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ME. PEAKCE'S "VENTDEE." MB, STTTEE'S " DAKDT."
THE
lags nf ilip Irifoji
BEING
A SERIES OF ARTICLES AND LETTERS
BY
VARIOUS CONTRIBUTORS,
REPRINTED FROM THE "FIELD" NEWSPAPER.
EDTTKn BY " STONEHENGE.
SECOND EDITION.
LONDON :
HORACE COX, 34 6, STRAND, W.C.
1872.
"Ht^. Ji.vvwoi>t-^ J^ez-
x«%^ ^w-*" ><
LONDON: PRINTED BY flORACE COX, SI6, STRAND, W.C.
\
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.
)HB SEVERAL ARTICLES of which the First Edition of the " Dogs
OP THE British Islands " was composed, together with the correspon-
dence arising therefrom, appeared in The Field dpring the years 1865-6.
Since then, two breeds of, terriers, at that time almost unknown, have been
brought prominently before the public, namely, the Bedlington terrier and the
Halifax blue-fawn, whilst the Dandie Dinmont and Skye terriers have given
rise to a very voluminous correspondence on their merits and external forms.
The Newfoundland, the St. Bernards (rough and smooth), and the Mastiff
have also been the subject of interesting discussions, and, with very few
exceptions, the points of the various breeds comprising the non-sporting
division have been thoroughly investigated and settled.
Of Sporting dogs there was less need for discussion, as the several
varieties were pretty well known to sportsmen ; and, with the exception of the
correspondence relating to the origin of the Gordon setter, to the various
Cockers, and to the Sussex spaniel and the Retriever proper, there is little
novelty to be found in the second edition of this book.
The portrait of the Gordon setter Kent, with which great fault was found,
has been replaced by a more faithful one ; and Roll has been added to Byron
as illustrating another strain of the English setter.
The points of the various breeds have been, in nearly every case, care-
fully revised, and more minutely dissected, than they were before ; and it is
hoped that this will meet the views of the* majority of breeders of the Dog.
Several fresh chapters have been added by the Editor on the Management of
Dogs, in point of food and lodging, while the treatment of Distemper, Mange,
and other parasites, has been briefly but plainly laid down.
The principles recommended for adoption in judging dogs — on the bench
as well as in the field — have also been explained by the aid of diagrams and
IV
PBEFAGE.
tables^ and it is confidently hoped that the plans here propounded will before
long be generally followed.
In ofiering these articles and letters in their revised form to the lovers of
the Dog^ the Editor has only to remark^ that his extended acquaintance with
the best authorities and most successful breeders, has enabled him to compare
his own experience with theirs, and to select the views which appear to him
most deserving of support.
(C
STONEHENGB."
IiONSON, May let, 1872.
na^^B^AAitf
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
PART I.
DOGS USED A\;^ITH THE GUJN.
Chapter I. — Settees.
Origin of the Setter
Modem Breeds of Setters ...
The English Setter
The Black-tan or Gordon Setter
The Irish Setter
PABT II.
COMPANIONABLE DOGS,
page 1
... o
••• 6
••• «/
Chapter II. — English Pointers — Droppers.
The Modern English Pointer 51
Droppers, or Cross-bred Pointers and Setters 63
Chapter III. — Field and Water Spaniels.
The Field Spaniel ... ••• ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 65
The Sussex Spaniel ... ... ... ... ... ... ••• ... ... 69
The Clumber Spaniel 77
The Norfolk Spaniel and Mixed Breeds 79
vyvtyKcrs, (Kc ... ... ... ••. ... ... ... ... ... ... ox
The English Water Spaniel 82
The Irish Water Spaniel 83
Chapter IV. — Retrievers.
The Retriever Proper... ... ... ... ... .*• .. ... ... 89
x^eernouncis ... ... ... ... ... ... ••* •«. ... ... «/0
The Gamekeeper's Night Dog 99
Chapter V. — Terriers.
Terriers of no definite Breed, Bongh and Smooth 103
The Black-and-tan Terrier • 106
The Yorkshire Blue-tan Silky -coated Terrier 108
... . .
■ •■- -- -
-
vi TABLE OP CONTENTS.
•
The Skye Terrier — Drop and Prick-eared
...
• ••
•••
108
The Dandle Dinmont Terrier
•••
•
...
111
The Bedlington Terrier
•••
• ••
•••
123
Chaptbe VI. — ^The But.Ti-Tbrrier and Bulldog.
The Bull-Torrier ...
•..
» • ■
...
124
The Bulldog ... ... ... ... ... •.• ...
...
■ • •
...
131
Chapter VII. — Mastiffs.
The Old English Mastiff
• ••
•*•
144
The Newfoundland Dog
• ••
• «•
159
The Sfc. John's, Small Tinbrador, or Lesser Newfoundland
* • •
• ■•
171
The St. Bernard Dog
• ••
...
171
The Pomeranian Dog...
• • •
...
174
The Dalmatian Dog
• • •
...
174
Chapter VIII. — Sheep and Drover's
Dogs.
The Sheep Dog ... ... ... ... ..•
■ • •
• ••
...
175
PABT III.
HOUNDS AND THEIR ALLIES.
Chapter IX.
X HE vT RE Y HOUND ... ... ... ... ... ••• ... ... ... l/o
Chapter X. — Hounds.
The Hounds of our Forefathers 185
•
The Bloodhound ... ... 190
The Modem Foxhound ... .. ... 194
j»i>c«i^x x"jro •'• ••• •»• ••• ••• ••• «•• ••• ••• ••• Xvf
XI16 JD6£L^10 »•* »•• ••• •«• ••• •■• ••• ••■ ••• «•• ^\A/
Chapter XI. — The Fox-Terrier and Trufple-Dog.
The Fox-Terrier 203
Truffles and Truffle-Dogs 233
PAET IV.
TOY DOGS
Chapter XII.
Ancient and Modern Toy Dogs 237
TABLB OP CONTENTS. Vll
Chapter XIII. — The King Charles and Blenheim Spaniels.
The King Charles Spaniel ... ... ... ... ... ... 240
The Blenheim Spaniel 242
Chapter XIV.
XxlJS aTUv U\Hx ••• ••• •«• ••• ... ••• ••• .■• ••• ••• ^%o
Chapter XV. — ^Naturalized. Foreign Dogs.
The Italian Greyhound 246
The Maltese Dog ••• ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 248
The Chinese Crested Dog 250,
PAET V.
MANAGEMENT OF DOGS.
Chapter XVI.
Kennel Management of Large Dogs ' 251
Chapter XVII.
Management of Pet Dogs 2e'>2
Chapter XVIII. — Treatment op Distemper, Mange, and Worms.
The Symptoms and Treatment of Distemper 255
•uiangc ... •*• ... ..y ... ... ... «.. ... ... ... aOv/
TT L/Tl lis *•• ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .aa ... •*• mO^S
PART VI.
JUDGING AT DOa SHO^WS AND FIELD
TRIALS.
Chapter XIX.
Judging at Shows ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 265
Chapter XX.
JD luici X nais ... ... •*. ... .*. ... ... ... ... ... ctt t
ILLUSTRATIONS.
Terriers, " Bounce," " Dandy," " Rough," and " Venture " frontispiece
English Setter, " Byron " facing page 6
English Setter, " Boll " 8
Grordon Setter, " Kent " 9
Irish Setter, " Bob " 39
Pointer, "Major" 51
Sussex Spaniel, " George " 69
Clumber Spaniel, " Bruce " "77
Irish Water Spaniel 83
Retrievers, " Windham " and " Jet " 89
Deerhound, " Bran " 96
Skye and Dandie Dinmont Terriers, " Dandie " and " Laddie " 108
Prick-eared Skye 110
Bedlington Terrier 123
Bull-terrier, " Madman " 124
Bulldog, " Romanie " 131
Mastiff, " Grovemor " 144
Newfoundland Dog, ** Carlo " 159
St. Bernard Dog, " Tell " 171
Scotch CoUey .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 175
Greyhounds, " Riot " and " David " 178
Bloodhound, "Druid" x. 190
Foxhound, " Lexicon " 194
Foxhound " Rosy " 197
Harrier " Clamorous " 197
Beagles " Giant " and " Ringlet " 200
Fox-Terrier " Jock " 203
Truffle Dog " Judy " 233
King Charles Spaniel " Jumbo," and Old and Modem Blenheims 240
Pug and Italian Greyhound 243
jHAXuese j^og a.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... a4o
Chinese Crested Dog 250
STjje ®0gs 0f tjje Brtttsjj islatiirg.
PAET I.
DOaS USED TV^ITH THE GTJN.
CHAPTER L-SETTER8.
ORIGIN OF THE SETTER.
[EUE is no doubt that the sport of hawking was known and practised
by the ancient Britons^ and that the Roman was totally ignorant of the
science; but the invader at once came to the conclusion that the
system might be improved^ and introduced the land spaniel^ if not the water
dog also^ into this country. These dogs roused the game^ and this was all that
the hawker required of them in those early days ; but in after years^ as we
shall see, dogs were required to pointy or^ in the language of the quaint old
writer, '^ sodainely stop and fall down upon their bellies/' and having so done,
when within two or three yards: "then shall your setter stick, and by no
persuasion go further till yourself come in and use your pleasure/'
At first, then, without doubt, the spaniel was merely used as a springer for
the hawk, which was subsequently neglected for the net ; and the propensity of
the dog to pause before making his dash at game was cultivated and cherished
by breeding and selection, until at last, gratified by observing the action of
the net, he yielded his natural impulse of springing at all, and set, or lay down,
to permit the net to be drawn over him. After this the hawker trained his
spaniel to set; then he cast off his hawk, which ascended in circles, and
^' waited on '' until his master roused the quarry from its concealment, when
she pounced upon it like a pistol-shot.
When used either with hawks or for the net (especially in the latter case)
a far heavier dog answered the purpose than what we agree to call a " high-
ranging setter.'' The net enveloped a whole covey in its meshes, and few
manors would allow of many coveys being taken in a day; whilst the dis-
B
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
entangling the birds and securing them allowed time for the heavy dog to rest
and regain his wind.
Richard Surflet, who wrote in 1600, writing of the ^' field or land spannel/'
" of which sith before no anther hath fully intreated/' describes him as ^^ gentle,
loving, and courteous to man, more than any other sort of dog whatsoever,''
and " as loving to hunt the wing of any bird, especially partridge, pheasant,
quaile, raile, pools , and such like.'' He tells us we are '^ to choose him by his
shape, beauty, mettall, and cunning hunting; his shape being discerned in the
good composition of his body, as when he hath a round thick head, a short
nose, a long, well compast, and hairie eare, broad and syde lips, a cleere red
eie, a thick neck, broad breast, short and well-knit joints, round feete, strong
cleys (high dew-cley'd), good round ribs, a gaunt bellie, a short broad backe,
a thicke bushie and long-haired taile, and all his bodie generally long and well
haired.. His beautie is discerned in his colour, of which the motleys or piede
are the best ; whether they be black-and-white, red-and- white, or liver-hued-
and-white ; for, to be all of one colour, as all white, or all blacke, or all red, or
all liver-hued without any other spot, is not so comely in the field, although
the dogs, notwithstanding, may be of excellent cunning. His mettall is dis-
cerned in his free and untired laboursome rauging, beating a field over and
over, and not leaving a furrow untrodden or unsearched, where any haunt is
likely to be hidden ; and when he doth it, most coragiously and swiftly, with a
wanton playing taile, and a busie labouring nose, neither desisting or showing
less delight in his labour at night than he did in the morning. And his cunning
hunting is discerned by his casting about heedfully, and running into the wind
of the prey he seeketh ; by his stillnesse and quietnesse in hunting, without
babbling or barking ; but when he is upon an assured and certain haunte, by
the manner of his ranging, and when he compasseth a whole field about at the
first, and after lesneth and lesneth that circumference, till he have trodden every
path, and brought the whole circuit to one point ; and by his more temperate
and leisurely hunting when he come to the first scent of the game, sticking
upon it and pricking it out by degrees ; not opening or questing by any means,
but whimpering and whining, to give his master a warning of what he soenteth,
and to prepare himself and his hawke for the pleasure he seeketh, and when
he is assured of his game, then to quest out loudly and freely." Affcer describing
spaniels which " delight in plains and the open fields," and others more
adapted for covert, he goes on to say : '^ There is another sort of land spannyels
which are called setters, a/nd they differ nothing from the former, but in instruction
and obedience, for these must neither hunte, range, nor retaine, more or less,
than as the master appointeth, taking the whole limit of whatsoever they do
from the eie or hand of their instructor. They must never quest at any time,
what occasion soever shall happen, but as being dogs without voices so they
must hunt close and mute. And when they come upon the haunt of that they
ORIGIN OF THE SETTER.
hunt^ they shall sodainely stop and fall down npon their bellies, and so
leasurely creep by degrees to the game till they come within two or three
yards thereof, or so neare that they cannot press nearer without danger of
retrieving. Then shall yoare setter sticJc, and by no persuasion go further till
yourself come in and use your pleasure. Now the dogs which are to be made
for this pleasure should be the most principall, best, and lustiest spannyel you
can get, both of good scent and good courage, yet young, and as little as may
be made acquainted with much hunting.^'
There is no doubt that the setter is a spaniel, brought by a variety of
crosses — or rather, let us say, of careful selections — to the size and form in
which we now find him. He is the most national of all our shooting dogs, and
certainly has existed for four centuries. His form probably has improved.
The net used in different counties required the same character of dog. He
might be slow, heavy, or slack and soon fatigued, but he would answer the
purpose. But when shooting flying superseded the use of the net, the moors,
the Grampians, the Norfolk turnips (before they were sown in drills), the Irish
potato fields, the low Scottish wolds, or the fens of Lincoln, all required dogs
of different types accommodated to their several hunting grounds.
Thus, if we collected together twenty of the best setters in England, we
should observe a marked difference in their structure, and coat, and texture.
All might be true setters, but totally different in certain respects, and repre-
senting in their conformation the idiosyncrasies of their respective breeders.
We have carefully criticised the portraits of every celebrated setter whose
memory has been perpetuated by the painter, and have gone back as far as the
year 1822. A careful comparison of these portraits with our recollection of the
best models exhibited of late years, leads us to the conclusion that if these
engravings are faithful representations of the departed setters, we possess dogs
far superior to the dogs of our forefathers. But it must be remembered the
dog is an exceedingly difficult aniilial to draw. He remains but a few seconds
in one posture, and his attitudes are so varied, that it is almost impossible to
place him twice in the same position. His form is not easily mastered even by
the best artists, and very few painters have ever succeeded in painting canine
subjects well. At the present moment this country can boast but of three
artists (at the most, of four), whose efforts in this line of art have been success-
ful. The painter of average ability can fiatter a lady or a horse, but his sketch
of a dog is frequently little better than a pasquinade. Thus our critique on the
portraits of dogs must scarcely be looked upon as a criticism of the dogs them-
selves, for probably the animal was far better than his likeness.
We referred, amongst other books, to the ''Annals of Sporting,^' and
found a picture of Nelson, a white setter with a black spot on his loin ; the
picture by Martin Ward, the engraving by H. R. Cooke. This dog has a good
average head, small ears wnfeathered^ good feet and legs, but shows great
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
coarseness in the stem^ whish is feathered like a Newfoundland dog's. He
was decidedly too plain a dog^ and too conunon for any competition in
a show.
Beppo (figured in the Sporting Magazine 1830) is a black-and-white
setter^ bred by Mr. A. Legun, and sold to Count Leon, for what may either
mean 60Z. or 501Z. This is a remarkably good-looking black-and-white dog,
painted by Laporte, and has great character and beauty. His ears are un-
feathered, and his hind legs are smooth from the hock. His loin is arched, his
coat flat and silky, and he has a sensible, refined head. We consider this the
best-looking setter we have been enabled to discover, after a very protracted
and diligent search.
We also found, in another volume of the previous year, a brace of Irish
setters, painted by M. Ward. The dogs were purchased from Lord Liverpool
at Walmer Castle. They are painted in grand style, and appear to be red with
a white blaze down the face, white frills, and feet of the same colour. Their
heads, however, are too square and blunt to suit our tafite, and the ears are not
of that set or form which we admire.
Passing on to the year 18S3, we observe a dog named Priam, the property
of Samuel Day, painted by Lambert Marshall, and engraved by Golding.
Priam is descended from Warwick, a dog the property of a Mr. Gauntlett of
Winchester. 'Warwick was a dog of some importance probably, as he was
painted some thirty years previously. He came into Hants to Sir H. St. John
Mildmay, from Mr. Coke of Norfolk, and doubtless was related to the late Duke
of Gordon^s kennel, as Mr. Coke and the duke bred together and interchanged
setters frequently. He can be traced also to the kennel of Sir John Mordaunt^
whose setters were well known. From the engraving we gather that he was
either liver-and-white or black-and white — the colour being only on the head,
except a small spot at the root oS the tail.
In the same volume we have the figure of a black half-bred setter named
Friday, a coarse weedy dog, painted by Laporte — the exact opposite of Priam ;
Priam being a very handsome powerful dog, with good stem and feather; the
head a trifle short, but the neck excellent ; the loin arched and strong, good
back ribs, and, in fact, nearly a perfect setter except that his ears carry rather
too much feather.
In the same year we have the portrait of a hideous sharp-nosed setter
named Dash, the property of the painter, a Mr. Greig ; but the dog, doubtless,
was a good performer, as he was approved by Colonel Thornton and Mr.
Montague Burgoyne, of Marks Hall, near Harlow.
The same year we have the portrait of Dido in the New Sporting Magazine,
after a painting by Duncan. She was the property of Mr. Graham, of Thorpe
Lee House, in Surrey, and is of very excellent form and character, still hardly
equal to setters of modern times. In the same volume we have the head of a
MODERN BREEDS OP SETTERS.
setter (^^ Bang '^) bred in Ireland^ the property of the same gentleman. Prom
this we can judge nothing.
With the exception of an imaginary setter in the attitude of pointing, by
Herring, a club-tailed mongrel setter, by Beck with, and another by the same
artist, distinctly stated to be crossed with the " Irish hound,^' and a spirited
though rough etching of setters by T. Landseer, after a drawing by his
brother Edwin, we have exhausted every available source of information since
the year 1822.
Probably the fame of the Duke of Gordon's kennel may account for the
fact that in 1833 we find more pictures of setters than at any other period, for
his fame was then established ; so setters were the fashion, and the sale of
Young Regent, Saturn, Crop, and Duke (the celebrities of his kennel) took
place in 1836, after which date the blood must have been pretty well dissemi-
nated throughout the kingdom.
The written articles on setters are few, and most of them extravagant. A
writer in 1832 names six crosses with the setter, most of which he considers
" excellent !" These are the foxhound, the Newfoundland, " the Russian dog''
(which is a variety of the water-spaniel), the large cocker, " the black-and-tan
or red colley," and the pointer. It is useless to say more on this subject, or
to add that the same authority prefers a timid dog to a bold one.
MODERN BREEDS OP SETTERS.
•
In the present day, the three divisions of the United Kingdom have each
their peculiar breed, though these are not by any means confined to their own
localities — thus, in Scotland, there are many English and some few Irish
setters, while in England, within the last few years, the Gordon setter has
become completely naturalised. Still the three strains are kept very distinct,
mainly owing to the difference of colour, which is sufficient to distinguish
them at first sight, though, of course, it is often deceptive — thus, a black-
and-tan, or a black-white-and-tan setter may occur without a drop of true
Gordon blood in his veins, and in the same way we may find English and
Scotch setters of a red colour ; moreover, it is quite clear that Irish setters
may be white-and-red, which is a colour common enough among English dogs.
In describing each variety, however, we shall find that there are characteristic
points, independent of colour, peculiar to each.
Points of the Settee. — The numerical value of the points in each breed
is the same, though the description in several of them, as we have observed.
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
will vary. We therefore begin by allotting the following figures to each,
referring our readers to the three articles for their varying definitions : —
Value of Points in Setter.
Head
Nose
Neck
iEars
10
10
5
6
30
Shoulders and
Chest 16
Back & hind
qnarters ... 15
"so
Feefc 7
Legs 6
Elbows, hocks
and stifles... 8
Stem 5
Character ... 5
20
Grand Total, 100.
10
Colour of
coat 5
Texture and
feather ... 5
10
THE ENGLISH SETTER.
Bybon, the dog which we selected in 1865 to illustrate the characteristics of an
English setter, was either English born or the offspring of animals procured in
England; but having, we believe, made his first pubKc appearance at the Paris
show, where he won the grand gold medal, he has been generally known as
'^ the French setter.'' He has, however, as far as we know, not been successful
at the stud, possibly owing to some defect in his parentage, but he will still
serve to show the true type in shape of the English setter. In our illustration
the neck appears somewhat too short, owing to the head being turned to the
left, but in other respects all is as it should be. He was a lemon-and-white
dog, and in our opinion one of the most perfect specimens ever exhibited.
His head, feet, legs, back, loin, stem, and carriage were all remarkably good,
and it would be simply impossible to obtain better texture of coat or general
outline. He was of fair size, and appeared to be of a good temperament, but
of his pedigree* or talent in the field we know nothing.
We proceed to give the points of the English setter, with their numerical
value.
1. The Read. — ^This should not be so heavy as the pointer's, nor so
wide across the ears. There should be at least four inches from the inner
* It haying been asBiuned by several correspondents, in consequence of this remark,
that Bjrron had no pedigree, his owner wrote as follows: — " On the father's side his pedigree
certainly is not so long as many, bat it is, at all events, reliable and good ; which is more
than can be said of a great many longer ones. He is by his late owner's dog Don, ont of
M. Benow's Belle. Don's brother took the grand gold medal in Paris two years ago — the
highest honour that can be obtained, ae it is awarded not to any particular class, but to the
best-formed and best-bred dog in the whole division of spK>rting dogs. That two dogs in
successive generations should secure this honour, speaks more, in my humble opinion, than
whole pages of pedigree. The pedigree of Belle might be obtained of any length, her
owner having had the breed himself for fifteen years, and known it for another fifteen.'*
FBONT VIEW OF "BTHON-a
UB. WHITFIELD'S (lute Mb. Qbwm'b) ENUMSH SFrfEB "BYBOiJ."
THE ENGLISH SETTER.
comer of the eye to the point of the nose : in many first-class dogs there
is half an inch more. The nasal bone should be rather depressed in the
centre, and sUghtly raised at the nostrils ; the nose and nostrils large ; the
nose dark liver-coloured or black, and moist and shining. The jaws should
be level, and the teeth exactly level in front. Though nothing detracts more
from appearance than the ^' snipe nose,'^ there should not be that fullness
of lip allowable in the pointer, but at the angles of the mouth the lips should
be rather pendulous. The ears should be set low in the head, larger where
they are attached than at the tips, which should be round — ^not vine-leaved or
pointed : they should never be pricked or carried forward, even on the point.
The eye should be sparkling, large, not protruding like the King Charles, but
well set, and full of intelligence. The neck long, thin, slightly arched at the
crest, and clean-cut where it joins the head — ^this last a most important point.
We should give head, 10 ; nose, 10 ; neck, 5 ; ears, 5.
2. Frame and Outline, — ^The shoulders should be set well back, the blades
long, the muscles well developed throughout. Ribs, not so roand as the
pointer^s, the back ribs deep — a great point. The chest deep, but not wide.
The loin broad and arched slightly, and the hips wide at the risk of being
ragged. The hind quarters square, strongly made, and the stifles well bent.
We give shoulders and chest, 15; back and hind quarters, 15 — total, 30.
3. We come next to the Feet and Legs, which have to stand a large
proportion of the wear and tear. We prefer round cat-like feet to the spoon
or hare foot, though many good judges differ from us. An experience of
more than twenty years leads us to prefer the round foot, with toes well
arched, as distributing the power of the toes more equally, and as best suited
for every description of shooting groand — ^in fact, the foxhound foot and his
leg with it. The feet should be straight, neither turned in nor out. The toes
should be well furnished with hair, which, in the best breeds, forms a tuft
between the toes, and protects the sole, being replenished as fast as it wears
away. This is, however, apt to be deficient in the cat-foot, and therefore
that form should be rejected when the hair is not in sufficient quantity. The
pasterns should be nearly upright and large j the knees large j the fore-legs
upright ; and in a standing position the legs should be like good fore-legs
in a horse, the feet slightly in the advance of straight. The hocks should be
strong, set a little in, if there is any deviation at all from a straight line.
We allot, feet, 7 ; legs, 5 ; elbows, hocks, and stifles, 8.
4. Oeneral Quality or Character, and Stem. — By " character '' we mean
that indefinite refinement which gives a general notion of excellence, con-
veying an impress in the judge^s mind which he would find it hard to define.
The stem or flag should be set well up the back, and carried with a gentle
undulating sweep upwards, but not absolutely curled. The feather should
be flat, silky, and deepest in the centre, going off to nothing at the tip itself.
d
THE DOQS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
which should be fine and pointed — ^by no means blnnt or clubbed. We give
dtem^ 5^ and character^ 5.
5. The Coat should be of the finest silky texture, devoid of all curl, and
the less waved the better. Though copious enough to fringe the profile of
the whole body (except the head and spring of the neck) it should not be
heavy. There should be an inclination in the coat to part down the back.
We allot 5 points to texture and feather, and 5 to colour;
We place the colours in order of merit: 1. Orange-and-white, with
freckled nose and legs; 2. Orange-and-white; 3. Lemon-and-white j 4. Black
and white ticked, with slight tanned spots on feet and legs, commonly called
"Belton grays;" 5. Pure white; 6. Black; 7. Fallow or yellow; 8. Liver,
or liver-and-white. We have heard of a breed of slate colour, with tanned
feet and masks, but have never seen them. Wherever the dog is chiefly white j
there should be a blaze of white down the forehead. The absence of this
blaze gives a heavy expression to the countenance.
Since 1865, when the above article was published, most of the prizes
for English setters at the numerous shows held in the United Kingdom have
fallen to the lot of dogs either bred by Mr. Laveraok, or chiefly composed of
his blood. It may be remarked that in the summer of that year, at the
Islington Show, Byron was "nursed" (to use the term in vogue among
Omnibus cads) by two of Mr. Laverack^s kennel — one, his Fred, being
before him, and the other (Jet) third to his second; but subsequently the
judges (who were generally Messrs. Walker and Lort) were completely taken
up with the Manchester type, and no other strain had much chance with them.
Mr. Garth^s Major, a grand black-and-white dog, occasionally got a prize,
and one or two of his descendants (chiefly bitches) were also rewarded ; but
the large proportion of the good things fell to Mr. Laverack. We have always
considered the dogs of that strain too heavy and Clumber-like in their frames,
though we admire the bitches greatly, and in the various field trials which have
been held our opinion has been borne out. Mr. Armstrong's Duke (combining
Sir F. Graham's and Sir V. Corbet's blood), who has always shown well
at work in these trials, is too open and racing-like in his shape for their
taste, and, like Mr. Garth's Major (whom he somewhat resembles in shape as well
as in colour), he has been superseded on the bench. Roll, a magnificent dog,
bred by Mr. Jones, of Oscott, near Birmingham, by Mr. Laverack's Fred II.,
out of Mr. Lord's Dip, has been very successful, but being a bad feeder, and of
a delicate constitution, he has seldom been shown in flesh, and on that account
has often been beaten. As a good specimen of the Laverack strain, rendered
more open by the cross with Mr. Lort's bitch, we reproduce an excellent
likeness, engraved from a picture painted by Earl, for Mr. Rogerson, of
Liverpool, in which the contrast with Kent, the celebrated Gordon setter, is
admirably shown.
"BOLL," AN ENGLISH SETTER
"KENT," A OOBDON SETTEE.
THE BLACK-TAN OR GORDON SETTER.
The champion setter ^^Kent," whom we selected to illustrate this celebrated
and fashionable breed of setters, made his first appearance at Cremorne in 1863,
where he won his first prize, Argyle II. being a close second to him. He was
immediately purchased of Sir Edward Hoare by the Rer. Thomas Pearce, who
at once put him to the stud. He subsequently won three first prizes, and
finished by winning the Paris gold medal in 1865. He is a very staunch dog,
has a very sensitive nose, excellent action, and a great amount of courage.
The following are his proportions from actual measurement, and we place
side by side with them the proportions of the champion bitch Moll, for reasons
given below. ^
Kent. Moll.
ft. in. ft. in.
From noBo to end of stem 4 6 ... 4 4J
Girth behind shoulders 2 SJ ... 2 1
Round top of fore-leg 9} ... 6
Round cranium 16 ... 1 2^
Length of head lOJ ... 10
Lower corner of eye to end of nose 4J ... 4^
LengthoftaU 16 ... 12
Height 2 -IJ ••• 2
Kent is a well-coloured Gordon, raven black, with brilliant tan, and is
remarkable for his grand head and forehand. His feet and legs are excellent,
but he is rather deficient in his loin and back ribs, and a trifle too much in at
his hocks.
Moll, the champion bitch, is quite his equal in colour, but is rather too wide
through her hind quarters, and her stem is a trifle short. At the field trial at
Southill, in 1865, this bitch obtained ninety marks, the ten points for backing
being withheld, a^ she had " no opportunity.'' Moll quite equals Kent in all
but size.
The points of excellence in the Gordon so closely resemble those of the
English, that it will be unnecessary to repeat their numerical value.
The great features of representatives of the true Gordon blood are, that
they can go much longer without water than the generality of setters ; they
show more variety in their attitude on " the point ; '^ and the length of their
shoulders, their large bone, and development of muscle, enable them to race,
and to keep it up.
The colour of the Gordon is a great point. The black should be raven
black, with a blue or plum bloom on the bright lights. The tan a rich red, or
burnt sienna colour. It should by no means be yellow or tabby, or mixed with
black or fawn, but rich, deep — ^a sort of bright new mahogany colour. The
10 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
cheeks, lips, throat, feet, back of the fore-legs to the elbow, front of the hind-
legs up bo the hips, belly, inside of thighs, vent, underside of flag, inside of
ears, should all be brilliant red ; and there should be a large brilliant spot of
tan over each eye. There is no objection to a " white shirt frill," although the
absence of all white is a good thing. White toes behind are less objectionable
than white toes in front, and several of the very best Gordons have even a
white foot or feet.
We do not believe the true Gordon is to be found of any other colour
than black-tan, or occasionally black-white-and-tan. The very best blood
occasionally shows this colour, and there can be little doubt that in the Gordon
kennels it was often met with ; but we think the careful breeder would discard
it as a throw-back to some old strain from which the Gordon was produced
originally.
The origin of the breed is not well known. The late Duke of Gordon, at
any rate, brought it up to its present excellence. There is a suspicion it came
originally from Ireland ; and the fact that all the best Gordon bitches have in
every litter one or more deep red or orange whelps, leads us to believe there
has been an Irish cross. We give little credit to the story of the CoUey cross,
except that we have seen several Gordons like CoUeys, and CoUeys like
Gordons.
The Gordon^s stern is shorter than that of the English setter, but " sting-
like.^^ Failing this, breeders find they have that greatest trouble to the Gordon
breeder, the '* teapot " tail, or a long stem with a curl at the end, badly
carried in action.
He is a long, low setter, his gallop noiseless, and he is remarkably quick in
his turn, from the power of his shoulders and loin, and length of his neck, and
general muscular development. A trifle heavier in his head, a trifle shorter in
his stem, rather deeper in his " brisket," more bony and muscular than the
English setter, with a remarkably gay carriage and temperament, ^'always busy"
— he is quite the beau ideal of a sportsman's favourite ; but he has his failings.
He is more frequently gun-shy, more often the victim of distemper than the
English thorough-bred, and occasionally is so headstrong as to be totally
irreclaimable. These may be the faults of education, and generally are so ; but
undeniably they are more often the results of in-breeding or injudicious crossing.
The best breeds are in a few hands, and there appears a desire on the part
of the breeders to cross with Some other breed of setter. The bitch is always
much smaller than the dog — ^a fact, perhaps, rendered somewhat too evident by
a comparison of Kent's measure with that of Moll. Moll is of average size for
a Gordon bitch, whilst Kent is one of the largest setters in England of any
breed.
[Since the above article was written, we have had extensive opportunities
of trying the Gordon setters, and we confess that in many respects we have
THE GORDON SETTER. 11
been disappointed. Tn nose and staunchness before we have never seen any
breed come near them ; but the dogs are deficient in staying powers, rarely
working more than five or six hours at a spell/ and generally tiring at the end
of three or four. Bitches we have seen go fast through a long day, but the
heavy frames and action of the dogs will not enable them to go longer than the
time above mentioned. Both sexes are very headstrong, and will not leave a
scent under the most pressing notice of whistle or voice, and we have rarely
seen a true Gordon display the real natural '* back,^' though by perseverance
they may be taught to be steady behind. In nose, the superiority of almost
all the Kents is undeniable, our own Rex being a remarkable instance, as well
as his younger brother. Young Kent. In these several respects they differ so
much from the Irish setter that we can scarcely believe in their origin from
that source. — Ed.]
• ■ II
Ths following Letters appeared in The Field,
EiNT AS A Stud Dog.
SiE, — Upon your commencing a -series of articles on the varieties of the
^og> you stated that you would be happy to receive any opinions on the subject
either for or against. I, therefore, as a user and breeder of setters for upwards
of twenty years (although not for home or foreign jnarket), venture to offer
some remarks as to the dog Kent, which you have brought before the public as
a " model '* setter.
Upon first seeing Kent at Islington, in 1868, I formed an opinion which,
up to the present time, I have seen no reason to alter, and, although it may be
admitted that he is a well-coloured dbg, he does not possess the true type of a
setter. His head is much too large, and, instead of the nasal bone being rather
depressed in the centre and slightly raised at the nostrils, he is too much filled
up under the eyes, whioh is not only objectionable, but gives the appearance of
a mixture of Labrador ; his shoulders and fore quarters are much too heavy,
with the worst back ribs and loin possible ; short hind quarters, with straight
hind-legs, resembling those of a wooden clothes-horse, with as much leverage;
and I may say that he is one of the most uneven and worst-proportioned dogs
ever exhibited. Those who have had much experience in breeding and shoot-
ing over setters, well know that dogs with such back ribs, loin, and hind
quarters as Kent possesses are neither fit for a long day in the field, nor
desirable to breed from.
I will not ask, but will leave it to the public to decide, whether the dog
Kent can be considered a " model " setter, and desii*able for stud purposes,
when it is admitted he has no pedigree, with the fact that he has been at the
service of the public upwards of three years, has earned for his fortunate master
several hundred pounds, bitches have been sent in " sealed boxes,'^ and out of
12
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
all his stock, including those from the prize bitches Regent,* Ruby, Redwing,
and others, not a decent specimen has been produced, not even fit for exhibition,
except one, the progeny of an Irish setter bitch, which took second prize in the
^^ English '^ setter class at Birmingham in 1864. Expbrientia.
