The hair down the spinal column has a parting in it, causing the coat to hang, in curtain-like fashion, from head to tail.
_Head._--This should be long, rather wide between the eyes, flat on the skull, and narrow between ears. Nose black, and hard palate black, or nearly so. Ears about 2 inches, and lying close to cheeks. If prick-eared, to be well up, and inclined forward.
Body long, and ribs well rounded. The back ought to be fairly level, rising at the croup.
Legs, short and strong, having round feet, well covered with hair.
_Faults._--Short back, faulty carriage of ears, thin coat, too short coat, legginess, bad carriage of tail, bad colour, too light, etc.
_Prices._--Typical puppies, at six or eight weeks, can be bought at prices ranging from four to twelve guineas, but it is advisable to purchase Skyes when they are older, as one is then in a better position to speculate--for such it is--as to the probable subsequent value, for the show bench.
This breed of Terrier has certain features distinct from that of all others, and originated, so far as we are able to glean, in the county of Northumberland, over a century since.
William and James Allan appear to have had a great deal to do with laying foundation-stone of this variety of Terrier.
It is said that James Allan lived in a gipsy camp about the year 1730, in the Rothbury Forest, and that his father, William, was famed for other hunting Terriers, which were then known under the title of Rodbury, or Rothbury Terriers.
During 1825 a stone mason, to name Tom Ainsley, had a dog that he called Young Piper, and through his residence in the locality of Bedlington (near Newcastle), the present breed derived its name.
The dam of Piper was black, with brindled legs, and light-coloured hair on the top, and she weighed about 14 lbs. and the sire was about the same weight, liver-coloured, with a somewhat hard texture of hair.
Bedlingtons are very game dogs, and will generally tackle anything their own weight.
[Illustration: BEDLINGTON TERRIER DOG (Mr H. WARNES).]
They make good watch-dogs, and are capital "ratters," etc. Many cross-bred Terriers--and game ones too, have a considerable proportion of Bedlington blood in them. Their chief points are as follows:--