The judge must, however, consider, and, if need be, describe, not only the general appearance of the animal, and the impression he conveys to his (the judge's) mind, but, as it were, take him to pieces, assessing the value of each particular part according to its fitness for the performance of the special function for which it is designed, and under the peculiar conditions in which it will have to act; and, having done so, he will find his first opinion confirmed precisely in the ratio of his fitness to judge.

Before taking the points one by one, we will glance at the description of a Greyhound, as laid down in the doggerel rhymes of the illustrious authoress of "The Booke of St. Albans," Dame Juliana Berners, or Barnes, somewhile Abbess of Sopewell, and since described as "a second Minerva in her studies and another Diana in her diversions." It would be sheer heresy to write of Greyhounds without introducing her description, so universally has this been done. In doing so, there are one or two points that need a little elucidation. In his eighth year the good dame suggests that he is only a lick ladle, probably intending to convey that he is fit to lick a trencher; and in his ninth year cart and saddle may be used to take him to the tanner.

The Properties of a Good Grehounde

A Grehound shold be heeded lyke a snake

And neckyd lyke a drake,

Footed lyke a catte,

Tayllyd lyke a ratte,

Syded lyke a teme,

And chynyd lyke a beme.

The fyrst yere he must lerne to fede,

The second yere to felde him lede,

The thyrde yere he is felowe lyke,

The fourth yere there is none syke,

The fyfth yere he is good enough,

The syxte yere he shall hold the plough

The seventh yere he woll avaylle

Grete bytches for to assaylle,

The eygthe yere licke ladyll,

The nynthe yere cartsadyll;

And when he is comyn to that yere

Have him to the tannere,

For the best Hounde that ever bytche had

At nynthe yere he is full badde.

To begin the detailed description with the head - which includes jaws, teeth, eyes, ears, and brain development - first the general form must be considered. It must be quite evident that "heeded lyke a snake" cannot be taken literally, the heads of the two animals having nothing in common ; and the thing savours rather of literary licence than of physiological accuracy.

Arrian says: "Your Greyhounds should have light and well-articulated heads, whether hooked or flat-nosed is not of much consequence, nor does it greatly matter whether the parts beneath the forehead be protuberant with muscle. They are alone bad which are heavy-headed, having thick nostrils, with a blunt instead of a pointed termination." Edmund de Langley, in his "Mayster of Game," says: "The Greihound should have a long hede and somedele grete, ymakyd in the manner of a luce; a good large mouth and good sessours, the one again the other, so that the nether jaws passe not them above, ne that thei above passe not him by neither"; and coming down to Gervase Markham, in the sixteenth century, we have his description: "He should have a fine long leane head, with a sharp nose, rush grown from the eyes downward."

The general form and character of the head is here pretty fairly sketched, and we see a very close agreement between these old authorities. The "Mayster of Game" seems the happiest in his illustration, "made in the manner of a luce" - that is, a fullgrown pike - as the heads of the Greyhound and pike will bear a fair comparison without straining; and who can say it was not the exigencies of rhyme that compelled our sporting Abbess to set up for us that stumbling-block, the head of a snake? Or was it that she thought of the very fair illustration that the neck of the drake offered her, and had to find a rhyme to it?

Markham is right in desiring a "long leane head," though even that may be carried to a fault; but we do not want the " part beneath the forehead protuberant of muscle," or the "heavy-headed, with thick nostrils and a blunt nose." Looking at the whole head, we see by the sloping in of the side walls of the skull how the brain capacity is diminished, and how the elongation and narrowing of head and jaws have almost obliterated the olfactory organs, the internal cavities becoming contracted, and presenting so much less surface that the scenting powers are necessarily limited, although it is a mistake to suppose that they are entirely lost. This is just what we want in the Greyhound: he must run by sight, never using his nose; he must have the brain developed where it shows courage, not intelligence. A Greyhound should measure well round the head by the ears, which is a sure indication of the courage that gives dash and persistence to his efforts.

If by "hooked nose" Arrian meant that the upper jaw protrudes, then that would decidedly be a fault, as a dog so formed would be at a disadvantage in holding and killing his hare. This formation, called overshot, or pig-jawed, is met with in various breeds of dogs, but if at all excessive is most objectionable. The opposite to that is sometimes seen, and we have them undershot, though such cases are comparatively rare, and are oftener met with on the show-bench Greyhound than in the courser. They owe their origin to the cross with the Bulldog, which was resorted to in order to give stamina, courage, and staunchness. The form to be desired is the level mouth, with the "good sessours, the one again the other."

There is a formation of muzzle met with which is slightly ridged or Roman-nosed; if not excessive, this is no detriment to the dog's practical usefulness, although it may not add to the beauty of his appearance. This peculiarity may exist with a good level mouth.

The teeth themselves are important, and should be large, strong, and white, the fangs sharp and powerful - the upper ones just overlapping those in the lower jaw; this is not only necessary for their work, but is indicative of health.