[We insert the above on the principle of wiidi alteram partemy but at the
same time we cannot avoid expressing a contrary opinion as to the shape of
Kent in most of the points alluded to. In our report of the Cremorne Show in
1863 we expressed the following opinion, which has been confirmed by those of
the several judges who have awarded prizes to him : " Sir B. Hoare's Kent is a
grand dog, his only defect being a slight apparent weakness in the hocks."
—Ed.]
Sib, — So much is going on now in dog-breeding, shows, and trials, that
perhaps, as a breeder of more than twenty years' experience of pointers and
setters, you will kindly allow me to have a word in common with my fellow
sportsmen. In one of the last numbers' of The Field you have given a
description and drawing of the champion black-tan Gordon setter, Kent, who,
I am told by a few who have seen him, is a fine animal, but is without pedigree.
I need not point out to you what a nice point breeding is. Though you may
procure the services of a first-rate and well-bred dog, with an unexceptionable
pedigree for your bitch, it is not always the strain " nicks,*' and the breeders
are often disappointed. Pedigree is everything; therefore I would no more
dream of breeding from Kent than I would from the champion French (or rather
English) setter dog, Byron, who is one of the handsomest dogs I have ever
seen, but hag no pedigree.f On looking over the prize lists I can only find one
of Kent's stock a winner — Bran, who took a second prize at Birmingham in
1864.* Now, as I am credibly informed, Kent has had about sixty bitches a
year since 1863, this does not speak much for his stock. Let me give Kent's
show of performances against those from the breed of the late Mr. F. Burdett :
Kent (Black-tan Gordon Setter).
1863. — Creniome : Won first prize. Bred and shown by Sir Edward Hoare, and pur-
chased by the Rev. T. Pearce. Birmingham : Beaten by Mr. Jones's Bake, who took 2nd
prize, the Ist being withheld.
18(34. — Cremorne : Divided Ist prize with Mr. B. Garth's Major. Islington: Beaten by
Mr. Fleming's Dandy. Birmingham : Won Ist prize.
1865. — Paris : Won Ist prize.
Kent thus showed for competition six times ; wins three, beaten two, and
divides one. This is, I believe, a correct statement of his performances.
* Mr. W. Campbell pointed out that his bitch Deal (by Kent out of Regent), then eleven
months old, obtained the second prize at Islington, June 1, 1865, in class 13, No. 2 LI A.
t The owner of Byron denied this. (See note on page 6.)
THE GORDON SETTER.
18
I will now place against it the late Mr. P. Burdett^s breed :
Brougham (Black-tan Gordon Setter).
1859. — Biiiningham : Brougham won 1st prize, but was never shown afterwards in
consequence of Mr. Burdett having accepted the management of the Birmingham Show.
1860. — Birminghani : 3rd, Countess, by Brougham.
1861. — Leeds: 1st, Ned; 2nd, Rock — both by Brougham. Birmingham: 1st, Ned;
2nd, Rock ; 3rd, Countess — all by Brougham.
1862. — North of England (held at Islington) : Ist, Ned ; 2nd (bitch class), Bell, by Rake,
g. sire Brougham, &c. Birmingham : 1st, Ned ; highly commended, Rock ; Ist (bitches).
Bell, by Rake.
1863. — Birmingham : 2nd, Countess II., by Ben out of Bess — Besc by Rake.
1864'. — Newcastle: Ist (champion class), divided by Ned and Major; Ist (champion
class for all colours), Nell ; 2nd, Rake ; 1st, Flash, by Grouse, own brother to Ned and Rake;
2nd (black-and-tan bitches), Bess, by Rake, own brother to Ned ; 1st (open class), Jack, by
Ben, dam Bess, by Rake, own brother to Ned. Birmingham : 2nd (champion class), Nell,
by Don — Nell, &c. ; highly commended (open class), Rake, by Gronse — Nell, &c. ; highly
commended (black-and-tan). Jack, by Ben— Bess, by Rake, own brother to Ned; highly
commended, Brougham, by Brougham— Bess, &c. ; Ist (black- tan bitches), Bess ; 2nd,
Countess.
1865. — Leeds: 1st (English setter dogs). Bake, by Gronse — son of Brougham and
brother to Ned; highly commended (English bitches), Nell, by Don — Nell, Lad, Flash, ^c. ;
1st (black-and-tan dogs). Jack, by Ben — Beas, daughter of Rake, &c. ; commended Romp,
by brother to Ned, Countess, &c., &c. ; Ist (black-and-tan bitches), Bess, by Rake, own
brother to Ned, &c. ; 2nd, Countess — same litter as Jack. Prize for Puppies : Mr. Calver's
brace of black-and-tan puppies, out of Bess, by own brother to Nell, champion prize,
Birmingham.
I thinks Sir, you will agree with me that this strain is infinitely superior
as regards stock to any Kent has got. Although some of the animals quoted
are not black-tans, that has been the fault of the breeders ; but it appears to
me the stock that has come from Brougham is the best Gordon blood in
England. Old Calaba.b.
[Although Kent had not got a first prize winner at the date of this letter,
he had got two winners of second prizes ; and there were dogs by him at the
Islington Show which deserved a prize, being almost perfect in shape, but
entered as " not for competition/^ owing to the breeder of them officiating as
one of the judges. Since 1865 his stock have been more successful, several
bitches being extremely beautiful and well rewarded on the show bench. The
llev. J. H. Stokes's Short, unapproached at the third Islington Show, is a
grandson of Kent, while Mr. Bishop's Ned, the winner at Birmingham in 1871,
is out of the beautiful Silk, daughter of Kent. Reuben, however, of Lord
Rosslyn's blood, has been the most successful Gordon setter of late years. — En.]
«
SiK, — ^To all good judges of setters who have seen Kent, the letter of
Experientia,'' in The Field of Oct. 14, 1865, will appear in its true light, viz..
14
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
that of either a man who knows nothing at all of the breed of dogs of which he
so confidently writes, or of one of that numerous class — a disappointed exhibitor,
who has found to his disgust that none of his pug-nosed setters (difiFering in
that respect from Kent, who is, he says, " too much filled up under the eyes,
and has not the nasal bone depressed in the centre, and slightly raised at the
nostrils'^) can beat him. It may be, however, some persons who never have
seen Kent, will be deterred from sending their bitches to him in consequence
of this letter. To such I say ^^ Go and see Kent for yourselves, and if you
have any judgment of your own, use it.''
" Experientia '' is, I believe, correct in his statement, that Kent has never
been the sire of any prize dog. It is difiJcult to assign a reason for this,
because none of his progeny, I believe, have ever thrown back to any mongrel
breed, not even to '' ^ Labrador/' I can only account for it by saying that no
bitch good enough has ever pupped to him. Truly Regent and others are
beautiful bitches, but can they be compared at all to Kent himself? One
thing I can say from actual experience, the offspring of Kent are unrivalled for
nose and endurance in the field — though, as we are told, the sire does resemble
a '' wooden clothes-horse."
• ** Experientia " cannot have bought his experience very dear to exhibit
himself in public print as the detractc^r of a dog who has never been beaten
by any other in the world, at any show, tut on one occasion ; and then,
although so wasted and bad in genei*al condition as to be at once *' put out of
court," the very shadow of his presence sufficed to prevent any other dog
receiving a first prize, and to confine the awards to second and third.
To show that I have simply penned the above as a warm admirer of Kent,
and not from iuterested motives, I subscribe myself
D. EL W. HoRLOCK.
Leafield, Oxon, Oct. 18, 1865.
Sir, — I have to express my regret that in pointing out the serious defects
in the prize setter, Kent, and the fallacy of giving a prize to a badly-formed
dog, without pedigree, or any other substantial recommendation, I have
incurred the great displeasure of Mr. Horlock. He questions both my
experience and judgment in such matters, and modestly substitutes his own as
being the correct thing. I will not further commit myself by being pre-
sumptuous enough to question his (no doubt) very superior judgment, but I
will leave it to (probably) far more competent judges than either of us to
determine which is right.
There is, I confess, something very inconsistent about dog matters which
I cannot understand, as I see by an editorial note attached to a letter in your
last impression, that Byron and Kent were not selected for illustration as
THE GORDON SETTER. 15
" stud/' dogs, but as showing the best external shapes of those lately exhibited.
Allow me to ask, for information, why was Kent selected, it being admitted in
your description of him that he is defective in his back ribs and too much in at
his hocks? Surely there are many setters with far less serious defects than
these (besides having pedigrees to recommend them) which ought to have been
selected for illustration in preference to Kent. I should further feel obliged by
your informing me whether setters without pedigrees are for the future to be
considered as eligible for champion prize classes at shows, and if so, whether
no preference is to be given by judges at shows to true-bred dogs ? If not, an
end will, and ought, soon to come to shows for sporting dogs.
EXPEEIENTIA.
[We selected Kent because, in our judgment, he is the best-shaped and
best-coated Gordon setter ever exhibited. In our opinion, the judges of dog
shows ought to be furnished with the pedigrees of the animals exhibited, and
to be guided by them to a great extent ; but that has nothing whatever to do
with a selection of a specimen for our article. — En.]
Sir, — As a breeder and great admirer of the ''Old Gordon setter,'^
having seen all the best stud dogs (and once the owner of one), I should say,
from pedigree, appearance, size, activity, temper, colour, endurance, and
staunchness in the field, the second prize Gordon setter dog Don, Islington,
June, 1865, is the dog to breed from — infinitely superior to the first prize
dog (as was remarked by the owner of one of the champion black-and-tan
setters) .
I am glad to see his owner ofiers him at last to the public, and my only
wonder is, why he has not done so ere this. I have a very fine dog by him,
and, although only a puppy, as near perfection as a sportsman can expect.
Edward Hoahe, Bart.
Little Hothfield, Ashford, Kent.
Remarks from The Field of March 17th, 1866, by the Editor.
Injustice to this celebrated dog (Kent), we give the result of an experi-
ment instituted with the intention of testing his value as a stud dog, which
has been so strongly denied by some of our correspondents.
At the last Islington Exhibition the owner of Kent was so kind as to place
at our disposal any one of the Gordon setter whelps sent there by himself for
sale, on the condition that we fairly tested his value, and reported thereon. A
puppy, then only eight or ton weeks old, was at once chosen by us from the
lot, and taken away, since which time he has been reared on our own
16
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
premises, without access to any other dog, and therefore without the possi-
bility of contracting any habits from imitation. With the exception of three
short runs over arable land, quite clear of all game, at Christmas last, he has
never been exercised anywhere but in Hyde-park, and has had no lessons
except in coming to the whistle, dropping to hand, and keeping at heel.
Whatever peculiarities, therefore, pertaining to the setter he may display, are
of necessity solely to be attributed to his parents, Kent and Regent — both
well-known prize Gordon setters at our recent shows.
On Wednesday, March 14, we took this puppy to Bushey Grove, in
Hertfordshire, and at once began to hunt him "single-handed" in the
presence of Culling, the keeper, who had never previously seen Him, and to
whom we may refer, any sceptical reader for a confirmation of our statement.
He at once began to range in beautiful style, going fast and galloping very
lightly, his flag waving in that fine setter-like manner which delights the
eye of the shooter. After beating about 300 acres, and flushing several brace
of birds (the scent all the time being very bad, from the presence of a hot sun
on a slight frost and the absence of wind), he began to draw up to his game
in grand form, but still flushed it. At last he came suddenly upon a covey,
still unbroken, and stood as stiffly as possible, fully a hundred yards from us,
until we walked the birds up : and from that time he behaved as well as most
old dogs, barring the want of experience in assuring himself of the presence
of game before him. After beating more than 400 acres, he of course tired,
not having been previously exercised more than just to keep him in health ;
and we stopped the day's work, with the full conviction that the puppy
will prove to be perfect in every respect, requiring now only practice to
make him so.
This is another instance added to the many which we have previously
known, of the inutility of teaching puppies to stop at the word of command,
as advised by General Hutchinson in his treatise on " Dog Breaking." If
pointers and setters are well-bred, they require no such adventitious aid as
he recommends to make them point ; and, on the other hand, when it comes
by nature, it may at once be assumed that the puppy showing a natural
tendency to point is descended from parents truly bred on both sides ; and
this is more especially to be depended on when the range is developed without
trouble, as in the case of this son of Kent. We have never yet seen a puppy
of such high courage take to his business so cleverly, and settle to his point
so soon and so staunchly ; and we have no hesitation whatever in stating our.
opinion that the value of Kent as a sire is proved to our satisfaction far more
completely than if he had a pedigree through a score of generations.
[This dog Rex subsequently won three cups in the Stafford and Shrews-
bury trials over grouse as well as partridges, and raised the fame of his sire
very considerably thereby. He was a very hardy dog, and always ready for
THE GORDON SETTER. 17
half a day's work, but after lanoheon was quite useless, or on a hot Septemher
day. While at work, however, we never saw the dog that could beat him
for number of points, and freedom from mistakes. — Ed.]
Sib, — Can any of your readers tell me the name of the setter dog that was
the father, &c., of all these black -and-t^ Gordon setters of the present day ?
He was the property of the then Duke of Gordon, and, though they are all now
black-and-tan, yet the dog that I mean was black -white-and-tan. My reason
for asking this favour is, my Gordon setter bitch has thrown back to this
very dog a black-white-and-tan, though she was put to a black-and-tan dog.
0. E. Bastin.
[We have little doubt that the fact is as here stated, but we cannot verify
it upon sufficient evidence. We shall be obliged if some of our correspondents
will supply it upon some more reliable ground than mere hearsay. — Ed.]
Sir, — In answer to the question of your correspondent, G. P. Bastin, I beg
to say that, at the sale of the Duke of Gordon's setters at Tattersall's about the
year 1838, the dog which fetched the highest price (namely, 80 guineas, or
thereabouts) was a black-white-and-tan dog, bought by Lord Abercorn. I
think that most, if not all, the others were also black-white-and-tan. Again, I
believe I am right in saying that the Gordon blood which is in Mr. Pearce's
setters, comes through Mr. Brown^s strain at Melton Mowbray : he, I think,
ha'd it many years ago from the Marquis of Anglesey. Again, the Rev. Mr.
Mackinuon, of the Isle of Skye, thinks that he has the blood as pure as anyone:
he got it from Lord Macdonald. I will only add, that the black-white-and-tan
has come out sometimes in Mr. Brown^s breed — indeed, I think that the animal
he originally had from Lord Anglesey was so marked. I write somewhat in
haste, and speak only from memory, but I think I am correct in all that I have
stated. W. P. M.
Sir, — In reply to your correspondent respecting the colour of the Gordon
setter, those possessed by the late Duke of Gordon were invariably black-
white-and-tan ; after that nobleman^s decease they were sold at Tattersall^s, I
believe, about the year 1836. Amongst the purchasers were the Earl of
Chesterfield, and one that fell to his lot was Regent, a most magnificent animal
D
18 THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
and the progenitor of a very numeroas race^ generally of the original colour ;
but if crossed with black would frequently produce black-and-tan.
Francis Brailsfobd.
Sir, — The breed of setters kept by George Duke of Gordon — the last and
by no means least admirable of the noble race — I well remember, were black-
and-white without tan. I possessed one of the breed about forty years ago,
and have not often followed a better dog. At what time the tan was introduced
into the breed it may be difficult to ascertain ; but if it was done during the last
duke^s day, it was done for some good reason. No man knew better the
necessity for change of blood in rearing animals than he did, and no man could
be more choice in the selection of those he thought worthy of being kept.
J. 0. S.
Sib, — Sometime about the year 1826 there was a celebrated sheep dog
belonging to a shepherd who lived far up on the Pindhom. Among her other
accomplishments, the shepherd, being a bit of a poacher, had taught her to find
grouse, for which she had a wonderful gift ; she knew by a wave of the hand
and a word whether grouse or sheep was wanted. When she had found grouse
the shepherd would say a word or two to her in Gaelic, go down the hill for his
gun, and on his return find the bitch still watching the grouse ; it was more like
watching than regular pointing — ^you might have fancied there were sheep in
front of her to be looked after. The Duke of Gordon (then Marquis of Huntly)
heard of this bitch, and begged her of the shepherd. The shepherd unwillingly
gave her to the " Cock of the North/' The Marquis put her to one of his best
setters, and some of her first litter were black-and-tan. She herself was long,
low, rather smooth for a colley, and black with very light tan. No doubt there
are many black-and-tan setters in England without a drop of Gordon Castle
blood in their veins ; but any man having a black-and-tan that he can trace to
the duke's dogs, if he went further back he would find the sheep dog Maddy
in the line. I doubt whether anyone now alive could tell the colour of the dog
put to the sheep bitch. Black-and-tan is a handsome colour for a setter, but it
is a very bad one. A black-and-tan dog drops in long heather, you march half
an hour fcr him ; a white dog would have been seen at once. Wild birds will
not sit so well to a whole dark-coloured dog — ^he is too like the* fox. D.
Sir, — As there seems to be some doubt in the sporting world with
reference to the original colour of the late Duke of Gordon's setters, I beg to
acquaint your readers, in confirmation of W. F. M.'s statement, that the
THE GORDON SETTER.
19
colour of that celebrated breed of setters was generally black-white-and-tan
both before and after the late duke possessed the breed, and 4iiring his life.
An old gentleman sportsman, and one too who has shot over the same breed
for fifty years and knew them during his boyhood, assures me that the late
Duke of Gordon, Marquis of Anglesey, and several other noblemen, hud their
original stock of setters from the late Mr. Coke, of Longford, and that the
colour was usually black-white-and-tan. Mine are descended from the original
breed of Mr. Coke, the Gordon Regent and Fan, and within the last five
years from a black-white-and-tan bitch which I got direct from the Beau-
desart kennel.
I am aware that there .are black-tan setters which are not of the same
blood as the Gordon breed, and recollect crossing from one more than thirty
years ago that was bred by the late Mr. Edge, of Strelly. I also well recollect
a clergyman having a pure breed of black-tans about that period. They fetched ^
high prices at Tattersall's, but were not sold as Gordon setters. I got the
excess of black from Ranger, a dog descended from Lord OhurchilFs kennel,
and from Argyll, the sire of Mr. Pearce's Regent and my stock-dog Bol. But
we keep black-and-white-tans in reserve, and can readily breed them black-
tans, or black-white-and-tans, without having recourse to the Scotch coUey or
any other breeds.
By-the-bye, I well recollect seeing, a red bitch some years ago that was
said by her owner, who is a Scotchman, to be axross-bred between the Gordon
setter and a coUey. She was a sagacious, good bitch in the field, but her
general appearance indicated her colley descent. We are quite aware that the
late duke, in common with every other person who keeps up a breed of dogs,
found it necessary, in order to keep up size and strength, to occasionally
introduce a cross of fresh blood into his kennel ; and that some of those crosses
might be black-and.- white, and turn out very good dogs ; but such would not
be considered as of the pure Gordon breed, because they wanted the charac-
teristic tanned face. Samuel Bbown.
Melton Mowbray.
Sib, — In reply to some observations in Thb Field of Nov. 12, I beg
to call to the writer'^s recollection that the unrefined Ruby gained the first
prize at the Islington Dog Show, 1863, while her more refined daughter
Regent had to put up with the second. Again, Don, the second prize-holder,
was more than half-brother to Ruby, they both being by Ranger out of aunt
and niece. Argyll II. was beaten by Douce (bred by me) at the Islington
Hall Show in 1862, and probably would have been in 1863 if the latter
dog had been in a fit state of health and condition, but the fact is that he
20
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
wanted botli on tliat occasion^ and was not fit for exhibition. Again, 6ir
St. Greorge Gqre^s Spouse (359 catalogue, Islington Hall, 1863, a strange
mistake) gained an extra prize of £3 at the same show. Douce, Spouse, and
DoU (the dam of Ruby) are brothers and sister, und I will venture to say and
could prove that they have more pure Gordon blood in their veins than the
Argyll litter. I could very readily trace all of them to old Bang, who might
or might not be a black-tan. But the Gbrdon Regent and Crop (Fan when
sent to my old dog Pan in 1840) were both black-white-and-tan ; and as I
bred from them both, I believe that Douce and the remainder of the fine
litters which were by Don out of Nell are their nearest descendants which are
now extant. Samubl Bbown.
Melton Mowbray.
Sib, — ^In reply to the very kind notice of my simple question, namely,
the names, &c., of the dogs I alluded to, W. F. M. replies : " They were
black-white-and-tan ;'' so does Mr. F. Brailsford. J. C. S. does not dispute
the tan, at some time. D. writes : " No doubt there are many black-and-tan
setters in England without a drop of Gordon Castle blood in their veins ; that
if we trace back we shall find Maddy (the coUey) in the line.^' Now as he
ptrts this at- the date of 1826 — ^and I think I can trace bock to near or about
the last century — ^I cannot understand what Maddy has to do with it. Mr.
S. Brown says that " the colour of that celebrated breed was black>white-
and-tan, but that some crosses might be black-and-white; but such would
not be considered as the pure Gordon breed, because they wanted the
characteristic tanned face.'' May I add, and two rich tanned round spots,
one over each eye, and black-and-tan spots on white ground, well mottled on
fore-legs f My whelp has aU these *^ characteristics,'' so I presumed to think
his mother had thrown back to old Bang or old Don — two of the late duke's
most famous and favourite dogs.
If you think it would be interesting to your numerous readers, who might
wish to know the pure Castle Gordon setter blood, I give it as given to me
some years back. My unhappy whelp has no name, though he has no
ambition to find himself a name on the hills through a coUey bitch : hence my
first simple question — the name of the withdrawn dog of the duke's. His
mother has a Uiame, Meg, put to a black-and-tan Gordon, half brother to
Dandy. Meg was whelped August 30, 1861, by Mr. Joblingr's Dandy out of
Rev. T. Pearce's Ruby ; Ruby was bred by Mr. Brown, of Melton Mowbray,
by Mr. Billiard's Ranger ; Ranger out of Mr. Brown's Dall ; Dall by Rake,
out of a Regent bitch ; Rake by Pan out of Fan ; Pan by Major out of
Yagley ; Yagley out of Nell ; Nell by Rake ; Rake by Ranger, by Billiards
of Northumberland ; Ranger out of Ruby ; Ruby by Sancho out of Romp ;
THE GORDON SETTER. 21
Romp by Major out of Flora, by Grouse out of Bess, by Dan out of Flora, by
Sancho out of Ghloe, by a dog of the late Duke of Gordon^s (name unknown),
by the duke^s old Bang, by his grace^s old Don ; Don by Dandy ; Dandy by
Mr. Jobling's (of Morpeth) Dandy, by Oaward^s Sam ; Sam out of Jobling^s
old Nell ; Nell out of Sir Mark Ridley's Nell, by his grace's Grouse and Nell,
bred by the late Duke of Gordon. 0. F. Bastzk.
Sir, — Mr. 0. F. Bastings letter in The Field, of October 29, hag brought
out a good deal about Gordon setters, and, at the risk of tiring the public, I
must say a little on the subject.
From about 1827 to 1845 I saw much of black-^and-tan Gordon setters
belonging to the late Admiral Wemyss, which he had from die late Duke of
Gordon. They were not only beautiful but excellent dogs, and for setters I
coveted them more than any I ever saw — though as long as I shot over ground
and in a climate suited to pointers, I always did and always shall prefer them
to setters, as they q^re as superior to them in hunting qualities as they are
inferior generally in speed and beauty. Others I saw belonging to that fine
sportsman Archie Douglas, and also to the late Lord Panmure. Now, naturally
this breed of Gordon setters of Admiral Wemyss passed into the kennels of his
son, the late lamented Hay Wemyss, and his nephew, the present Lord Lough-
borough. There they are now ; and more perfect animals for work, not show,
cannot be seen. I believe Lord Loughborough has taken every pains with his
branch of the blood, and nowhere, I expect, does it exist in greater purity than
in his kennel.
Ilk 1850, when I saw it was positively necessary to take to setters, I looked
out for the Gordon blood, and (without making out too long a story), I got
hold of it, of diflferent crosses, and from the neighbourhood of Gordon Castle.
Subsequently, a black-and-tan dog named Grouse, from the late Duke of
Richmond's kennel, was given to me by a friend going out* to the Grimea»
Grouse was a dog, indeed ; great bone, speed, endurance, beauty^ nose,
sagacity — everything a dog could possess. He lived with me— never left my
side ; once, I believe, saved me from being attacked and robbed. But, alas I
I was obliged to part with him ; and first I lent, then gave him to Lord Lough-
borough, who did me the high honour of breeding largely from him. Among
other bitches, he put him to Duchess (given to him by his relative, the Duchess
of Gordon), the most beautiful setter I ever beheld, black-white-and-tan.
From this litter, as a remembrance of my poor old Grouse, his lordship gave me
Rapid, own sister to Ruin, dam of Reuben, the well-known prize dog at Birming-
ham shows. Nor do I wonder at Ruin breeding such a dog as Reuben, for Ruin
is a handsomer and finer animal than her sister Rapid, which is saying much.
22
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
And yet Bain was passed over unnoticed at a Birmingtam dog show, where
Mr. Malcolm, fortunately for himself, purchased her. I once thought of
exhibiting my Rapid — indeed, had entered her at Islington — but illness pre-
vented her appearance. I have not regretted this, however, as, having attended
some dog shows and seen the prize animals, I rather question the judges
understanding the points of the Gordon setter. He is not, or ought not to be,
the massive English setter, but the stamp of the best thorough-bred Irish
setter — the powerful racer of his breed; and I wish it could be made out
whether this blood did not originally come from Ireland. There was a breed
(in the Marquis of Ormondes family, I think) very like it — black-white-andrtan ;
and I compared one of that breed in 1833 with Admiral Wemyss's Gordons, at
Mill Den, Lord Panmure's shooting lodge, and we all agreed as to the great
similarity of shape, make, style, and action ; and there were men there who
knew what a dog was and ought to be to go up and down a hill side.
There is no doubt that the Gordon setters were black-white-and-tan.
They often threw black-and-tan, just as the black-and-tan often throw black-
white-and-tan. But I doubt the colley cross ; though certainly in ^ome breeds
of black-and-tan I have seen a look of him, also of a curly water spaniel, also
of a retriever ; and whenever I see this T doubt the true Gordon. The Duke
of Gordon, no doubt, preferred the old colour, and generally drafted the black-
and-tan, and thus the Gordon setter got the name of the black-and-tan ; and I
have never owned myself, or bred or saw, a dog I knew to be pure Gordon
that had not white somewhere about him. Those who know and love him well,
like to see the fine gentlemen^s thorough-bred white frill. I hear, however, it
is contemplated to make absence of all white in a Gordon black-and-tan
necessary for a prize.
Whether the different black-and-tan setters now about the world all come
from Gordon blood I do not profess to know. I should think not ; for I have
seen and heard- of many very sorry specimens of the genus yclept Gordon
setters ; but I have seldom seen a true Gordon anything but a good dog, if
well managed.
There is very good blood in Skye, I should say ; one of the best I ever
had was bred from Skye strains, and I value his cross, which I have still, as
high as any in my kennel. I hear much of the M'Kinnon blood, and am
trying now a cross with it. There was a very good strain of black-and-tan at
Inverary Castle, remarkably good dogs ; and I have seen some very handsome
dogs shown to me as the Duke of Hamilton's breed. Indeed, I have now a
young bitch, Hamilton and Argyll blood crossed ; and if she turns out as good
as she is handsome I shall be lucky. All these different strains claim Gordon
blood, and are very likely to have it ; for the Scot is clannish still, and it is not
his worst point. The Gordon is a great clan in the north, as all know — ^and
not only in men, but I believe in dogs also.
THE GORDON SETTER.
28
All true British gentlemen are sportsmen to the back-bone^ and long may
they continue so I As such they possess the finest race of hounds, setters, and
pointers in the world; and as they breed for sport, plec^ure, honour, and
glory, more than profit, they generally select from good kennels, where the
kennel itself is the best pedigree, animals of proved worth (for there are
worthless thorough-breds, both quadruped and biped) to breed from.
There must be crosses in the Gordon, but it must be the thorough-bred
cross, or you lose the character of the animal. No one, I presume, advocates
breeding in-and-in ; but the Gordon blood does not cross well with coarser
breeds — ^his blood is too blue. Sixty-one.
Sib, — ^^ Sixty-one *' is quite right as to there having been a good splash
of white in the Gordon Castle setters. The duke knew the hill, the heather,
and the grouse far too well to have bred his dogs black-tan, or any colour,
without white. 1st. A black-tan points in rows or drops in a bit of long
heather; you are puzzled to find him. Even the red Irish is a bad colour
when the frost has touched the fern. 2nd. It is well known to us that wild
unsettled grouse, that have got their heads up in the heather, will sit much
better to a dog with a good splash of white in him than they will to a whole-
coloured dark dog. Whether it is that they are more accustomed to the black-
and-white (it is the common colour of the sheep-dog), or whether they take the
dark dog for the fox, I am not prepared to say, though I am inclined to the
fox theory. For these retisons, as we have no dog-shows, and breed for use
not appearance, of two equally good dogs, we consider a dog showing a good
bit of white to be more valuable than a dark one.
The duke got a very clever coUey bitch (black-and-tan) from a farmer^s
son in the Streens on the Findhorn. (The family are still in the farm. I
know the house, and, if -necessary, can get this statement verified by them.)
He crossed the bitch with a setter, and next year sent a pup with a bl, note to
the farmer^s son. The farmer's son tried to make a sheep-dog of the pup, but
he was useless.
I was bom within nine miles of* Gordon Castle — my home is still there —
where it was as well known that there was a coUey strain in some of the duke's
dogs as it was to coursers in England that there was a strain of bull in Lord
Rivers's greyhounds. D.
Sib, — D/s letter is very positive about the coUey, and his opinion and facts
are entitled to every respect. But though the duke may have crossed, as D. says,
surely it would not be for the purpose of introducing white into a black-white-
and-tan breed. His grace may have crossed to get the extraordinary sagacity
24
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
of the coUey — and certainly those I have had are very sagacions animals. As
for grouse lying better to a dog with much white, I have always found the
reverse the case, I have always found them lie best to a pure liver-coloured
dog, the worst of all colours to see on the muirs. Now I don't think black-
and-tan is so difficult, particularly now that you are not generally over-bur*
thened with heather in Scotland. Moreover the colleys I have seen in Scotland
are more generally black-and-tan, or brown, than black-and-white. You
certainly can see a dog with a great deal of white on him better than any other
on heather, so I think can a grouse. But D.'s country may be peculiar, and
every man's experience may differ. This I certainly know — coUey or no colley,
the Gordon setter is a noble animal. Siztt-onb.
Sib, — It is not as a disappointed exhibitor (as no dog was exhibited by me
in the class), but it is as a lover df the Gordon setter, and as a " would-be '^
breeder of that (in my opinion) king of sporting dogs, that I ask you the
question again, which has so frequently been asked in your columns, " What
manner of dog ought a Gordon setter to be V The point I wish to allude to
here is simply that of coat — is it to be curly or flat ?
Breeders ought to know this. My own idea has always been that a setter
should be a flat-coated dog, and I have never heard any. good authority state to
the contrary. The beautiful silky wave of the hair at the end of the feather,
not amounting to anything like "half a curl, of course I except. This we have
in old Beubeu, who most deservedly is placed at the head of the champion class
this year at Birmingham. I do not think anyone can grumble at that. He is
immeasurably the best of all exhibited in that' class ; but when we see a dog like-
Beau gain first honours with a coat curly — ^aye, nearly as curly as " poor ''
Jet II. — what are we to think ? what are we to do for* the future ? I repeat, we
ought to know. A cross of the said Jet might be advantageous ; for, if that is
to be the rule,^ we must do something anyhow — the curls must be '' done '^ in
some way. The second-prize dog, Wick, and the first-prize bitch, Baith, are
both flat-coated. This is a further puzzle ; I wonder they were not both
disqualified. Taking Beau as a pattern, they certainly ought to have
been so.
Remember, I only take the point of coat, and ask you again, ^^ Ought a
Gordon setter to be curly or flat ?" . D. H. W. Horlock.
Leafield, Witney, Oxon, Dec, 1869.
[We are afraid that differences will arise even if the point is settled that
the Gordon setter should be flat-coated ; for we should certainly consider the
coat of Reuben to be curly, and, according to our judgment, he is inferior in all
other points to Shot, who was passed over. — En.]
THE GOEDON SETTER. 25
SiE, — ^The true Gordon is a setter sui generis; and it by no means follows
that because a dog is black-and-tan it is a Gordon. Many black-and-tan setters
have been shown which do not possess a drop of the old Gordon blood, and it
is easy to produce the junction of black-and-tan in almost any breed of dogs,
provided you have the right colours in the parents to cause it. Owing, how-
ever, to the peculiar attractiveness of blue-black in union with bright tan, a
special class of setters has sprung into existence, chiefly since shows were
established, which, owing to some deriving their origin from the late Duke of
Gordon's setters, has received the name of Gordon or black-and-tan. The
right colour of the Gordon, such as the Duke used to shoot over, is black-white-
and-tan, and he never would keep the black-and-tan. When his grace's dogs
were sold off at Tattersall's in 1836, though there were a few black-and-tan,
those most coveted were the black-white-and-tan. A dog called Regent, and
a bitch called Pan or Crop, bought by the late Earl of Chesterfield, the former
for seventy-five and the latter for sixty guineas, were both black-white-
and-tan.
On the other hand, I have seen (and many of your readers may likewise)
black-and-tan setters which do not pretend to have a trace of Gordon blood.
The terms, therefore, Gordon setters and black-and-tan setters, as applied
to the same class, are apt to lead to confusion. Let us call them simply
black-and-tan, for it is that peculiar combination of colour alone which marks
them off from other sfetters.
In judging them, if only on account of their name, colour should be one of
the primary points — at least on the show bench — I say nothing of field work.
Therefore it is that I think the N. D. Club's book of points requires amendment.
As will be seen below, symmetry is mixed up with colour and coat, apparently
giving five points only to colour. Colour for the black-and-tan class should
stand alone, and give ten points ; symmetry, quality of coat, and flag, fifteen.
It is, however, most difficult to decide on the relative merits of dogs when
merely led about by a chain inside an exhibition, or even a judging circle.
And opinions of course will differ as to what makes one dog superior to
another. A genuine sportsman, however, like Mr. Lort, who knows, perhaps
by sad experience, the value of short powerful limbs, level back, and strong
loin, is naturally led to prefer such a symmetrical dog as Beau, with his im-
perfect colouring, rather than the longer legs of Wick, or the weaker hind
quarters of Bedford, though these two may be perfect in colour and coat.
I beg, however, to submit to you a list of four of the dogs in the open black-
and-tan class, with the points I give to each according to the ^^Book of Points"
as published by the N. D. Club. This may serve as an example to the public
of how to use the " Book of Points," and at the same time explain to Mr.
Horlock and others why it is that even in the black-and-tan class a dog may
win, though not perfect in colour or flatness of coat. I am sorry to admit that
E
26
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
the list, as below/ tells rather against myself as a breeder, as both Bedford and
Wick first saw the light in my lying-in kennels, and Beau was not bred by me,
as erroneously stated in the catalogue. With all four dogs, however, I am
' intimately acquainted. I shot over Beau, who was some weeks in my kennel
before he went to Mr. Lang ; and Rom I saw at work on the fells of Cumber-
land, near Penrith.
