THE POLICE OF NATURE. 
227 
colour. Black and tan are considered the essence of periec- 
tion. The head, neck, body, and tail must be jet black, and 
not the shadow of a white hair about them. The legs, feet, 
chest, under jaws, and glottis must be the colour of a deep, 
ripe chestnut, with a full round spot over each eye. The 
hair on every part must be very short, fine, close, and glossy ; 
the feet long and extremely narrow, with long black claws, 
and a pencil mark or black streak up each toe ; the head 
round, and firmly fixed on an arched or longish strong 
Roman neck, well set in the shoulders ; thin, transparent 
ears, cut clean out at the bur, and brought to a graceful 
point ; eyes black, bright, prominent, and well set j jaws 
full and firm, but rounding smoothly ofi* to a muzzle of suf- 
ficient length, strength, and substance ; small, thin lips ; 
nose flat at the point, with inflating nostrils ; fangs long, 
strong, and straight ; chest deep and full, but not too broad ; 
body rather short than long ; loins firm, but gracefully 
working off to well-rounded haunches, rather light than 
heavy ; and the whole must terminate with a thin, tapering 
tail, about the length, shape, and substance of a highly-bred 
young lady's delicate little finger. His action must be bold, 
yet graceful as an Arab steed's. At the same time he must 
be agile as a kitten, and as springy and elastic as an India- 
rubber ball ; but in his every movement, look, and expres- 
sion there must be an air of whining, restless, dauntless 
defiance. His weight should be from ten to fourteen pounds, 
not in starved, but trained muscular condition. With 
these requisites you will have a dog that may be pronounced 
a perfect specimen of a black-tan bull-terrier. 
The E.oyal Rat-catcher dog, is certainly one of the most 
beautiful, and at the same time the most serviceable and 
interesting creatures in the whole animal creation, and well 
worthy the attention and caresses of a right royal master. 
He is fit to be sent as a royal present from monarch to 
monarch, or to grace the ref'nlrrent equipage of hereditary 
sovereignty. For as we have tlie grand falconer, and mas- 
ters of the horse and hounds, why should there not be the 
royal rat-catcher, dressed in top-boots or patent-leather 
leggings, buckskin breeches, a silver-mounted green velvet 
coat, with a gold-embroidered rat in front of his hat, a silver 
rat-cage at his back, and three or four such dogs in the leash, 
Q 2 
