weight is allowed-15lb. to 50lb. The latter some think far too heavy, as the majority of those dogs belonging to the heavy-weight brigade seem to lack type, sacrificed doubtless by the effort to obtain size. The Club, however, made the minimum 15lb. so as to draw a distinctive line for the "Toys." For some years now the bulk of the specimens at shows have varied between about 25lb. and 50lb. or a little heavier. And though the margin is very wide, it seems to have been brought about by accident rather than by design, owing to the fact that individual specimens of the same litter vary to this extent. The 16lb. or 20lb. Bull-terriers are practically extinct nowadays, and the 25lb. specimens are not much better. It is several years since a good class of "under 30lb." has been seen at any shows; indeed, this class has practically been dropped from the classification of show schedules owing to lack of support.

Mr. Tredinnick many years ago wrote upon the weight question and his remarks thereon may be well worth reiterating at the present moment :

"Breeders should not go too much for great weight in the large-sized specimen. I consider 45lb. quite large enough for any specimen, especially for exhibition purposes, as when we get above that weight we lose more important details, such as formation of skull, tightness of lip, straight legs, and symmetry-points which should not be sacrificed to get weight. The best sizes for exhibition purposes are 16lb., 20lb., 25lb., and as near to 45lb. as can be. I do not mean to say that a pound or two either way in the large-sized specimens would be objectionable; but the nearer they can be bred to the weights named, the better chance of their success upon the show-bench."

Since cropping was abolished the Bull-terrier Club has worked very hard to settle satisfactorily the "great ear question," and with more or less success; but the ideal ear has yet to be produced. Their efforts have chiefly been directed towards getting the ears as small as possible. It does not matter whether the ears are carried erect or semi-erect, so long as they are small. The "drop" ear does not meet with the approval of Bull-terrier fanciers it gives the dog a bad expression; but neither this nor any other carriage disqualifies. For show purposes a powerful muzzle and face "well filled up" under the eyes are essential, as the natural ears throw weakness in these points into great prominence.

In selecting a young Bull-terrier, particular attention should be paid to the head. One with a short thick head or showing any tendency to cheekiness is to be avoided. Still, in some strains it is a singular fact that the heads of young puppies are of the "apple" variety. On no less an authority than that of Mr. Pegg

the writer has it that the little marked bitch Champion Woodcote Pride, when a young puppy, developed such a plain and ugly head that her breeder was several times on the point of drowning her; in fact, the bitch was only saved by the intervention of his wife. Afterwards the head grew into the ordinary type, and when full grown there never was a Bull-terrier bitch with a better-shaped head. The head should be level and the eyes small and dark (light eyes are a great fault); the fore legs should be straight and the body short. Though in the adult a curl in the tail is a fault, yet young puppies not over teething carry their tails indifferently, and this point need not be too seriously considered in an otherwise promising specimen. As is well known, it was at one time the custom to shave the ears and fine the tails of show Bull-terriers, and this mild form of trimming was allowed by the Kennel Club; but it has since been abolished.

One often sees the character of the Bull-terrier assailed, and this no doubt has in the past acted prejudicially against the breed. In a thirty years' experience with the breed the writer has never fallen across a better breed of game dog that at the same time was capable of a greater degree of affection. With children he has found them perfectly reliable, though he has kept alike the "business" kind and the show-bench modifications of them. That the Bull-terrier will fight, and to the bitter end, if provoked, is perfectly true; but to say that he is, as a breed, of a quarrelsome disposition is a libel. Once a Bull-terrier does really get hold, he is a most tenacious animal, and neither sticks nor kicks nor the usual dodges for separating fighting dogs seem to avail. Some Bull-terriers, despite their scanty coat, make very good waterdogs, while as house-dogs they excel. When cropping was rife, a goodly number of deaf dogs were met with; and it was thought this was a result of unduly exposing a part of a very delicate structure. Other white domestic animals are, however, often deaf--cats, for instance; and Bull-terriers of to-day are frequently deaf.

Some few years ago the Bull-terrier Club made a praiseworthy attempt to produce a pocket edition of the larger animal; but to judge by the comparatively few and indifferent specimens met with, not much success attended their efforts. This is to be regretted, as now that cropping is a thing of the past, a hardy little dog on the lines of the Bull-terrier ought certainly to find a place. Still, the fact remains the Club's efforts were a failure, as they could not get hold of any specimens of the correct type. All the so-called Toy Bull-terriers had apple heads, goggle eyes, and "beaks" like parrots, and altogether were abominations to anyone familiar with a typical Bull-terrier. The writer, in the course of a fairly long experience, can only call to mind two Toy Bull-terriers that were

passable, and, writing from memory, these, in his opinion, might just as well have been small White English Terriers.

Below is given a description of the Bull-terrier as furnished by the Bull-terrier Club :

General Appearance. The general appearance of the Bull-terrier is that of a symmetrical animal, and the embodiment of agility, grace, elegance, and determination.