CLASS 35.— BLACK-AND-TAN SETTERS.
Special valuation of individual points.
00
o
08
w
20
•
•
1^
r*
!zi
Ph
1
T3
d
09
09
00
^
335, Wick
336, Beau
340, Bedford
•■{
12 1
-{
18
, c
15
344, Rom
[
10
12
10
9s
CQ
U 00
O ©
T3
1
W8, H
iStifl
alders
Chest.
and
uartei
:Sg
1 o
1^
1^
1
«
8
, 15
15
o
^2
I.
15
6
10
12
12
12
8
15
12*
10
8 Positive.... 75 )
V70
Negative .. 5 J
15
10
8
10 [Positive.... 90
15
Negative.. 10
80
Positive.... 78
Negative.. 10
68
12
10
10
12
8 Positive.... 71
jNegative.. 2
69
It would take up too much of your space to state the reasons for giving
the above marks, nor would any reader understand unless the dogs were
present, and their beauties or defects pointed out. Sufficient to say that most
of the black-and-tans are defective in the thighs and stifles, which are com-
monly too straight and upright. The shape of the head differs very much
among setters, but I consider there are but two forms admissible, either of
which is good, and preference may be given to one or the other, according to
the tastes of individual sportsmen. The one is the long, lean form, of which
Mr. LaveracVs Jet was a good example, and Beau, among the black-and-tans,
is the nearest approach to. The other is a shorter and fuller form, of which
Mr. Laverack^s Fred. HE. is a perfect specimen j but there was not one among
the black-and-tans this year that could be taken as an example, except,
perhaps, Mr. Eowland Wood^s old bitch. Regent.
With regard to the two champion dogs, Reuben and Shot, I could form
THE GORDON SETTER. 27
no fair opinion of their relative merits on the bench j and. I don^t believe anyone
else could either.
When a breeder looks chiefly to perfection of colour and flatness of coat,
it is natural he should be disgusted when a dog which has neither takes first
place. But if Mr. Horlock had seen Beau, as I have done, sweeping across a
stubble field in September, he would not be so surprised at his position in the
prize list. The real fact is. Beau is a setter all over, which cannot be said for
most of his competitors. His pedigree is clear and authentic on all sides for
some forty years, as he i^ descended directly from the two Gordons above
alluded to. Regent and Fan or Crop, and the black -white-and-tan breed of the
Marquis of Anglesea, who is well known to have kept his setters for sixty years
pure and unmixed with any other blood. With regard to the curl. Beau
derives that from the late T. W. Cokeys black-white-and-tan breed, most
of which — at least he used to say the best — had the curl. Mp. Coke always
said the more curly the coat the better the dog. The Marquis of Anglesea^s
were wavy-coated, with very long silky feathers. Both the Gordons, Regent and
Fan, were wavy-coated. The sire of Beau was even more curly than his son ;
and Mr. Brown, of Melton Mowbray, who bred both, tells me that he took after
Mr. Cokeys breed, in coat — which, though curly, was as soft as floss silk — as
well as in make, character, and goodness in {he field, and it would be difficult
to find a better. Nevertheless, for appearance, the flat or slightly wavy coat,
provided it is fine in quality, is to be preferred ; and in the points given to
Beau in the above table I have deducted eight on account of the curl and
defective colouring.
Raith, the first-prize bitch, belonging to Mr. S. Chavasse, is beautifully
made, but defective in her tan colour; and I was certainly surprised that
neither Mr. Sherwood^s Rom nor his Riot received any notice. The same
remark applies to Mr. Horlock's Belle, which, as far as I could judge her on
the bench, appeared to have only one defect, a little weakness in the pasterns.
Markyate Cell, near Dunstable, Dec. 9, 1869. F. W. Adye.
[The above is so interesting, on the whole, that we gladly give it
insertion; but we wish that our talented correspondent had kept more strictly
to his point. We have already had his opinion, and those of several other good
judges, on the origin of the Gordon setter ; and, moreover, wo would remind
him that in shows, performance, especially in private, ought to be ignored.
—Ed.]
Sir, — Before the subject of the correct coat for black-and-tan setters is
closed, I must ask for a small space to tell Mr. Adye that, so far from
thinking he has given me a full and complete answer to .my question on
this subject, I am unable to see in his letter even the ghost of a reply.
28
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
Two reasons which he gives for the curly-coated Beauts success^ viz., his
pedigree and performances in the field, are of course simply idle and irrelevant ;
whilst, allowing for the sake of argument that the distribution of the points in
his table is correct, I emphatically deny that an absolute judging by points is
either expedient or possible. To judge relatively by these is the best and
fairest mode of deciding the merits of three or four animals of more or less
perfection, and all of them possessing the attributes of the class in which they
are entered ; but to allow a dog to compete at all in a class who utterly fails to
represent in himself one chief attribute of that clas^, appears to me bordering
on an absurdity. For example, had a dog been exhibited in the black-tan
class at Birmingham, perfect in every point except one — viz., that he was minus
" a flag '^ at all — ^that dog, by Mr. Adye's table, would have beaten Beau and
all the rest, and it would then have gone forth to the world, " a black-tan
setter is a tailless dog.^' I therefore contend that if a flat coat and a flag of a
certain description are considered to be two of the attributes of a setter, a
curly coat and an absence of flag should equally exclude any dog, however
good in other points, from the power of competing with his flat-coated and
flag-adorned brethren.
Who will answer my question — ^Are prizes to be won by flat or curly
coats ? Either there should be a separate class for each, as in the case of
retrievers, or surely one of the two should be disqualified.
Leafield, Witney, Oxon. Dakrbll H. W. Hoblock.
Sib, — ^Mr. Adye is in error when he says that the Duke of Grordon never
would keep black-and-tans. Two were certainly purchased at the sale of his
setters by a duke now living.
He certainly had black-white-and-tanned setters, and (according to
Howitt, who saw them) black ones also ; and very likely the Duke would use
black-and-tanned ones when the birds were wild, and black-white-and-tanned
ones when the state of the weather required a conspicuous dog.
I have been told on good authority that the Duke preferred a black-and-
tan dog to any other, and I beUeve it. It has been a favourite colour for many
years ; and Markham, who wrote in 1655, says: "A& to colour of dogs, I consider
them all equal; but the black-and-fallow (that is the black-and-tan) are
esteemed the hardest to endure labour.''
This charming combination of colour has been a favourite one with our
forefathers from a very early date. Witness the old English terrier, or
''terrare,'' as he was called in Queen Elizabeth's time. You see it in the
bloodhound, beagle, harrier, otter hound, and Scotch coUey . It was common in
the soiithern hound, and it is distinctive of Mr. Nevill's celebrated St. Huberts.
Only nine setters and two puppies were sold at the Duke's sale, and I have
THE GORDON SETTER.
29
heard that they were mostly black-and-tan. The purchasers were Lord
Abercorn, Lord Chesterfield, the Duke of Richmond, Lord Douglas, Mr.
Martyn, Mr. Walker, Mr. Robertson; and, as they were sold July 7, 1836, it
is easy to ascertain what the dogs were.
Mr. S. Brown, of Melton Mowbray, certainly bred the nght thing, and I
cannot speak too highly of him and his breed. He always called them
Gordons, but I think he had a bias for black-white-and-tans, of a sort he had
from Lord Anglesea. But he also bred largely from a dog I gave him —
Bob, by Lord Bolingbroke^s Argyll out of Ruby, bred by Mr. Brown ; and
Bob was of the same litter as Regent and Argyll II. There was no doubt as
to Ruby being a Gordon setter, and old Argyll was an undoubted Gordon of
the very highest class.
When I saw this grand old dog, he was perfectly flat in his coat, very
silky, and with his outline only fringed. Here lies the difficulty — to get the satin
texture without curl, and to' get a dog that does not become curly with age.
But the great defects of black -tan setters are their wide chests, their bull
necks, their loaded shoulders, their mastiff jowls, their inadequate hind
quarters, their lack of energy and courage. We want to unite the form of
the French dog Byron, the colour of Jobling's old dog Dandy, the coat of
Roll and his head and stem, with the action, swing, style, nose, lasting qua-
lities, sense, and staunchness of old Hamlet; for in mind and body the
'' Grordon,*' as I elect to call him, is too heavy.
In the show-yard we look for the fine head and expression of a true
setter, a flat silky coat, a tanned face if possible — ^at any rate, tanned cheeks
and spots — ^tanned legs, throat, and vent ; a tail well carried, and tvith a thin
flat flag ; wearing feet, good long neck, narrow deep chest, sloping shoulders,
deep ribs, strong loin, powerful back, ragged hips, muscular thighs, and the
best of hind quarters ; but, if I saw a deficiency of animation, I should pass
the dog over, because there is a tendency in the present day to sacrifice utility
for appearance ; and every class of sporting dog is suffering from this pro-
pensity. In fact, too many are bred to sleep upon velvet cushions with a bell
glass over them. Idstone.
Sir, — There still appears to be a doubt as to the colour of the setters sold
at Tattersall's on July 7, 1836, the property of the then Duke of Gordon.
Mr. Adye informs us that the " Duke of Gordon never would keep black-
and-tans,'* whilst ''Idstone^' says he has heard they were "mostly^* of that
colour, and that " two were certainly purchased at that sale by a duke now
living.^*
May I be allowed to correct all parties in a way which will, I think, put the
question beyond dispute ? I attended the sale, and was also a purchaser ; and
30
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
1 happen to have in my possession the catalogue used by me on that occasion,
and on which I then marked the prices of all the setters sold.
The following is a copy of the list of setters, with their prices in guineas
appended : —
Gs.
1. Duke, 5 years old, a black-and-tanned dog, by his Grace's famous Old
Eegent — Ellen 34
2. Young Eegent, 4 years old, a black-and-white-and-tan, by Old Regent
—Ellen 72
3. JjTSO, 5 years old, a black-and-white bitch, by Old Regent — Juno 34
4. Satan, 2J years, a black dog, by Blunder — Juno 56
5. Crop, 3 'years old, a black-and-white-bitch, by Lord Saltoun's Ranger
—Bell 60
6. Duchess, 11 months old, a black-and-white bitch, by Dash — Crop,
pupped August 20, 1835 ; waa hunted this spring, but not shot to ... 37
7. Random, 10 months old, a red-and-white dog, by Ranger — Romp,
pupped September 10, 1835 ; was hunted this spring, but not shot to 35
8. Princess, 11 months old, a black-and-white r by Dash — Crop,") 25
bitch < pupped Aug. 20, f qk
9. Bell, 11 months old, a black-and-white bitch ... C 1835; not broken-)
10. A Puppy (4 months old, black-and-white, by Regent — Crop, pupped) 15
11. A^PuppY I March 5, 1836 > 15
From the above you will perceive that there was only one black-and-tan
in the number. There is also one described in the list as being black-white-
and-tan ; but Princess (for which I bid) certainly had a little tan about the
face. I very well recollect the sensation occasioned when Regent was knocked
down to Lord Chesterfield at seventy-two guineas, and Crop to the same
nobleman at sixty guineas. I was the purchaser of the last lot ; I do not know
the names of all the other buyers. There may have been a Mr. Robertson
amon^ them, &s mentioned by " Idstone/^ or the name is probably a misprint
for that of Edwaed Robinson.
Solva, Haverfordwest, Dec. 28, 1869.
Sib, — The readers of The Field have been favoured with so many letters
on the Gordon setter, that I feel considerable diflGldence in asking you to add
to the number, and merely write to say that if you think the following fact
worth recording, I shall be glad to place it at your service.
The fifth and last Duke of Gordon was an old and very intimate friend of
the late Major Bower, of Welham, who, besides being one of the earliest and
most successful breeders and exhibitors of Shorthorns, was a warm patron of
the long-tails, and one of the principal coursers of the early part of the present
century; and the pick of the Welham kennel not unfrequently went north to
fill his grace's nomination at the Scotch meetings, of which Baron, Ballouk,
Belzoni, and Belle are within my recollection ; and after the latter had won the
THE GORDON SETTER. 31
Malton Cup I handed her and a setter dog over to his grace's trainer, who was
sent from Scotland expressly for them. The setter came from Eberstone
Lodge — ^whether from Mr. Osbaldestone's own kennel or not I cannot say, but
he was brought to Welham by Mr. Inman, his gamekeeper.
This dog was black-and-white, no tan, with long thin feather ; not less
than 26in. at the shoulder ; rather lathy-looking, with a grand head and stem,
and had the appearance of gr^at courage.
His grace's setters of that day were said to be black; but, as John's
speciality was greyhounds rather than setters, it is quite possible that they may
have been black-and-tan, and that he had overlooked the latter. I believe
that his grace was too thoroughly a sportsman to confine himself to shades of
colour or fancy markings even in his setters ; and if on trial the Ebberstone
Lodge dog was found to be as good as his looks, he would not hesitate to
breed from him ; and I think it not at all improbable that the white still found
in some of the pure Grordons may be the result of this very cross, for he was a
very likely dog to leave his mark in more respects than one,
John Fisher.
Woodhouse, Cross Hills, Leeds, Dec. 27, 1869.
[The above seems to confirm, if confirmation were wanted, the statement
made by Mr. Robinson that the majority of the dogs sold at the Duke of
Gordon's sale were black-and-white. — Ed.]
Sir, — The discussion in your pages on the subject Black-and-tan v.
Gordon Setter, like a debate in the House of Commons, has produced the
natural result of eliciting some hitherto unknown or forgotten facts, and con-
firming the truth of what I ventured to assert in my first letter — that the
Gordon setter's true colour is black-white-and-tan, and not black-and-tan.
We have to thank Mr. Robinson and Mr. Fisher, especially the former,
for their letters in your last issue. The description of the Duke's setters sold
at Tattersall's in 1836 agrees with what Mr. Brown had told me, that the
majority were black-whito-and-tan, and that two of those very dogs — Young
Regent and Crop — are ancestors of Beau and the splendid black-white-and-tan
dogs which I bought of Mr. Brown last year. I may mention also that Mr.
Brown was told by Mr. Coke himself that he often sent dogs to the Duke of
Gordon, and received others in exchange, in order now and then to obtain
fresh blood.
But what a discovery ! The magnificent black-and-tan setter, the delight
of the artist as well as the sportsman, marked out for many years as a distinct
breed by a ducal cognomen, is, after all, an impostor, a vulgar pretender to
patrician blood in existence long before the Duke of Gordon was born — before
even the flint-and-steel fowling-piece was the sportman's weapon.
32 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
Whichever, therefore, yon elect to call them, black-and-tan or Gordon,
pedigree alone should entitle these setters to be named after the Scotch duke.
And again I repeat that it does not by any means follow, because a setter is
black-and-tan, that therefore it is a Gordon.
" Idstone's '' quotation from Markham proves positively that black-and-
tans existed and were highly esteemed two hundred years ago; and some
recent crosses which have come under my own observation between black-red
and black-and-white setters, resulting in a few black-and-tan whelps in the
litter, is enough to show that, if the colours of the parents are suitable, the
combination of black-and-tan may be produced in any breed.
With regard to Mr. Horlock's question, " Ought a black-and-tan setter to
be curly or flat ? ^* Well, perhaps a decided answer one way or the other
might savour of infallibility,^' and excite much unpleasant surprise at any one
individual venturing to dogmatise on the subject. I will, however, quote from
the letter of a gentleman on whose fiat dog fate very often depends. Referring
first to the colour, he says : '' I never thought black-and-tans were Gordons.
Black-white-and-tan were the true colours. I don't recollect whether I said
anything respecting ' curly ' setters in my last ; but I should not give such a
one a prize, neither a light tanned one, nor one a preference were it not true
to markings. A very slightly wavy coat for me, and rich, deep tan on the
appointed places."
And yet Mr. Lort and Lord Garvagh gave Beau a first prize. Thus it is
that judges, as well as doctors, differ. But the fact is, a great deal more fuss
has been made about the slight curl on Beau's coat than it justified. Many
quite as curly have been shown and won prizes before, not half so well made,
and no objection raised. The winner of the first prize in the black-and-tan
bitch class at the last Islington show was even more crisply curled; and the
celebrated b'itch Regent, the very finest ever shown in my opinion, when in
full feather is quite as curly. I must admit that whenever I exhibited Regent
and Moll together, the latter, with her perfectly flat coat, invariably won. Of
course it did not signify to me then, as both were mine ; but, knowing the two
so well, I say, in the words of her breeder, " that Regent is worth twenty
Molls." Regent always looked the setter, while Moll reminded one of a large
black-and-tan spaniel. Nevertheless, I say that, all other points being equal, a
flat coat should be preferred to a curly one.
One more observation I should like to add. Mr. Stokes, in his letter of
December 18, seems to me to start a dangerous doctrine, viz., that the judges
are to ignore all apparent field qualities which an exhibited dog may show.
Mr. Horlock also treats as " idle and irrelevant " anything urged in favour of
a dog on account of his pedigree or performance in the field. Why, what is
the use, then, of shows and exhibitions, as far as sporting dogs are concerned,
unless something like a character for good field qualifications is given, or
understood as given, by the exhibitors 7 What is the use of a setter or pointer
if he is only handsome to look at^ and worth nothing for work or to breed
from ? I know very well these sorts of useless animals have been exhibited ;
but no one with the least pretension to the habits of a gentleman would do
such a thing.
I am sure that " Idstone '' will back me up in what I am saying ; for I
note this in his letter^ that he would pass over a dog deficient in animation, as
the tendency is to give prizes for beauty only, without consideration as to
utnity. P. W. Amm.
Markyate Cell, Jan. 6, 1870.
[We must reluctantly dissent from two remarks of our correspondent*
First, as to Beau's coat ; our decided opinion is that it is &r more curly than
that of Begent, and hers, again, is more so than that of any other great prisse
winner we have seen. Secondly, it is certainly irrelevant to refer to perform-
ance as influencing judges, unless they are furnished with catalogues, which
the Birmingham judges were not. In such cases, that is to say, where
private judging is carried on, every precaution is taken to prevent the judges
from knowing even the names and owners of the dogs exhibited, and a fortiori
their performances are therefore kept secret. — ^Bd.]
Sib, — Mr. Adye's letter gives me the impression that he now regards the
black-white-and-tan as the only true colour of the pure Gordon setter. But I
think he need not go so far as to condemn the black-and-tan as an '^ impostor,
and a vulgar pretender to patrician blood.'' For, as the Duke of Gordon can-
not be supposed to have created his celebrated breed of dogs, he must have
derived them from some existing strain; and may they not have descended
from the black -and-tans, which Mr. Adye allows existed long before his grace
was born ?
I send an extract from a letter I have received from a true-born High-
lander, who, I fancy, knows more about Gordon setters than some of us on this
side the Border can know. He says :
Since 1825, and for some years prior to that date, the black-and-tan setters, better
known, perhaps, as Grordon setters, have been bred at Gordon Castle. As far as I oan
gather, these dogs used to be black-and-tan, with sometimes a little white on the chest.
But it would appear that between 1825 and 1830 the Duke crossed his breed with a black-
and-white dog, and firom this came the black-white-and-tan. The late Duke had no
preference for either colour. I never knew a Gordon setter to be curly. The late Captain
Barclay, of Ury, liked the black-and-tan best, and often .sent bitches to Gordon Castle.
Colonel Grordon, of Connychie, preferred the black-and-tan ; and I recollect that a dog
belonging to the late Captain Robert Grordon, and which gold could not have bought, was a
pure black-and-tan, and a present, I believe, from the Duke.
From all that has been stated in Thb Ftibld so far, I think we may rest
34 THE DOGS OP THE REITISH ISLAIODS.
assured that, if the pedigree be right, both colours may belong to the purest-
bred Gordon setters.
Before I conclude, I wish to add that I did not start, in my letter of
December 18, any "dangerous doctrine about the apparent field qualities which
an exhibited dog may show/* Mr. Adye^s argument in favour of Beau —
when he said, " if others had seen Beau, as I have done, sweeping across the
stubbles, they would not wonder at the decision of the judges ** — seemed to me
altogether beside the question ; and I simply meant to infer that Beau's ranging
powers could not have weight with judges who were supposed not to know
whose dog he was. But if they had been aware of this, they would certainly
have satisfied themselves that no other dog in the class could range as well,
before that merit in Beau influenced their verdict in his favour. The open field
trial on game is the only test of a dog's field qualities ; and as no man can
detect the necessary sporting qualifications of a dog on the show bench or in
the alley of the show, the only good I can see in dog shows is the determining
of the most perfect form and colour required in difierent breeds. Of course
'' animation,'' to some extent, may be seen, and ought to be considered by the
judges ; but what other field quality can they see, unless it be short legs and a
good strong loin, which Mr. Adye claimed for Beau, but which, I am sorry to
find, he now rather condemns in poor old Moll, as " reminding him of a large
black-and-tan spaniel?" H. J. Stokes.
Grindon, Stafibrdshire, Jan. 12, 1870.
SiE, — ^When reading the correspondence in The Field about Gordon
setters, I sometimes think that it is all a dream that I have known them
upwards of forty and owned them more than twenty years. A letter in your
last number has determined me to write once more, and for the last time, on
the subject.
Reuben, the champion setter, was bred by my friend Mr. Malcolm, by his
Milo out of Buin, whom he purchased of Lord Rosslyn. Ruin was by my black-
and-tan dog Grouse II. (whom I gave to Lord Rosslyn) out of his black-white-
and-tan bitch Duchess, the handsomest animal of the breed I ever remember
seeing. I have their photographs still, if Mr. Editor thinks it worth while
copying and putting them into The Field. My dog Grouse II. had very little
fringe or flag. I still have in my possession Rapid, own sister to Ruin and of
the same litter, and nearly, if not quite, as fine a bitch as her ; she (Rapid) has
very little fringe or flag. She has bred me several litters, among them some
black-white-and-tan, but not particularly fringed or flagged. I cannot
remember any curly-coated among her progeny, and am glad of it, as I don't
believe in curly-coated Gordons.
Every account of a dog show I read, everyone I ever attend, increases my
THE GOEDON SETTEE.
35
disinclination to exhibit any dog of mine. When I hear of dogs being rejected
from want of condition, or failing in points required by the fancy, which have
little to say to good blood or working capabilities, and which vary with every
change of that very fanciful world, I say to my doggies, " We'll stay at home,
my dears. We know who we are, and if people want our company let them
come to us. They know where we live.'' Surely a good eye ought to be able
to judge a horse or a dog better when out of «condition and lean, than when
made up for sale, in dealer's condition, and the bad points concealed.
I think Mr. Eobinson's catalogue is a clincher. I remember the sale of
1836 well, for I dined that day with my dear old friend Ferguson, the then
Laird of Eaith, and happened to sit between two gentlemen, one a son of the
then Duke of Eichmond, the other a cousin of the' then Duchess of Eichmond.
We were all discussing the prices of the dogs sold, their qualifications, merits,
colour, breed, &c. ; and I picked up a good deal of information, in addition to
that I already possessed on the subject, from these two individuals, so very
well qualified to give it. Also, only last week, I had an opportunity of
ascertaining, from a very near relative of the present Duke of Eichmond, that
at Gordon Castle they still stick to the true blue Gordon blood, and black-
white-and-tan is still the reigning colour. Therefore, once for all, and for the
last time, I will repeat what years ago I stated in The Field, knowing it to be
the true version, viz. : that the original setter taken, or sent, or brought to
Gxjrdon Castle was black-white-and-tan. That the Duke of Gordon did cross
with a black setter of Lord Lovat's, that came from Eaith, where the breed
was, to my certain knowledge, very good. His grace may^ — ^very likely did —
cross with others, for, as Mr. Fisher says, his grace was not the man to
confine himself to shades and fancies; but black, or black-and-white, and
black-and-tan, were his crossing colours. From these crosses came the Gk)rdon
and black-and-tan setter, which almost invariably has some, often a good deal,
of white mark about him ; and yet a Gordon black-and-tan setter is sometimes
rejected for having any white about him I What flights can fancy take I
I understand the preference evinced at Gordon Castle for the black-white-
and-tan. My own fancy is for the black-and-tan ; and when birds are wild
they set better to black-and-tan, than to black-white-and-tan dogs. But I
think the black-white-and-tan the handsomest animal, and the four best and
most beautiful I ever bred were of that colour. One of these I gave some
years ago to a friend, who afterwards sent him to Gordon Castle as a sire dog.
Sixty-one.
Sir, — ^May I ask, through you, a few questions as to that which is con-
sidered the perfection of the true Gordon setter ? I first wish to know why the
judges at dog shows object to wavy-coated Gordon setters. Now, the experience
36 THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLAJOTDS.
of all breeders of the pure Gordon setters mnst be, that in a litter there wiU be
smooth, wayy-coated, and flat-coated, all pure blood — bat dogs which in the
judge^s eyes would rank thus : the flat-coated first, provided they had quality of
coat, size, and colour, and all other requisites, such as good limbs, feet, heads
well put on, ears well let down, Ac. Now, I want to know why the wavy and
even curly-coated ones of the litter are not so good as the others in the eyes of
judges. Judging from no smal^ experience, and adding thereto the experience
of most of the best and noted breeders of Gordon setters, I am inclined to
think that for goodness in the field, constitution, and ^' cut-and-come-again
qualities,'' the wavy or rather long-coated gentlemen and ladies in the litter
have it hollow.
Ben, the father of Beau, was curled, and a better dog could never be.
Beau is everlasting, and never was known to be sick or sorry, and both of
these have the best and purest Gordon blood in their veins.
Do judges award prizes from fancy or frxim experience of those qualities
most to be desired in the setter f Z.
Sis, — The various letters which have appeared lately in your columns have
served to illustrate the truth of what I stated in my first letter — ^viz., that it
does not follow, because a setter is black-and-tan, that therefore it is a
Gordon — ^in other words, that the colours black-and-tan are no proof of Gordon
pedigree. And I maintain that no dog should be called a Gordon unless his
pedigree can be traced up to some dog that really did belong to the late Duke
of Gordon. From the quotation of a letter which has been given us by
Mr. Stokes, and from other evidence — ^to say nothing of " Sixty-one's " — ^it
seema dear that the duke at one time possessed and bred black-and-tan, and
that latterly he Grossed with black-and-white, which eventually produced the
black-white-and-tan, of which colours his kennel chiefly consisted when it was
sold off at Tattersall's in 1836. That black-and-tans existed long before his
grace was bom is evident from Markham, and I happen to know of a breed of
black-and-tans belonging to a family in Northamptonshire which dates its
origin over a hundred years ago, and which has never been crossed with any
other blood. So far, therefore, the question may be considered settled.
I wish now also to be permitted to modify an expression which I used in
my last, and which I fear may have caused annoyance. I allude to the com-
parison I drew between the two celebrated black-and-tan bitches Begent and
Moll. I said then, ^' Regent always looked the setter, while Moll reminded one
of a large black-and-tan spaniel." I meant that Regent, by comparison with
Moll, was superior in setter character to Moll. Both, when in my possession,
gained me many prizes, and gave me much amusement to shoot over, and the
THE GORDON SETTER. 87
preeent owner of Moll is naturally proud of her and sensitive to any expression
used in her disparagement. While^ therefore^ I consider Regent to be a
superior representative of the G-ordon black-and-tan setter^ as far as appearance
goeSj I must admit that she would have no chance to outlast Moll in hard
work. Both were good at work. I shot over Regent in a very heavy country
three days consecutively^ and she was as fresh the last day as the first : yet Moll
has proved herself to be able to work from Monday morning till Saturday
night. But the true Gordon form is long and lathy ; Moll, however, is the only
black-and-tan with a flat coat that I have met with that could last at hard work.
The curly are commonly, as your correspondent Z. remarks, '' the cut-and-come-
again sort.''
I am sorry that you differ from me as to a comparison of Regent's and
Beau's coats. I can only assure you that the former, when in my possession, and
in full feather, was quite as curly as Beau was at Birmingham.
With regard to the irrelevancy of performance as influencing the judges, of
course the judges are supposed at least to know nothing of the dogs or their
owners beyond what they see before them. But might not a real practical
sportsman, well acquainted with various breeds of setters, be able to form some
tolerable opinion as to the character of the dog he is judging ? Is it not
possible for him to steer clear of giving a prize to a too high-bred animal, full
of timidity and defective in intelligence, and another so full of animation as to
suggest a slight touch of impure breeding — ^between the dulness of a gun-shy,
in-bred one, and another whose headstrong look suggests courage indeed, but
a mongrel cross ? Some five-and-thirty years ago, I remember a near relation
of my own spotting all the best hounds in the Surrey pack, then kept near
Leatherhead, none of which had he seen before, and his selection being con-
firmed by the huntsman and several members of the hunt present ; and if this
is possible with hounds, why not with setters or pointers, or even spaniels ?
But I admit that few if any of our judges are Citable of this, for it is a gift of
nature, and not to be acquired. Still, the public does require some sort of
guarantee that the fine animals it sees decorated with prise cards are not worth-
less for all purposes except for show ; and unless some means are found by
which deception as to the value of sporting dogs is prevented, few will venture
to have anything to do with prize winners, except to admire their brilliant
colours, flat coats, silky feather, lean heads, bent stifles, good feet, and well-
knit loins. F. W. Adtb.
Markyate Cell, Jan., 1870.
Sir, — I think Mr. Adye is not quite justified in the conclusion he aarived
at, that ^^the magnificent black-and-tan setter is, afler all, an impostor," simply
because the greater number of the Duke of Gordon's dogs were black-and-
38 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
white. He says, ^^ it does not by any means follow, because a setter is black-
and-tan, tliat therefore it is a Gordon/' That is right ; but neither does it
follow that because a setter is black-and-tan, that therefore it is not a Gordon.
I prefer the black-and-tans, and am of opinion that by a judicious selection of
sire and dam the colour may be perpetuated. " Sixty-one '^ appears to know
more of the true Gordon blood than most of us, and, if he had not declared
that he has written on the subject for the last time, I should be tempted to ask
him if he could not generally calculate on each litter containing a proportion of
black-and-tan pups from true-bred Gordon parents, although they should both
be black-and-white ? He (" Sixty-one *') has kindly offered to place at your
service, .if you think them worth copying and putting in The Field, photo-
graphs of some of his favourite Gordon setters. Tou would confer a great
pleasure on many of your readers by so doing ; and one object I have in view
in now writing is to express a hope that you will do so.
Solva, January 15, 1870. Edward Robinson.
[We should gladly have copied the photographs kindly sent us by '^Sixty-
one," but they are taken in the recumbent position, and are consequently only
useful in indicating the head, and that rather imperfectly, from the fading of
the colour. One of the best dogs has white feet up to the knee. — Ed.]
Sib, — ^In accordance with Mr. Robinson's wish expressed in his letter, I can
only give him this information : I never calculate on my Gordon black-and-tan
bitches producing black-white-and-tan puppies, though always well pleased
when they do so ; and I hardly ever have any puppies that are not somewhere
marked with white — generally a white frill. I mean no fancy word, but a
white frill, showing what a well-dressed gentleman of the olden school he is.
Rapid has bred me in her time four black-white-and-tan, all very handsome and
good dogs. Old Lady bred me four also, that were very handsome and
good. Young Lady bred me three, and among them was one of the best of the
breed I ever owned.
All the Gordons I have ever bred have been "smooth-coated, wavy-
coated, or flat-coated,^' as stated in the letter of Z. I don't remember ever
breeding a curly-coated one. I have seen a little inclination to curl between
the ears ; but I don't like it though it may occur, for in all races there must
have been some cross, or how are they to be kept from dwindling ? But I
don't like the curl, as it shows spaniel blood somewhere, which ought not to be
in Gordon setter blood.
Allow me now to suggest a point which, I think, would be worth investiga-
tion. Taking for granted that it is proven that the original setter (taken or sent to
Gordon Castle, I believe, by the first Marquis of Anglesea) was black-white-
CAPTAIN HUTCHINSON'S IBISH SETTEB " BOB."
THE GORDON SETTER.
39
and-tan — ^tliat that said black-and-tan dog was also at Holkham in tlie late Lord
Leicester's time, and in Derbyshire at his brother's — I ask whence came this
dog or breed ? It is worth inquiry. The Gordon setter is in shape, make, and
action — in all but colour — the Irish setter all over. As all know, the Irish-
man is red, or red-and- white ; but I know two breeds of black-and-white
setters with just enough of tan in each to swear by — one the Marquis of Ormond's
breed, the other that of the late Capt. Butler, of Waterville, in the county of
Kerry, very celebrated in his day for his breed of pointers and setters. I have
had myself and known setters of these two breeds, and very excellent animals
they were. Now, had you given to the dogs of these two breeds (perhaps the
same, for Butler is the Ormond name) a little more tan, you would not have
known them from the Gordon black-white-and-tan setter. And I say this,
speaking from authority, because, in 1833, I compared two dogs of these
breeds with the Gordon setters then at Mill Den, belonging to the late Lord
Panmure, the late Admiral Wemyss, and others there; and we were all
astonished at the exact resemblance of the dogs — barring, as I said before, the
tan. As Mr. Adye can prove the existence of a black-and-tan setter 100 years
ago, in Northamptonshire, surely the original breed of an animal that existed in
our own times may be got at, though perhaps it may be difficult ; for, with very
few exceptions, till dog shows came into fashion, few kept stud books of their
dogs, except masters of foxhounds. When you got a dog from a good kennel
you took his legitimacy for granted.
One word more ; for after promising to write no more, I have been doing
so with fk vengeance, and it is about the photographs I sent to the editor of
The Field. The white in the photograph of Grouse II., the dog in the recum-
bent position, is not meant to represent white, but tan. He was a very fine
black-and-tan dog of very great bone, with no white, but has little frill about
him ; and no wonder he got such stock as Ruin and Rapid out of such a bitch
as Duchess, who was black-white-and-tan. What wonder if her progeny threw
black-white-and-tan. * ' Sixty-one.
THE IRISH SETTER.
When dog shows were first held, the judges made several blunders in the
Irish setter prize lists. Carlo, the second-prize dog at Birmingham, was for
a considerable time the type of excellence. Mr. Birtwhistle's Tim, however
(a remarkably clever-looking setter), and Mr. WatVs Ranger (a very handsome
dog, indeed), were the specimens which first upset all their preconceived
notions of Irish breeding. Carlo had the wide brow, the "chubby" face.
40
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
tlie large languid eye, " black-tipped plumage '^ of the old school. Tim and
Banger^ both of them (whether Irish or not) possessed purity of colour, length
and depth of frame, and the flashy "fctst '^ look of the genuine article. In
1864 (we believe] Captain Hutchinson first exhibited his blood-red Irish
setter Bob, by Dash out of Quail, and distanced all his competitors, as may be
imagined from the faithful portrait of him which illustrates this article. An
enchanting dog he is, and well descended from the best blood in Ireland
on both sides. He is a red-chestnut, flat-coated, with a very grand, sensible,
expressive head; a powerful loin, and good straight limbs, all bone and
muscle. At the first glance he may appear rather cumbrous in his build;
but, upon examination, we discover the secret of his grace and endurance
in his strong loin, his long well-sloped shoulders, and capital feet and legs.
