There has of late been a tendency to give prizes to dogs with unusually long and narrow heads. Now this is again wrong, for with undue length of head or face, the character of the dog is lost quite as much, even more than it would be were the head short and round and of the bull terrier type. Craze for long heads has done harm to the modern fox terrier, and I think no one will require attention drawn to the injury the collie has sustained by the introduction of long heads, which are quite foreign to the breed.

That I do not not stand quite alone in my opinion as to the size and weight of the Scottish terrier will be inferred from the following description, which Mr. homson Gray gives in "Dogs of Scotland": "The greatest difficulty is to get straight legs and ears tight up. My idea of a first-class specimen is a very game, hardy-looking terrier, stoutly built, with great bone and substance; deep in chest and back rib, straight back, powerful quarters, on short muscular legs, and exhibiting in a marked degree a great combination of strength and activity. In several terriers shown the body is too long. This I consider a grave fault, and by no means to be encouraged. . . . Terriers built on such lines are very active in their movements, and for going a distance or taking a standing leap I do not believe there is any short-legged breed of terrier can equal them.

"The coat should be 1½in. long, thick, dense, lying close, and very hard, with plenty of soft undercoat; tail straight, carried well up, well covered with hair, but not bushy. The ears should be as small and as sharp pointed as possible, well carried forward, and giving the dog a "varmint" appearance. The skull should not be too narrow, being in proportion to the terribly powerful jaw, but must be narrow between the ears, these being carried well up. If carried sluggishly they spoil the appearance of the dog's head. The eyes should be small and deep-set, muzzle long and tapering, and, as already stated, very powerful; teeth, extra large for size of dog, and level.

"In colour I prefer a dark grey brindle, or warm red brindle. Lately very dark colours have been preferred, but, I think, this is a mistake, as they are not so readily seen in the dark, and with advantage a little lighter shade might be introduced. Still I would certainly prefer a very dark colour dog to one too light in hue. 151b. or 161b. bitches and 171b. to 181b. dogs are the weights I like best".

Mr. Thomson Gray further says, in a letter recently written: "While I am in favour of having the legs as straight as possible, I would not sacrifice bone and muscle to get this point, or make it a sine qud non in judging, as most, if not all, of the best terriers of this breed are a little bent, and any really straight-legged specimens I have seen have been deficient in bone, inclined to be leggy and shelly in build. Now it must be kept in mind that the Scottish terrier is first of all a compact, firmly-built terrier, showing extraordinary strength for his size, and to lose these attributes is to lose the strongest points in the breed. Straight legs may be made a fad as much as any other point, and fanciers are apt to run on one point to the detriment of the rest, thus spoiling the even balance of the whole dog. Keeping what I have said in view, I see nothing to prevent these dogs being bred with straight legs, at least so straight as not to be an eyesore to look at".

The Scottish terrier in character and disposition is charming, as a companion most sensible and pleasant. He has no unpleasant smell from his coat, nor does he carry so much dirt into the house from the streets of the town and from the country lanes as a Dandie Dinmont terrier. Another advantage he possesses is that he is not so quarrelsome with other dogs as many terriers are. He will fight, and punish freely, too, when he is attacked and really has to defend himself, but the few that I have owned were slow to set about it. But when they did! I never saw such little dogs with such big teeth, and which could make such big holes in the legs and ears of a bigger opponent. They will go to water well and to ground likewise, and for hunting rough gorse coverts for rabbits are as useful as any other dark-coloured terriers, but personally I prefer a white dog for the latter purpose, as not so likely to be taken for a rabbit and shot accordingly.

Some of the best Scottish terriers at the present time are owned by Mr. H.J. Ludlow, Gorieston, and Capt. Wetherall, Kettering, both of whom are most successful breeders and exhibitors, such dogs as the former's Brenda and Kildee, and the latter's Tiree II., Buccleuch, and Queen of Scots being all excellent specimens. Mr. J. N. Reynard's Revival (a dog whose dam died during or just after whelping, and was brought up by hand); Mr. E. Thompson's Ivanhoe, Mr. D. Cellar's Dundyvan, Mr. R. Chapman's Heather Prince, Mr. Morton Campbell's Stracathro Vision, Mr. A. MacBrayne's Corrie Dhu and Cairn Dhu, are all quite in the first flight, and equal to anything in the same line that has preceded them. Then Mr. J. D. McColl, Glasgow; Mr. G. H. Stephens, Aberdeen; Mr. D. J. Thomson Gray, Dundee; Mr. John A. Adamson, Aberdeen (one of our very oldest exhibitors and admirers of the breed, and whose Ashley Charlie was only beaten on two occasions), Mr. J. F. Alexander, Kerriemuir (who bred Whinstone, The Macintosh, and Argyle in one litter); Mr. W. McLeod, Maryhill; Mr. H. Blomfield; are all names well-known in connection with this charming variety of terrier, which I hope fashion will never change in character or displace.