Historical Notes
Artwork and excerpt from: A general history of quadrupeds
By Thomas Bewick and Ralph Beilby
Published in 1792
THE TERRIER
Has a most acute smell, is generally an attendant on every pack of Hounds, and is very expert in forcing Foxes or other game out of their coverts. It is the determined enemy of all the vermin kind; such as Weasels, Soumarts, Badgers, Rats, Mice, &c. It is fierce, keen, and hardy; and, in its encounters with the Badger, sometimes meets with very severe treatment, which it sustains with great courage and fortitude : A well-trained veteran Dog frequently proves more than a match for that hardbitten animal.
There are two kinds of Terriers,— the one rough, (short-legged, long-backed, very strong, and most commonly of a black or yellowish colour, mixed with white; the other is smooth, sleek, and beautifully formed, having a shorter body, and more sprightly appearance: It is generally of a reddish-brown colour, or black, with tanned legs ; and is similar to the rough Terrier in disposition and faculties, but inferior in size, strength, and hardiness.