Having said so much of Bob, we go on to describe what the Irish setter
ought to be.
He averages in height 24iin., and sometimes reaches 26in. We
suggested, when describing the Gordon setter, that the black-tan came from
Ireland. That opinion has been corroborated; but the blood-red, or rich
chestnut or mahogany colour, the deep rich red — ^not golden, not fallow,
nor yellow, nor fawn, but deep, pure blood-red — ^is the colour of an Irish
setter of high mark. This colour must be unmixed with black ; and, tested
in a strong light, there must not be black shadows or waves, much less
black fringe to the ear, or to the profile of the frame. There are good Irish
setters nearly white, red-and-white, black-tan, or intimately crossed with
black-tan, and in the last case showing the distinctive marks of the cross
in the black tipping of the coat, which Irish judges consider a very great
fault in colour.
The head should be long and light, the cranium large, the brow well
developed and projecting; and the sparkling hazel eye, full of fire and
animation, will carry off the appearance of suUenness or bad temper. The
ears should be long, set low, moderately -wide, tapering towards the base,
and the edges should be very moderately fringed.
The Irish setter is rather more '' on the leg ^' than the English dog.
His ribs are a little more hooped. His brisket is very deep. In his back
ribs he is a little deficient, and he might be improved in that respect.
His loin is very strong, though his quarters are rather drooping; but his
thighs and hocks, which are powerful, make up for this defect.
His feet are round, hard, and well protected by the sole and feather.
His stem is rather straighter than that of the Gordon or English breeds, and
the feather longer, but yet comb-like and flat, and of good quality.
The whole aspect of the Irish setter denotes gameness, courage, speed,
endurance, intelligence, and talent.
The breeds best known in Ireland (where they are much valued) are as
THE IRISH SETTER. 41
follows : — ^La Touclie's, The O'Connor's, Mr. Ooats's, the late Lord De Freyne's
(of French Park), Sid well's. Eyers's (of Mount Hedges), the late Lord
Waterford's, and Captain Hutchinson's — ^the last-named being as good a
sort as any known.
[Since 1865 we have had several opportunities of seeing Irish setters in
the field, and have been greatly pleased with their performances. Mr.
Macdona's Plunket, which was second in the puppy stake at the Shrewsbury
trials in 1870, came out at Bangor in grand style in September, 1871, and was
quite equal to Mr. Pursell Llewellyn's celebrated Countess, who ran in the
braces with him. In every respect , Plunket showed himself A 1, and was
remarkably steady both before and behind, with a very fine nose. In shape
the prize Irish setter at the Dublin show of 1872 was unsurpassed.-^En.]
Thefollovnng letters on the Oha/racteristics of the Irish Setter appea/red from time
to time m The Field.
SiE, — I should feel obliged by your allowing me to say a word or two on
the colour and general characteristics of the Irish setter.
I have always understood that this class of dog should be blood colour,
free from the dark spinal band or stripe and tipped ears ; and in this opinion
I was confirmed at Birmingham by Captain Hutchinson, the owner of Bob,
and his friend Mr. Harry Blake Knox, of Dublin, whose dog Don took first
prize there last month. Any admixture of black, these gentlemen informed
me, more especiaUy on the ear, emanated from an infnsion of the Gordon strain,
and ought to be ignored.
This week I have received a letter from an old friend, a setter breeder, with
keen perception, and of forty or fifty years' experience, who says : " I am
entirely opposed, from thirty-five years' observation, to the sole blood-red
theory. I am of a decided opinion that the purest and oldest strain of
Irish have a slight tinge on tips of ears, and occasionally about the muzzle,
and never emanated from the black infusion of the Gordon blood." Mv friend
adds, that the coat should be tinged with black, and he also informs me that
Colonel Whyte in a great measure confirms him in his judgment.
If the dark theory be the true characteristic, then Major Stapylton's Shot,
which took the champion prize at Birmingham, is about the best coloured
specimen that is exhibited of an Irish setter, but which dog, to me, the Dublin
gentlemen entirely ignored. Now, " when doctors differ," &c. — therefore,
knowing, sir, that you take a lively interest in purity of blood and the pedigree
of animals, permit me to solicit the expressed experience of breeders on this
subject, so that in judging at shows, we may have the true standard charac-
teristics to guide us in our decisions. John Waleeb.
Oakes House, Holywell Green, near Halifax, Jan. 4, 1866.
42
THE DOaS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
Str, — Having read Mr. Walker's letter headed ''Colour and Charac-
teristics of the Irish Setter/' in which that gentleman's preconceived notions
of the colour of the Irish setter has been weakened by a letter received from
an old friend and setter breeder of forty years' standing ; and a^ my name has
been mentioned relative to the subject, I take the liberty, as a careful breeder
for many years of the red Irish setter, totally to diflFer with Mr, Walker's
friend, who states that the ears of the Irish dog should be fringed or tinged
with black hair round the edges, and also to show black hair through the coat
and even muzzle. I still affirm that the only true colour of the red in the
setter in question should be a very deep rich hhod-red, and free from any
mixture of black hair whatever. All those dogs that exhibit the black hair
cropping out at the tips and round the edges of the ears, and through the
coat and muzzle, are decidedly of an impure strain, being an unmistakable
cross with the black dog at some period or other ; and in this opinion I feel
certain that Mr. J. La Touche would coincide, he being once a breeder and
possessor of the finest- coloured red setters in this country, and one of whose
red dogs sold for the very large sum of £73 10s, by public auction in Dublin.
In conclusion, I will only add if Mr. Walker or his friend would try the
experiment of a cross with those dogs showing the black hair cropping out
through a bad light-red — such a dog, for instance, as Shot, who took the
champion prize at the late Birmingham Show — the result would convince them
they had much to learn with regard to the proper colour of the red in an Irish
setter, also his characteristics. W. Hutchinson, Jun.
Eathconnell Glebe, Westmeath, Jan. 12, 1866.
SiE, — ^As Mr. Walker quotes me in his letter as a supporter of the theory
that the old Irish setter, of pure breed, had occasionally a dark band down the
back, and black tips to the ears, I may as well state all I know about it. The
French Park breed was, in former times, celebrated for its excellence and
purity. After the death of the first Lord De Freyne, I attended a sale there,
and, of course, did not neglect the kennel, but was much disappointed.
Finding them a worn-out, and apparently a degenerated lot, I asked particu-
larly to be shown one that could be warranted of the pure old race ; and they
pointed out a bitch that, if I recollect rightly, was not to be sold. She was a
low but strong animal, wjth very little feather, extremely dark red, almost
mahogany colour ; dark mark down her back ; dark tips to her ears, and dark-
muzzle ; no white about her anywhere. Whether the colouring was peculiar
to the bitch, or an attribute of the breed, I cannot say ; but I have often seen
a black mark on the backs of puppies that subsequently turned out pure red.
'In contradistinction to this, I remember some twenty-five ye^s ago two
THE IRISH SETTER. 43
kennels then much celebrated for their breed — Lord Forbes' and Mr. Owen
Wynne's, of Hazlewood. These animals in no way resemble the French Park
bitch ; they were higher on the leg and rather lighter in the rib, but powerful,
wiry, active dogs ; by no means very dark in the colour, and showing a good
deal of white about the face, chest, and fore-legs. I never saw Lord Forbes'
lot but once, and that was in kennel. Mr. Wynne's I shot over several times—
they were tremendous goers, but unsteady and headstrong.
My own fancy for an Irish setter coincides neither with those I have just
described, nor with the model dog of the present day. The latter, I think, are
too — ^if I may so call it — chunky, too thick, too heavy altogether, and make
too much noise in galloping. The Irish setter is so vigorous in his nature, and
his lasting qualities are so great, that he does not require this great strength
— often gained at the sacrifice of speed and action. I like him dark red, with
as little white as possible, and no black ; but I do not object to a lighter colour
if it comes out in the sun with a golden or coppery shade. Long in the head,
with soft intelligent brown eyes, sloping shoulders, deep chest, and short, wiry
fore-legs ; lighter in the ribs than many would approve of, but great loins, and
the hind legs of a hare. Taken altogether, a longer, lighter, but a more
lengthy and supple animal than prize awarders approve, but one that has the
prime qualification of going as lightly over the heather as a cat, and winding
through the tussocks as quietly as a weasel. I find an animal like this far more
killing, and generally more tractable, than either such dogs as I used to see at
Mr. Wynne's, or such splendid looking animals as I now see taking prizes at
our exhibitions. J. Whytb (OoL).
Sib, — I hoped that my previous letter, asking breeders of the Irish setter
for their experience in producing the colour and general characteristics of this
class of dog, would have educed from many subscribers definite and reliable
information upon which to settle and fix the rule of judging. I confess I am
greatly disappointed that such well-known breeders as Mr. La Touche, and
other gentlemen in Ireland, have not seen my letter of inquiry, or I presume
they would have given your readers the benefit of their valued experience ; and
that still this vexed question is likely to continue an open one, exhibitors at
forthcoming shows have to remain in uncertainty whether their favourite colour
will be ignored or will triumph. Now, this state of things is wrong. One
colour should be the standard, or both confessed. Whilst acknowledging the
polite replies of Colonel Whyte and Captain Hutchinson, and admitting their
experience to be high authority, I have received several private communications
from gentlemen of like status in the sporting world, who affirm that the Irish
setter should have the black tinge.
Captain Willis writes me that an Irish officer, named M'CUntock, had a
44
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
favourite bitch presented to Lim by the late Marquis of Waterford as a specimen
of his purest stock, which Captain Willis says his brother officer afterwards
gave to him, and which he only destroyed about three years ago. She
was tipped on the ears and back with black. Other correspondents are equally
strong in their opinions on the black tinge theory ; and to my mind, when the
ayes and noes are placed in juxta-position, the advocacy is pretty evenly balanced.
Thus again comes the open question, what is the true colour of the Irish setter?
As there is acknowledged difference of opinion, and apparently no chance of
having the, true colour positively defined, would it not be a wise suggestion
to promoters of exhibitions to establish classes for both colours, as in the black-
tan and other setters ?
I have often longed for the opportunity to condemn the altered appearance
of setters of the present day in being bred with hind quarters round, heavy,
and lumbering. The stifles are wanting in bend, the buttocks or hams are
too round and thick. To effect a light, easy, springy motion, the hind leg
must be well bent, and a flatness of the thigh exhibited ; and the stern, though
scimitar-shaped, should have the characteristics of its congener the pointer,
thick at the root, gradually tapering to a fine point.
John Walker.
Oakes House, Holywell-green, Halifax, February 27, 1866.
SiE, — ^Having known Irish setters for the last fifty years, I can speak to
the colour of the most esteemed breeds — it was blood-red, or blood-red-and-
white. The streaky black lines and tips are good for " the marines ^' or " the
fancy -/' that they are proofs of high blood is only imaginative. As a class, I
generally found Irish setters worthless, except a black-and-white breed of
Captain Butler's, of Waterville, co. Kerry, and a breed of the Marquis of
Ormond's, black-and-white with a little tan. They had neither pace, nose,
courage, nor endurance. For that reason I gave them up. Game, however,
was scarce where I used them. Sixty-one.
Sib, — ^Having seen several letters in The Field concerning the Irish setter,
his colour, and characteristics, I read them all patiently, expecting to find that
some one who had bred these dogs would enlighten your readers on some of
the characteristic Irish breeds of red setter — not Irish setter, mind, for every
mongrel bred in Ireland is called an " Irish setter '' ; but Captain W. Hut-
chinson, jun., is the only breeder who has yet given any description of the
red setter, which is very correct as far as the blood-red colour of the hair goes;
and his dog Bob alone is sufficient to show to what perfection he has brought
THE IRISH SETTER. 46
Us breed ; so that I am tempted at last^ as a knower and breeder for many
years of these dogs^ to give my item of knowledge, and also to contradict the
gross libels written by anonymous writers and others on the red Irish setter.
To these writers I will first say that they never walked behind, much less shot
over, a well-broken or a well-bred Irish red setter, if they found him wild, bad-
nosed, sluggish, or nnenduring.
The coat should be rather coarse, for you want him for hard work and
hardship ; smooth or wavy, not curly ; hair of moderate length ; on the upper
parts of the body, the root half tawny, the tip half deep sienna, appearing as if
stained with port wine ("blood-red^'), but never showing black on the ears,
back, head, or tail; the legs and under parts deep or pale tawny. White
should not appear anywhere except in the centre of the forehead and the centre
of the breast ; I breed without any white at all.
The ears should* be long (reaching to the end of the hair at nose), pendulous,
and as if lying in a fold, set well back and low on the head ; they should never
be set high, short in length, or half-diamond shaped; their feather should be
moderate. The eye is of a rich hazel or bright brown, well set, full, kind,
sensible and loving, the iris mahogany colour ; it should never be gooseberry,
black, or prominent and staring, like the King Charles. The nose is mahogany,
dark flesh, or blackish mahogany ; never black or pink. Even dark flesh is
not so much admired, though with a good clear hazel eye I like it ; but with a
gooseberry eye you indeed have a rare brute. My old dog has a dark flesh-
colour nose, unHke any of his kind, yet none of his pups got it, all having dark
mahogany. The whiskers red ; the head itself long, narrow, yet wide in the
forehead, arched or peaked cranium behind. A short bullet head, a wide flat
one, or one running to a point at snout is very common and very bad. The lips
deep or moderately so. The chest should be wide when the dog is sitting
on his haunches, and the head held back and full ; too wide a chest is apt to
give a dog a waddle and a slow gait. The chest ribs cannot be too deep. The
loins, for speed, should be long, moderately wide, and the belly well tucked up.
The fore-legs straight, moderately feathered, and the feet close and small, not
round like a hound^s, nor splayed. The ham straight, flat, and muscular, and
feathered well with buff-coloured hair; and the hind quarters, altogether,
square and actively made. The tail should be well covered with coarse hair,
curling along the top, and hanging moderately, though bushy, from beneath,
but not in silky streamers, or in a great bushy flag like the Newfoundland.
It should be carried on a horizontal line with the back, or slightly above it, not
cocked or curled. In the field, or in excitement, I like it carried low, stiff, and
beating the hind legs.
Having now written a description of what I consider a good dog — and
which, I am sorry to say, I have never yet seen in aU points, though closuly
approached in many — I will endeavour to show that the red setter (if a good
46 THE DOGS OP THE BRmSH ISLAJSfDS.
breed) is not the brute he is made out. A well-bred and well-broken Irish red
setter is the fastest, most enduring, fine-nosed, most willing, and I may well
say the only dog for Ireland ; for he will bear hardship, privations, cold, wet,
and bad feeding, and yet do his sixteen, or twelve hours' work day after day,
improving and working better each day. He is the only dog for Ireland ;
because you want little baggage for shooting and travelling here, and a plurality
of dogs is at all times a nuisance at a country inn, so that we must breed dogs
of a great endurance, which is not at all required in England. We must breed
speed for our large bogs and hills, which are never over-plentifully covered
with game, and where a slow dog would be worthless. We must breed a good
thick coarse coat, to prevent chills, and for hardiness ; for a dog working a
snipe bog is wet through all day. And we must breed love for sport, for that
keeps the whole machinery working. In reply to '' Sixty-one's *' letter I can
only say that he must have met with great brutes in his shooting through
Ireland ; they are common enough, I confess, and yet their owners think them
the acme of perfection, yet they do not try to improve their breeds ; they
consider ten shillings a fabulous sum to give for the service of a good dog, and
a five-pound fee will generally draw from them the exclamation — " Why, man,
FU give you the bitch for that.'' But should a man chance to get a bitch that
you would shoot lined by a good dog, then it is said of the produce, " Oh,
that's So-and-So's breed," and they all the time the greatest brutes you
could see.
Captain Hutchinson has had a grand breed for several years back, and his
dog Bob, brother to my dog Dan, is unsurpassed as a single dog. I have
walked with him on a sultry 20th of August, from three in the morning till
eight in the evening, and the dog was as fresh as ever next day. Old Quail,
their mother, has done a whole day's work, and pupped a healthy litter of pups
on the day after; and many times have I seen her with her teats cut and
bleeding from the stiff heather, and yet she could work till dark, and then the
next day again. I did not write this letter to extol my own breed, or I might
say more ; but will end by saying, in contradiction to " Sixty-one," that a good
bred Irish setter has ^' pace, nose, courage, and endurance," and each and all
in the highest degree. Haeey Blake Knox.
Dalkey, co. Dublin, March 5, 1866.
P.S. — ^1 am tempted to ask, " Why on earth do we keep red dogs if they
are worthless?" Surely, it is nut through poverty and being unable to purchase
English breeds. I may state that I have a black-tan breed of celebrated stock
from England by old Kent, and a good breed, too, but nothing to our red dogs.
A black-tan bitch getting accidentally lined by a red dog of mine had three
red pups, all showing the black on the ears and down the back. I, of course,
drowned them.
THE IRISH SETTER. 47
SiE, — Altlioagh I do not think that any real diflFerence of opinion exists
amongst sportsmen of experience in Ireland as to what the colour of the pure-
bred Irish setter should be ; still it may be interesting to those who perhaps
have known the breed only from the specimens exhibited at the dog-shows as
Irish setters, to have the opinion of a disinterested and highly qualified authority,
whose recollection goes back to the famous breed of the late Maurice O'Connor,
from which Mr. La Touchers was derived — ^from which again my dog Bob is
descended.
The following is an extract of a letter received by me from a member of
the La Touche family, of Harristown, in answer to my inquiry as to their
opinion of the true colour of the red Irish setter : — " I have known the points
of an Irish setter all my life. The original red Irish setters were a breed of
dogs belonging to Mrs. La Touchers grandfather, Maurice O'Connor, Esq., of
Mount Pleasant, King's County, and which family took great pride in them.
Such a thing as a black hair would be scouted among them, nor were black tips
to the ears or to the feathering ever thought of; it plainly shows a cross of
another breed. The O'Connor setter is of a blood-red colour — certainly of a
deeper and purer red than is seen on the coat or fur of any other animal ; a little
white is not objected to, and of later years there were more red and white dogs
bred. It was considered convenient, as they were more easily seen out shoot-
ing ; but Mr. O'Connor always preferred a pure red dog. He gave some of his
doga to Mr. Robert La Touche, of Harristown, co. Kildare, and thus it was we
became possessed of the breed. I remember the dogs, and the traditions and
rules about them from my earliest childhood, and 1 can certify that a black hair,
or a black-tipped hair was never seen among them ; but I do remember that
about twenty years ago a female of the O'Connor setter breed was given away,
and afterwards crossed with a black-and-tan setter. I recollect that of the
puppies some were pure red, others pure black-and-tan, but the red with black
tips may have afterwards resulted from this cross. I never saw a red setter
with a dark stripe down the back, or any darker colour about him than a rich
blood red, and my recollection extends over thirty-five years."
I would add that it must not be supposed that every setter from " Ireland "
is an '' Irish setter," and I rather think your correspondent " Sixty-one,"
saying that he generally found Irish setters ^' worthless," except those which
had no red in them, will find as few to indorse his opinion on this point, as in
the character he gives them, as having " neither pace, nose, courage, nor
endurance," the very conti'ary being notoriously the prized characteristics
of the pure-bred Irish setter in the estimation of sportsmen for many genera-
tions back. W. Hutchinson, Jun.
Kingstown, March 12, 1866.
Sir, — I have beea a breeder of the red setter for the last forty years, and
can indorse every word of your correspondent, Mr. Knox, as to his good and
endoring qualities.
An experience of nearly forty years' shooting in Ireland ought to give
some weight to my assertion that there is no dog of his kind that possesses in
an equal degree his pace, high courage, endurance, and nose, and, what of all
things is most requisite in this climate, the power of going day after day
through wet mountains and bogs without apparent suflFering. The only thing
that can be said against him is, that he is generally difficult to break ; but even
that is the result of his high, indomitable courage.
I have a dog answering in every particular the description of Mr. Knox's
dog Dan. I got him from Mr. Tom ConoUy, the member for Donegal, whose
family has been long celebrated for their breed of red setters ; and I venture to
say that if " Sixty-one '' had followed this dog (as I have done) for thirteen
hours on a hot 20th of August, he would have altered his opinion ; and still
more* so had it been over the same mountain after woodcocks on a wet stormy
day in December; for then it is that the red setter shows his pluck and
endurance.
Some few years ago I rented a shooting in Donegal, and the neighbouring
shooting was rented by an English gentleman whose setters had taken first
prizes at many dog shows. Well, sir, these dogs were almost useless on the
wild mountains of Donegal, where you probably would not meet with a covey
of grouse on every 1 000 acres ; they were highly broken, but wanted the pace
and dash for this country. They would have done very well in a Norfolk
stubble, or on a Scotch moor, where you only require a dog to show you the
birds, and not to find them.
Allow me to conclude by saying that I am no scribe, but I could no longer
refrain from taking up the cudgel for my favourite dogs, which I assert to be
the best in the world for this or any climate where high courage, nose, and
endurance are considered high qualities in the setter. J. E. Dteb.
Waterville, Kerry, March 20, 1866.
SiE, — I have made many inquires lately respecting the Irish setter, in
quarters where I was certain of getting authentic information, and of a date
antecedent to what can be usually attained.
It appears to be pretty generally conceded, that the earliest recorded and
most celebrated kennel of these dogs was that of Lord Dillon, great grand-
father, I believe, to the present lord. There were, however, several others of
great repute, but supposed, whether true or not, to have descended from Lord
Dillon's. Of these, perhaps. Lord Clanclarty's ranked highest ; but Lord
Lismore's and the French Park breed were much thought of. The purity of
THE IRISH SETTER.
49
the Maurice (yConnor dogs is a moot point, some looking back to them with
mach respect^ others, and good authorities too, denying that they ever were the
real thing.
The dog^ of the Dillon breed are said to have been powerful, wiry, active
dogs — ^some red, some red-and- white ; but that the latter colour showed only
on face or chest, not much of it : the coat with a slight wave, but no curl
whatever. They were headstrong in temper, without much innate point, and
rather deficient in nose, as they are to this day, and never to be broken in the
first season, and very often not till the third ; but that then, their temper taming
down, and their sagacity improving by experience, they often became most
admirable dogs. Their constitutions were so vigorous that they lived to a great
age, and were serviceable even up to their thirteenth or fourteenth years.
None of the authorities that I have consulted will admit of a pure descendant
of the old race having a hlack stain ; they consider it as undeniable proof of a
cross.
There were also two other well-established breeds in Ireland — one black,
smaller and lighter in all ways than the red. These had better noses and were
more tractable ; and it is supposed that it is from a cross with them that the
black-and-tan arises. I have seen some of these dogs myself; they were good
but not handsome animals; the last I saw was with Lord Howth, and he
was very fond of them. The other breed — ^the white-and-red — claims equal
antiquity with the red; and many consider them to have been as good as
the red in all respects, and superior in point of nose. I have seen these dogs
magnificent in appearance and excellent in the field, but have not met them
lately, though no doubt they are to be found; and I know that they were
highly thought of eighty or ninety years ago, because a certain General
Whyte — a grand-uncle of mine, who died about 1802, and was, perhaps, one of
the first Englishmen who ever took a moor in Scotland — used to bring his
setters from Ireland ; and I have heard my father say that the General's
favourite breed was white-and-red : in fact, I distinctly recollect seeing one of
the descendants. These dogs were, and are still, more or less curly.
Neither my own experience, nor the information I have collected, allows
me to believe that the true red setter should have a coarse coat. Nor do I like
the bufi-coloured hair feathering the hams, or the coarse and curly hair in the
tail, which Mr. H. Blake Knox considers to be the characteristic of the true
breed. Such an appearance denotes a cross, however remote, with the Irish
spaniel. His coat should certainly not be so silky as that of the EngUsh dog.
It should be close, strong, and luxuriant, but not coarse ; and the featherings,
whether on tail or hams, lighter in colour, showing a golden tinge, but not buflP,
and, withal, by no means too plentiful.
In other points Mr. Knox's description of the dog is admirable. When
broken, they are the dogs of all others for a hard-working man, who looks to
50
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
his oatmeal bill, in a wild and wet country ; for a brace of them will do as
much work as three brace of pointers. And, in fact, to bring out their good
points, they should be worked every day, and all day long ; and (despite the
bad character given of them by " Sixty-one") will do it. I h^ve had many,
bad, good, and indifferent ; but I had one that was not to be excelled by any
ever possessed by man. To try what he could do, I once pitted him against
two, and sometimes three, relays of fresh dogs per diem, commencing on
Monday morning and ending on Saturday night ; and on Saturday night he was
outranging them, and getting all tlie points. That same dog was excessively
troublesome if not in hard work, and at the commencement of the season, even
to his fourth year, had to be worked like a puppy with a rope.
J. Whtte (Ool.)
SiB, — ^With regard to the colour of Irish setters, there were few old and
well-known kennels where the dogs did not occasionally run red-and- white as
well as red. I know this was the case in Lord De Freyne^s kennel, which,
however, had sadly degenerated at the time Colonel Whyte speaks of it in his
letter referring to the black tinge ; though, holding the opinion thAt a really
good animal " can hardly be of a bad colour," I should certainly look on it
with suspicion, and much prefer the blood-red.
There is (or rather was, for it is some time since I have seen or heard of
a good specimen) a breed of black dogs in Ireland, called in the north and west
the O'Connor setter, not quite so largo as the red, similar in shape, more
tractable, and with that cat-like tread when drawing on game which Colonel
Whyte so well describes.
I suppose the origin of the Gordon setter, like the authorship of " Junius's
Letters," will always remain a vexed question. It is quite possible they may
have been produced by a cross between the red Irish and O'Connor. No doubt
black-and-tan dogs were well known in Ireland forty yojirs ago : I do not know
the date of their first appearance in Scotland, but if known there long pre-
viously they may have been brought to Ireland by officers who were quartered
there. At that time regiments were stationed where a red coat is seldom seen
now — very often in the most out-of-the-way and unlikely places. I have seen
rare breeds, or rather their wretched remains, which, on inquiry, could generally
be traced to the ownership of a " Sassenach " soldier.
I quite coincide with Colonel Whyte in thinking that the modem
model setters, as seen at exhibitions, are too heavily built for their work. I
have never been fortunate enough to shoot over them, but, from their build,
should say they were deficient in the light stealthy tread, and easy leopard-
like swing, which made the old Irish dog of the right sort so beautiful to look
at when working, and so deadly in the field. H. C.
fc > LJU I
FBOMT VIEW OF "MAJOES" HEAD.
MB. SMITH'S POIKTEB "MAJOR."
THE MODEEN ENGLISH POINTER.
51
CHAPTER IL-ENGLISH POINTERS-DROPPERS.
THE MODERN ENGLISH POINTER.
/HE recent changes in the agriculture of the south of England interfere
so much with the utility of the pointer and setter, that these dogs are
almost entirely tabooed in good partridge districts, the retriever being
the only canine assistant to the gun. In Scotland and the moorlands of the
north of England, where heather covers nearly all the ground beaten by dogs,
the foot of the setter, being more hairy than that of the pointer, stands the
friction of this plant better, and consequently the former breed is gradually
superseding its older and formerly more fancied rival in public opinion. More-
over, where there is not heather there are bogs, both in Irish and Scotch moors,
and on wet ground the setter is also better than the pointer, as he is more
enduring of fatigue, cold, and wet.
For these reasons we have placed the pointer as secondary to the setter ;
but on the comparative merits of the two breeds, we cannot do better than
insert the opinion of that good sportsman Colonel Whyte, as follows : — " As to
whether pointers or setters are best, that, I would submit, is entirely a ques-
tion of the master and the ground. Of the three shootings in which I have
shot for the last twenty years, in Ross -shire I found setters best ; in Donegal,
where the hills are easy working, I preferred pointers ; in the rugged lime-
stolie formation of Leitrim, I am again resorting to setters. If a man means to
take his work easy, and does not mind an extra bill for food, by all means let
him use pointers — ^he will get three good ones for one good setter ; but if the
gentleman goes in for real hard work in a wild country, on a moderate pocket,
then for him the Irish red setter is the dog; and,- what is more, he will be
three times a better dog than ever he would have been in the well-stocked and
lightly-worked kennel of his more wealthy and luxurious neighbour.^^
Although there are several distinct strains of pointer blood, there are no
national varieties as in the case of the English, Scottish (Gordon), and Irish
setters. We have therefore only one illustration to present to our readers : it is
engraved from a portrait of that very beautifully-shaped dog, Major, who took
first prize at the Birmingham show in 18<)G. Unfortunately, we have had no
opportunity of seeing him in the field ; but there is no difierence of opinion
among good judges as to his points ; and as he is descended from a strain well
54
THE DOGS OP THE BEITISH ISLANDS.
in nor out, and a long muscular upper arm, which is the accompaniment of a
properly developed shoulder. In the hind legs the feet are chiefly to be looked
at with reference to their pads, which, as in the fore feet; should be clothed
with hard cuticle. A moderately well-bent hock, and sufficiently developed
stifles, should also be considered as essentials. Here we should allot the sub-
points as follows : feet, 6 j legs, 6 ; elbows, 4 ; hocks, 2 ; stifles, 2 — total, 20.
4. The general quality and stern are entirely to be regarded as marks of
high breeding, the former being almost indescribable, but admitted by all good
judges. As to the stern, it may be easily described as of necessity shaped like
a needle, or rather a bee^s sting — ^that is, with a very fine point, a small body,
and a strong root. It is here impossible with advantage to subdivide the
points, which maybe put as equal altogether to 10 out of the total.
5. The colour and coat^ as in the last ease, may be regarded as inseparable,
and as a good deal depending on fancy. Most people, however, prefer a dog
with more or less white, so as to be readily seen when standing in heather or
high swedes. Liver-and-white and lemon-and-white are the two prevailing
colours ; black-and-white being not so much fancied, and if mixed with tan,
indicating a cross with the foxhound, which is apt to interfere with steadiness
of point. In texture the coat should be short and soft, but not too fine, or
delicacy of constitution will be sure to attend it. The total of these points we
put at 10. ' '
The following correspondence in relation to the origin of the modem pointer
appeared m The Field.
The Foxhound Cross in Pointbrs.
Sir, — I read in The Field tvith great interest the series of letters on the
origin of sporting dogs. If I delayed speaking until now, it was in hopes that
some experienced and travelled sportsman would put before the readers of The
Field the question I am about to ask. The same individual might have given
the answer to his own question, and an interesting point of canine history
would have been settled.
The question I want to ask is this. To what cross is due the introduction
of black, wholly or partially, in the pointer's coat ?
This question may seem at first sight frivolous and uncalled for, but I hope
that the undermentioned facts will vindicate its propriety. It is granted, I
believe, that the English pointer is sprung from a breed of dogs originally
introduced from the Continent — ^I mean the Spanish pointer. The French
pointer, it is well known, is closely allied to his Spanish cousin, and I may even
say owes, in all probability, his origin to him. Now, before the introduction of
the English pointer into France it was a received doctrine among sportsmen in
THE MODEEN ENGLISH POINTEE.
55
that country that no dog with any black about him could be a good pointer.
So the colour was proscribed and ignored {vide Magn<^ de Marolles, one of the
oldest sporting authors of any authority) . To such an extent was this doctrine
carried in France, that when its fallacy was proved by the evident staunchness
of English black pointers, the Frenchmen, unwilling to give the lie to their old
axiom, gave the name of chiens bleus (blue dogs) to the new comers, which are
now, by the way, highly esteemed. This is a well known fact in France.
I must add that I do not think the black dogs could have come from Spain ;
the communications between those two countries being so frequent, especially
of yore, that the notion of the uselessness of black dogs could not have been
established in Prance if good dogs of that kind had existed in Spain. Now,
this notion was in full force before the existence of the modern breed of pointers
in England, at a time when English sportsmen used the old Spanish pointer.
If, then, this colour wad unknown on the Continent, whence came the
ancestors' of our present breed ? It must be admitted that it is the indication
of an extraneous cross. What this cross is I do not pretend to determine, only
I think I may venture to say it is not the foxhound cross. I have seen fox-
hound-pointers, and, whatever may be their merits or demerits, they have not
got the thorough-bred look of the pointers I mean. The dogs I speak of are
without a speck of tan ; their sterns are as bloodlike as can be desired ; and, if
I were to give a guess, I should say their colour comes from a remote infusion
of greyhound blood. Perhaps some of your readers may have historical
documents capable of answering my questions.
Turning to a somewhat diflferent matter, I may mention, as a curious
illustration of the persistence of paternal instincts in cross-bred dogs, a fox-
hound-pointer I once saw in France. His black- white-and -tan coat, the
feather, or rather brush, under his stern, evidently betrayed him. He was bred
in the country, from pointers brought from England. The man to whom he be-
longed did not know the foxhound origin of the dog, but, as a peculiarity of
his otherwise good dog, related to me his troublesome inclination to chase foxes
and to dwell upon their scent. It is a curious instance of the reappearance of
paternal instincts, for the dog was at least three or four generations removed
from the foxhound, as his form proclaimed. A. J. J. Ivoy.
Sir, — I am about trying the pointer and foxhound cross, and have a
foxhound bitch in whelp to a pointer. Probably some of your correspondents
can kindly inform me what points I am most particularly to attend to in
choosing the pups ; and, if they should be bitches, I should also be glad to
learn the value of the cross from some gentleman who has tried it. I may add
56
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
that my object is to get a dog thafc can stand the continued cold and wet of a
season^s snipe-shooting in this county, and yet with a nose that can be
depended on. N. G.
Cavan.
Sib, — Forty years ago and upwards we had many cross-bred dogs between
the foxhound and pointer. I remember them well in several gradations, but
not favourably ; they were generally found defective in temper, not easily
broken in, and the race was discontinued. The object sportsmen had in view
in the cross was to obtain endurance, in which to some extent they were
successful, but the defects were found to overbalance the gain, and were in my
estimation quite satisfactory reasons for discontinuing the race. I hunted more
than one of them, and found them unpleasant servants. N. G. is recommended
to select those puppies which show most of the pointer marks, and to expect
little benefit until he carries the cross through another generation or two,
increasing the pointer blqod. J. S.
Sib, — ^Tour correspondent N. G. (Cavan) has asked some questions as to
the result of crossing the pointer with the foxhound. I have never tried the
experiment, but a great uncle of mine did some forty or fifty years ago, and
always spoke of the results as most favourable. At the present moment there
is hanging in this house a large picture (by Stubbs) of one of the dogs resulting
from the cross, celebrated in his day as superior in the field to any true-bred
pointer. I have heard all sorts of stories of his wonderful sagacity, his nose,
endurance, and speed. He was thought worthy of being put on canvas at the
same time that another favourite dog, a true pointer, was painted by the same
artist. In appearance he is most like the foxhound — the stern short, but rising
upward, the forelegs large, chest deep, hind quarters well under, the head
rather flat and broad, the neck short, the eye and countenance intelligent.
General Hanger, a great authority on sporting about a century ago, was
always in favour of crossing the foxhound with the pointer as well as with the
setter. But the pointer of that day was a much more heavy animal than the
modem, while the same may be said of the foxhound.