Head.--The head should be long, flat, and wide between the ears, tapering to

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the nose, without cheek-muscles. There should be a slight indentation down the face, without a stop" between the eyes. The jaws should be long and very powerful, with a large black nose and open nostrils. The eyes should be small and very black, almond shape preferred. The lips should meet as tightly as possible, without a fold. The teeth should be regular in shape and should meet exactly; any deviation, such as a pig-jaw, or being under-hung, is a great fault.

Neck. The neck should be long and slightly arched, nicely set into the shoulders, tapering to the head without any loose skin, as found in the Bulldog. Shoulders.-The shoulders should be strong, muscular, and slanting; the chest wide and deep, with ribs well rounded.

Back. This should be short and muscular, but not out of proportion to the general contour of the animal.

Legs.-The fore legs should be perfectly straight, with well-developed muscles;

not out "at shoulder," but set on the racing lines, and very strong at the pastern joints. The hind legs are long and, in proportion to the fore legs, muscular, with good, strong, straight hocks, well let down near the ground.

Feet. These should resemble more closely those of a cat than a hare.

Colour. Should be white.

Coat.-Short, close, and stiff to the touch, with a fine gloss.

Tail. This should be short in proportion to the size of the dog, set on very low down, thick where it joins the body, and tapering. It should be carried at an angle of about 45 degrees, without curl, and never over the back.

Weight. From 15lb. to 50lb.

To fit the present-day Bull-terrier for the show in the future will not entail quite as much time as was necessary in the ear-shaving and tail-fining days. As, however, he is a muscular dog, good hand-rubbing with plenty of exercise is advisable. The gloss upon the coat, too, may best be acquired in this way, providing the dog be healthy. The washing should take place on the eve of the show, and the dog must then be turned into a well-ventilated kennel plentifully supplied with clean straw. The use of artificial coat whiteners has grown out of a perfectly legitimate practice. When an owner has carefully washed a white dog that he has taken to a show, it is most annoying to find that in transit the animal has soiled his coat. The quickest way to get him clean is to rub on some French chalk and brush it off again. The practice that obtains with some breeeders of smothering their dogs with white powder is a senseless one, and it does no good in any way.

Of those breeders at present before the public who have done great service in endeavouring to popularise this game British dog, Mr. F. Hinks, Mr. H. E. Monk (one of whose dogs is illustrated at Fig. 93), and Mr. W. J. Pegg, may especially be named. The lastnamed breeder, however, has of recent years given up his very strong kennel of old loves in favour of Bulldogs, though he continues to exercise a desirable watching brief over the Bull-terrier. In the past we have had the late Mr. Alf. George, Mr. J. Oswell, Messrs. Lea, Mr. J. W. Gibson, Mr. Hartley, Mr. B. Garside, Messrs. Marriott and Green, and many others whose names the Stud Books will reveal.

Besides the parent Society, the Bull-terrier Club, there are the Northern Bull-terrier Club and the Birkenhead and Liverpool Bullterrier Club.

CHAPTER XXXVII

THE AIREDALE TERRIER

AT the earlier dog shows, and, indeed, until the publication of the article by the late Mr. Hugh Dalziel on this breed that first appeared in the Country, and subsequently in the First Edition of this work, this dog was seldom seen, except at Yorkshire and a few Lancashire shows. For all that the dog was kept by the sporting working classes long ere it became a show-bench variety. In the catalogues of early exhibitions he appeared under the name or title of "The Broken-haired or Working Terrier," and sometimes as "The Waterside Terrier," by which latter name he was best known in his native dales. Mr. Dalziel suggested that the name Bingley Terrier would be more distinctive and applicable, inasmuch as Bingley seemed to be the district around which this Terrier was to be met with in the greatest numbers. Several correspondents who were breeders and exhibitors suggested to him that Airedale better represented the home of this Terrier, and this was adopted, and the name Airedale Terrier has attached to the breed ever since. Next to the Fox-terrier and the Irish Terrier, it is the most popular of all the important Terrier group in this country, while in America and on the Continent it has also taken a strong hold. So far as America is concerned, so great is the favour in which the Airedale Terrier is held that some of our best dogs have been sold for exportation thither at big prices. Mr. Foxhall Keene, so well known in sporting circles, has been a liberal patron; while another enthusiastic fancier on the other side is Mr. Oldham, a gentleman who gave over £600 for a trio that included the famous Clonmel Marvel.

In the early shows at which the Airedale Terrier was found he was not the smart-looking animal that he is to-day, nor was there the same uniformity of type; indeed, the variability shown was very marked until the breeding of the dog was seriously taken in hand. Of late years this Terrier has advanced to the front rank of popular dogs with rapid strides ; while besides the great all-round improvement noted above in respect of the breed as a whole, other changes have been brought about in eyes, ears, and coat still more recently.