THE COLLIE. 171 
be fringed with icicles if folding sheep in a white frost. The cross, 
however, answers the purpose for which it was intended by filling 
the pockets of the breeders with Southern gold, and is perfectly 
suited to Rotten Row or an undergraduate’s room at Oxford or 
Cambridge. My purpose, however, is to describe the collie as a 
sheep-dog, and, regarded from this point of view, there must be 
neither a setter’s coat nor setter’s feather. 
Points of the rough collie :— 
VALUE VALUE 
Head, . ‘ : - Io Feet, . “ 10 
Muzzle, j , 5 Coat, . . 15 
Ears and eyes. 5 Colour, - 10 
Shoulders, : ; 73 Tail, . wo 8 
Chest, . ‘ 7s Symmetry, . : et 4G 
Loin, . 10 : —— 
Legs, . : : : . 10 Total, ‘| . 100 
The head should be fox-like in shape, that is to say, widest at 
the ears and tapering rapidly to the nose. This causes the eyes 
to be nearer together than in most dogs, the formation being seen 
also in the dingo, Esquimaux, spitz, and Chinese sheep-dog, which 
last closely resembles the spitz. The top of the head is quite 
flat, without any furrow, and very little brow, nor is there any 
occipital protuberance. The skull looks small when there is 
much frill, but it is not really so, its great width between the 
ears lodging a considerable amount of brain. 
The muzzle tapers to a very sharp point, and the nostrils are 
small, leading to the belief that the powers of scent are low; but 
this is not really the case, many collies being most successful and 
determined poachers, even when quite free from the Gordon setter 
cross. The ¢eeth are strong and even, and the masseter muscles 
of the jaw highly developed, causing the bite of this dog to be 
very sharp and punishing. The hair on the face in front of the 
eyebrows is very short. 
Ears and eyes.—The proper type of the collie’s ear is a small, 
semi-erect, and pointed one, the tip turning outwards and for- 
wards. With the setter cross every gradation occurs, nearly up to 
the full Gordon allowance of leather and feather. This change of 
shape may or may not be considered as important, according to 