The question of crossing, however, requires ventilating. I have lately had
conversations on the subject with several experienced breeders. They almost
all agree in saying that, sooner or later, you must go to the foxhound blood,
not only for the pointer but for the setter also. To restore a breed which has
degenerated, foxhound blood should be introduced, whether it be the pointer or
the setter. You then obtain substance, bone, courage, nose, while pointing
THE MODERN ENGLISH POINTBR.
57
and Btaunclinesd may be created by trainings and will return naturally in a
generation or two.
I know as a fact that many breeders of sporting dogs travel hundreds of
miles^ and go to any expense^ in order to get fresh blood, and yet they find it
fail. They cannot restore their own particular breeds to what they once were.
In some sense they keep'up the breed; and in certain qualities, such as innate
point, there may be little, deterioration. But when they look at their breed
now, and call to remembrance what it was years ago, they cannot but admit
that weediness has fearfully increased. In such a case there appears to me —
and I go chiefly from what others have admitted — there is nothing like sound
foxhound blood. Take, for instance, the Laverack breed. Is it anything like
what it WM ten years ago ? Does Mr. Laverack's dog Fred (Ist prize Islington,
1865) approach the magnificent dogs he used to send out in 1856 and 1857 ?
I understand that since that year he has crossed his breed with the Irish
setter, and that Fred is the best of the produce. The question is, whether by
this time, if he had crossed with the foxhound, he would not have produced a
finer dog even than Fred. I don^t suppose Mr. Laverack would consent to
publish the results of all his experiments in breeding, though the experience of
such a life as his would be of more value to breeders of sporting dogs than even
the Stud-book itself. The Prior.
Markyate Cell.
giB^ — ^ far as my experience goes, I consider the foxhound cross with
the pointer most valuable. I think the best moor dog I ever owned was
Whack, the grandsire of my old Tom (see The Field, Oct. 13, 1860). He
was by a foxhound out of a granddaughter of my celebrated Old Die. I never
had a dog that would go so long up and down hill, and on steep ground. He
was equally good on partridges, and perfectly broken. That cross certainly
improved my breed ; and I think, but am not quite certain, that I have had
another slight dash of foxhound in my blood since Whack^s time. If it be so,
the result of this has been a union of great qualities, for I do not think it
possible to surpass those now alive of that cross — if it was a cross. I have
never found the cross of foxhound render my dogs wild and intractable — quite
the reverse. I can, after a very trifling indoor education, take my young
pointers out and do what I like with them, and this not by dint of whip,
as they never see it tiU they have had game killed to them.
Sixty-one.
[The letter about Old Tom refetred to by '^ Sixty-one" is as follows :]
Sir, — ^As a stud-book for dogs is in contemplation, I wish to know how I
am to prove the pedigree of my dog Tom. Forty-three years ago, when at
I
58
THE DOGS OP THE BEITISH ISLANDS.
Cambridge, I purchased, on the recoramendation of a Yorkshire friend, a very
thorough-bred-looking handsome and excellent pointer dog, called Blinker^
whose breed, derived from that of the celebrated Colonel Thornton, had been
in my friend^s family many years. This dog died a few months after of
dysentery ; but the terms of his purchase having been that I was to have a
bitch puppy of the same breed, in the spring of 1818 a beautiful little 'one
arrived at my rooms, and commenced our long acquaintance by tearing an
Herodotus to pieces. Die (so we called her) was a most precocious animal,
played all sorts of tricks, was lost, cried, found, and then, spite of all college
authorities, domesticated as the faithful companion of my every hour. Beautiful,
faithful, sagacious, perfect in the field. Die was allowed to be the handsomest
and best pointer in the University and its vicinity. There may be some living
still who remember her and her picture (as painted by one whose real vocation
certainly was animal painting). I refused for her what then were fabulous
prices ; but no gold would have tempted me to sell poor Die, whom, on my
going abroad, I gave to my dear friend, her painter, who loved and valued her
equally with myself. With him she passed the remainder of her days, well-
known both in Staffordshire and Cheshire; and from a daughter of her's, very
like herself, and called after her, I bred a litter of puppies by my black-and-tan
pointer Fowler (from his performances called The Professor by those who may
yet remember him in Ireland and in Norfolk).
And here comes a singular link in the pedigree. Shortly after littering,
young Die took the distemper, and, being obliged to leave home, I left her and
her litter in charge of my cousin^s huntsman, who falsely reported her and her
young dead. One had survived, which he sold to a neighbour. Of this
neighbour I some years afterwards purchased Whack, one of the best (if not
the best) muir dogs I ever owned, and, after many pressing inquiries as to his
parentage, it came out that his dam was my purloined puppy, his sire a fox-
hound. This accounted, to me, for a something in Whack that was constantly
reminding me of poor old Die. I crossed Whack with Meg, an excellent and
fine bitch from the Rokeby kennels. Meg was a cross of Lord Wharncliffe's
and Lord Althorp's (the Minister) breeds, supposed to be the two best of their
day. From Meg, before I got her, sprang many of the Rokeby pointers, which
were, when I knew them, among the handsomest and best I ever saw ; and I
understand their character is still the same. From Whack and Meg came
Venus, or Vin, a small but very strong bitch, who was as good as anything
could be : untiring, she was gifted with great nose, sense, and sagacity. Vin
never bred till she was nine years old, when she produced, by Nathan (a sire
dog of Mr. Edge's, given by that gentleman to the late Hon. Henry Howard,
as a fine specimen of his breed), the subject of this long story, Tom, or Old
Tom, as he is generally called.
It is possible that among your readers there are some two or three who
THE MODBEN ENGLISH POINTBR.
59
know Tom ; and when I say he does all but talk to you out shooting, they would
vouch for the truth of my statement. I once sent him out with a friend staying
with me accustomed to dogs, and on his return he said, " I have not only had a
good day's shooting, but the most agreeable and extraordinary companion I
fever shot with ; Tom has been talking to me all day, and telling me where hs
was going, and where I ought to go/' This was perfectly true, for it is his
habit. Every man has, of course, the best dog in the world, though I don't
pretend to say Tom is ; indeed, I have had better myself, but never saw one of
his sagacity. I shoot in a hard country for dogs to find game in — ^hilly, with
hillocks ; so that you cannot keep your dogs in sight, or they you. When Tom
finds anything and don't see me, he is not fool enough to stay there for ever ;
he comes and looks for me, and when I see him, knowing what he means, I
walk to him, when he takes me up to his game. But I have other dogs do this,
but not to the same extent. This, however, which I am going to relate, I
never have seen, and if any of your correspondents have (for I have no wish to
elevate my geese into swans), I shall be very much obliged by their com-
municating any information they can give on the subject. Tom backs as well
as a dog can ; but if I am' not in sight when the dog he is backing stands, Tom
comes to look for me, and having found me, brings me up to him ; and his
manner of introducing me to the dog, or the dog to me, might suggest a
sketch to Landseer.
Though eleven years old, as I am sorry to say, you cannot tire Tom ; and
if the fastest of my black-and-tan setters (and I have some very fast) is out,
Tom will always take and keep the outside range. He is also an excellent and
sagacious retrievei--pointers, I agree with your correspondent " Jammie
Forrest," par parenthese, always making the best when properly trained. In
the coldest days he will retrieve bird after bird out of the numerous lochs round
which much of our shooting lies. I once winged a grouse, which ran towards
a bum, and as Tom was retrieving it, I tailored another in the same fashion,
who also made for the same bum. Tom stopped, and looked me hard in the
face ; he was singularly tender-mouthed, and the bird was alive in his mouth ;
he shifted him gently till he came to his neck, which he squeezed sufficiently to
stop any more running, and then quickly retrieved the other. I could, with
the garrulity of my years, go on about my old dog for ever, but I must hasten to
the burthen of my story, and conclude.
For Tom's pedigree I can only give the assurance of a gentleman's word.
At a dog-show no one would look at him, for he is not a large '^ upstanding "
dog, as the term is in these days, when dogs are judged by size and weight, as
if they were to be eaten ; yet he is probably as highly bred as any pointer in
Great Britain, without the disadvantage of any in-and-in breeding. I would
not exchange my blood for any in the kingdom, though I much wish to cross it
with some other as good and as sagacious.
00
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
I do not breed for profit or sale^ but from genuine love of the animal ; and
the real reason of my long story is to draw forth a response from some kindred
spirit, for there is a young Tom in existence (out of a singularly well-bred
bitch), who bids fair to rival his great father, and I am looking him out a bride
worthy such noble ancestry, in whom I s^ek, not size alone, but sagacity ; for
my own experience is that sagacity is the highest quality in either pointer or
setter, the latter not being often gifted with it. You may increase thi^ rare
quality by proper breeding to a great extent; you have then only to take
care (but how much care I) not to hinder its development by what is called
breaking, Sixty-on«,
[We suspect that there will be few pedigrees in the new stud-book better
proved than that of Old Tom. "We have almost always found on inquiry that
even the best-bred pointers and setters have a broken branch in their genea-
logical tree. — Bd.]
Sib,-— A short time ago one of your correspondents wished for the opinion
of practical sportsmen, and to be informed whether they considered it desirable
to use the foxhound cross for pointers again, and to introduce it in setters.
The modem pointer is the Spanish pointer improved by foxhound blood,
and (in all probability) greyhound blood combined with it. Our ancestors, two
centuries ago or even more, found the old Spaniard, as to form, heavy-
shouldered, wide-headed, thick, and cumbrous. His temperament was phleg-
matic, he soon tired, he was unequal to consecutive work, and was alow from
the first.
At the same time he possessed an extraordinary nose ; he was very obedient
to whistle or hand, and displayed wonderful precaution in approaching game.
(The last endowment I consider anything but a talent in pointers.) Still, the
dog in his original form found many admirers; and so late as the year 1790 I
believe most of the pointers were of the Spanish breed unmixed.
About that time — but I am uncertain as to the date — Colonel Thornton,
the Osbaldeston of his day, bred Dash, a dog I believe half pointer half fox-
hound ; and the seventh volume of the Sporting Magazine contains a portrait of
the dog, engraved by Pollard from a picture by Gilpin. This dog was very
celebrated in his day, and he was sold for a hogshead of claret, a new double
gun, and a considerable sum of money, with the undertaking on the part of his
purchaser that he should revert to the Colonel at fifty guineas if he became
disabled — an event which occurred, and enabled his breeder to continue the
cross.
The picture of Dash represents him as standing in grand style at grouse ;
head and tail are well up, and his attitude is perfect.
THE MODERN ENGLISH POINTER,
6X
As many of your readers may not know the picture, although it is frequently
to be seen in gamekeeper^s cottages or wayside inns, I will describe the dog as
Gilpin represents him. He is apparently liver-and-white, and high on the leg ;
his head is good, the muzzle square but rather too fine ; the ears rather small ;
the neck long and clean ; the shoulders magnificent, so are the back and loin,
but the back ribs are slightly deficient ; the stern, which has been docked, is
very coarse, " club ended," fine where it ought to be thick, and thick where it
should be fine ; the thighs are badly drawn, but still they prove to me that the
dog was long in the thigh, and that he had muscular haunches, almost as rough
in the coat as the " dropper," or half setter.
I am disposed to believe that Dash had a greyhound cross in him, and I
do not think that the old Colonel was very likely to inform the world how he
bred this celebrated dog ; but I have been as exact as possible in describing his
form, because, if this dog was produced by a pure foxhound cross, we may
expect to produce for some years an animal somewhat like him, and probably
not so good.
Our forefathers had good reasons for this violent if not dangerous remedy ;
I do not think we have.
It is* required, I imagine, to give our pointers more courage, a hardier
constitution, and perhaps to increase that foxhound tail action which many have
not. But whilst we contemplate crossing we must not lose sight of the fact
that any infusion of strange blood, however high and pure its individual
character, may have an unexpected effect on the form, colour, temperament,
and performance of our pointers. Something must always be jeopardised by a
cross. Are we justified in making the experiment ?
So far as I can discover, it took about thirteen years to recover the refined
form of the pointer, which we find painted by Reinagle, about 1803, for the
*^ Sportsman's Cabinet '" and even that dog is a coarse brute compared with
our second or third rate dogs. A cross of any kind invigorates the constitution;
but using the foxhound for that purpose we imperil the pointer^s staunchness,
and we probably produce very wild, wide rangers ; worse than all, we possibly
derange the grand style of the high ranging dog, for, as " Stonekenge " very
justly and wisely remarks, " we are breeding from a dog which stoops for the
scent."
As to form, we endanger the uniformity of his colour, but of that I think
little. I dread more the breaking or hardening of his coat, the coarse stem,
and injuring the exquisite mould in which the head of a first-class pointer is
formed.
Is our modem pointer's constitution so enervated, is his courage so
deficient, has he fallen off in his style of hunting to such an extent that a cross
of strange blood is absolutely necessary ? If it is, would it not be well (even
gTEgafcing all this) to try in the first place distinct crosses .of pointers, first.
62 THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
selecting opposite colours, jealously examining pedigrees, and adopting the
most courageous, resolute sires and mothers ?
I think it would; for the greatest efforts have been made to bring the
pointer to perfection, and although crossing, re-crossjng, and in-breeding
have cut both ways, still, if you can get two breeders who have thus kept their
strains to themselves to join forces, I believe both would benefit by the experi-
ment. Far be it from me to assert that we have in the modern pointer the
pace, courage, and endurance of a foxhound, or in a general way such legs and
feet ; but I believe we have the material in pointer blood for invigorating the
existing breed. If I used a cross I should be disposed to try a foxhound,
believing the foxhound, as I do, to be the purest breed, the best framed, and
the noblest hound created.
I remember about the year 1839, noticing several '^ nut carts '' drawn by
dogs, which had stopped to rest at a wayside inn at Gresford, on their way to
Wrexham Fair, and the men were giving their dogs toast and ale. I addressed
one of these men, whose " turn out '^ bespoke him to be an influential member
of the fraternity, asking him what his dogs were bred from. They looked
something like pointers, and were not only tastefully harnessed, but sleek, fat,
and handsome. He told me that they were " bred for harness ^' by a man in
*' the black country " (a term applied to the Birmingham district), that the man
he had them of supplied '' such as him " with them, and that the father was a
bulldog and the mother a greyhound, purchased with several others for the
purpose in Wiltshire.
An engraving of " Half and Half/^ copied from a photograph, may be seen
at page 181 of " Stonehenge on the Dog^^ (Longmans); but the dogs I saw at
Gresford were infinitely superior to this specimen, closely resembling pointers,
although coarse in the head. If the pointer must be crossed, would it not be
desirable to combine foxhound, bulldog, and greyhound ? And, after all, is it
not far safer to leave well alone ?
It is desirable to give setters courage ; but if we crossed them with fox-
hound they would be setters no longer. Nothing endures a second cross so
badly ; no animal retains a stain so long or indelibly. The coat of a setter —
that peculiar, straight, glistening texture — is one of his greatest beauties. I
know no dog approaching it in delicacy except the Persian greyhound ; and I
believe the Persian is constitutionally weak.
The setter is naturally a bold dog. " In-breeding " has made him nervous
and occasionally shy. To counteract this he should be crossed with dogs of
different colour which have been kept separate for many years. Thus I would
cross black-and-tan with orange-and-white, black-and-white with any dogs of
family and breed ; and I believe we should again have setters possessed of as
much courage as beauty, which is saying a good deal.
As to setters' I write from experience, and I have proved the truth of what
DROPPBES, OR CROSS-BRED POINTERS AND SETTERS. 63
I say ; and leaving the public (by which I mean your readers) to draw thw
own conclusions, I must state th^t I believe the foxhound, or, indeed, any
cross, would be dangerous in the highest degree for pointers, and for setters —
destruction. Idstone.
DROPPERS, OR CROSS-BRED POINTERS AND SETTERS.
The dropper is a cross between the pointer and setter, the result of which is
often extremely useful, resembling each parent in appearance as well as in good
qualities; that the breed cannot, however, be continued with advantage is
admitted by all those who have tried it, and it is therefore only by chance that
it is ever met with. The following letter on this subject will interest our
readers :
SiB,-^— As a breeder of Irish setters (for the field, not for exhibition), I
have read with much pleasure a letter by Mr. Hungerford. I have never
seen specimens of the crosses he speaks of, between the red Irish and York, or
Gordon and Irish, but knowing the pure breeds, have no doubt very valuable
dogs would be produced by judiciously mixing the blood.
The cross between the pointer and setter (usually called the dropper) I
have tried several times, and found it produce a very valuable dog for most
purposes, and one which no large kennel should be without for rough work,
particularly snipe or woodcock shooting in the open, it being hardier than the
pointer, and with a natural range better adapted to the habits of the " long-
bills '^ than the sweeping strides of the thorough -bred setter.
I have remarked, however, that the litters are unequal ; one, or perhaps
two, of the puppies turning out far superior to the rest in sagacity and
performance. This, of course, will be the case to a certain extent with all
breeds, but the distinction is certainly more marked in cross-bred ones ; and
I quite agree that if you continue to breed from them, the result will be
unfavourable.
There is another cross which Mr. Hungerford does not mention, but
which I have seen produce as good dogs for performance as I ever shot over —
viz., between the Russian setter and the smooth pointer. My own opinion,
founded on some years^ experience, is that, taken altogether for appearance and
excellence combined (and for the work required in his own country), no dog
equals the red Irish setter ; but I must admit that the Russian and pointer
cross has produced dogs that for work oould not well be surpassed. I may,
perhaps, have been fortunate in the specimens seen, but do not speak from one
or two, but many. In appearance, however, they are not to be compared to the
thorough-bred pointer or setter, though more elegantly shaped than the
64
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
Bnssian. There is another peculiarity in this breed worthy of notice. Ton
may go back to the Russian with favourable results. I shot over a brace so
bred on the moors last season^ that would be hard to beat for range^ keenness
of scent^ and sagacity.
I have been often surprised that the Russian pointer (as he is generally
called^ though with greater correctness^ I fancy, designated setter) has not
been more frequently used for breeding retrievers. He is always a capital
water dog, and possesses a bulldog-like tenacity of purpose, combined with
great sagacity, which should make him quite as valuable as either the Labrador
or Newfoundland. Indeed, I cannot call to mind an instance where I have
seen a first-class retriever showing a preponderance of the latter blood.
Perhaps some of your readers who have travelled in Russia could give us
an idea of what these dogs are at home. It would greatly interest some old
sportsmen who prize and believe in them. Though certainly not handsome, I
believe they are too little known. H. 0.
THE FIELD SPAITIEL.
65
CHAPTER III.-FIELD AND WATER SPANIELS.
THE FIELD SPANIEL.
|HE Spaniel has been recognised as a distinct yariety for mamj years ; and
in all probability be was • well known in England long before the Wars
of the Boses. About the year 1555^ a Duke of Northumberland trained
one ''to set birds for the net;" and soon afterwards the setter was produced^
either ''by selection,*' or by crossing the talbot hound and spanieL In
Berjeau's " Book of Dogs/' published by Mr. Hotten of Piccadilly, we have
facsimiles of engravings by Israel van Mecken (1482), and of Urs Graf, better
known by the name of Gamberlein (1507), and after him of Martin de Vos
(157^). From these we learn that the spaniel was well known and bred
in their day; and Londerzeel (1586) famishes us a proof that setting or
pointing was known in his time, and that the larger spaniel or setter was used
for the purpose. Indeed, before his day, dogs were trained to " set,^^ and
were of the spaniel breed ; for one (rigid and cataleptic as the modem setter]
is depicted in an engraving by Hans Shaneflein (1520).
Field spaniels are classed in two primary divisions, from their size, the
larger being called " Springers ^' and the smaller " Cockers/^ Springers again
are subdivided into the Sussex, Clumber, and Norfolk, besides a great variety
of strains unnamed and more or less resembling some one or other of these.
The chief varieties of cockers are the Welsh and Devonshire, resembling each
other in colour, but there are a host of others of all sorts of colours in various
parts of the country, and notably the black breed of the late Mr. F. Burdett,
which now is in the possession of Mr. Bullock.
In former days beating coverts with men was the exception, not the rule,
and both springers and cockers were in great request, carefully bred, and easily
obtained. But the modern system so reduced the demand, that they have been
almost forgotten. The dog shows, however, have of late years brought out
a few good specimens ; and besides this, it has been found that the spaniel,
if well broken and temperate, is a very killing dog, even for partridges, in
cases where, owing to the modern system of cultivation, pointers and setters
cannot act.
66 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
Tlie following f among other letters on the Improvement of the Breed of Spaniels,
have lately (1871-2) appeared in The Field.
Impbovehent of the Breed of Sfai^iels.
Sib, — It has often occurred to me that, though the breeding of pointers
and setters has of late years undoubtedly received an impetus — ^mainly owing,
I believe, to dog shows, by which these breeds of dogs have wonderfully
developed and improved — the breed of spaniels has remained in statu guo.
Why is it ? It cannot be from the inutility of the spaniel, as it is one of the
most useful dogs we have, and certainly the most affectionate and companion-
able ; and yet, when you look at the mongrel exhibited year after year, I ask
again, why is it ?
Pointers and setters can only be used for a short time in the season, not
much after August and September, whereas you can get sport with spaniels
during the whole season ; and really there is no shooting so charmiDg to a
sportsman as that over a well-broken team of busy, hard-working spaniels.
But where are they to be got ? As a friend remarked to me lately, a good
spaniel is nearly as scarce as the dodo. You hardly ever see a good pure-bred
spaniel exhibited ; they are nearly all crossed with the Irish water spaniel, to
get length of ear, to which point the breeding of all spaniels has been sacri-
ficed ; and in consequence we get a leggy, curly brute, with his stern stuck up
in the air, and a very long ear.
At all our leading shows there is, beyond Irish water spaniels and
Clumbers, only one class for spaniels — "other spaniels used for sporting
purposes " — and what a mistake it is ! The judge is often sorely puzzled to
know what stamp of animal to fix upon. I should like much to see classes for
some pure breeds, such as the Sussex spaniel, which is nearly extinct, or the
Devonshire or Welsh cocker, instead of the curly, leggy, long-eared brutes
one is accustomed to, that would get hung up in the first bush they came to,
if they had the courage to face it, .which I much doubt.
I was at a late show finding fault with a prize dog for sticking his stem
up, when the keeper of one of our most noted prize-takers said he thought it
was a good point, as in high turnips, if you could not see the dog you could
see his tail. A spaniel should not have the power of raising his stern above
the level of his back, but it should be carried rather down than otherwise, and
when on the foot of game it should move with his hind-quarters with a peculiar
merry wriggle and hoist, so suggestive of " mark cock.'' I do not, of course,
mean to say that all the spaniels exhibited are bad (and I will go so far as to say
that judges generally select the right sort when they are there), but the good
ones are few and far between.
I am a bit of an old-fashioned sportsman (although I do not shoot with a
muzzle-loader) ; and, next to shooting over a good brace of pointers or setters.
THE FIELD SPANIEL.
67
I mucli prefer a long walk over a rougli wild country, with a moderate mixed
bag, to all the battues in the world. I occasionally assist at them, but I candidly
confess I don't like it.
The tind of spaniel I should like to see encouraged is a long low dog,
with good loins, large bone, moderate length of ear (but withal sufficient for
beauty, as a good ear is a great point in a spaniel), with great courage and
endurance combined with docility; a flat coat but plenty of it, so as to enable
them to stand wet and cold, as I would not give a fig for a spaniel that cannot
stand being wet through all day. Those men who shoot in the large rough
thorny coverts of Wales and Devon will understand and appreciate the kind of
animal I mean.
I have been for years trying to keep up a breed of this kind, but it is very
difficult to get a cross of the right sort. I have a bitch now which I am anxious
to find a male for ; she would be no good at a dog show, and I dare say would
not be looked at, as she has not long ears ; but I will back her to find more
game and last longer than all the prize dogs I ever saw. She is always at
work, and searches every tuft big enough to hold a tomtit, and she would
almost live in the river. Avon.
Sib, — I hope '' Avon's" letter will meet with that consideration on the
part of dog show committees which it deserves, and that separate classes may be
formed for the various breeds of spaniels. At present these dogs are divided
into, 1, Clumbers ; 2, Large Spaniels ; 3, Small Spaniels. Surely, such dogs
as the Sussex spaniel, well described in Stonehenge's '^ Dogs of the British
Islands,'' and the Norfolk spaniel, now nearly extinct, deserve perpetuation ;
and no better means to this end could be devised than by setting apart a class
for each of these breeds (to contain both dogs and bitches if preferred).
Perhaps I can find '' Avon " a mate for his spaniel ; but that depends on her
breed. Ruthwbll.
Sib, — ^I believe that we shall one day be very much indebted to '' Avon "
and '' Euthwell " for the keen interest they take in the much-neglected spaniel^
and the Norfolk spaniel in particular. Their letters and propositions for the
revival of the latter breed, which seems to be so rapidly dying out, will, I
hope, be the means of saving it fi*om total extinction. Norfolk spaniels are
undoubtedly most useful dogs, and their scarcity is to be attributed simply to
the fact that in their native country they are no longer wanted. I have had a
bitch of this breed for two years, and for obedience, affection, and gameness, I
believe that she cannot be surpassed. With Stonehenge's book upon the dog
before us, it is very easy to distinguish the Norfolk from any other spaniel, and
if owners would only correspond with one another upon the subject, we shall
68 THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
■
yet see the breed restored to its old form, I hope '^ Ruthwell " will succeed in
persuading the committees of dog shows to give more prizes for individual
classes of spaniels than they do now, for it will be the means of showing up the
best dogs, and give owners an opportunity of knowing where they are to be
found— a knowledge which they certainly do not possess at present.
Steblikg.
Sib, — ^Eaving expressed a doubt whether a sufficient number of Sussex or
of Norfolk spaniels would be entered at our shows to induce the managers of
them to open separate classes for these breeds, in addition to *' Clumber,'^
'' water,'^ and '^ other spaniels for sporting purposes,^^ several gentlemen have
come forward with promises that lead me to hope classes for Suffolk and
Norfolk spaniels wiU be included in the lists of our principal shows. " Avon "
promises to seiid three or four Sussex, '' and to give a cup for the best Sussex
spaniel at the next important show — say the Crystal Palace/' Mr. S. W. D.
Williams promises to send one. Mr. Shirley (one of the committee of the
Crystal Palace Show) will recommend to the committee at the next general
meeting to add the Sussex to their list. Mr. Hopcroft, the breeder of the two
celebrated dogs of Mr. Burgess's, Sam and Flora, kindly invites '^ Avon '' to
send the cup to the Nottingham Show, where he will have every encouragement
and appreciation from the committee. This is a fair' beginning, and I am sure
must be gratifying and encouraging to those gentlemen who are so anxious to
see their favourite breed duly represented. Last week I waited upon Messrs.
Jennisons, the proprietors of BeUe Vue, Manchester, to induce them to offer
prizes for a class of Sussex spaniels 5 and at once, on explaining my mission, I
received their promise, on an assurance of twelve entries, to give a prize of
£3 for the best, £2 for the second, and £1 for the third. So far as Manchester
is concerned, it rests with the owners of the Sussex spaniels whether there
shall be a separate class for them or not ; and I have no doubt that a class for
Norfolk spaniels would be established on a sufficient number being guaranteed.
The next thing to having the class recognised is the characteristics of the
breed ; the description, and a full description, with an illustration of the Sussex
spaniel, is given in "The Dogs of the British Islands,'' edited by " Stonehenge."
Mr. Hopcroft gives the same description, nearly word for word. [See pp. 71-2.]
I presume, therefore, the Sussex fanciers will accept this as their guide. Of
the Norfolk breed " Stonehenge " gives a general description only 5 indeed, it
is almost impossible to say what is a Norfolk, a Devonshire, or a Welsh cocker
or springer. Let the reader take up six or eight of the most celebrated authors
on the dog (Youatt, Bell, " Stonehenge," Richardson, Martin, Bewick, Smith,
and others), and he will find great variations on the subject. For my part, I
can rest content with the Clumber, the Sussex, and the hver^and-white-ticked
"OBOBOE," A SUSSEX SPANIEL.— Bbsd bt MB. FDLLEa.
THE SUSSEX SPANIEL, 69
(or the black-and-white, black, and black-and-tan), whatever name it may go
by, whether Norfolk, or Devonshire, or Welsh, if it be handsome and good; but,
without these two qualities, it shall not remain long with me.
It has been suggested by " Avon " that there should be a champion class
for spaniels. At Manchester winners of first prizes are prohibited from com-
petition. Doubtless this is done with a good intention, but I do not see the
necessity for it. The same judges are not at every show, arnd we know from
experience that judges will differ. The winner at one place may be, and
frequently is, overlooked at another. I can cite numerous cases, even with the
crack dogs. To debar first-prize takers entirely is unwise, and prevents the
public from seeing the best of their kind. Let us hope this will be reformed,
either by having a champion class, or allowing them to compete like others.
Joseph Burton.
Grove-cottage, Cheadle, Hulme, Cheshire, Jan. 10, 1872.
THE SUSSEX SPANIEL.
The Sussex is a distinct and a very old-established breed. He divides the
honours of old family with the Clumber, and he always has been and always
will be in demand. He should be of a deep golden liver colour; and should
weigh about 351b.
His head should be long and heavy ; his eye, large and languishing ; his
forehead, projecting over the eye ; his muzzle, square ; his lips, rather pendu-
lous ; his mouth, large ; and his under-jaw must rather recede from the upper-
jaw. His ears (for show) should be moderately large, and well-furnished with
silky hair ; they should be small or narrow where they spring from the head,
and large or lobe-shaped at the base ; they should be set low down, and hang
close to the cheeks. For actual service, however, we prefer a smaller ear,
provided that it is of the same character. The nostrils should be large, the
nose large and liver-coloured.
The neck should be strong and muscular, with the crest a little arched.
The chest should be wide ; the shoulders, well thrown back ; the body, lon^
and round.
The legs should be short and strong, well flowed to the foot before and
behind ; the feet (which are nearly always good in a spaniel) should be rodnd,
well arched, and abundantly furnished with feather.
The loin should be very strong; the back ribs very deep and round; the
tail (docked to about nine inches and well feathered), should be set low, and
have a low downward action. The proper carriage of the tail marks the
spanieFs parity as much as anything.
70
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
The coat should be waved (not curled), thick, silky, shining, and abundant,
and, as we have already said, of a golden liver colour.
In temperament he shotdd be cheerful, courageous, and docile.
Head
Nose
Ears
Value of Points of the Sussex Spaniel,
25, Neck 5 Legs 5 Loin 6 Colour
10 Chest 5
I «
5 Shoulders 5
40
15
Feet 5 Back ribs 6
Low carriage of
' tail 10
10'
Grand Total, 100.
20
Cdfet
Symmetry
6
5
5
15
The Sussex spaniel is not mute, but he is not a noisy babbling dog. He
seldom throws his tongue except he runs riot ; and, if well disciplined, is very
temperate in covert. He enters into the spirit of his work ; and when made a
close ranger, and taught to drop to shot and to the flush of the bird, he will not
only work his game up steadily, but work it to the gun. He is better for
water than the generality of Clumbers, and he is a little faster in his work.
He is easily taught to retrieve if his taste lies that way, and then he rarely
breaks his game. Occasionally he is of a sulky temper, in which case he is
virtually useless ; but when good and willing, he will try every inch of ground,
twisting and turning round every stump, and pushing through every brake and
bush, with indomitable perseverance ; waiting after the shot to hear the thud
of the bird upon the ground, with a look that bespeaks his pleasure and his
intelligence. Well qualified, well broken, and well handled (for he is easily
spoiled), he is one of the most delightful companions, and a thorough killing
general dog.
Mr. Puller, of Brightling, Sussex, had a celebrated breed of Sussex
spaniels, but we believe he has lost them, and a good strain (apparently Sussex)
obtained from the late Mr. P. Burdett, exists in the neighbourhood of Ather-
stone. A gentleman at Gowfold, in Sussex, also (we understand) possesses two
or three excellent examples of this valuable breed. Our example was bred by
Mr. Puller some ten years ago, and was the best-looking Sussex spaniel we
ever saw, but we are not aware that any of his get are now in existence.
Tlie following letters on the Sussex Spamiel arose out of a Discussion on the
" Improvement of the Breed of Spaniels" for which see pp, 66-9.
SiE, — I shall be obliged if you will add my protest to those of " Avon,'*
" Ruthwell,'* and others who have written against the manner in which spaniels
are classed at dog shows. For some years past I have kept a small kennel of
Sussex spaniels^ and I have, I verily believe, as handsome a bitch of the breed
as there is to be found in the county. Although she is as near as possible a
fac-simile of the picture of the Sussex spaniel in ^' Stonehenge/* to send her to
any of the shows, as now arranged, to compete, as she would have to do, in the
class designated " other spaniels used for sporting purposes,'* would be simply
a waste of time and money. If there was a distinct class for Sussex spaniels I
should send her at once.
In my humble opinion a true Sussex spaniel should be all liver in colour,
and long in the back, with short legs, ears well set forward and not too large,
snout br^d, and head not carried too high. My bitch answers in nearly all
particulars to this description, and I have long been on the hunt for a dog to
put her to with similar points. If any of your numerous correspondents could
put me in the way of such a one, I should be greatly obliged.
Mr. Eidley, of Brighton, who took second prize two years following at
Birmingham, has a nice team of so-called Sussex spaniels, but^ in my opinion,
they are too short in the back and too long in the leg to be quite the pure
breed. S. W. D. Williams, M.D.
Hayward's Heath, Dec. 16, 1871.
SiE, — Such a title as '^Improvement in the Breed of Spaniels" is a sufficient
inducement and excuse to tempt anyone to ask your favour, who like I, so
strongly believes ^' 'tis a consummation devoutly to be wished." But before
proceeding to state my humble opinions respecting the model of a Sussex
spaniel, I will at first state what my qualifications are that I think entitle me
to speak, so that all interested in this question may judge what amount of
respect they may fairly pay to those opinions. Convinced this is a plan that
might be often er adopted by certain correspondents, I will at once endeavour
to prove my credentials. At the present time I possess one of the best stock -
dogs in the country — a true specimen — the sire of Sam and Flora, which in the
hands of Mr. Burgess have established themselves a wide celebrity. These two
dogs, with many others that have secured leading prizes, I bred myself from a
kennel my family has possessed more than one hundred years, and whose
pedigree of blood and honours has never known a taint.
Not only a breeder (not a carpet breeder), I have from my earliest days
practically worked my dogs through every phase of a sportsman's life, with
such satisfaction and success as to believe the spaniel to be, for general pui*poses,
the king of dogs ; whether I am right or wrong in this latter opinion matters
not, so I pass to what I think a true Sussex spaniel should own.
