The "Mogstads," "Drynocks," and "Camusennaries," referred to by Mr. Murray as "breeds," would be more accurately described as "strains" exhibiting those slight differences from others from the same parent stock which kennels quickly assume when bred within themselves.

Mr. J. Gordon Murray remarks:

"There can be no doubt but the Highland terrier rendered important services to our forefathers in assisting to destroy the large quantities of vermin with which Scotland, but especially the northern part, was much overrun a century ago or more. Being an animal posessed not only of great courage and sagacity, but also of energy and hardihood, and being of small size - seldom exceeding nine inches to ten in height, more frequently under the latter - they were enabled to follow foxes, wild cats, etc, into their dens and "homes" in cairns, where no other breed of dog could go - at least, such breeds as then existed in Scotland, to wit, the sheepdog, deerhound, and bloodhound. Hence the "Holt" dog or Highland terrier was in great requisition, and here I would beg to state that there is no such name in the Gaelic language as Skye terrier. That name, which has been such a bone of contention, is of very recent application, and, as I shall endeavour to show as I proceed, is quite a misnomer when applied to the modern show-going dog of that name.

"At one time many parts of Scotland were divided into districts, to each district a foxhunter, with a few of these terriers and a crossbred dog or two (something between the colley and blood or sleuth hound), was appointed, whose duty it was to destroy, if possible, all the vermin on his beat, which used to commit sad ravages on sheep, lambs, etc, and would, even in open day, attack poultry and carry them off, so daring had they become. I have read in an old agreement or lease a clause to the following effect - that the tenant was to provide a certain number of men and dogs for a specified time to assist in destroying the wild animals which committed such injury on the property of landowners and tenants. I have no proof that the terrier was used in the chase of boars or wolves, but I think it is quite possible they may have been used to 'track' those gentlemen, just as we find at the present day in Lower Canada. There is a small dog there not heavier than many of our fox terriers, which is of great use in following the bear, and assists much in bringing him to bay.

Many gentlemen in the north of Scotland kept a pack of terriers for otter hunting, and some do so still; and many at the present day use them for rabbit hunting, at which sport no dog can equal them, as they never get too excited, and are always ready to obey the commands of their master. In close creeping 'whins' or ' furze' they will go through the rabbit runs like ferrets, and Mr. Bunny is either obliged to bolt or be killed. They are capable of being trained to retrieve, and it is a very pretty thing to see one of these little dogs carrying a partridge, woodcock, or snipe. They will take to the water like an otter, and give excellent sport when flapper shooting. In fact, in my day I have seen a great many, and used a few of the so-called retrievers; but give me a well-broken Highland terrier in preference to any retriever I know, and if there is game to be had I should have little fear in losing a wounded bird or quadruped if it kept above ground. I shall now give the opinions of a few gentlemen well qualified, from a long experience of the dog under discussion, to describe what a Skye or Highland terrier should be, at the same time readers will observe that these ' opinions' were kindly furnished me in respect to a description of the animal I had previously sent them being anxious to have the advice of the very best living authorities on the breed.

"I shall now quote a letter from Mr. M'Intyre, head keeper, Armadale, Isle of Skye: 'Sir, - With reference to your letter of the 31st of October, I beg to state that I am entirely of the opinion stated in your description, except that in former days we thought more of the bandied legs than the straight. As to the dog given to Argyle by the late lord, he was of what was known in Skye as the ' Mogstad' breed of terriers, as all his lordship's were got from the late Mr. M'Donald, of Mogstad. As to the time the long-haired dogs became common in Skye, I think it is about sixty years since - a dog was landed from a French wreck, through which the long-haired originated.' I was aware previous to writing Mr. M,'Intyre that the Mogstad breed were held in very high repute in old times, and I wrote to a gentleman in Skye, who holds a public appointment there, to obtain for me if he could a description of them and others with which I had reason to know he was well acquainted. This gentleman wrote as follows: 'Dear Sir, - I am favoured with your letter anent the pure breed of Skye terriers, as also your description of the different points in the right dogs, in the correctness of which I quite concur.

The pure Skyes were of all colours except spotted, long in body, short bandylegged, strong wiry hair, from 3in. to 3½in. long - the creature looking very small when wet. The long-coated Skyes are believed to be by all experienced judges only a cross between the originally pure Skye and some foreign long-haired breed, the first of which was supposed to have landed off a wreck in Skye about sixty years ago, and the finest specimens of those long-haired dogs seen for the last fifty years were the property of Donald M'Leod, Esq., and were of a dark greyish colour, very long in body, bandy-legged, and drop-eared.'