162 WATCH DOGS, HOUSE DOGS, AND TOT DOGS. 



difficulty is to breed such little dwarfs without loss of symmetry 

 or substance, the general result being a reduction of the size of 

 the body and an enlargement proportionally of the head. The 

 pedigree of Belle is unknown. 



As the points of this breed are precisely similar to those of the 

 larger variety, it is needless to reproduce them here. 



Most of the toy terriers now sold are either crossed with the 

 Italian greyhound or the King Charles spaniel. With the former, 

 the shape is preserved, and there is the greatest possible difficulty in 

 distinguishing this cross from the pure English terrier ; indeed, I 

 am much inclined to believe that all our best modern toy terriers 

 are thus bred. They have the beautiful long sharp nose, the nar- 

 row forehead, and the small sharp eye, which characterize the 

 pure breed, but they are seldom good at vermin, though some 

 which I have known to be half Italian have been bold enough to 

 attack a good strong rat as well as most dogs. Many of these half- 

 bred Italians are used for rabbit coursing, in which there is a limit 

 to weight, but it is chiefly for toy purposes that large prices are ob- 

 tained for them. When the cross with the spaniel has been resort- 

 ed to, the forehead is high, the nose shorthand the eye large, full, 

 and often weeping, while the general form is not so symmetrical 

 and compact ; the chest being full enough, but the brisket not so 

 deep as in the true terrier, or in the Italian cross. 



The Skye Terrier, as used for toy purposes, is often crossed with 

 the spaniel to get silkiness of coat. See page 77. 



The points are as there described. 



Scotch Terriers are seldom used as toys, and are not considered 

 such by the fanciers of the animal. 



The Halifax Blue Tan Terrier is a toy dog, whether the weight 

 is 16 Ibs. or 3 Ibs., between which every gradation may be found. 

 The color of the back is a blue, sometimes stained with fawn, all 

 the rest of the body being a rich golden tan. The hair is long and 

 silky, always parting down the middle, and very long at the muz- 

 zle, from which it hangs like a beard. The shape resembles that 

 of the Scotch terrier. 



The Italian Greyhound has been already described on page 52. 