Head heavy, not too long ; eye large and languishing ; forehead projecting
over the eye ; the muzzle square ; lips pendulous ; mouth large, with the under
jaw receding from the upper one ; ears large, with plenty of silky hair, broad
72
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
set at socket^ and lobe-shaped at their base^ set low down, hanging close to
cheeks; nostrils large; nose (not sniped nosed) large and coloured; neck strong
and mascolar, with arched crest; chest wide and deyeloped; shoulders well
thrown back ; the body long and round ; legs short, strong, well feathered to
the foot, before and behind ; the feet should be round, well arched, and well
feathered on all four ; the loin strong as you like ; the ribs very deep and round ;
the tail about nine inches long, and duly feathered, set on low, with downward
action (purity of breed is evinced by the carriage of the tail more than any-
thing) ; last, but not least, his coat should be waved, thick, silky, shining, and
of a pure golden liver, or, for show, liver-and-white-ticked. With all these
points, and weight about thirty-five pounds, you have a dog fit for the proudest
Nimrod of our day. Jno. Hopceoft.
Shenton, Nottingham, Jan. 6, 1872.
Sib, — ^Mr. Hopcroft's letter requires one or two remarks. He says that
the head of the Sussex spaniel should be heavy, and not too long; the ears
broad set at socket; and, for show, liver-and-white-ticked. Now, I totally
disagree with Mr. Hopcroft in these points. The head should not be heavy ;
the ears should be small at the socket, or where they join on to the head ; and
why for show purposes a Sussex spaniel should be liver-and-white-ticked, I
cannot imagine. Surely, if the normal colour of a Sussex spaniel is a golden
liver colour throughout, with perhaps a white frill — which may be admitted —
it is so far a show dog. Possibly, Mr. Hopcroft is writing up to his own
standard. I have no wish whatever to disparage Mr. Hopcroft^s dogs, or the
ones he refers to (Sam and Flora), but they are undoubtedly not Sussex
spaniels. These dogs have made their mark, and anything I could say for or
against would have no effect. My object is to call attention to, and to try and
bring into notice, a valuable and neglected breed, which, from actual personal
experience, I know in its purity to be very, very scarce. Avon.
Jan. 13, 1872.
SiE, — I beg you will allow me to notice the replies of " Avon ** and Mr.
Burton to my letter of last week. Apart from the ordinary rule of corres-
pondents, I think it is only fail* to the interest of the Sussex spaniel itself that
I should ask you. " Avon '^ says, ^^ Mr. Hopcroft's letter requires one or two
remarks,^^ and with this introduction he disputes three of the twenty points I
named to constitute a true Sussex. First, the head. I said heavy ; he replied,
" it should not be heavy .^' Second, the ears, I said should be broad set at the
socket ; he replied, " the ears should be small at the socket." Third, I said
his coat should be waved, thick, silky, shining, and of a pure golden-liver, or,
THE SUSSEX SPANIEL.
78
for show, liyer-and- white-ticked ; to this he replies, " Why for show purposes
a Sussex spaniel should be liver-and-white-ticked I cannot imagine/' The
first two points I still maintain without any qualification, but, as the last point
was perhaps somewhat ambiguously stated, I will now explain it fully. What
I meant by *'for show, liver-and-white-ticked,*^ was that dogs so marked
invariably when judged showed themselves oflFthe best, and the more frequently
secured the prizes, if up to the mark in other points. If " Avon " doubts this,
I hope he will study the prize Usts. Again, " for show,'' I should have named
the advantage a white-marked dog must have over a dark dog in shooting. If
^^ Avon " is a sportsman, he will know what I mean directly. Should he not,
however, now agree with me as to colour, we shall stilly as at first, differ on
three points instead of on two.
Returning to the first and second points, I would specially show that these
two are the only exceptions he takes to the twenty points I named to constitute
a true Sussex spaniel. Bar these two points, and he accepts the rest of my
standard in toto. Judge then. Sir, my surprise when I read further on, "I have
no wish to disparage Mr. Hopcroft^s dogs, or the ones he refers to (Sam and
Flora), but they are undoubtedly not Sussex spaniels." My dogs judged to
the very standard (bar two points only) that he accepts himself as a true
standard, '' are undoubtedly not Sussex spaniels." The contradiction he has
fallen into needs no comment £rom me.
Again, he says, " possibly Mr. Hopcroft is writing up to his own standard."
In reply, I cannot do better than quote his own words : '' My object is to call
attention to, and try and bring into notice a valuable and neglected breed,
which, from actual personal experience, I know to be in its purity, very, very,
scarce." This was my sole object, and I never thought of " writing up " to a
standard. I breed up to it, as '^ Avon " proved by his own words.
A word with i-egard to Mr. Burton's remarks : '^ Mr. Hopcroft gives the
same description, nearly word for word, as ' Stonehenge.' I presume, there-
fore, Sussex fanciers will accept this as their guide." I have not read '^ Stone-
henge." I put my own ideas, gained in breeding, down on a paper, and oom-
pcure them with the points settled upon by the National Dog Club, London ;
where they were similar, I adopted theirs, and in the same order. Hence the
agreement, if the club have adopted " Stonehenge." Jno. Hopceoft.
Snenton, Nottingham, Jan. 19, 1872.
Sib, — ^I have lived in the heart of Sussex for a number of years, and from
first taking up my residence in that country until the present time, have been
a breeder and fancier of Sussex spaniels. I use scarcely any other dogs for
sporting purposes, and I am constantly on the look-out for, and visit every
kennel in the district containing, Sussex spaniels.
74
THE DOGS OP THE BEITISH ISLANDS.
Such, then, having been my opportunities for forming an opinion, I cannot
but think, in all courtesy to Mr. Hopcroft, that, he is wrong, and ^^ Avon ^'
right as to the Sussex spaniel. Depend on it, a Sussex spaniel, to be perfectly
pure, must have no white about him. To call a dog " liver-and-white-ticked,^'
or " liver with a white frill,^' a Sussex spaniel, pure and unadulterated, is a
mistake.
At the present time I have a very handsome bitch with all the points of a
true Sussex spaniel about her, except that she has a small white frill ; but this
white makes me hesitate to call her a pure Sussex spaniel — indeed, it demon-
strates to me that there must be some remote taint of a cross in her ancestry.
I then take the liberty of occupying your space on a trivial subject,
because I think that this question between Mr. Hopcroft and " Avon ^^ is of
considerable importance, quoad the points of the Sussex spaniel, and one that
should be at once definitively settled, if at any of the forthcoming dog shows
we are to have a prize class for the breed of spaniel under discussion.
S. W. D. Williams, M.D.
Hayward's Heath, Sussex, Jan. 22, 1872.
Sir, — ^As an admirer of spaniels, I cannot fall in with the views expressed
by Mr. Hopcroft. To say of a Sussex that the head should be short and heavy,
ears broad-set at socket, colour liver-and-white and ticked, shows but scanty
knowledge of .the breed, and is not very likely to get ^^ Avon's ^^ cup for the
Nottingham show.
The prize dogs Sam and Flora should never, in my opinion, have been
shown in a sporting class ; they would have been more at home as toy spaniels
by the side of King Charlies. Just fancy such pets, with their long heavy
ears, at work in a close covert ! If Sam and Flora are right, their sire must be
wrong; he is all brown, and has a very diflFerent body and head from that of his
progeny. With the experience of the century Mr. Hopcroft names, his dictum
is a little singular. Are we to take the sire or his stock as being, in Mr.
Hopcroft's opinion, the proper Sussex type ? Sussex.
Sir, — There is one point in Mr. Hoporoft's letter which I entirely over-
looked. He says the eye should be large and languishing. I wonder he had
not said with a tendency to be watery. Now this large, languishing eye, with
a short, round, heavy head, shows unmistakably the cross of the King Charles.
Mr. Hopcroft bases his right to be considered an authority on spaniels for
shooting purposes on the fact of his having bred two spaniels which have taken
•*
THE SUSSEX SPANIEL. 75
prizes, which I consider altogether the wrong sort for sporting. Mr. Hopcroft
may be able to enumerate the points and qualifications of such dogs, but it does
not follow that his animals possess those points, neither do they in my humble
opinion. Avon.
Sir, — Permit me to reiterate my object in publicly discussing the question
of what is a Sussex spaniel. In defending my dogs, only quoted as specimens
of the standard I then fixed in reply to this query, my motive is precisely the
same as the committee of the Nottingham National Dog Show urge as their
raison d/etre in the circular they just issue to the nation, viz., " to honestly
encourage and appreciate purity and excellence of breeding in all classes of
dogs.'' It is immaterial to me, when we have got the true standard of the
Sussex kennel defined, whether my dogs then come up to it or not; but I have,
until convinced they are not Sussex spaniels, a right, without suspicion, to
defend them as specimens of the standard I advocate. With this purpose I
will now refer to the letters of your correspondents [given above] .
First, that of S. W. D. Williams, M.D. I wish, with his own courtesy, to
point out the manner in which he proves his strong statement. "Mr. Hopcroft
is wrong, and ' Avon ' is right, as to the Sussex spaniel.'' I am wrong because,
" depend upon it, a Sussex spaniel to be perfectly pure must have no white
about him." Note, Sir, the proof, " no white," and then refer to " Avon's "
letter of Jan. 13, wherein he states the normal colour of a Sussex spaniel " is
golden-liver throughout, with perhaps a white frill, which may be admitted."
I think Dr. Williams's test of purity, " no white," proves " Avon " wrong.
He also states, " I have a very handsome bitch with all the points of a
true Sussex spaniel about her, except that she has a small white frill." I regret
he does not name any one of " all the points," because his silence robs us of
the very evidence we are all seeking. Perhaps his silence is what the lawyers
would call " negative support " of my standard, save '^ the white."
Why he should let this white be a ghost to frighten him into his sus-
picion of a cross in her ancestry I do not comprehend until it has been more
clearly proved that white is a bar sinister on the escutcheon of this breed. I
believe this " remote taint " to be very remote indeed, perhaps antediluvian,
certainly past all proof. Will the doctor solve the following problem for me ?
Let two pure-bred Sussex spaniels, of colour golden-liver, with no white (Dr.*
Williams's breed), be joined. In nine cases out of ten some of the pups will
have a white frill ("Avon's" breed), or be marked white somewhere (Mr.
Hopcroft's breed). Would Dr. Williams prove that pure-bred (all liver) and
mongrels (with white) exist in this the same litter ?
" Avon " opens his letter with a discovery, and in wonder ! Significantly
silent about my reply of last week, relating to the points then in dispute
76
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
between us, lie takes refuge in anotler objection: "I entirely ovBrlooked Mr-
Hopcroft says the eye should be large and languishing/'
In answer to this, I shall again quote the book of points issued by the
National Dog Club, London, which says, " eye large and languishing/' The
club and I agree precisely upon this point, and '' Avon '' must have some
respect for their opinion, because he is a member of the club himself, and has
perhaps (since he assumes to be a high authority on spaniels) helped to frame
this very code ; but he is fond of contradictions.
I do not wonder at his next remark — *^ I wonder he has not said with a ten-
dency to be watery'' — when I read further on how he misquotes me with regard
to the head. I have nevw said '^ short, round, heavy head /' the words " short"
and '^ round " are of his own manufacture {vide my letter Jan. 6).
Snenton, Nottingham, Feb. 1, 1872, John Hopcroft.
P.S. — ^If ''Avon" will exchange cartes of what we each consider is a
Sussex, perhaps we might then understand each other better. — J. H.
Sib, — Opening my letter with the statement, to prove my qualifications,
that I have during many years bred, larained, and shot over the Sussex spaniel,
and have in many-olier ways gained some experience of what should constitute
the true model of this class, I beg to remark the dispute between " Avon,"
" Sussex,'' and Mr. Hopcrofb seems to me to be " a storm in a teapot."
'' Avon " differs from Mr. Hopcroft on some two or three points only ; and
I fancy that if the two could be brought together, they would be found, like the
Yankee woodcutters, walking round the same tree. Allow me to examine the
difference of their hatchets ; but before doing so I will correct " Sussex " and
'' Avon " in the mistakes they both make in quoting Mr. Hopcroft's dictum
about the head. They both quote him as saying it should be short and round,
as well as heavy ! I refer to his first letter, and he says, " head heavy, not so
long." These are quite different descriptions, and it is only fair to Mr. Hop-
croft that they should be noted. As the rest of the points described by Mn
Hopcroft, save the ears and colour, are not disputed by '' Avon," '' Sussex,"
or Dr* Williams, I have no difficulty in accepting them as a true standard
myself, and I will at once examine the three points only in question.
1st, the head. Provided it does not show too much heaviness, I agree
with Mr. Hopcroft, because I have a horror of the other extreme.
2nd, the ears. It is the custom in this part of the country to avoid the
taste of ^^ Avon " for ears small at socket ; hence it is easy to see why Mr.
Hopcroft and he differ on this point. Without presuming to say positively
which is right, I tiiink fashion has the most to do with deciding the claims of
both these gentlemen.
HB. FBICE'S CLDHBEB SPANIEL ■• BBOCE."
THE CLUMBER SPANIEL. 77
3rd, the colour. This is the point, above all others, over which ^ much ado
about nothing " has been so amusingly played. " Avon " admits a " white
6411," and Mr. Hopcroft says, with plausible reasons, " for show and field liver-
und-white-ticked." Should this be the Gordiaji knot, let me cut it by saying,
if Dr. Williams is right with his dictum of '' no white,^^ then both are wrong ;
but if Dr. Williams is wrong, then both are right, because it is immaterial,
purity granted, whether " the white " shows on a ftiU or in liver-and-white
ticks.
In conclusion, I must say respectfully " Sussex's '' comparison of Mr.
Hopcrofl's beau ideal with a King Charles, either in the show or field, is very
wide indeed of the mark as he puts it.
Give me the Sussex, with all Mr. Hopcroft's points, save an ounce oflF the
head and the sixteenth of an inch less in the ears (for" this is what ''Avon*'
and he are "haggling about), and some white about him to show on the bench
or behind the hedge, and I shall have what I believe Mr. Hopcroft first called
a Sussex spaniel, the king of dogs, W, Emery.
Mansfield, Feb. 1, 1872.
THE CLUMBER SPANIEL.
This beautiful dog derives its name irom a seat of the Duke of Newcastle,
where in all probability it was first produced, and where it certainly was very
carefully preserved for many years 5 and it appears that the Newcastle family
were the sole possessors of the breed until about a hundred years ago. A few
Clumbers then found their way into the kennels of some celebrated sportsmen,
and George Morland subsequently introduced them into several of his charming
pictures.
We cannot ascertain with any certainty the parent stock, but we can infqr
with some confidence that they were continued by in-and-in breeding. TSiey
sufi^r from this cause at the present time, being very liable to typhus or
distemper of the worst form, and falling victims to this ill of puppyhood which
the cross-bred cur escapes. Besides this, they frequently succumb to epilepsy,
and ar^ not strong or safe^ or possessed of established robust constitutions
until they have completed their first year. But whilst we write thus of the
Clumber constitution, we must admit there are exceptions to the rule, and
some strains (pure and goo4 as a^ny in England) are hardy and strong from
the first.
At the present time the Clumber is pretty generally distributed over Great
Britain. He is by most people considered to be about the best dog of the
78
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
spaniel tribe for covert shooting, and decidedly one of the veiy handsomest
animals this kingdom ever produced. We have not seen many of the Clumbers
in the possession of the present Duke of Newcastle, excepting a team exhibited
at Islington in the year 1863. They were a good lot, but perhaps rather small.
Earl Spencer exhibited two capital dogs, Bustler and Sam, the same year. The
preceding year at Birmingham, in a " very good class,'^ Mr. Holford, of Weston
Birt, won all six prizes, with Trimbush, Rover, Brush, Scout, Truce, and Venus
— such a team as, in all probability, never were put together before. The
Marquis of Westminster, Lord Bemers, Sir St. George Gore, Mr. Boaler, of
Barlborough, and the late Mr. Yeatman, have all bred excellent spaniels of
this tribe; and although they have not (some of them) competed for prizes,
they would have nothing to fear if they met the best of the prize dogs at any
exhibition.
The Clumber is invariably long, low, and heavy. His weight varies, but
he averages about 401b. or 451b. He must be white and lemon, the white colour
prevailing ; the paler the lemon the better ; any approach to orange, or deep
positive colour, is objectionable. In height he should not exceed eighteen or
twenty inches, and he shotdd have very short strong legs. He should be so
short in the leg, and so well coated on the lower profile of his body, as to show
no daylight under him, or but little.
His head should be large, long, coloured to a line beneath the eyes with a
blaze upon the face. The eyes large, thoughtful, and pensive ; the nose dark
flesh or liver colour (occasionally the best breeds are cherry-nosed) . The ears
large, but not lobe-shaped, like the Sussex, nor so heavy as his ; they should
not be feathered much below '^ the leather."
The neck should be strong, sinewy, and long ; the back long and straight.
The chest should be wide ; the shoulders wide, and thick through them ; the
fore-arm immense ; the hocks and hind legs very large, bony, and well clothed
with muscle ; the loin should be straight — ^not arched ; the back ribs very deep
indeed ; the ribs round and distinct.
The stern should be set low, generally docked, but sometimes not ; always
left long — about eleven inches — and tufted or flag-shaped at the extremity.
The Clumber coat should be soft, silky, shining, straight, sufficient, but not
over-abundant.
The points we give as under :
Head 25
Ears 5
Neck 5
Value of Points of the Clumber Spaniel.
Length of Shoulders 15 Colour and coat 10
body 20 I Loins 15 ' Stern 5
35
20 I '30
Grand Total, 100.
15
^
THE. NORFOLK SPANIEL AND MIXED BREEDS. 79
A good Clumber never throws his tongue, but works perfectly mute. He
is a most aristocratic sporting dog, and, when good in his work, he is worth a
king's ransom. He is susceptible of very high training, and is a perfect master
in all relating to woodcraft. Brambles, and fern, and hassocks of grass and
rushes, thick osiers, or hazel copse, or springs of coppice, seem his natural
element ; and his thick-set frame and his short legs enable him to writhe and
twist himself into such covert as no other dog of his size could reach, if he had
the courage to face it. As a rule he does not like water, but when he does
retrieve he carries well. He works with industry and patience, although his
temperament is not particularly animated : he is less a copyist in company
than the pointer, or setter, or Sussex spaniel, and is easily broken from
following rabbits — the bane of all shooting dogs not specially devoted to that
kind of fur.
Clumbers with a reputation for blood, and broken to range close, to drop
to* the gun or the spring of the bird, or the rush of hare and rabbit, fetch
enormous prices, and command them at a more advanced age than any other
breed of dog.
They are not soon worn out by age, and are generally most trustworthy at
six, seven, or even eight years of age. It is worthy of remark that they do not
get blase or disgusted with their work, like many spaniels and most retrievers
of a certain age.
Though susceptible of high training, the Clumber dog has no peculiar
aflFection for man, and makes but a middling companion, except with the gun.
We give the dimensions of a dog (by the famous Trimbush) named Jock,
the property of Mr. Holford : nose to root of stern, 2ft. lOin.; stern, 11 in.; eye
to nose, 3iin.; round the head, 1ft. 5in.; arm, 7iin.; girth behind shoulders,
*2ft. lin.; length of head, lOJin.; height, 17in.
Our portrait is that of the winner of the first prize at several of the
Birmingham dog shows and elsewhere. He is the property of Mr. Price, of
Ehiwlas, Bala, N. Wales, and is a good specimen of the breed.
THE NORFOLK SPANIEL, AND MIXED BREEDS.
The Norfolk is one of the four descriptions of spaniels known as '^ springers,^'
if we include the larger specimens of the mixed breeds.
Although a true-bred Norfolk springer, with a pedigree of many genera-
tions, is very hard to find, there is no doubt the strain exists in the possession
of some few families where it has been carefully preserved. Some years ago
80
THE DOGS OF THE BBITISH ISLANDS.
they were not uncommon^ and fourteen years since a mute race of these active^
indefatigable workers belonged to the owner of Waterperry^ near Oxford.
They were dark liver-and-white^ and were not only singularly handsome^ but
eminently good.
They are to be found liver-and-white and black-and-white ; but whichever
their colour, the muzzle and Kmbs are inrariably ticked or freckled with dark
spots. If they are liver-and-white, the darker the liver the handsomer the dog
is; especially if the ticks or freckles are decided and distinct. To be perfect in
their marking they should have white muzzle and lips, ticked ; a white blaze
up the face, and if the blaze is broad there should be a spot on the skull ;
collar, chest, and belly, white ; fore-legs, white and ticked ; white hind-legs,
ticked ; inside of thighs and margin of hips, white ; tip of tail, white. The
stern should be docked shorter than the Clumber.
A variety pointed out to us as Norfolk had the ticking wherever the white
occurs, and in this case the liver blotches were seldom larger than a tea-saac6r.
But we do not believe these spaniels are genuine Norfolks, for they have a
partial top-knot, indicating a cross with the water-spaniel. •
The Norfolk spaniel is now seldom to be obtained n>ute ; and, although
by no means noisy, his master can form a good guess at the game he is
" reading '* by his note.
He is a thick-set dog, and is powerful and compact ; not so low in the leg
nor so long in the body as the Clumber. His head is lighter, and his muzzle
finer, and he has a large nose, liver-coloured or black, and large nostrils. He
is not so large in the bone as the Sussex, but he is a faster, sharper dog. His
temperament is more sanguine ; his ears are large and lobe-shaped, well coated
with silky hair. The finer the coat the more the inclination to curL BQs legs
are feathered down to the ground, and the feather of the toes is long, and
partially hides the foot.
He is fond of water, and he retrieves, but he frequently mauls his game.
When bred up to beat furze he wiU face it well (and this is a most punishing
covert for all spaniels); but in brambles and thorn we think the Clumber
his superior. Sometimes the Norfolk spaniel points his game for a few
seconds. This we hold to be a fault, as he is intended to be a " springer '* of
game.
Value of Points of the Norfolk and Mixed Breeds of Spaniels,
Head
Ears
25
5
ao
.Length of back... 15
Loin 15
80
Feet.
Legs
10
10
20
Coat 6
Colour 5
10
Carriage of
tail 10
10
Qrand total, 100.
COOKER SPANIELS.
81
OOOKERS, &c.
The various field spaniels and cockers are also derived from the foregoing
distinct varieties, and we can trace the Welsh, the Devonshire, and indeed all
of them to the admixture of these races, occasionally showing a water-spaniel
cross. Hence we obtain the variety of colour for which the spaniel family is
remarkable : the liver-and-white, the lemon, orange or red and white ; the
liver-and-tan, the liver-and-white with tan cheeks, the tawny or hare-coloured
dogs (the worst colour of all), and the black and black-and-tan.
The two last colours are decidedly the handsomest ; but an admixture of
white, making the dog more conspicuous, renders him more useful. A very
superior description of spaniel was bred by the late Mr. Burdett, of these two
colours, and we have seen liver-coloured dogs said to have been obtained from
him as excellent as his black or black-tan strain. We do not think that he
originated the breed, because we remember seeing dogs corresponding with his
in every particular as far back as 1836 ; and at that time, although rare, they
could be procured. Bat, at any rate, Mr. Burdett carefully bred and preserved
the strain, and brought it to a very great perfection. Some of the very best
specimens passed into the hands of Mr. Jones, of Oscott, and his black spaniel
Bob, by Mr. Burdett's Bob, was, if possible, superior to his parent.
These dogs are flat-coated, silky, short-legged ; have good, long, sensible
heads, and strong back and loin. They have the keen nose for which the
Norfolk is remarkable ; and the specimens we have seen at work, though not
strictly speaking mute, hardly whimper on the most burning scent. Almost
all of them retrieve; and it is the highest praise to say they are as good as they
are beautiful. They vary in size — sometimes they are small enough, certainly
handsome enough, for a lady's lap-dog; frequently from 14Ib to 181b in weight;
and the dogs reach perhaps to 30Ib or 351b. Occasionally they do not grow
up in accordance with their early promise ; but we have never heard of any
failure in their working qualities, and the late Mr. Burdett's name is facile
princeps as a former breeder of black cockers and springers.
It is unnecessary to attempt to classify the cockers, as their name is legion,
and they are generally selected as mute specimens of the field spaniel.
Their points are as follows :
Value of Points of Cockers.
Head
Ears..
Neck
20
5
5
SO
Chest 10
Shoulders... 10
20
Back
Bibs
10
10
Legs
Feet
6
5
20
Grand total, 100,
10
Tail 10
Symmetry.. 5
Colour 5
20
82 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
We have not attempted to give an illustration of the Norfolk spaniel, or
of any of the various cockers, as the varieties or strains are so numerous as to
defy us.
WATER SPANIELS.
THE ENGLISH WATER SPANIEL.
In the early part of the present century, English water spaniels were common
enough, and were used for hunting wildfowl in our rivers and lakes ; but
though we were familiar with many in our youth, they are now become so
rare that we had almost come to the conclusion that they were extinct. Our
esteemed correspondent ^^Avon^' has, however, come to their rescue in the fol-
lowing letter, which we reproduce from The Field of Dec. 30, 1871.
Sir, — As your correspondent "Ruthwell^^ requests, I send him the
points of the old English water spaniel. " Stonehenge,^^ in his valuable book
on " Dogs,^' says : " Head long and narrow, eyes small, and ears of medium
length covered with thick curly hair. Body stout, but elegantly formed, with
strong loins and round barrel-like chest, which is broad across the shoulders.
The legs are raUber long but very strong, the bone being of great^ize and well
clothed with muscle. Feet large and spreading, tail covered thickly with long
curly hair, and slightly curved upwards, but not curved above the level of his
J)ack.^^ To t^is I will add, that the old English water spaaiiel is invariably liver
coloured, with a white ring round his neck and white on his chest, a narrow
streak of white on the face reaching from the forehead down to and widening
towards the nose ; he has also white feet. This dog is of large siae, and not
very useful except as a water dog. He is apt to be a little hard in the mouth,
and is, in my opinion, entirely supplanted by the modern retriever ; hence I see
little use in encouraging the breed. Bat when there is a prize offered for water
spaniels at a show, it. seems to me absurd to ignore a pure-bi'ed dog and give
it to a cross-bred Irish, one. Be it known, the old English water spaniel will
not do to cross with the Irish water spaniel ^ tl>e produce is a regular mongrel.
In the first place, the Irish water spaniel should have a short, stiff, and straight
stern, thick where it joins the body, but running out to a fine point, called a
whip stern; whereas the old English water Spaniel, as observed by ^'Stonehenge,^'
has a thick,^ curly, bushy stem ; and, although his ears are not long in the
feather, in a well-developed specimen the ears attain a considerable length in
curl, or rather ringlets ; the same on the legs. Avon.
miSH WATEE SPANIEL, THE PEOPEBTY OP CAPTAIN O'QEADT.
T5B IRISH WATBJ* SPAlflUI^.
83
THE IRISH WATER SPANIEL.
As above stated, the old English water spaniel, whether of the large or small
breed, if not altogether lost, is very seldom seen, Probably the excellent form
and colour of the Irish dog hastened the extinction of the species. The north
9.nd south of Ireland both claim a distinct variety of water spaniel, which we
will endeavour to describe.
The northern dog has a considerable amount of white as well as liver colour,
and we have seen specimens all white, except the head. The ears are very
short and devqid of feather, the legs close-coated, and the profile is that of a
Gurly-coated pointer, if such an animal could b^*
The south-country breed, Ipopougl^t tp tl^^ highest state of perfection by
Mr. McCarthy, is a very superior animal. He impresses us at once as an
Instance of refined breeding. His colour is uncommon, pure, ie^nd of high
merit ; it is dark, rich, decided, and unmixed with white, having a tendency to
purple or puce rather than f^wn, ^•ed, or sienna, in the liver tones. Mr.
McCarthy some time ago fqmished a description of his breed to The Fiku)
(see page 84), and we need not say it was a very faithful and ho^es^ desicriptioq
of the animal be h$ts produce^.
The height of an Irish spaniel should be about twenty-one inches, or a littile
more; the head capacious, the forehead high, the eyes very intelligent; the
face or mask (from the eyes downwards) particularly smooth. The eaya^ from
point to point, measure about twenty-six inches. The " top-knot ^^ is a
distinguishing feature of the breed.
In the rough sheep dog, the poodle, the Russian retriever or Russian setter,
and in what is often called a " Skye terrier,^' we find the eyes completely
hidden by a mass of shaggy hair. M'Carthy^s water-spaniel has a wig descend-
ing in a point down the middle of the forehead, and (excepting the mask and
front of the legs) he is covered with short, close, crisp curls. (One Irish
variety has the /ron^ of the legs covered with curls also.) Th^ tail is large at
the base, shor^ier than in most other dogs, tapering tp a. sting, and unfeathered.
Unfortunately we have never been able to obtain a specimen young enough
to break thoroughly for game. Though excellent water dogs (and, from the
oily nature of their coats, drying very rapidly), we have had to con\plain of their
impetuous rush into pond or river; and they do not like tangled copse or
brambles. From want of early education we have observed them hunting from
sight ; and, if not hard-mouthed, they have not brought the game alive. Their
temperament, which is generally sanguine, renders them rather too playful for
the sober profession of a retriever ; and they have not com^ up to our expecta-
tions. But, we repeat, we consider these foults the result (so far as our
experience is concerned) of the want of proper breaking in the first instance.
84
THE DOGS OP THE BEITISH ISLANDS.
Daring the last five years the Irish water spaniel has had a separate class
at most of our shows, and some magnificent dogs have taken prizes, but none
superior to Capt. O'Grady's, being considered longer in the legs.
Points of the Irish Water Spaniel.
Head 15
Nose 5
Topknot with
bareness of
face 10
Ears 10
40
Feet.
Legs
5
6
10
Back 5 I Symmetry
Quarters 5 Tail
10
10
10
20
Goat 10
Colour 10
20
Grand totals 100.
We append the description given by Mr. McCarthy some years ago in
The Field : —
" The present improved and fancy breed, called M^Carthy^s breed, should
run thus : Dog from twenty-one to twenty-two and a half inches high (seldom
higher when pure bred); head rather capacious, forehead prominent, face from
eyes down perfectly smooth, ears from twenty-four to twenty-six inches from
point to point. The head should be crowned with a well-defined top-knot, not
straggling across like the common rough water dog, but coming down in a
peak on the forehead. The body should be covered with small crisp curls,
which often become draggled in the moulting season ; the tail should be round
without feather underneath, of the two rather short, and as stiff as a ramrod ;
the colour of a pure puce liver without any white. Though these dogs are
generally of very high mettle, I have never found them intractable or difficult
to be trained ; they readily keep to heel and down-charge, and will find a dead
or wounded bird anywhere, either in the open or in covert, but they are not
partial to stiff thorny brakes, as the briers catch the curl and trail after them.
It is advisable to give them a little training at night, so that in seeking objects
they must rely upon the nose alone. For the gun, they should be taught to go
into the water like a duck ; but when kept for fancy, a good dog of this breed
will take a flying jump of from twenty -five to thirty-five feet, or more, perpen-
dicular height, into the water. My old dog ' Boatswain ' lived to be about
eighteen years old, when, although in good health and spirits, I was obliged to
destroy him. When going abroad in 1849, for some years, I gave my breed to
Mr. JoUiffe Tuffnell, of Mount-street, Merrion-square, Dublin, son of the late
Colonel Tuffnell, of Bath. His dog Jack, a son of my dog Boatswain, is known
particularly as a sire to every one in Ireland, and to very many in England. A
good well-trained dog of this breed will not be obtained under from 101. to 15Z.
or 20Z., and I have known as much as 40i. and bOl. to be paid for one. They
THE IRISH WATER SPANIEL.
85
will not stand a cross with any other breed ; the spaniel, setter, Newfoundland
dog, and Labrador dog, &c., perfectly destroy coat, ears, tail, and symmetry ;
added to which, the cross-bred dog is very difficult to dry. If any cross would
answer, I should say the bloodhound, which would give at least head, and ears,
and nose. I have bred with the greatest care, giving the highest prices for
good dogs to cross my own ; I still have a first-rate bitch of the breed. It is
essential for gentlemen purchasing puppies to see both sire and dam, as in this
breed it is very easy to be imposed upon in a young one. The true breed has
become very scarce ; and although very hardy when grown up, they are very
delicate as puppies. J. M/G"
The following letters appeared in The Eibld since the above was written.
The Irish Water Spaniel.
Sir, — Since the great dog show at Birmingham in December last, I have
been weekly expecting to find some correspondence in The Field on the sub-
ject of the true Irish water spaniel ; but as no one interested in this very
sagacious breed appears to wish to commit himself to print (more particularly
as there are very erroneous opinions regarding the colour), I must ask again
the favour of inserting a few lines in your paper, having written on the same
subject now twelve months since.
Having possessed the breed twenty years, and bred fi'om the best speci-
mens I could find in Ireland, besides being well acquainted with Mr. McCarthy
(whom you quote in a former number as having brought this breed to great
perfection), I may in some slight measure be an authority in stating that I
never, during my sojourn of seven years in Ireland, saw a dog of this breed, if
worthy the name of the Cel to-Milesian water spaniel, that had a decided .blotch
of white about him ; and further, I can add, that Mr. McCarthy in his descrip-
tion of the dog states : " The body should be covered with small crisp curls,
which become draggled at the moulting season, the tail stiff as a ramrod,
colour pure puce, or dark chocolate, without any white whatever.'^
Now, in the face of all this, the judges of this class at Birmingham com-
mitted themselves a second time in giving the first prize to a bitch (the
property of a Birmingham gentleman) which not only had a blotch of white
on the chest, but had white from the lower jaw to the chest, as also on the
tail and foot, besides being decidedly of poodle origin, and taking the first
prize from my bitch Norah this year, and my Poll last year.
If any gentleman at the show could give an opinion on this score (inde-
pendent of the judges), I think Mr Hutchinson, owner of the champion red
setter (Irish) Bob, is one. He volunteered his opinion to me unasked, that
sd
THE DOGS OF THE BEITI8H ISIiiUfDS.
«
they had again done me out of the first prbe through ^ot knowing the correct
points of this breed -/^ and Mr. Hutchinson is a gentleman who well knows
the breed, having had one of the best-looking bitches at Kingstown I ever saw.
The fact is, that this beautiful breed of animal is only just now becoming known^
since the Prince of Wales became the owner of one of my dogs, and one from
Dublin, at a high figure. Bewick, in his " History of Quadrupeds,^^ has two
woodcuts of water spaniels with white (piebald in fact), but no comparison
whatever with the Irish breed, which, as Mr. Knox says^ in his interesting work
on ^' €kune Birds and Wildfowl,^^ far surpass anything I have ever met with in
sagacity^ oourage, and docility. Edwd. Moktbesob, It^te 55th Begt.
2, Ashford Villas, Cheltenham, Jan. 30, 1866.
SiE, — ^I should be very glad if Captain Montresor, or some admirer of this
dog, would kindly give us a sketch of the characteristics and qualities of the
breed. There is a general impression that it is not of much value for sporting
purposes, being too impetuous in disposition, and of a temper not submitting
easily to the discipline necessary to thorough obedience. Is this impression
correct, and is the- dog, if not to be made a good and steady retriever, interest-
ing as an intelligent and affectionate companion ? W. P.
