GREYHOUNDS. 
39 
in cats and in animals of the weasel tribe, which cripple their 
prey to prevent their escape, and play with it in a living 
state for a considerable time/’ — The Passions of Animals* By 
'Edward P * Thompson* London: Chapman and Rail* 
GREYHOUNDS. 
“Every greyhound should be proportionally ‘long, low, 
and strong/ that is to say, he should not be a great, leggy, 
weak animal, unfit for contention in any country. All 
breeds, likewise, should have good legs and feet, the elbows 
neither turned out nor in, the knees and hocks well let down, 
with free, sloping shoulders. The neck should be long 
enough to reach the hare without losing the stride, and the 
teeth strong eno'ugh to hold her when seized. There is a 
great difference of opinion as to the feet, which are generally 
recommended to be like that of the cat, but these are not so 
calculated for arable land, since they sink in too much at 
every stride. The same is found to be the case in the horse, 
in which a large open foot is found to answer better in going 
through dirt than the small foot, which is otherwise prefer- 
able. It is necessary, however, that the toes should not 
spread, and that the knuckles should be well up, or otherwise 
the foot will not stand sufficient work for training purposes ; 
but if the foot is only good enough to carry the animal 
through his preparatory work, it will often stand the shocks 
of the course better than the very perfect looking one, in 
which the weight is carried upon the ends of the toes, and is 
not much supported by the middle pad; but a thorough 
splay-foot is in all cases to be avoided; the loins and thighs, 
too, can scarcely be too strong, but in all other points the 
various breeds differ so much that it is useless to insist upon 
them except in connection with each particular class. 
“There is a prevailing objection to ‘ breeding in and in’ in 
all our domestic animals, which is peculiarly applicable to 
the greyhound, in which you want above all the very quality 
which is especially deteriorated by this practice, viz., stout- 
ness. It is true you may get beauty, size, speed — in fact, 
anything but stoutness ; but this will assuredly be wanting 
in all animals which have been subjected to a long process 
of crossing one with another of the same family. There is 
no objection to resorting occasionally to the same blood for 
