96 The Fox Terrier. 



breed of Belvoir terriers further back than some forty-five 

 years ago, when Tom Goosey was the huntsman ; but his 

 Tyrant was a celebrity in his way, which, later on, went to 

 Sir Thomas Whichcote, who, with this assistance, bred 

 Belvoir Venom. Still, there is always considerable unrelia- 

 bility about these pedigrees of terriers before the Stud 

 Books were published, as readers, no doubt, have noticed 

 earlier on. 



It was from such strains as these, that our some- 

 what impure " Belvoir blood " of the present day was 

 produced, and from it came the dog previously mentioned, 

 Belgrave Joe, by many admirers supposed to have been the 

 most perfect fox terrier ever produced. Be this as it may, 

 there is no doubt he was a first-class specimen, and, at 

 any rate, well within the first two dozen champions. Born 

 July 31st, 1868, bred by John Branson, and purchased 

 from him by Mr. Luke Turner, Belgrave Joe, when 

 advancing in years and rendered impotent from disease, 

 realised 20/. Previously, on more than one occasion, 

 Mr. Turner had offered a hundred pound note for Joe, 

 but when he went to Richmond House the prospects 

 of his recovery were not great. However, Joe was 

 taken into the study, and survived to the good old age 

 already mentioned. Weighing about 1 81b., he had a tan- 

 marked head, a white body, and, what I always liked, was 

 a trifle high on the legs (terriers are more active when so 

 built) ; his neck was a little too short to please some 

 fastidious tastes. In other respects he was perfect ; 

 shoulders, legs, feet, eyes, character, bone, coat, and form 

 all correct ; strong and powerful in his jaw, so admirably 

 in keeping with his other proportions, that he appeared 

 to be without an atom of coarseness about him. He 