Sib, — As an ardent lover of this highly intelligent animal, will you permit
me to make a few remarks on the difierence of opinion that at present exists in
the minds of our English sportsmen and of catiine fanciers generally, both as to
the points of this breed, and also sm to its merits in the field as a sporting dog.
Now, sir, I have generally found that in cases where gentlemen have had the
pure dog from a pup, and have taken pains to have him properly and carefully
broken, they have been rewarded by having a perfectly steady, obedient, clever
dog, soft in the mouth, and in all respects perfect as a retriever ; and 1 have
heard men say, who have given the dog a fair trial, that '^ not only could the
pure dog be easily taught to be a perfect retriever, but that for a man who had
to go over a great many acres to make his bag, and whose bag may be made
up of wildfowl as well as game, some of his land lying low and consisting of
marsh, and other being high ground where he would probably kill a few brace
of birds, he considered no dog equal to a pure-bred, carefully-broken Irish water
spaniel.^^ Another gentleman of my acquaintance, who is a sportsman all over,
and has a very fine specimen of the breed, has assured me that, if allowed to
break heel, she will stand game to perfection. On the other hand, I have been
informed by sportsmen that the Irish water spaniel is useless in the field, but
THE IRISH WATER SPANIEL. 87
upon making fiirther inqairies you will generally find that tJMee geniil^men baTe
not given the dog a fair trial ; eitter they have bought an ill-bred dog, of such
an €kge that it was absurd to attempt to break him^ or they have obtained a pup,
and their keeper, from not understanding the mild and gentle dispositioti of the
young dog entrusted to his care, has utterly spoiled him, and broken the dog's
spirit for ever with the whip, in his hurry to bring him to obedience. Now,
sir, I have possessed several good specimens of this breed, both ycJung and old,
descended from Mr. M'Carthy^s well-known blood, and I have invariably found
that, though naturally rather high-couraged, they are to be mled by kindness,
and not by such heavily-knotted thongs as our keepers are too much in the
habit of using. With regard to the points of this breed, I will not venture an
opinion ; but would it not be b boon to the admirers of this companionable
creature if such an authority as Mr. McCarthy, who has done so much for this
breed, would kindly give us the benefit of his valuable opinion on the subject ?
Any gentleman who has attended the Birmingham Dog Show for the last four
or five years past must allow that there is a striking improvement, both in the
number of dogs shown in this class, and in the merit of some of the specimens.
Jock, the first prize dog, is undoubtedly a good specimea, and Bake, his son,
out of Duck, a bitch bred by Mr. Boyle, is seegnd only to his sire. In the bitch
class, Captain Montresor^s Norah is certainly a good stamp of bitch, a^d Mr.
McCarthy, I believe, considers her perfect. Dbooy Duck.
Sir, — In answer to " W. P.,^* I have bred many of the above breed. They
differ in intelligence and disposition ; some are too impetuous, some too timid.
They can be trained for any purpose but covert shooting. They are sometimes
hard-mouthed, which, however, can in most cases be prevented. My dogs are
descendants of Boatswain. Tip is a great-great-grandson, very dashing and
eager, difficult to control, and inclined to be hard-mouthed ; Venus, a grand-
daughter, quiet, affectionate in disposition, and soft-mouthed; both under
twenty months of age, and subjected to the sarnie training. As an attached
companion my A 1 Quest beats all I ever had, and can do anything but pay a
bill ; she is now in the sere and yellow leaf, but as frisky as a " two-year-old.^'
Give them time, and they will all make good and steady retrievers.
HotiDVAST.
'' Holdfast ^' subsequently wrote, in correction of the above, as follows :
Sib, — Probably from inadvertence on my part, my young spaniel, Venus,
is stated to be " granddaughter of Bocktswain, and under twenty months old.''
Mr. McCarthy's Boatswain was such a celebrated dog, that I must hasten to
correct this error ; and I will take the opportunity of stating that the real
88 THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
granddaughter. Quest, also mentioned in my letter, and the mother of Venus,
demonstrates the number of years that may be comprised in three generations
of dogs. Boatswain was born in 1834, and lived for eighteen years. His son
Jack, the property of Dr. JoUiffe TuflSiell, was 'Quests father, and she is now
nine years old in 1866, being thirty-two yeara after Boatswain's birth; and
should she live to the age of her grandsire, the three generations will cover the
period of forty years.
I can quite indorse '^ Decoy Duck's '' remark regarding the use of the
whip with this breed. Holdfast.
Sir, — In reply to the many inquiries in The Field, may I state that, in
my opinion, there is not a more docile, obedient, and easily-trained dog than
the true-bred Irish water spaniel. Pull of intelligence and courage, he is not
to be taught by an undue application of the whip ; it renders him shy, cunning,
and mistrustful. He is best adapted for open and marshy grounds, and wild-
fowl shooting ; he does not object to open coverts, but does not like strong
thorny brakes. If wanted for general purposes he should be taught to range
within a short distance of the gun. He will always indicate the presence of
game by the peculiar flourish of his tail. He is naturally and intrinsically a
retriever, both by land and water, but can with care be taught to sit. I have
known several that were steady to partridge, quail, snipe, &c. Captain Palmer,
Mayo Rifles, Royal-terrace, Kingstown, has a dog of this breed, large, strong,
intelligent, and brave. He sits, backs, and retrieves, and when out with the
gun he glides noiselessly into the water, like a duck; but when out on a lark he
will at full speed jump into the sea from the Ballory head on Kingstown pier,
which, at low water, is more than five-and-thirty feet of perpendicular fall. I
agree with " Decoy Duck ^' that Captain MontreSor's Norah is one of the finest,
best-bred and handsomest bitches of the breed, in or out of Ireland. Many
years ago in breeding I made frequent use of his clever and well-bred Irish
water spaniel, Nep, which he procured in Limerick. In conclusion, I beg to
add that the Irish water spaniel should have a well-defined topknot on the
crown of the head, but not a wig, as that, with a woolly coat, betrays the cross
of the poodle; whilst a soft, flossy Coat, with short, crooked front legs induces
suspicion of admixture with the Sussex or some one of the wood spaniels of
English breed. Justin McCarthy.
Albert-road, Kingstown, Dublin, March 27, 1866.
MB. GORaB'8 EETKIEVEBS, "WINDHAM" A2JD "JET" («« poje B
THE BETEIEYER PBOPER.
89
CHAPTER IV.-RETRIEVER8.
THE RETRIEVER PROPER.
[0 DISTINCT recognised breed of retrievers exists, unless we make an
exception in favour of the liver-coloured Irish water spaniel, the rough
Russian, and the deerhound. The Earl of Cardigan, Sir George
Wombwell, Sir John Lister Lister-Kaye, and many well-known sportsmen,
possess their own breed of dogs, used for retrieving from land or water ; but
there is no established breed. Good retrievers are to be found of all breeds.
Thirty years ago William Evans (now, we believe, head-keeper to Lord Fitz-
william) had a famous retriever, by a bloodhound of the late Lord Ducie's out
of a mastiff. '' Craven '^ (author of the ^' Young Sportsman's Manual '')
describes a celebrated land and water retriever, of a breed " between a
bulldog and a smooth terrier ;'' and W. C; a well-known sportsman who
writes in The Field, strongly advocates the foxhound as the basis of the
retriever.
Value of Points of Beiriever Proper.
Head
Nose
Ears..
Neck
10
10
2
8
30
Loins and back ... 10
Quarters 10
Shoulders 6
Chest 4
Tail 6
Legs 6
Stifle 2
Hocks 6
20
Colour and coat 15
Stem 5
20
30
Grand Total, 100,
An English retriever, whether smooth or curly-coated, should be black or
black-and-tan, or black with tabby or brindled legs, the brindled legs being
indicative of the Labrador origin. We give the preference, from experience,
to the flat-coated or short-coated small St. John's or Labrador breed. These
breeds we believe to be identical. The small St. John's has marvellous intelli-
gence, a great aptitude for learning to carry, a soft mouth, great strength, and
he is a good swimmer. K there is any cross at all in this breed it should be
the setter cross.
N
90
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
He should have a long head^ a large eye, a capacious mouth, the ears
small, close to his head, set low, and with short hair on them ; his nose large,
his neck long, that he may stoop in his quest ; shoulders oblique and deep,
chest broad and powerful. His loins, back, and hind quarters are all of great
importance ; for though a hare will be the maximum of weight he will have to
carry, he may be compelled to carry it a long distance, to get over a stone wall
with it, or to make his way througli strong covert. His legs should be strong,
straight, and muscular; his feet round, and moderately large, but compact,
and the toes should be well arched. If he is required for punt shooting
his coat should be short and close ; but for general purposes the texture
should be 'flat, shining, abundant. If black, he should be all black; if black
and tabby, the tabby should not go far up the leg, and he should be
free from ivhite. The stern should be well feathered, moderately short, and
gaily carried. The feather should be decidedly heavy, but tapering to the
point.
We have given no points for temperament. No dog deserves the least
consideration from a judge unless his temperament is evidently good at the
first glance. Temperament is the foundation of a good retriever. He should
be about twenty-four inches at the shoulder, moderately long in his body,
moderately short on his legs. He should be as clean cut as a setter under the
angle of his jaw. The setter cross is perhaps the best, but it certainly diminishes
the liking for water, and in some instances the produce has a marked disinclina-
tion to quest in thick or tangled woodland.
The remarks we have made as to the frame and temperament of the wavy-
coated retriever apply to the curly-coated dog. The distinction between the
two is simply one of texture. '
The origin of thQ curly dog is not well known, but is supposed to be the
result of a cross between the Irish water spaniel and the Newfoundland. The
face of a curly retriever should be clean; his hind legs, from the hock down-
wards, free from feather ; the remainder of his body covered with short, crisp
curls.
Windham, the property of Mr. Gorse, is a good example of the wavy-
coated dog ; and Jet, in the possession of the same gentleman, is, perhaps, the
best specimen of a curly-coated one ever exhibited to the public. The flat-
coated dog gained the first prize in Birmingham three years in succession,
besides numerous first prizes at other shows. He has frequently been passed
over for Jet, or Jet has been put aside for him. His powers of scent are
excellent, and we understand him to be broken well, but he is rather hard-
mouthed, and this fault we hold to be hereditary. Jet, on the other hand,
carries alive, and having carried a live pigeon for any length of time, will let it
fly from his mouth at a given signal. He is a good water-dog, and a very genial
companion. He has won as many, perhaps more, prizes than any dog shown.
-r w rw i. " j»^ ■/ —
THE RETBIBVEE PROPBE. 91
In 1865 he took the first pmea at Bradford, Brightoa, and Leeds, and received
the first prize and gold medal at Paris. We give their measurements :
Windham. Jbt.
ft. in. ft. in.
From nose to end of stem 5 2 ... 4 10
Girth behind shoulders 2 9J ... 2 10
Round top of fore-leg 9J ... 9}
Bound cranium 1 10 ... 1 6
Length of head 11 ... lOJ
Lower comer of eye to end of nose 5 ... 4J
Length of tail 16 ... 15
Height 2 3 ... 2 1
Round nose just under the eyes 12 ... Oil
Round nose at the end of the mouth 10 ... 9
Girth round loin 2 2 ... 2 3
Weight of Windham, 84}lb. Weight of Jet, 771b.
It will be evident from the weight of these dogs that either can carry a
hare — ^the masdmum of power required.
It is a mistake to have a large dog for a retriever. The smaller they are
the better, if they can accomplish the task required of them.
The merits of the two varieties are pretty evenly balanced, )yut separate
classes are now generally made for them. We have seen first-class dogs
smooth-coated, wavy-coated, and curly. One smooth dog, two flat-coated or
small Labrador, two curly-coated dogs and One bitch, all belonging to personal
friends, we have never seen excelled ; and a dog by a Clumber spaniel out of a
Labrador bitch is one of the very best dogs to find and bring game or wild-
fowl that we have ever seen.
We believe the black-curled examples of the present day descend on one
side from the Irish stock, and we have bred black dogs scarcely distinguishable,
except in colour, from McCarthy's breed of dark-liver water spaniels.
Of the origin of '' the Russian '' we know little. He may be a distinct
variety; but we have not much faith in, or love for, this Muscovite. He
appears to us a sheep dog on a large scale. We have firequently been diSj^p-
pointed with him. He has an indifierent temper, and but a moderate nose ;
his intelligence is very limited, and his long, heavy, matted coat unfits him for
questing in covert. Yet occasionally we meet with good Russians, a^d at tbf9
present moment we are acquainted with a young dog of undoubted excellence.
The Russian averages twenty -five inches in height, now and then reaching
twenty-seven. He has a short head, a small ear, unfeathered. He is rather
short in his back, long in the leg, and is absolutely smothered in hair. His
legs are feathered aU rowiid ; his eyes are lost in his shaggy wig, and his tail is
thick and heavily feathered. His coat, which is wiry, is very apt to mat or felt,
and to render the dog dirty and rancid in smell. He is generally black, slightly
mixed with grey hairs ; and the iron-grey is the colour most esteemed.
92
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
The properties of a land and watfer retriever should be combined in one
dog. We desire to obtain for retrieving game a dog possessing a most
sensitive nose, sharpness, intelligence, obedience, reflection, teachableness, good
temper, and the gift of gently lifting and carrying game alive.
We have observed that the Newfoundland (the small Labrador) possesses
these qualities in a marked degree, but in a general way he is too bulky for the
purpose. For some masters he is too large to be a constant companion, or to
be easily taken from place to place. We believe judicious crossing will improve
and call out excellent qualities, and that his size may be diminished by selection,
without too great a sacrifice of strength. We believe the Newfoundland to be
the best dog to breed from, because he is as good in the water as on land, and
will dive like an otter if need be.
We have thought of the coUey as a good cross, and of the black or ]?lack-
tan setter, but we should decidedly select the Newfoundland as the mother. A
great authority has declared to us that the most useful general dog for the gun
will be found in the foxhound and greyhound combined ; Colquhoun prefers the
mixture of the beagle and pointer, and puts the weight at ten pounds. We
cannot say we agree with either ; and the extraordinary feats of ^' Craven's ''
bull-terrier retriever would not induce us to break a dog of that breed for such
a purpose.
We believe, however, the size of the Newfoundland must be reduced by
the selection of the smallest specimens in litters, and that it will be a work of
time to obtain these desiderata — economy in keep or food, portability, and yet
strength and activity, combined with sense.
The other essential faculties, we have little doubt, will be heightened and
improved by an admixture of fresh blood, for the cross-bred dog is frequently
more '' cute '' than either of his high-bom parents. The setter cross would be
that from which the breeders of retrievers would have the best chance of breed-
ing again with success; and we may add that Mr. McCarthy concludes, from
experience, that his water spaniel will not bear crossing with any description
of retriever.
Since 1865, in almost all the large shows there have been separate classes
for smooth and curly retrievers, so that the two* breeds have not come into
competition.
The following letters may be interesting to our readers ; they appea/red in
The Field early in 1872.
SiB, — Can any of your readers settle the question as to what the retriever
really should be ? If I am in error in supposing him to be bred from judicious
crossing of the Irish water spaniel, setter, and Newfoundland, I should be most
happy to be corrected by yourself or some experienced breeder.
THE EBTEIBVBR PROPER. 93
Admitting the retriever to be bred as described, how are we reasonably to
expect dogs with ball and terrier heads, small smooth ears, &c., such as
are now being shown ? Surely there is nothing sporting-like in this class
of dog.
My own idea of the retriever is (grounding my opinion upon the above
facts), first of all a dark brown eye ; the head setter-like in shape, length, and
lip ; the ear well feathered ; legs ditto ; tail carried on a level with the back :
with the same character and quality of hair that you have on the whole body,
from the occiput of the head to the extreme end of the tail .
These views may be somewhat in opposition to the leading characteristics •
of the prize- winning dogs of the present day. Take, for instance, the Birming-
ham winner True. I was surprised on visiting the Manchester Show (not
having seen this dog before, and going with the impression that I should see
the true dog), that he was only placed fourth on the prize sheet, where he must
have been more at home and better judged than when he won all before him at
Birmingham. His head had decidedly somefching of the greyhound about it,
being tight in the lip, pointed nose, small ear, without a particle of feather;
and, could his pedigree be traced back, I dare venture to say it would prove
him to have an infusion of that blood in his veins. I also noticed a peculiarity
about the colour of his coat, which is well curled, and black enough at the top ;
but, upon close inspection, the roots of his hair will be found to be quite brown,
intimating that he has been bred from a brown sire or dam — no disgrace in
itself, but when a dog is shown for black he should be intensely black. He is
at present changing his coat ; but I fear, if he lives to have a hundred, they
will all be a bad colour.
I simply quote this dog as a sample of a gi*eat many of a like stamp of
head (which is my chief point of objection), and because he is the winner of
the Birmingham prizes ; and, of course, one does expect something more than
ordinary when a dog has been so successful.
I am sure it must have been very perplexing to any person who takes an
interest in this breed of dogs to have seen the eccentricity in judging at
Manchester, as there were as many different sorts of dogs as prizes awarded,
the predominant feature being size.
However, I will not trespass further upon your space, but conclude by
saying I am not a disappointed exhibitor, but one who seeks information
through your columns to enable me some day to be a successful exhibitor.
Rbtrisvjsb.
Sir, — Your correspondent " Retriever " ^' seeks information through your
columns to enable him some day to be a successful exhibitor " of retrievers at
dog shows. I know of only one way to accomplish his object with much
94
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
chance of success. To sacceed at dog shows you mast purchase a dog from
some dog dealer at an enormous price^ and^ entering the dog in your name^
you may not unlikely get in a measure reimbursed for the extravagant sum
you have given for a useless brute, or at least stand a good chance to see
your name figure in The Field as the owner of an admired animal. Dog shows
are the greatest humbug in the world, and are ruining our breeds of dogs.
But if your correspondent wishes to know how to insure a first-class retriever,
I can tell him how to set about that ; but it takes both time and judgment
to accomplish it. It took me about three years. In a retriever you require
nose, docility, a disposition to fetch and carry, little disposition to hunt, and
great perseverance on a track. How are these requisites to be combined ?
Only by careful crossing. For nose and perseverance there is no dog better dian
the foxhound. Begin with him. Select a really good setter bitch of some
size, and put her to an approved foxhound. By means of money you may
always command the services of one of the leading hounds in any pack for
such a purpose if you go properly to work ; but take care to select a dog with a
good temper as well as nose. The progeny of this cross will of course not be
retrievers. Keep one of the most likely-looking of the bitch puppies, and, when
old enough, put her to a really good St. John's Newfoundland. This may
probably bring the breed up to the mark ; but if there should be anything to
correct, another judicious cross (not necessarily Newfoundland) will without
fail give you an A 1 retriever. Orede eooperto. But you must give up all the
nonsense about black dogs without a white hair, and, I may add, the ambition
of being " a successful exhibitor.^' W. C.
Dumbartonshire, Jan. 29, 1872.
Sir, — ^W. C, in his letter of advice on the breeding of retrievers, hits, as
his wont is, our show pets very hard. I know the magnitude of my adversary,
but still wish to take the slightest possible objection to his remarks, and to
give him the gentlest possible hint that his dictum must not be accepted
absolutely. A few facts will, I think, show him that there are some exceptions
to hifl rule. Mr. Hull's black wavy-coated bitch Old Bounce is now eleven
years old ; she has been shot over nine seasons ; she will trail a wounded hare
as well as any foxhound wiU a fox ; but, instead of eating her game when she
catches it, brings it tenderly back to h^r master. Amongst other prizes, she
won first Birmingham, 1869 ; first and cup at Crystal Palace, 1870.
Her daughter. Young Bounce, is by Mr. Chattock's Cato, A 1 in the field.
She has been shot to six seasons, and is good enough to find runners for
perhaps the best kennel of pointers in England. Her prizes include first
Birmingham, 1871 ; first and cup, Hanley ; second to her mother at Birming-
ham and Crystal Palace. Copson^ her son, was shot before he had time to
work much, bat not before he won six first prizes right off the reel. His
father, Mr. Meyrick^s Wyndham, is worked regularly, and has thrice been a
winner at Birmingham. A later litter by Wyndham included Monarch, Mid-
night, and Mr. Armstrong's Belle ; Midnight won twice at Birmingham, and is
quite as good in the field as a bitch of her age can be expected to be. Monarch,
broken by Bishop, won second prize at Vaynol in the field when only eighteen
months old.
Mr. T. Smith's Jet has been shown three times, winning on each occasion.
She is by Copson, and belongs to a gentleman who would not keep a bad
worker in his kennels. At Birmingham last year all the wavy bitches, prize
winners, were Hull's breed — mother, daughter, granddaughter, niece, all good
workers, all show dogs. Mr. Shirley's Paris, shown three times, twice first, is
an excellent worker. The first prize wavy dog at Birmingham last year,
claimed for his looks at 502., is a grand field dog, as are all Mr. Curry's strain.
Well, I could go on ad infinitum ; but enough has been said, I think, to prove
to W. C. that all show retrievers are not as useless as he would make out.
The foxhound cross may be good — ^it certainly gives a disposition to hunt ;
but is that what we require ? Why should we run the risk of suddenly losing
our foxhound retrieved for the day when, by following the instinct he has
inherited from his parent, he takes up the trail of a fox ? I admit he will ^* go
a great pace in his quest," and quest too with a vengeance ; he may " road "
his game, but will he retrieve it ? May I give W. C. the gentlest possible hint,
that he will only retrieve such portion of it as he can comfortably digest ? He
may lie by it all night.
Why should we commence to breed a tender-mouthed race of dogs from
one for generations accustomed to kill their game, and^ as a reward for their
perseverance, allowed to eat it too ? If W. C. wants a really good retriever,
irrespective of looks, let him begin early with a smooth-coated coUey pup — we
cannot get them here ; there are plenty in his district — and let us Southerners
alone. If we prefer to shoot to good-looking dogs, it is our business ; if they
are good-looking enough to pay for their cake and milk out of season, that is
our business also. I cannot see why it should detract from their field value to
sit a few days now and then to be looked at. W. X.
96 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS.
DEEEHOUNDS.
Bed Deeb are shot in Scotland either by '^ driving '* them past the rifles in
ambush, or by "stalking^' them with one or a few companions. In both
cases, whether "stalking*^ or ''driving/' a dog (or a brace of dogs) is
required to pull down or to " bay '^ the wounded deer, which even when mor-
tally struck frequently struggles on for miles at a pace little inferior to the
hare, and would inevitably be lost but for the speed, courage, sagacity, and
strength of the deerhound.
The old celebrated Scottish deerhound, now probably extinct as a separate
species, claimed his descent from the most ancient race in Britain. The old
Irish wolf-dog was the contemporary, in the third century, of the English
mastiff, and both of these were exported from Ireland, and were used at Rome
for the sports of the arena.
The wolf-dog existed, and probably had not decreased much in size, when
Evelyn wrote his diary, and is called an "Irish wolf-dog,^' and is further
described by him as '' a tall greyhound/* We have meagre descriptions of
this original breed, though we have some intimations of his surpassing courage;
and Buffon states that he saw one sitting on its haunches, and was in that
posture five feet high. Certainly it was fleet, gigantic in stature, and sure of
scent : for, before the Norman conquest, all hunting was conducted on foot,
and the quarry was the bear or the wolf.
With the Anglo-Saxon the hawk and hound were emblems of nobility,
and the forest laws of the eleventh century prohibited any but gentlemen from
keeping them. When his dog was the warrant for his birth and consequence,
the owner was most careful to preserve him pure and of unblemished family :
and paying some of his fines to Boyalty with these animals, as he did, it was his
interest to exercise the greatest vigilance that there should be no cause for
quibble in the settlement, or that his dogs should not be returned.
We gather from '' Gesner's Quadrupeds '^ (a work published in the
sixteenth century), and from the rough picture it contains, some idea of the
Irish wolf-dog's form, and we iiifer, from the lack of information up to the time
of Bewick (excepting "Evelyn's Diary," 1670), that the race was lost in the
intermediate time ; that is, between Bewick and Evelyn. Bewick's portrait of
the Irish wolf-dog represents a large, uncouth, low-bred mastiff, which, but for
its size, would attract no attention in the streets of a country town ; probably
one of the large mongrels painted for Lord Altamount in 1790. Scrope, who
published his work on "Deer-stalking" in 1839, and who is quoted by the
best authors as a text-book, tells us not a vestige of this Irish wolf-dog race
exists in Ireland, though he believed — as we do not— that ""possibly one or
B. FIELD'S DEEKHOXJND "BBAK."
^
•■■s
I .'
DEERHOUNDS.
97
two might be found in Wales/' where, certainly, the old Talbot hound was
propagated last.
We have said we believe the old Scottish deerhound sprang jfrom this old
wolf-dog stock. But the dog, to be kept pure, must at certain seasons be
guarded with extreme vigilance ; and when this deerhound or wolf-hound was
no longer the warrant of his master's respectability, he fell oflF his own breeding
and purity. The destruction of wolves hastened his extinction ; for whilst it is
true that the great Dane is found in Norway, or the fleecy-coated wolf-dog in
the Hungarian steppes, it is just as certain where these ferocious brutes are not,
there is a proportionate want of large watch-dogs or hounds. The wolf-dog
rapidfy passed away when wolves became scarce, and when the rifle rendered
him less indispensable for the pursuit of the hart.
The nearest approach to the old stock is the refined, thorough-bred, game,
strong greyhound of the present day. This is the dog we must resort to as a
cross-breed if we are dissatisfied with the modem deerhound, or fail to find
descendants from Captain McNeill's Buskar, Bran, Runa, or Cavack, the most
celebrated deerhounds of the present century.
We require the speed of the greyhound, the nose of the bloodhound, the
sagacity of the retriever, the endurance of the foxhound, the courage of the
bulldog, the strength of the mastiff*, the docility of the spaniel, the perse-
verance of the pointer. He must not throw his tongue; he must not open
at sight of deer; and he must only fling his tongue when he brings the
stag to bay.
Few, if any, dogs will pull down a stag at bay ; and not very long ago, a
dog belonging to a well-known sportsman — a dog with a great reputation for
courage and tact — refused to go at a fallen deer at bay in the angle of a park-
fencing. But we doubt whether the old Scottish deerhound would have failed
to grip the throat of the largest hart in the forest of Glengarry.
Buskar, the property of Captain M*Neill, was, as Landseer represents him,
of the shape of the present greyhound ; wiry-coated, shaggy, with the charac-
teristic black ears, black eyes, and black nose; the head of the greyhound
type, but with apparently a larger diameter in front of the ears than we meet
with in the dog that hunts from sight ; the mouth level, but the nose pointed ;
the eye very full ; the neck long ; the back and loins immense ; the chest deep ;
the elbow well let down ; the fore-arm long, th'e shoulders long, and sloping
backward ; the loins arched, the quarters drooping ; the tail long, and set low ;
the ears are pricked forward, and there is a decided moustache on the lips. He
was generally of a yellowish grey colour, and of undaunted courage and
unrivalled speed. He diff'ers, it will be seen, very little from the largest grey-
hounds of the present day, and he measures about the same.
Colonel Inges and Lord Stamford have exhibited the best specimens of
modem times. They were rather small for their business, but correct in their
98
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
make^ 6tod symmetricail. Blue grizzied fawa^ with blade ears>, 'eyes, and noBe^
they probably were descended from the Colonsay kennel, and qtiartered the
arms of Buskar or Bran.
The deerhoand should be at least twenty-eight inches in height. He
should girth about thirty -two inches. He should be yellow, or fawn, or grey,
OT brindled. If rough, his coat should be harsh ; but an eminent authority has
told us, " Smooth dogs are always bolder than broken-haired ones,'*
Failing to obtain the genuine deerhound, the deer-stalker cannot do better
than cross the greyhound bitch with the foxhound. Mr. Scrope maintains that
this cross succeeds; and the eminent authority quoted above recommended
precisely the same animal, and himself possessed a yellow ooUey remarkably
useful for tracking or pursuing deer.
We believe that the Birmingham committee would be doing well^ and
deserve the thanks of all Owners of forests, if they gave a prize for the best
specimen of this cross, and we oflFer them this subject for consideration.
We should give as the points of the deerhound as follows :
Value of Points in the Deerhound.
Head
Neck
25
10
35
Shoulders ... 15
Stifles 5
20
Legs
Feet
15 I Back ribs... 5
10 Loin 10
25
15
Coat
Grand Total, 100.
The sire of Bran, whose portrait is here given, was Mr. Stewart Hodgson's
Oscar, son of a dog belonging to Colonel Lennard, of Wickham-cross, and of
the breed of Mr. M'Kenzie, of Applecross, Ross-shire. His dam was Mr. Cole's
Hylda, by his Old Kieldar out of Tank; Old Kieldar by Hector, a dog presented
to Her Majesty by Mr. Campbell, of Monzies.
The measurement of Bran is as follows : From nose to setting on of tail,
47 inches; tail, 22 inches; height, 32 inches; length of head, 12 inches; circum-
ference of head, 17^ inches; round arm at elbow, 9^ inches; girth at chest, 33 J
inches; girth at loin, 24 inches; round thigh, 17^ inches; roand lower thigh
hock, 7 inches; knee, 7 inches.
THE GAMEKEEPERS rf NIGH'? DOG. 9^
THE GAMBKEBPER^S NIGHT DOG.
By '^Idstonb/'
. When game is preserved in the ueigtbourhood of coal mines, oir in manufao-
turing districts, the keeper has diflBculties to contend with which are not known
in the agricultural counties. The miner and the skilled artisan, both of them^
are able to go to a greater expense than the ploughman if they set their minds
upon poaching. The rustic labourer may be ^ble to collect a few yabbit trapis
or a coil of brass wire, and he possibly is an adept with these appUanoes; or h^
may have surreptitiously crossed his shepherd dog with a greyhound, and mad^
the dog as clever as any Norfolk lurcher by compaiuonship and ^ little furtive
training. He may perhaps have joined with a '' gang,'^ and purchased 9, few
gate nets or even a long net, or have made them in his winter's eve^ings; or he
may occasionally get a shot at a pheasant, having patched the bird go up tp
roost ; or he may be up in the morning early to try an earth or (wo in th^
squire^s warren the day the battue takes place at some distant covert. Qe has
but one other means of destroying game, and that is by tracking in the snow ;
but the days in the year when he can do this are few ^nd far between, and •
unluckily for him he leaves his own tracks behind him, and is doubly yiaible as
he pursues this system of poaching.
On the other hand, the miner or the skilled artisan (especially in Sto^fford-
shire or some parts of Yorkshire) goes into the poaching business with &r
greater care and at a large outlay. Frequently his long nets are Qiade of the
best silk twist, which not only holds the game far more tenaciously than twine,
but has the recommendation of being exceedingly portable, and easily concealed.
He carefully selects a colour as invisible as possible by night, ^nd the tint is so
scientifically chosen that a keen-eyed keeper might pass a net laid re^dy for
the stakes, without imagining so destructive an engine was close tp his hob-
nailed boots.
A very clever keeper — what one might call a converted poacher — in bis
unconverted days the terror of the Cheshire manors, has often amused me with
the tricks and manoeuvres of his old lawless companions — ^for thp most part
third-rate prize-fighters or professional pedestrians hardly good enough to
obtain a living by their exploits, and birdfanciers or ratcatchers plying their
vocations in the neighbouring towns. I remember his telling me that on one
occasion they tried various experiments^ in their rough way, to ascertain the
colour seen with most difficulty at night, and that pne of their fraternity (a
dyer^s journeyman) brought several pieces of calico of different tints, to ascertain
what colour the new white silk net had best be stained, and that the committee
of scoundrels subsequently pitched upon a sort of granite-red, nearly th^ colour
100 THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
of a rabbit ; and, observed my informant, five years after, " when I went to the
Black Mount with my master to look after the rifles, I bought an old tweed
coat of the second keeper that Lord Breadalbane ^ give ' him, just that colour,
and I was told that Lord Breadalbane and a lot of ' doctors ^ had pitched on
that as most difficult to see day or night among the boulders in the deer forest,
and they called it ' Black Mount homespun,' but ' the swells ' called it ' Lord .
Breadalbane's mixture/ " Well, preserving game among such scientific rogues
is not a very easy thing, for, my friend said, after they found the net succeed
so well, they bred dogs as much that colour as they could ; and if they had a
white one that drove a net well, they stained him to match it as well as they
knew howj and (to use his own words), " till we was caught at last, capital sport
it was ; more fun than the real thing/'
As the men go out on their poaching expeditions in large gangs, they
manage to divide their party, and divert the attention of the keeper and his
watchers in case of a surprise. This part of the business falls to the share of
the pugilistic department, whilst the cleverest run up the net, and the best
runners make off with it to some place previously agreed upon.
Now the habits of the poacher's dog are so quiet, and he works so
stealthily, that a keeper or a lot of watchers may be lying out on a dark windy
night and be perfectly innocent of the fact that two or three hundred yards of
net, and two or three dogs, as clever as any Christians, are destroying aU the
hares and rabbits which are devoted to the forthcoming battue. For the best
poaching dogs do not drive up hard — with an invisible net hard driving is not
required ; and, unless a hare goes fast, and the dog is pushing him, it is no easy
thing to hear the pursuer and pursued, even when there is frost upon the
ground and the wind is only moderate.
A good " night dog " is on these occasions an excellent companion. A
good large, well-coated dog is not a bad thing to lie close to, or partly on the
top of, in a dry ditch on a cold night ; and the keeper, With the chain round his
wrist, may even indulge in forty winks with security, for the dog's ears are
sharper a good deal than his, and it is the dog's nature to watch at night. If
anything stirs, the dog will lead him right up to it with all his hackles up, but
walking as stealthily as a cat ; and if it is merely a fox that disturbs the wood-
pigeon, and sends him crashing through the tree tops, a well -broken night dog
will know the cause, and give no sign at all. Indeed this mute companion of
the keeper's inspires the poacher with terror. He is an awkward animal at
close quarters, and the knees of the best runner shake a little as he hears the
dog behind him. True enough, the head keeper, whose waistcoat most likely
is rather more voluminous than the '^ peds," would have no chance in following
these professional "highlows" alone; but, holding on to the leash of his night
dog, he can overtake the fastest runner in the Potteries.
The mastiff, or a mastiff crossed with the bloodhound, is the dog a keeper
THE GAMEKEBPER^S NIGHT DOG.
101
generally prefers; but the men have their own ideas on the subject, and
generally know pretty well where to obtain a promising young dog from each
other for a little money. As there is not much demand for them, those keepers
who breed them seldom save more than a couple in a litter, and consequently
they, are for the most part vigorous examples, and large ; indeed, power and a
certain happy combination of ferocity and intelligence are the chief requisites
in a night dog. Failing such a combination, this keeper^s companion is
occasionally apt, in a night encounter, to confuse friends and foes, and now and
then to pull down the man who has fed him, and constantly led him out from
puppy hood ; indeed, I have heard many intelligent keepers assert that the main
diflBculty is to combine courage with regard for the master and intelligence in
due proportions, and that they have had to part with many a good dog because
he was dangerous to his employer.
