but not too much, feathered; a bushy tail is better than too little hair.  COAT AND SKIN—­Hair short and close as possible, glossy and smooth, but resistant to the touch if stroked the wrong way.  The skin tough and elastic, but fitting close to the body.  COLOUR—­One Coloured:—­There are several self-colours recognised, including deep red, yellowish red, smutty red.  Of these the dark, or cherry, red is preferable, and in this colour light shadings on any part of the body or head are undesirable.  “Black” is rare, and is only a sport from black and tan. Two Coloured:—­Deep black, brown (liver) or grey, with golden or tan markings (spots) over the eyes at the side of the jaw and lips, inner rim of ears, the breast, inside and back of legs, the feet, and under the tail for about one-third of its length.  In the above-mentioned colours white markings are objectionable.  The utmost that is allowed being a small spot, or a few hairs, on the chest. Dappled:—­A silver grey to almost white foundation colour, with dark, irregular spots (small for preference) of dark grey, brown, tan, or black.  The general appearance should be a bright, indefinite coloration, which is considered especially useful in a hunting dog.  WEIGHT—­Dachshunds in Germany are classified by weight as follows:—­Light-weight—­Dogs up to 16-1/2 lb., bitches up to 15-1/2 lb. Middle-weight—­Dogs up to 22 lb., bitches up to 22 lb. Heavy-weight—­Over 22 lb. Toys—­Up to 12 lb.  The German pound is one-tenth more than the English.  The light-weight dog is most used for going to ground.

CHAPTER XXVIII

THE OLD WORKING TERRIER

There can hardly have been a time since the period of the Norman Conquest when the small earth dogs which we now call terriers were not known in these islands and used by sporting men as assistants in the chase, and by husbandmen for the killing of obnoxious vermin.  The two little dogs shown in the Bayeux tapestry running with the hounds in advance of King Harold’s hawking party were probably meant for terriers.  Dame Juliana Berners in the fifteenth century did not neglect to include the “Teroures” in her catalogue of sporting dogs, and a hundred years later Dr. Caius gave pointed recognition to their value in unearthing the fox and drawing the badger.

“Another sorte, there is,” wrote the doctor’s translator in 1576, “which hunteth the Fox and the Badger or Greye onely, whom we call Terrars, because they (after the manner and custome of ferrets in searching for Connyes) creep into the grounde, and by that meanes make afrayde, nyppe and bite the Foxe and the Badger in such sorte that eyther they teare them in pieces with theyr teeth, beying in the bosome of the earth, or else hayle and pull them perforce out of theyr lurking angles, darke dongeons, and close caues; or at the least through cocened feare drive them out of theire hollow harbours, in so much that they are compelled to prepare speedie flyte, and, being desirous of the next (albeit not the safest) refuge, are otherwise taken and intrapped with snayres and nettes layde over holes to the same purpose.  But these be the least in that kynde called Sagax.”