THE SMOOTH ENGLISH GREYHOUND. 21 
quarter, and it will be found that these generally go together in 
shape. ‘Thus, if the shoulder-blade is long and placed obliquely 
(or at an angle of 45 degrees with the ground), the true arm is also 
long and slanting, and the lower arm of average length. ‘This is 
the desired shape, combined with the middle position of the elbow, 
that is to say, neither turned in nor out; and with this shape it 
' may be expected that the forelegs will be well thrust forward in 
the gallop, and the shoulder-blade will play freely on the ribs, not 
being confined by an inturned elbow, while an elbow turned out 
is almost as bad, by leading to a weak support during the time 
that the hind-legs are brought forward, and to a scrambling action 
in consequence of this defect. A greyhound “ tied at the elbow,” 
as the former malformation is technically named, is almost invari- 
ably useless, and is to be carefully avoided, as indeed is one with 
an out-turned elbow, but the latter is most frequently the result 
of muscular rheumatism, and is not often congenital, as is the 
case with the former. Let the courser, therefore, be careful to 
choose his greyhound with long oblique shoulder-blades, well 
clothed with muscle, but not too heavily so, and with long true 
or upper arms; this combination ensuring that the joint of the 
shoulder shall be high and prominent, though not abnormally so. 
Then, again, let him see that the elbows are so set as to work in 
a plane parallel with that of the whole body, and that the lower 
(or fore) arm is long, strong in bone, and well clothed with muscle. 
The knee answers to the wrist of man, and should be wide and 
deep, that is to say, of full size, without being enlarged by disease, 
as is often seen in rickety puppies. Lastly, the pastern bones 
should be short and strong, not quite so large as the knees, but 
very nearly so. This is a point of the greatest importance, as the 
small and weak pastern very often gives way in a severe turn. 
Many coursers require this joint to be nearly or quite upright, but 
this is, I think, a mistake, for there is then a want of elasticity, 
which increases the risk of accident, and a slight departure for- 
wards from the straight line of the arm is the desirable formation 
of the pastern, in my judgment. 
The loin, side, and back ribs consist of the bony frame com- 
pounded of the vertebree and the vertebral ends of the ribs, together 
with the muscles attached to them, constituting a more or less 
