POINTS OF BULL-TERRIERS. 105 



well on them, for they do not, as in the case of the Bull-dog, turn outwards at the 

 shoulders. 



Feet, moderately long and compact, with the toes well arched. 



Body, deep at chest, and well ribbed up. 



Hind legs, long and very muscular, with hocks straight, and near the ground. 



Coat, short, and rather harsh to the touch. 



Colour, white. 



Tail or Stern fine, set on low, and not carried up, but as straight out from the back as 

 possible. 



In general appearance the Bull-terrier is a symmetrical-looking dog, apparently gifted 

 with great strength and activity, and of a lively and determined disposition. 



In spite of the popularity of the breed, it is a lamentable fact that its progress towards 



NELSON, SMALL-SIZEL BULL-TERRIER, LATE THE PROPERTY OF MR. S. E. SHIRLEY, M.P. 



perfection is at present very slow. It has not had fair-play at the hands of show committees, 

 and with its kinsmen the Black-and-tan and White English Terriers usually has to put up 

 with a judge who is engaged for other classes and takes these as an addition to his other 

 labours. Thus we see, show after show, dogs gaining prizes in these classes which do not 

 show one atom of Terrier character in their composition, being great, lumbering, heavy-lipped, 

 phlegmatical, cow-faced wretches, with no vivacity or "go" in them. These are just the dogs 

 to be avoided by a Terrier breeder, and their success is highly prejudicial to the breeds. 

 Naturally the breed suffers, and unless some one with private influence gets justice done to it, 

 the Bull-terrier will drift back to the mongrel state it emerged from when it was first fortunate 

 enough to receive the patronage of powerful friends. As a proof of the unsatisfactory state 

 the breed is in at present, we have been unable to find a small dog possessing sufficient 

 merit to entitle it to a place in our list of illustrations, and we are therefore thrown back upon 

 a portrait of Nelson, late the property of Mr. S. E. Shirley, M.P. This dog was a really 

 first-rate specimen of the small-sized Bull-terrier, and showed merit enough to deserve a 

 place in any work on the dog ; and it is the more to be regretted that, in spite of the 

 increase of breeders, the quality of the breed, especially the small ones, has not improved in 

 proportion, as it unquestionably should have done. 

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