236 



THE DOGS OP THE BEITISH ISLANDS. 



rats and rabbits, and work well with ferrets. They are good water dogs and com- 

 panions, possessing a fair amount of intelligence. This is the sum total of their 

 excellence. They came to me with a great reputation for gameness, but out of 

 fourteen that I have personally tried at badger and fighting with a bull terrier of 

 241b., I have never found one game at least to my idea of the word." 



This is strong speaking, but this gentleman's experiences corroborate every 

 word of what has gone before, and the woeful exhibition made by some Airedales 

 when tried at a badger at Wolverhampton last- January was literally the laugh of 

 the show. 



Summing up the merits and demerits of the breed, it must be said of the 

 Airedale that his want of heart, his size, the diversity of types, and tendency to 

 throw back in breeding, are great drawbacks, which his fondness for water scarcely 

 out-balances. Therefore, when we find, as I believe we can, that a wire-haired 

 Scotch, Dandie Dinmont, Skye, Irish, or small bull terrier possesses all the gameness 

 of the Airedale (in addition to which they take up one quarter of the room, and can 

 go to earth), the question only remains, " Why keep an Airedale ? " 



The accompanying woodcut is an illustration of the Airedale terrier bitch 

 Fracture, the property of Mr. L. P. C. Astley, of Wolverhamption. She was bred 

 by Mr. Wade, and is by Crack out of Poll. Fracture is an extremely well-made 

 Airedale, her head and body and feet being very good, but her coat is rather too 

 soft in texture. Still, she was no doubt the best at the Wolverhampton Show last 

 January, where she won cleverly in a rather strong class. 



POINTS OF THE AIREDALE. 



Value. 



Shoulders 5 



Body 10 



Forelegs 10 



Size 5 



30 

 Grand Total 100. 



Value. 



Coat 20 



Colour 5 



General appearance ... 15 



16 



Head (value 20). Skull flat and fairly wide, the muzzle long and punishing, 

 teeth level, and lips tight. 



Eyes (value 5). Small and dark. 



Ears (value 5). Vine-leaf shaped, rather large in size, though fine in texture, 

 and button, like a fox terrier's. 



Shoulders (value 5). Should slope well on to the chest. 



Body (value 10). Chest deep, back rather long, with the body well-ribbed up, 

 and very powerful loins. 



Forelegs (value 10). Straight and muscular, set on well under the body. The 

 feet compact and moderately round. 



Size (value 5). From 351b. to 501b. 



