28 THE DESCRIPTIVE ANATOMY OF THE DOG. 



will be considerably higher than the fore, or that the hind-legs will 

 be bent at the hock and stifle joint considerably out of the straight 

 line. Either of these forms is conducive to speed ; but the latter 

 is the more elegant, and also appears to be the best calculated for 

 preserving the equilibrium in the turn. If the hind -legs are 

 straight, and yet the back is level, the fore-legs must be long, or 

 else there can scarcely be sufficient speed. This form is, however, 

 inferior to the bent hind-legs, and correspondingly short anterior 

 extremities. The type of the best formation is seen in the hare, 

 in which there is a still greater disproportion ; and as the grey- 

 hound has to cope with her in speed and working, he must, 

 to a certain extent, be formed upon the same model, and so 

 he really is when the proportions are carefully examined in a 

 skinned hare. In the portraits of Mr. Eandell's ' Ruby,' and Mr. 

 Brown's ( Bedlamite,' the best form of stifles may be seen. The 

 latter dog himself possessed remarkably developed stifles, which 

 have been transmitted to many of his descendants, and on which I 

 believe much of their success has depended. This peculiarity consists 

 in the stifles being set on wide apart, so that they can be brought 

 well forward in the stride without any difficulty. Good bony stifles 

 and powerful hocks are essentially requisite for the attachment and 

 leverage of the various muscles, and unless these are large and 

 powerful in the haunches and thighs no greyhound can be of first- 

 class powers; this point is, however, so well known that it is 

 scarcely necessary to insist upon it. 



But in order to unite the hind and fore-quarters, and to assist 

 in fixing the pelvis (Fig. 1, d e g h), from which the muscles 



