FORM AND COLOUR ANECDOTE. 85 



and speed become our grand object, the smooth variety of the Greyhound has 

 become universal, and the few remains of the large and rough Variety must be 

 looked for in Ireland. 



The Greyhound is known by his pointed nose, the acute angles of his head, his 

 light, and slightly pendulous ear, considerable height, length of neck and of 

 general form, comparative slimness, deep breast, light belly, round muscular 

 buttocks, and long, sinewy forearms and gaskins. His fore legs, that is to say, the 

 space between the knee and the foot, are longer than his hinder, or space between 

 the hock and the foot. His colour, whether black, white, brinded or blue, whether 

 whole or variegated, are no otherwise of consequence, than as fashion dictates ; and 

 if the never-ceasing game of chance should produce a blue crack dog, blue would 

 immediately become the best colour, and so remain until a new crack should start 

 up of a different hue, when blue would instantly retire into the ranks, and those of 

 the last shade undoubtedly advance, and become the best Greyhounds on the face 

 of the earth, and produce more money at Tattersall's. 



As with every other sporting dog, so necessarily with the Greyhound, he should 

 be of that Variety or form, best adapted to the Country over which he is required to 

 course; For an open, light champaign Country, no hound can be too light and deli- 

 cate, provided it be with the accompaniment of speed and game. In former days we 

 used to see a breed of strong brinded, and somewhat rough Greyhounds, well 

 calculated for deep inclosed Countries : powerful dogs, which had good speed 

 and the truest game, and which would run down the strongest Marsh hares in fine 

 style. This breed had also something of the ancient fierceness, of which we re- 

 member a singular instance in Suffolk. A Gentleman of that County, but an 

 irregular Sportsman, had an old Greyhound of this kind, which he suffered to be 

 constantly at large, under no restraint or confinement, and in consequence, the dog 

 was very apt to take the diversion of coursing by himself. One morning towards 

 the end of the season, he was observed to start and pursue a hare, which was 

 known to lie within about a mile of the residence of his proprietor, and was indeed 

 reserved for a finishing day's sport. The dog returned at noon excessively jaded, 

 as if he had gone through a long day. On the following day, information was re- 

 ceived, that he had run the hare to the distance of nearly seven miles, when a 

 labouring man close at hand, seeing him overtake and kill her, suddenly attempted 

 to snatch the prize from him. The old dog, quitting the hare, flew at the man 

 and seized him by the throat, where he inflicted several terrible wounds, as also on 

 his face and hands, and would doubtless have killed him outright, but for the 

 timely assistance of several other labourers, who fortunately were near enough to 

 hear the fellow's cries. The most curious attendant circumstance was, the doo-, 



i- - . . O ' 



although he remained master of the field, never offered to break, or eat the hare, 

 but sat watching for a considerable interval, as if for some one who had a right to 

 claim the game of him, but no such claimant appearing, he was observed to set off 



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