nsertion, and gradually tapering towards the end, free from
coarseness. It should not be inserted too low down, but carried with
a slight curve upwards, and never curled. It should be spotted, the
more profusely the better. COAT--The coat should be short, hard, dense
and fine, sleek and glossy in appearance, but neither woolly nor
silky. COLOUR AND MARKINGS--These are most important points. The
ground colour in both varieties should be pure white, very decided,
and not intermixed. The colour of the spots of the black-spotted
variety should be black, the deeper and richer the black the better;
in the liver-spotted variety they should be brown. The spots should
not intermingle, but be as round and well-defined as possible, the
more distinct the better; in size they should be from that of a
sixpence to a florin. The spots on head, face, ears, legs, tail, and
extremities to be smaller than those on the body. WEIGHT--Dogs,
55 lbs.; bitches, 50 lbs.

CHAPTER VIII

THE COLLIE

The townsman who knows the shepherd's dog only as he is to be seen,
out of his true element, threading his confined way through crowded
streets where sheep are not, can have small appreciation of his wisdom
and his sterling worth. To know him properly, one needs to see him
at work in a country where sheep abound, to watch him adroitly
rounding up his scattered charges on a wide-stretching moorland,
gathering the wandering wethers into close order and driving them
before him in unbroken company to the fold; handling the stubborn
pack in a narrow lane, or holding them in a corner of a field,
immobile under the spell of his vigilant eye. He is at his best as
a worker, conscious of the responsibility reposed in him; a marvel
of generalship, gentle, judicious, slow to anger, quick to action;
the priceless helpmeet of his master--the most useful member of all
the tribe of dogs.

Few dogs possess the fertile, resourceful brain of the Collie. He
can be trained to perform the duties of other breeds. He makes an
excellent sporting dog, and can be taught to do the work of the
Pointer and the Setter, as well as that of the Water Spaniel and the
Retriever. He is clever at hunting, having an excellent nose, is a
good vermin-killer, and a most faithful watch, guard, and companion.
Major Richardson, who for some years has been successful in training
dogs to ambulance work on the field of battle, has carefully tested
the abilities of various breeds in disco