48 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM

lip, but with no loose skin to hang down. Jaw-The lower jaw should be about level, or at any rate not project more than the sixteenth of an inch. Nose and Nostrils-The bridge of the nose should be very wide, with a slight ridge where the cartilage joins the bone. (This is quite' a characteristic of the breed.) The nostrils should be large, wide, and open, giving a blunt look to the nose. A butterfly or flesh-coloured nose is not objected to in harlequins. Ears-The ears should be small, set high on the skull, and carried slightly erect, with the tips falling forward. Neck-Next to the head, the neck is one of the chief characteristics. It should be long, well arched, and quite clean and free from loose skin, held well up, snakelike in carriage, well set in the shoulders, and the junction of head and neck well defined. Shoulders -The shoulders should be muscular but not loaded, and well sloped back, with the elbows well under the body, so that, when viewed in front, the dog does not stand too wide. Fore-legs and Feet-The forelegs should he perfectly straight, with big flat bone. The feet large and round, the toes well arched and close, the nails strong and curved. Body-The body is very deep, with ribs well sprung and belly well drawn up. Back and Loins-The back and loins are strong, the latter slightly arched, as in the Greyhound. Hind-Quarters-The hind-quarters and thighs are extremely muscular, giving the idea of great strength and galloping power. The second thigh is long and well developed as in a Greyhound, and the hocks set low, turning neither out nor in. Tail-The tail is strong at the root and ends in a fine point, reaching to or just below the hocks. It should be carried, when the dog is in action, in a straight line level with the back, slightly curved towards the end, but should not curl over the back. Coat-The hair is short and dense, and sleek-looking, and in no case should it incline to coarseness. Gait or Action-The gait should be lithe, springy, and free, the action high. The hocks should move very freely, and the head should be held well up. Colour-The colours are brindle, fawn, blue, black, and harlequin. The harlequin should have jet black patches and spots on a pure white ground ; grey patches are admissible but not desired ; but fawn or brindle shades are objectionable.