan), that 

 which has been read in these introductory pages, I think, 

 forms fair evidence. That three varieties were common, 

 large, medium, and small in size, too, is apparent, and that 

 such were both smooth and rough or wire-haired ; but how 

 they were originally produced there is no evidence to show. 

 The early-time terriers were bred for work and not for 

 ornament, and, unless they would go to ground after the 

 manner of the ferret, their heads would not be kept long 



