THE SMOOTH ENGLISH GREYHOUND. 25 
an inch or two till it attains the size of a large thumb, after which 
it should gradually be reduced till it becomes as small as an average 
little finger. In its whole length it should be covered with short 
hair, so as to show no fringe whatever. It should fall close to the 
quarters for three-quarters of its length, after which it turns away 
from them and curves more or less upwards, sometimes forming a 
full circle, but generally less than three-fourths. These points are 
only regarded as indications of a good breed. 
The colour and coat are of so little importance as to be together 
only valued as equal to the tail, which is a higher indication of 
breeding than either of those points now under consideration. 
Whole colours are generally preferred, as being more pleasing to 
the eye, and not interfering with the apparent shape ; but the pre- 
ference is seldom to such an extent as to cause the rejection of a well- 
made puppy because of its markings. In the present day, white, 
more or less marked with black or blue, is very often met with on 
account of the successes of Mr. Campbell’s “ Scotland Yet,” which 
celebrated bitch produced ‘“Canaradzo,” “Sea Foam,” and “Sea 
Pink,” and was grandam of “ King Death,” all white, or very nearly 
so, besides in a more remote degree scores of other winners of a 
similar colour. Jor many years previously the prevailing colours 
were black, red, fawn, brindled or blue, with a small admixture of 
white, but since then the last-named colour has taken its full share 
of the honours of each year. Brindle is, however, somewhat at a 
discount, in spite of the successes of “ Patent” (a celebrated 
brindled sire) and his descendants; but still no one dreams of dis- 
carding a brindled puppy from his kennel simply for his colour. 
It has sometimes been alleged that the brindled greyhound owes 
his colour to a descent from the bulldog, but there is not the 
slightest reason for this opinion; indeed, the reverse is rather to 
be held, since in those cases where a bulldog cross is known to 
have been used, as in Sir James Boswell’s “Jason,” Mr. Loder’s 
“Czar,” and Mr. Hanley’s dogs, which are fully described in Book 
II., Chapter I., under ‘“ Crossed Breeds,” the brindled colour very 
rarely has appeared. With regard to coat, a very high breed is 
evidenced by its shortness and silkiness of coat, and also by its 
total absence in the under parts; but these qualities are generally 
combined with softness and delicacy of constitution, and I regard 
