Recent Changes. • 143 



slipped at a rabbit, twenty yards start out of forty, and 

 beat him into the bargain. 



Of late a good deal has been written and said as to the 

 merits and appearance of the fox terrier now as compared 

 with what he was on his first introduction to popularity. 

 No doubt he has changed in a degree ; he is as a rule a less 

 cobby and not so sturdy a dog now than he was then. 

 Many good modern specimens are more or less inclined 

 to be flat-sided, high on the legs, and stiff and " stilty," 

 and I fancy breeders are losing that smart, dark, almond- 

 shaped eye which gives such character and expression to a 

 terrier. I detest a big, full, goggle eye in any terrier, 

 excepting, maybe, in a Dandie Dinmont, and in our modern 

 fox terrier I should like to see a little more of that fiery 

 and smart appearance which went so far in the sixties 

 towards making him what he is at the present time. Again, 

 I believe that breeders have taken up such a line that to 

 keep their dogs down in weight they must be produced 

 unnaturally narrow in front, with flat ribs, else, unless two 

 or three pounds less in weight than is usual, they would not 

 be able to go to ground where a sturdy, thick-set little dog 

 of 1 61b. weight could do so with ease. 



That there are more good fox terriers now than ever 

 goes without saying, but, taking the number which are bred 

 to-day into consideration, the percentage of actually tip-top 

 animals is not so large as it should be ; but I thoroughly 

 agree with what Mr. Doyle writes further on, and especially 

 am I at one with him about what at the time of correcting this 

 is the " topic of conversation in fox terrier circles," the size 

 of fox terriers. This cry of size seems to me to be some- 

 thing like the appearance of the sea serpent in the " silly 

 or slack season." Both crop up annually, and have done 



