THE LURCHER.. 227 
into the chest and coupled to the hips. The long dorsal muscles 
run in full bundles right up to the space between the shoulder- 
blades. 
The legs before and behind are straight, bony, and muscular. 
The feet are generally hare-like, from the terrier descent, The 
toes, however, are well arched, and do not spread. 
The coat is short, close, and hard. 
The colour must be a pure white, without mark of any kind. 
Of course spots will occur in this as in all white breeds, but they 
are severely penalised by show judges. 
The tail isset on low. It is small in bone, and should be curved 
straight out horizontally. 
The symmetry of the bull-terrier is of a high order. 
JIl.—THE LURCHER, 
Although this dog is not used by the fair sportsman in this 
country, yet he must be recognised as a distinct and well-known 
cross. From his great speed, combined with his good nose and 
his silence, he is par excellence the poacher’s dog; but he is very 
little better than the pure-bred greyhound accustomed to the same 
kind of work and with the same amount of practice. I have 
known a great many greyhounds which would never miss a hare 
if once sighted, or even put on the fresh scent, dropping their 
noses, and hunting out all the turns of the hare nearly as well as 
the beagle. Hence it is not to be supposed that the nose of the 
lurcher is derived from the sheep-dog’s side only, for, both being 
good, he may be readily said to owe it to each in due proportions. 
When the lurcher is bred from the rough Scotch greyhound and 
the collie, or even the English sheep-dog, he is a very handsome 
dog, and even more so than either of his progenitors when pure. 
He is also a most destructive animal, showing speed, sagacity, and 
nose in an extraordinary degree, from which causes the breed is 
discouraged, as he would exterminate all the furred game in a 
very short time. A poacher possessing such an animal seldom 
keeps him long, every keeper being on the look-out, and putting 
a charge of shot into him on the first opportunity ; and as these 
must occur of necessity, the poacher does not often attempt to rear 
