[4][1] These destroyers were not of a standard design, with the Admiralty laying down broad requirements, including a trial speed of 27 knots (31 mph; 50 km/h), a "turtleback" forecastle and a standard armament of a QF 12 pounder 12 cwt (3 in (76 mm) calibre) gun on a platform on the ship's conning tower (in practice the platform was also used as the ship's bridge), with a secondary armament of five 6-pounder guns, and two 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes.

Three White water-tube boilers fed four-cylinder reciprocating steam engines rated at 4,800 ihp (3,600 kW) and driving two shafts.

Thames Iron Works was relatively inexperienced in building torpedo craft (it had previously built the hull of a single torpedo boat as a subcontractor for Maudslay, Sons and Field (who supplied the engines for Zebra) and it took a long time for the ship to be completed and to complete trials (where she eventually reached the contract speed of 27 knots[2]), not being accepted by the Navy until January 1900.

[1] In January 1900 she was employed as tender to the Wildfire, special service vessel, for training duties in connection with Sheerness Naval School of Gunnery.

[13] She served in the Portsmouth Instructional flotilla in May 1902,[14] and took part in the fleet review held at Spithead on 16 August 1902 for the coronation of King Edward VII.