THE SCOTTISH TERRIER 241
the same type, it was at once recognised that there was, in fact, such a breed, and the mouths of the doubters were stopped.
Granite was unquestionably a typical Scottish Terrier, even as we know them at the present day. He was certainly longer in the back than we care for nowadays, and his head also was shorter, and his jaw more snipy than is now seen, but his portrait clearly shows he was a genuine Scottish Terrier, and there is no doubt that he, with his kennel mates, Tartan, Crofter, Syringa, Cavack, and Posey, conferred benefit upon the breed.
To dive deeper into the antiquity of the Scottish Terrier is a thing which means that he who tries it must be prepared to meet all sorts of abuse, ridicule, and criticism. One man will tell you there never was any such thing as the presentday Scottish Terrier, that the mere fact of his having prick ears shows he is a mongrel ; another, that he is merely an offshoot of the Skye Qr the Dandie ; another, that the only Scottish Terrier that is a Scottish Terrier is a white one ; another, that he is merely a manufactured article from Aberdeen, and so on ad infinitum.
It is a most extraordinary fact that Scotland should have unto herself so many different varieties of the terrier. There is strong presumption that they one and all came originally from one variety, and it is quite possible, nay probable, that different crosses into other varieties have produced the assortment of to-day. The writer is strongly of opinion that there still exist in Scotland at the present time specimens of the breed which propagated the lot, which was what is called even now the Highland Terrier, a little long-backed, short-legged, snipy-faced, prick or drop-eared, mostly sandy and black-coloured terrier, game as a pebble, lively as a cricket, and all in all a most charming little companion ; and further, that to produce our present-day Scottish Terrieror shall we say, to improve the points of his progenitor ?the assistance of our old friend the Black and Tan wire-haired
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