THE SMOOTH ENGLISH GREYHOUND. 25 



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 invariably useless, and is to be care- 

 fully 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 bim 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 forwards from 



