P Of ATS OF THE DEERHOUND. 229 



handsome, well-built dog, though somewhat light of bone. He stood 30 inches, and was a 

 fairly lengthy dog. 



Spey, the bitch selected for illustration, was bred by Mr. Cupples, and has been owned 

 for many years by Mr. Morse, who has bred many very superior dogs from her. She is 

 about 27 inches in height and of a lengthy frame. Coat very hard and good. Colour is 

 shown in illustration. Duke was her son, and resembled her strongly in coat and colour. She 

 is a well-descended bitch, of thoroughly good appearance. 



Mr. Musters' Young Torrom, winner of an extraordinary number of prizes, is a much 

 superior dog to his sire, Old Champion Torrom, but is considerably his inferior in size. He 

 is a dark slate colour, with a lighter head, of not very taking expression, extremely long 

 and strong in make ; coat soft and dense. A striking feature in this strain is their very 

 long sweeping tail. His height is about 2g\ inches. 



Mr. Wright's Bevis, a darkish red-brown brindle dog of about 29 inches, is a thoroughly 

 well-bred dog ; perhaps, excepting Hector, the best bred Deerhound out. His coat is very 

 long and shaggy, and extends itself to his ears, very much to the detriment of his appear- 

 ance. He is a compact, well-shaped dog. 



Dr. Haddon has shown a handsome bitch, called Lufra, with a remarkably handsome 

 head and good coat which former feature she has transmitted to her son, by Young Torrom 

 (Mr. Musters'), Roy by name. The bitch has no ascertained pedigree. 



There are many other good and fine dogs scattered through the country which could 

 be mentioned ; but as this is not a stud book, it is considered unnecessary to do so. 



The Deerhound will now be closely described. As regards size many arguments are put 

 forward. In former days when the red deer was coursed (as hares are) without having 

 previously been wounded, the larger and more powerful the dog was, provided that the Grey- 

 hound's speed and activity were preserved, the more was he valued ; but in these degenerate 

 days, when deer are usually brought to book without the aid of dogs or often even in their presence, 

 an animal that can find and bay a wounded stag is considered to be all that is required. In 

 some few cases the Deerhound proper is used, but this is being fast allowed to fall into disuse 

 in the majority of cases. To run into and hold a full-grown stag, a large and strong dog is 

 certainly required, and it was found that a dog averaging 29 to 30 inches was the correct animal. 

 His girth should be great and chest deep without being too flat-sided ; for a 3O-inch dog, 34 

 inches should be the average. The fore-arm, below elbow, should measure 8J inches, and the 

 dog weigh from 95 to 105 Ibs. Should the dog stand as much as 31 inches, as is sometimes 

 the case, these dimensions would be slightly exceeded. He should be of lengthy make. 

 The average for bitches, which are very much less than the dogs, would be as follows : 

 Height, 26 inches; girth, 29 inches ; weight, 65 to 70 Ibs. In figure and conformation this dog 

 should closely approximate to the smooth Greyhound, allowance being made for his superior 

 stature and bulk. The head should be long and lean, rather wider behind the ears, yet not 

 suddenly widening ; neck long, strong, and arched ; body long ; back slightly curved upwards, 

 descending towards tail ; legs very strong and straight ; feet round, well and firmly set ; quarters 

 well-developed, and equal to propelling the animal with extreme velocity ; ears small, semi- 

 erect, dark in colour, and smooth, though several strains really good ones show a hairy 

 ear; tail long and free from curl, having a curve towards the tip only. The general 

 appearance should be striking, elegant, and aristocratic to a marked extent, and nobility 

 of carriage is a very strong feature in the breed. The coat should be coarse and hard, 



