176 COURSING 



muscles should lie forward, setting the back well into the 

 shoulder-blades, and rising prominently on each side of the 

 spine, which lies, as it were, in a trough between the ridges. 



The quarters. — The general impression is one of great 

 power, and in following a good and well-trained dog, it will 

 strike the observer that the balance of power is uneven, and 

 that the development of the hind quarters somewhat dwarfs 

 that of the fore : such an impression as is produced in inverse 

 ratio when meeting a bulldog. This is not really the case, the 

 fact being that the functions of the hind quarters are more 

 obvious to the eye than those of the fore. 



The thighs are well breeched, and full of muscle. 



The stifle long and well bent. 



The second thighs and gaskins exceedingly muscular, and far 

 more developed than in any other animal. This is one of the 

 first points to which a practised courser will direct his eye. 



The hocks let down, strong, and well separated from the 

 leg bone. 



The tail long and slightly curled at theextremity — a fine whip 

 tail is sometimes insisted on, but some of the hardest and speedi- 

 est strains show a considerable coarseness in the stern. This 

 peculiarity is very noticeable in the dogs inbred to Contango. 



The fore legs should be straight, and the bone carried well 

 down, muscular on the outer surface', but flat on the inner. 



The pasterns long, but very strong and springy. 



The feet of moderate size ; the middle toes, being slightly 

 longer, make them appear more oval or pointed than round, 

 but the impress will show that such is not the case. A flat 

 foot is very bad, and a splay one horrible. The knuckles 

 should be strong, close, and well-arched ; but it is a bad sign 

 to see a dog too much ' on his toes.' 



Quality. — It is difficult to define this point ; but, as we 

 previously hinted, it is easily discerned and appreciated by all 

 ' doggy ' critics. It consists in a coup d'ceil, which precludes 

 analysis, but which embraces symmetry, blood, life, grace, 

 movement, condition, and freedom from all coarseness. 



