_Coat._--The hair on the body, neck, and quarters should be hard and wiry, and about 3 or 4 inches in length, and that on the head, breast, and belly much softer. There ought to be a slight hairy fringe on the inside of the fore and hind legs, but nothing approaching the feather of a Collie. The Deerhound ought to be a shaggy dog, but not overcoated. A woolly coat is a bad one. Some good strains have a mixture of silky coat with the hard, and this is preferable to a woolly coat. The proper Deerhound coat is thick, close-lying, ragged, and harsh or crisp to the feel. _Colour._--More a matter for individual fancy. A dark blue-grey most preferred, and after this, darker and lighter grey, or brindles, the darkest being preferred. Yellow, sandy-red, or red-fawn, with black points (_i.e._, ears and muzzle), are equally esteemed, more so because two of the oldest strains--the M'Neil and Chesthill Menzies--are of these colours. White is condemned by all the old authorities, but a white chest and white toes, occurring as they do in a great many of the darkest coloured dogs, are not so much objected to, though less the better, as the Deerhound is a self-coloured dog. A white blaze on the head, or a white collar, should entirely _disqualify_. A white tip on tail occurs in most strains. _Height of Dogs._--From 28 to 30 inches. _Height of Bitches._--From 26 inches upwards. A big bitch is better for breeding and keeping up size. Ought not to exceed the height of the dog under any circumstances. _Weight._--Dogs, 85 to 105 lbs. Bitches, 65 to 80 lbs. Mr Rawson, of Joppa, kindly supplied me with photographs. THE TOTAL POINTS REQUIRED FOR A DEERHOUND _Character_-- Length and shape of head 10 Ears 6 Beard and eyebrows 3 Eyes 5 Coat 7 Neck 5 Tail 4 Nails 2 Teeth 5 --47 _Body_-- Height at shoulder 10 Substance and girth 9 Length and symmetry of body 9 --28 _Limbs_-- Loins and hocks 10 Fore-limbs 8 Feet 7 --25 Total 100 SECTION C =Hounds= CHAPTER IX BLOODHOUNDS IRISH WOLFHOUNDS GREYHOUNDS WHIPPETS CHAPTER IX =The Bloodhound=