I recollect once being particularly struck with the appearance of a night
dog when shooting in Cheshire. He' was a fallow brindle, with a white collar,
and there was the cut of a light mastiff about him. The keeper told us that no
man would be safe with him unmuzzled ; that he could kill a cat with his
muzzle on ; and he would give him to anyone who could drive him into his
kennel with a stick — "tor/' said the man (and I have found it invariably
true), " if a dog won^t fight at his kennel, where will he fight ? '' Until he was
eighteen months old he was a first-rate night dog ; but, after an affray, in
which he got a good deal excited, his ferocity overpowered his reason, and he
would go at a man, woman, or even child. Three or four months after I saw his
kennel empty, and inquired for him. '^Well,^^ said my friend the keeper,
" my little boy, as was bred up with him, got into his kennel, and the dog
wouldn't let the child out, nor let us fetch him out, and my missus was having
fits on and off till I came home ; and so, as I could do nothing with the dog,
and was afraid about the child, I shot the dog ; though I believe it was love
for the child, only he had such a stupid way of showing it."
Perhaps the mastiff is as good a dog as any for the keeper's purpose, and
it would be hard to find any dog quite so well adapted for the work. In this
case the men prefer some white about them, as they can not only see them
moderately well themselves, but their watchers and under-keepers can observe
their movements. Sometimes that invaluable dog, the Newfoundland, the
keeper's retriever, combines the instinct of the night dog with his powers of
finding game. We have a few instances of this kind ; and, about a couple of
months ago, our attention was called, by a friend with whom we were shooting,
to a large black shaggy retriever, (which kept his head close to the keeper's
thigh, although hares and rabbits were running almost between his legs, and his
master was loading the second breech-loader) ; and we were assured that he was
as good and sensible a night dog as any keeper could possess. The Newfound-
land, generally, is too amiable for this night watching ; but when he really will
102
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
watch at night and attack a man if set on^ he is sure to be the most intelligent
of retrievers^ for constant companionship acts upon him as it does upon the
sheep dog ; and he knows by a look what his employer requires, and only needs
a whisper or the flick of a finger to rouse his attention and call forth all his
energies night or day.
I may observe, before I close this chapter, that, with high training and
patience, a dog never requires to be spoken to at all. I once lived in StaflFord-
shire, at a place called Golden Hill, and I could see the colliers from my window
descend the coal shafts every morning. One of these men had a capital white
rough terrier, which he beckoned to jump into the " corf," by which they were
lowered some two hundred feet. I subsequently bought the dog, which was
bom deaf, and I never had a better. He was, of course, managed by signs
entirely, and I could do more with him with one finger than any dog whistle
ever effected in my experience. Just so a night dog should comprehend in the
dark the slightest touch ; and I remember one Norfolk keeper who used to send
his night dog round the oovert, and in case of need call him to his side imme-
diately, by imitating the hooting of an owl.
TERRIEES OF NO DEFINITE BREED.
103
PART II.
ooM:PA.isrioisrj^BLE Doas
CHAPTER V.-TERRIERS.
TERRIERS OP NO DEFINITE BREED.
)HE TERRIER FAMILY is a large one, amd each sort has some
merit of its own. Almost every country house possesses one or more
of this vermin-killing tribe — famoos either for beauty, or courage, or
some really good quality. Good dogs there are undoubtedly, both rough and
smooth. We have known breeds of both descriptions which could scarcely be
surpassed ; but our predilection is strongly in favour of the smooth dog. We,
therefore, place him first upon the list, and proceed to describe him according
to our experience.
It must be understood that we ignore in our present article anything
approaching the toy terrier — requiring clothing, cushions, or a glass case.
We are dealing with the vermin terrier, possessing courage, constitution or
stamina, and hardihood, but still the terrier, without a trace of the old bulldog
strain.
The best of all colours for a smooth terrier are white and black-and-tan.
Both colours are good, but on some accounts we prefer the white dog. Used
for ratting, ^j^e is most easily distinguished ; and he has the same advantage as
to colour when his services are required for rabbit-hunting. But for a town
we prefer the black-and-tan, provided that the tan cheeks, spots over the eyes,
throat, and legs are brilliant in colour, and th?it the black is raven-black. In
this case the dog should have no white about him — ^not even on his chest ;
and a white foot thoroughly destroys his value. Whether black-and-tan or
white, his coat should be smooth yet hard, and he should be perfectly free
from the very least roughness, or anything approaching coarseness of coat
about his muzzle, eyebrows, thighs, or any part of his profile.
A smooth-haired dog may weigh from 61b. to 101b., or even 201b.; but,
provided he is large enough for his calling, he cannot be too small. It is an
104
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
advantage to keep down the size of certain dogs as much as possible^ and to
consider that two small terriers will do more l^han double the work of one
large dog, whilst they consume no more.
The muzzle must be fine, tapering, sharp, and foxlike : but the jaw must
be muscular, the skull flat and narrow. The '' stop,'' or indent between the
eyes, must be evident and ''pronounced.'' The eye must be sparkling,
bright but not large. The ears should be round, flat to the head in repose,
but raised, although falling over, when the dog is roused. A tulip or prick
ear is a great deformity, and betokens mongrel family. It has been the
fashion to crop the ears of terriers for many years, and the eye has become so
accustomed to it that many good judges will scarcely look at a terrier unless
he has been scientifically cropped. In large towns it is not the fashion to
shorten the tail at all when the ears are cut, whilst country sportsmen leave
the ears but shorten the tail. We consider it the. best course to leave the
ears as Nature made them, and that a vermin-killer will be most serviceable
uncropped.
The neck should be long, tapering, and muscular, and clean where it
joins the lower jaw. The ribs must be round, the shoulders deep and well set
back, and as powerful as possible, enabling the dog to grapple with his foe or
to dig him oat. The loins must be strong and the back ribs deep. In the
conformation of his body he must be neither high nor wide, but well knit
together, mtiltum in parvo.
The fore legs should be straight as arrows ; the feet strong, the toes
moderately arched and well split, and the form of the foot round and foxlike.
The thighs should be large and muscular, the hocks in a straight line, and
the hind legs should be moderately straight also.
The tail must be very fine, with a low carriage, but not bare ; and when
the dog is excited it is carried gaily.
We may add that the mouth must never be underhung. It is better
that the upper jaw should be slightly in excess, if there is the least deviation
from a level mouth.
We remember some charming white terriers exhibited in ^865 by Mr.
White, of Clapham-common, but we think they were too delicate for everyday
work. Mr. Hinks, of Birmingham, has shown some capital specimens, full of
symmetry and life ; and we can. call to mind two first-prize dogs belonging to
Mr. Tapper, of Long-acre, which we considered dogs of excellent quality. One
of the very best specimens, however, which we have seen for many years, was
the property of Mr. St. John Coventry, of Knowle House, near Wimborne,
and was purchased of Bill George, of Kensal New Town. The dog was never
exhibited, but he was the model of a white terrier, and of first-rate temper
and courage.
Smooth terriers may be found of other colours — ^yellow, yellow-and- white.
TERRIERS OP NO DEFINITE BREED. 105
hound-pied, black or fawn. A beautiful blue or blue-fawn variety exists, but
we belive it is crossed with the Italian greyhound. Brindle colour is a sure
sign of bulldog crossing ; and we have never seen a pure terrier of that hue.
The rough terrier is in all probability derived from a cross with the Scotch
dog ; and he has been so carefully bred as to have become a distinct race. He
is a good hardy useful animal, and frequently he is very handsome. The old
white, crop-eared, long-backed, thick-set, intelligent rat dog, has been a great
favourite with our animal painters for many years, and he has been immor-
talised by the pencils of Landseer and Abraham Cooper.
From such ancestors we have derived our present stock of mustard-
coloured, fallow, fawn, and even black-tan vermin dogs — ^a hardy, resolute
race, enduring frost, snow, sleet, rain, and wind, with supreme indifference, and
capable of bearing immense and continued fatigue. As a class, they manifest
great intelligence, and display great affection for their owners, and, to quote
the words of an old rat-catcher, who kept five or six of them until his death,
when they fetched large prices, " not one of them ever dies in debt.''
We have seen some admirable specimens. We remember a white dog,
belonging to a sporting miller at Astley, near Worcester, which a rat could
scarcely escape in water, but never on land. This was one of the very best
terriers we ever saw. A badger grey dog, Venture, left by some young officers
when they got the route from Dorchester, and purchased by a butcher for a few
shillings, got at two freshly-caught badgers in a box, and killed them both.
This dog was one of the most sturdy and handsome dogs we ever remember to
have seen, and his pluck was indomitable. When courage, . strength, and
docility were required, he was always in requisition.
The breed consists of many varieties, and the shape of the dog is not so
elegant as that of his smooth congener. He has not so refined a head, nor so
sharp a muzzle ; he carries his tail higher ; he is not of so brisk and lively a
disposition; he appears to '' have something on his mind ".even in his lightest
moods.
For a good old-fashioned, rough-and-ready dog, we must go to Mr.
Radclyffe, of Honnington Grange, Newport. We have selected one of his
celebrated terriers to illustrate this division (see frontispiece). They are
rough-headed and lion-hearted. They require no pampering, and can shift for
themselves. At the same time they are gentlemen to look at, and, like the old
rat-catcher's helpmates already referred to, they never die in debt. Perhaps
these are as good dogs as any for the country gentleman^s house ; and one of
them would be equivalent to about two dozen rat-traps.
The broken-haired terrier has a rough profile^ but it is not a rough-coated
dog, the muzzle and eyebrows generally showing most fringe. The texture of
the whole body is hairy and hard, and we have scarcely ever seen a bad vermin
dog with a coat of this quality.
106
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
We have selected as our illustration of the old-fashioned rough English
variety a white bitch, ^^ Venture/' the property of Mr. Pearce. Venture is
about lOlb. weight, .and is very truly made. Her coat is just enough broken to
make her a broken-haired terrier ; but she is by no means rough. She had
a few blue or ash-coloured spots on her ears, and blue blotches on her
skin, which do not aflTect the colour of the hair. She possesses what every
white dog should possess, a good black nose and black eyes, and she has all
the form of a first-rate bred one. She is by Mr. Frederick Radclyflfe's Tip,
out of a beautiful bitch named Wasp, belonging to George Kennett (Mr.
Eadclyffe's huntsman) . Wasp is by Bob, out of Mr. Miller's Vic, a bitch from
the late Mr. Assheton Smith's kennels, and she was bred by old Carter, the
huntsman. Tip was bred by the Rev. J. Russell, who never bred a bad one.
We have never seen any other of Mr. Russell's dogs with a rough muzzle,
except, if we remember rightly, a dog given by him to Evans, the huntsman to
Lord Poltim ore's hounds. Venture is therefore, to all intents and purposes, a
fox terrier, but her rough muzzle (as Mr. Wootton, and any judge of fox
terriers, would tell us) put her out of that class.
The points of a terrier are similar, whether he is rough or smooth.
Value of Points of the Terrier {pure and simple).
Head... 15
Neck ... 10
25
Shoulders 10
Chest 10
20
Legs ... 5
Feet ... 6
10
Loiiis... 15
15
Colour... 10
Tail 10
20
Symmetry 10
10
Orand total, 100.
THE BLACK-AND-TAN TERRIER.
The black-and-tan English terrier is a very elegant dog, approaching in his
symmetry to the greyhound. The muzzle is long and tapering, not under-hung
on any account. Skull flat and narrow; eye small and dark; nose black.
The ears, if cropped, should be erect, long, and tapering to a fine point; if
entire, they should be thin, small, falling like those of the fox terrier, and free
from tan outside.
The neck is long, tapering, yet muscular, free from throatiness, and in
fact the skin must be perfectly tight under the lower jaw, or " well cut."
The shoulders should be muscular and well set back ; the
Loins well developed, broad and deep ; the ribs round, deep before as well
as behind ; the
THE BLACK-AND-TAN TEERIBR.
107
Legs straight^ feet round and small^ but the toes should be well split up.
The tail must be fine towards the point, free from curl, and not curled
over the back.
In colour, the black should be of a deep jet ; and the tan mahogany red.
Each toe should be pencilled with black, and there should be a black thumb-
mark just above the foot in front of the leg. The tan should not run into the
black, and should be developed as follows : —
A rich clear spot over each eye, and one on each cheek, with the inside of
the ears tanned. A line along each jaw, running into the gullet, which has no
black, and a large spot on each side the breast bone, and inside of the fore and
hind legs. The vent has a small tan spot, and the under side of the tail should
be tanned.
The weight is from 71b to 251b, but the best size is about 101b. or 121b.
Value of Points of the BlacJe-tan Terrier.
Colour 16
Coat 5
Markings 20
Head
Eye..
Neck
25
5
6
35
Chest ......... 6
Shoulders ... 5
10
Feet
legs
and
Loins 5
Tail 5
10
Orand total, 100.
Our illustration (see frontispiece) represents a very well-known and
beautiful specimen of the black-and-tan breed, " Dandy,'' the property of Mr.
George Fitter, of 3, High Park-comer, Nechells, Birmingham. We are unable
to state how many first prizes this dog has taken, but we are prepared to say
that he richly deserved them all, and that he is one of the very best framed
dogs we have ever seen. We have frequently formed one of the throng grouped
round him at exhibitions, and we have always been ready to indorse the decision
of the judges. Mr. Henry Brown, of Gilling Lodge, Hampstead, has also
shown some capital specimens of the same colour, and he is an acknowledged
authority on many breeds.
Black-and-tan is perhaps the oldest smooth terrier colour, and we can
remember very choice specimens nearly forty years ago— one bitch, Gyp, a
very perfect one, was about that time the property of the Rev. Joseph Domford,
a Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford.
108 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
THE YORKSHIRE BLUE-TAN SILKY COATED TERRIER.
The last dog in the frontispiece is Mr. Spink's Bounce, a good specimen of the
modem silky-haired blue-tan terrier, but not quite coming up to some of those
which have been exhibited since 1865, whose coat is considerably longer, and,
if possible, more silky. Excepting in colour and coat, this dog resembles the
old English rough terrier, the shapes of body and head being exactly the
same.
The ears are generally cropped, but if entire should be fine, thin, and
moderately small. The coat should be long, very silky in texture, and com-
pletely parted down the back — ^the beard being often two or three inches in
length, and entirely of a golden tan colour. The colour must be entirely blue
on the back and down to the elbow and thigh, showing a rich lustre, and
without any admixture of tan. The legs and muzzle should be a rich golden
tan. Ears also tan, but darker in shade ; the colour on the top of the skull
becomes lighter, approaching to fawn, the two shades gradually merging into
each other. Weight, 101b. to 181b.
Value of Points of the Yorkshire Blue-tan,
Colour —
Good blue, without tan 25
Good tan 25
60
Coat —
Length ...... 15
Silkyneas ... 10
Ears 10
26
Ora/nd total, 100.
10
Symmetry —
Like that of
Scotch terrier 15
15
The silver-grey Yorkshire terrier is not a distinct breed, being merely a
paler variety of the blue-tan.
THE SKTB TERRIER, DROP AND PRICK-EARED.
There are, perhaps, few breeds of the dog upon which more diflference of
opinion exists than in the case of the two which we are now considering. The
admirers of the drop-e^-red variety utterly despise the prick-ear, and vice versa.
Independently of this very evident point, the two strains are also wide apart in
appearance^ as we shall presently see.
Commencing with the drop-eared variety, it may be stated that, with the
exception of the old English turnspit — ^a breed which we believe is now extinct
— there is no British dog so long in proportion to its height as this. From
HB. UINKS-S "DANDIE," AND MB. BU8SELL ^NQLAND'S "XADDIE."
THE SKYB, DROP, AJSTD PEICK-BAEBD TERRIERS. 109
the nose to the tip of his tail^ when extended^ this dog should measure at
least three times its height^ and sometimes is met with three and a half times
as long. At the same time its coat is so developed^ that its dhape is really
very like the door-mat to which it is so often compared — ears, legs, and tail all
merging in one mass, with the exception of the tip of the latter, and of the
feet. In a well-coated specimen the eyes are only to be guessed at, and even
the nose is often obscured ; but generally they are each more or less visible on
a close inspection.
The nose, when seen, is found to be pointed, as in most of tMe terriers ;
and the eyes are keen, expressive, small, and generally of a dark colour, either
black or brown, as are the nose and palate. The ears are of good size (that is
about three inches long), clothed thickly with hair (which should mingle with
that of the face and neck), and decidedly falling, but not quite close to the
cheek, owing to the quantity of hair by which they are surrounded. The shape
of the head is not easily got at, but it is somewhat wide, while the neck is
unusually long. The body also is too much coated to show its shape, and the
form of the shoulders and back ribs can only be ascertained by handling or
immersing the animal in water, after coming out of which the coat adheres
closely to the body. The fore legs are generally more or less bandy — ^the less
the better ; there are no dew claws ; and the feet are not very strong, having
a tendency. to flatness, and thinness of the soles. The tail is long, and carried
horizsontally, but with a sweep, so that the tip is a little below the level of the
back. Weight from 101b. to 181b., the bitches being nearly as heavy as the
dogs — ^perhaps about 21b. less.
The colours most fancied are steel grey, with black tips to the ears and
tail, fawn with dark brown tips, dark slaty-blue (slightly grizzled, but without
any absolute admixture of white), black, and pure fawn — the order we have
named being in accordance with the value of each. The hair should be long,
straight, and shining like that of the tail of the horse, any appearance of
silkiness, woolliness, or curl being to be avoided, excepting on the top of the
head, where' it may have a slight tendency to the first-named condition.
We have given this description of the breed as that of the type to which
all ought to be compared, but it is not often that we have seen a specimen
fully coming up to it. At the Birmingham show of 1865, however, the prize
winner Laddie, whose portrait we now present to our readers, fully realised
our ideas of the points of the Skye ; and as our artist has represented him
very accurately, it will be seen that we have not exaggerated. He was
exhibited by Mr. Russell England, Junior United Service Club, London^ and
is by a dog belonging to Mr. Daniel Cameron, of Lochiel, out of Mr. Jameses
Lassie, granddam belonging to his present owner. He is a silver grey, with
black tips to his ears and tail, and we were somewhat surprised that he was
not claimed at the price put upon him (£25).
110
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
This breed is moderately good at vermin, but not, as far as we can
jadg^ equal to the Dandie or the ordinary Scotch or English terrier.
The Prick-baekd Dog is not quite so long in body as the drop-eared,
and proportionaUy stouter, with a larger head, which is generally more square
in the muzzle and a tail carried slightly higher. With the exception of these
venations, and of the ears (which are short but quite erect, and should be
set^ close together), the two dogs are identical in aU respects j weight, 101b.
Value of Points of the Skye Terrier. .
Coat —
Length 15
Texture 10
~25
Colour 20
20
Head... 10
Ears ... 10
20
Length
of body 10
To
Grand total, 100.
Carriage
of tail ..
10
10
Symmetry 15
15
The following letter appeared in The Fibld.
Sib,— The article about Skye terriers in The Field of Feb. 10, 1866
has induced me to make a few remarks about that class of dog. In Scotland
wHri e tL^ ;?' r^v "'^ *^' ^rop-eared. The former is the breed
to s!w^. .T "'' ^'^'""^ ^'"^^' ««°«^*^ «h"P°«««> &oO, yet, strange
^e Z no^ T^ '^"",' " *'^ ''^''''- ^^^ ^'^ Prick-^ared 'is' s Idom I
in fverv^i. ? ^^""^ "^P""^'''^ '"^ '^''' '^ °f ^^g, I find they are
ZZZri ^".7«"«^ ,*« '^^ drop-eared, the latter beinl as a rule much
w^t ;2 '^''"''^'^^^ ^ -^ indirect way with other breeds, to secure
what now seems to be the chief qualifications of a Skye-a long coat.
eli^hdv\^.n?""''S ^^^." ^ '^ ^^"^^ ^°^y' ««* «° «^°^* l«g«' '^^ fore legs
ufer^tintl';- T^°" '•^""'^ ^« '^^•^^^ ^'^' ^'^' »^^ %« only,^
sUvery-tmged fawn, and well feathered. The hair on the body, ^ you sly
bWk tndC ""■' T'''^"'^''' ^"-^^ ^«^' ^^^S' black nose, eyes smaU,
wSi ! ff*'!f'' ^''"^ ""'' '^^^' •'"'J ^"^ ide«« of a Skye terrier,
wh^h d^er matemlly from those on the other side of the Border. The drop-
^TfonrJhT f "T\°^ ^°" P^"^*^) ^'^ '^« S°*- 1'^™ plentifully for about
one-fourth the value of the prick-eared. ° f J
To make my explanation more explicit, I inclose a photogreph, token
PRICK-EARED SKYE TBBBIEB.
THE DANDIB DINMONT TBERIEE.
Ill
under very unfavourable circumstances, of my idea of a true Skye. Should
you insert this, and give me your opinion of my idea of a Skye, you will
oblige us all in the " land o' cakes/^ Henry Martin.
24i, Buchanan-street, Glasgow, Feb. 14, 1866.
[Our description of the Skye is founded upon the opinions of Scottish
men of great experience, obtained from time to time, and not from this side
the Border at all. The prick-eared dogs are as common as gooseberries in
England ; and if we were inclined to speculate, we should be prepared to offer
any number in exchange for such as the dog Laddie (represented in the
engraving), with some pounds to boot. — Ed.]
THE DANDIB DINMONT TERRIER.
Sir Walter Scott was, we believe, the first to draw attention to this breed
in the second of the Waverley series of novels, in which Dandie Dinmont of
Charlieshope is introduced as the owner of " Auld Pepper and Auld Mustard,
and Young Pepper and Young Mustard, and Little Pepper and Little
Mustard,'^ which he had ^' a' regularly entered, first wi^ rottens, then wi' stots
or weasels, and then wi' the tods and brocks, and now,'^ as he said^ " they fear
naething that ever cam' wi' a hairy skin on't." According to this high
authority in matters canine, therefore, the dog of his day was a good vermin-
killer, and so he remains to this time. The original of this strongly-marked
character was a Mr. James Davidson, of Hindlee, holding from Lord Douglas
a wild farm on the edge of the Teviotdale mountains, bordering closely on
Liddesdale. He was an ardent foxhunter^ according to the fashion of the
district, which is detailed at length in the twenty-fifth chapter of " Guy
Mannering," and which, as Sir Walter remarks, was conducted in a manner
to " shock a member of the Pytchley Hunt ^' — the fox being coursed by an
indefinite number of " large and fierce greyhounds,*' when driven from his
earth by the '' terriers, including the whole generation of Pepper and Mus-
tard,'' together with ^^ mongrel, whelp, and cur of low degree." Excepting,
therefore, by tradition, the Dandie Dinmont terrier can only be traced back
about half a century, or perhaps ten or twenty years more. The most
celebrated strains are those of the Duke of Buccleuch, obtained direct from
James Davidson ; Sir G. Douglas, of Springwood Park ; Mr. Stoddart, of
Selkirk ; Mr. Frain, of The Trews ; Mr. M'Dougall, of Cessford ; Mr. Somner,
of Kelso; Dr. Brown, of Melrose; Mr. Aitken, of Edinburgh; Mr. Hugh
Purvis, of Leaderfoot ; Mr. N. Milne, of Faldonside, Roxburghshire ; and Mr.
Bradshaw Smith, of Dumfriesshire.
112
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
The points of the Dandie are as follows : Body long, but not so long as
that of the Skye^ the length being less than three times that of the height ;
shoulders low, with a tendency to crouch, and the back slightly curved down
behind them, with a corresponding arch of the loin ; hecui proportionally larger
than that of the Skye, less tapering to the nose, which is cut off square like the
pointer^s, the teeth being quite level ; ears large, pointed, and hanging close to
the head, without much hair on them ; eyes full, bright, and intelligent, but not
BO large as in the spaniel ; neck well developed, but shorter than the Skye's ;
the tail, with no more hair on it than on the rest of the body, and curving
upwards, is, unlike the Skyers, carried over the back in a hound-like manner.
The legs are short and without any feather, and are more or less bandy, the less
the better. Weight, from 141b. to 241b., varying according to the strain, and
to the extent of 31b. or 41b. between the sexes. The coat is a mixture of
hardish and soft hair, not silky, but what is technically called " pily/' except
on the top of the head, where it is longer and more or less silky, but not curly;
it is nowhere of any great length. Colour, either '^ mustard '^ (reddish-brown),
or ^^ pepper ^' (bluigh-grey), or a combination of the two, in which case the
back is of the latter colour, while the legs, insides of the ears, bosom, and lower
side of the tail are " mustard " colour, more or less verging upon tan or fawn.
Such is the description of the best strains, including especially those of
Dr. Brown, Sir George Douglas, and Mr. Stoddart; but sometimes we see dogs,
whose pedigrees can be authenticated, possessing a tulip ear, but they never
ought to be positively pricked.
The original of our engraving is a very well-shaped dog, and comes up fully
to the standard, except in his coat, which is a trifle too silky, indicating that he
has a cross of the modern Scotch terrier, now so fashionable in London and the
large English towns, such as Birmingham, where he hails from, having been
exhibited by Mr. Hinks, the celebrated breeder of bull-terriers. There was
not much competition in the class, but he richly deserved the prize, being much
above the average of the Dandies sent to our shows.
Value of Points of the Dandie Dhmiont.
Head... 15
Ears ... 10
Eyes ... 5
30
Colour 20 , Coat ... 15
Topknot 5
20
20
Symmetry 10
10
Feet and
legs ... 10
10
Carriage of
tail 10
10
Grand Total, 100.
THE DANDIB DINMONT TERRIER.
113
The following letters have appeared at various times in The Field.
Sir, — Having bred Dandie Dinmonts for upwards of twenty years, and
during that period having obtained possession of five of the strains quoted in
the article in The Field, I may be supposed to have some knowledge of the
breed. Besides these strains, I have procured dogs from almost all the other
parties mentioned, so that, in fact, as " Stonehenge " himself states, ^^ Mr. B. S.
bought up every good dog he could lay his hands on.''
I disagree entirely with the assertion that the ooat of the Dandie should be
" hard and wiry.'' On the contrary, it should be rather soft, although certainly
not silky, or at mdst a mixture of hardish and soft hair, what old John Stoddart
used to term a ^'pily coat."
As to the head, it ought to be more or less covered with silky hair, and not
confined to a mere ^* knot," as erroneously stated ; nor can I admit the strong
resemblance between the Dandie and the Skye. The distinction is most
palpable to the eye of a fancier, and to me is as clearly defined as the difference
between a pointer and a setter.
I, however, most cordially agree with the writer's opinion, that ''many
half-breds show as much of one strain as of the other;" and I can well believe
that the cross which he mentions having seen, between the pure Skye and the
pure English terrier, " showed more of the Dandie than nine-tenths of the dogs
lately exhibited as such 1" I can add my testimony in support of his, for at the
only dog-show I have had an opportunity of attending, the first and second
prizes were awarded to animals of which an old friend and fancier would truly
hUve said, "Deil a drap o' Dandie bluid was in their hale composition;" and the
reports of several friends who frequent many of the shows are not a whit more
complimentary.
The pure breed was at' all times scarce, even in Roxburghshire and the
adjoining county of Selkirk ; and now, I believe, a pure " Dandie " is there a
vara avis.
The list of strains given in The Field is copied, I presume, from the first
edition of '^ Stonehenge on the Dog." They are not, however, in reality, as
numerous as he states them to be. Mr. Hugh Purvis's dogs, for instance, were
actually Mr. Somner's breed, he having obtained them from that- gentleman ;
and I know of similar instances. N. Milne, Esq., of Faldonside, Roxburgh-
shire, though not included in " Stonehenge's " list, was also a breeder, and I
believe he has still some specimens.
The strains which I purchased were those of Mr. M'Dougall, formerly of
Cessford ; of Mr. Hugh Purvis, of Leaderfoot ; of Mr. Frain, of Trews ; of Mr.
Somner (formerly of West Morriston), now residing in Kelso, including his
famous dog Shem, who lived to be seventeen or eighteen years of age, and
Q
Kes buried near Geneva ; and finally, of Mr. John Stoddart, of Selkirk, whose
grand old dog, Dandie, became mine some time before his death. John and
his dogs seated together, as I have often seen them, would have made a study
worthy of the pencil of Landseer ; but both the fine old man and the model dog
have long since passed away.
All the strains were obtained by me before 1852, and, therefore, the list
contained in the article I refer to cannot be considered as of recent date.
There still exist, I am happy to say, many worthy descendants of these fine
animals, in the possession of friends to whom I have given them, as well as in
my own kennels ; and, some years ago, I had the honour of adding to Her
Majesty's collection of fancy dogs a splendid light-grey specimen of the pure
Dandie Dinmont terrier. Of all terriers, the real Dandie Dinmont breed is the
gamestj and I have witnessed innumerable proofs of their indomitable courage
and perseverance. They are likewise more sagacious, companionable, and
attached. No terriers go so freely to earth ; and many of them take the water
gallantly. E. B. S.
[We are much indebted to our correspondent for his remarks on this
breed, of which he is now, perhaps, the highest authority in Great Britain,
As such, we are pleased to find that he differs so little from our description of
the points of his favourite dog, in each of which we are quite ready to defer to his
opinion ; and, in reprinting the article, we have modified it accordingly. — Ed.]
Sir, — If it were not that the opinions lately (Jan. 1869) expressed by
some of your correspondents on the subject of Dandie Dinmont terriers were
calculated, from the position of the writers, to injure the breed, they would be
no more than amusing to any man north of the Tweed who knows the dog at
all. The greater portion of the correspondence, indeed, seems to consist of
remarks of an entirely personal nature, such as never will assist in the slightest
degree in clearing the (in England) seemingly much vexed question of " What
are the points of a Dandie Dinmont terrier ?'' But some of the letters, at
least — ^viz., those of Mr. Charles Collins and Mr. Matthias Smith — are calculated
to do much harm to this excellent breed of terriers. I have myself possessed
Dandies for years, and I live in a district (Selkirkshire) where, although not so
common as* it once was, the Dandie is to be seen in its greatest perfection ; but
I never yet heard any difference of opinion among men in this part of the
country, in regard to what were the points of the true breed. I thought
moreover that, after the articles first published by you, and then in " Dogs of
the British Islands,'^ there could be no great difference of opinion on the
subject anywhere. These articles, taken together, coincide exactly with the
opinion of Border men on the points most to be desired in a Dandie ; and that
being the case, it is annoying to see a man in the position of a judge at the
THE DANDIB DINMONT TERRIEE.
115
Birmingham Dog Show^ Uke Mr. Collins, writing as he does on the subject. I
was aware^ from reading ^^ Stonehenge/' that an English Dandie is a small
prick-eared beast, but I never dreamt that such would ever be taken as the
model of the true breed. An old friend of mine (who, I may say, has bred as
many Dandies, and knows a good one as well, as perhaps any man bom), to
whom I read part of Mr. Collinses letter, was greatly pleased with the com-
mencement of his description of the dog, and could not understand why I had
been so disgusted with it ; but when I proceeded with the part beginning
'^ small pig-like eyes, ears small and erect,^' &c., his indignation was very great,
and he refused to listen to another word.
I write. Sir, to ask if you will not suggest any remedy for the present state
of opinion in reference to the points of this old and historical breed of dogs.
It is not the first time it has found a helping hand in you, and I — ^and I am
sure many others — would fain see you lend your aid in rescuing it from being
swamped by the opinion of men who may, and I dare say do, know the points
of a mastiflF, bulldog, or smooth terrier, &c., but who evidently are entirely out
of it as regSirds a Dandib Dinmont.
Sib, — ^My attention has been called to a paragraph in a long letter pub-
lished in The Field of Jan. 9, 1869, and signed " Charles Collins.''
Mr. Collins writes as follows : " The Dinmonts north of the Tweed that I
have admired for years are long-backed to strange deformity; legs shorter
than any other breed, not excepting the dachshund of Germany ; faces as long
as crocodiles, and jaws as strong; small pig-like eye; ears small and erect,
one may fall over at the tip ; coat not very long, but hard, and erect as bristles
from top to toe. This is a Dinmont.''
Mr. Collins knows evidently n<5thing of the subject on which he has been
pleased to write ; and his description of this beautiful animal is '^ enough to
mak auld Dandie Dinmont himsel' loup oot o' his grave," though he has been
" resting," as the Scotch poetically term it, for so many years.
Now, Sir, as I have possessed the pure Dandie Dinmont for fall twenty-
seven years, and have bred more extensively than any other fancier in Scotland,
I may be competent to give an opinion, though it be utterly at variance with
the law as expounded by Mr. Collins. " This is a Dinmont," sounds rather
startling, when connected with '' pig-like eyes, erect ears, and faces as long
as crocodiles ! " the fact being that the eye of this race is peculiarly beautiful,
large, round, full, and expressive, insomuch that it is constantly remarked and
admired by those who profess no knowledge of, or interest in, the breed.
Instead of the ears being small and erect, they are larger than those of
any other terrier, and hang close to the head.
The jaw is by no means remarkable for its length ; it bears no resemblance
116 THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
to that of a crocodile, and is in proportion to the size of the head, whicli is well
formed and handsome.
Mr. Collins is correct in stating that the body should be long and the legs
short ; but, as a rule, the legs are scarcely so short as those of a pure-bred
Skye, or as the dachshund of Germany ; they ought to be strong and as little
bandy as possible.
I hare already described the coat in a letter to The Field some time ago,
which letter has since been published in '^ The Dogs of the British Islands '^
(see p. •113). I need not, therefore, take up your valuable space by repetition.
The number which gives Mr. Collinses letter also contains one from Mr.
Matthias Smith, who shares with Mr. Collins the erroneous idea as to the ears
of the Dandie being erect. At the close of his letter, however, he acknowledges
(and I may add with great truth) " that very few people know anything about
them, as they are an exceedingly scarce breed of dogs." I can assure you, Mr.
Editor, a connoisseur might travel from one end of the Border to the other,
and not succeed for love or money in obtaining a brace of the pure breed,
those who do possess them being unwilling to part with them.
I have never exhibited my dogs ; and, among my many reasons for not
doing so, the ignorance of the judges regarding the breed is not the least.
E. B. S.
SiE, — A review of the correspondence published in The Field on this
vexed question, apart from the personalities and other irrelevant matter
imported into it, seems now desirable, and, I hope, will bring the question
to a practical issue. Without further preface^ I shall therefore come to
the point.
In your report (Dec. 5, 1868) of the show at Birmingham, we read,
^' Dandie Dinmonts, prizes withheld for want of merit." In the same paper
there was a condemnation of that decision by C. B., who observed it was the
second time the prizes were withheld, and asked the reasonable question,
" Will our enlightened judges inform us what a Dandie ought to be ?" And
you, Mr. Editor, strengthened his letter with the remark in a foot-note, " We
carefully looked at the dogs exhibited, and certainly we were of opinion that
the judges were not correct in their decision."
This was followed by a letter (Dec. 12) from "Vox," in which he said,
after some criticism on other dogs : " Dandie Dinmonts — a good lot dis-
qualified for want of merit. A little light may be thrown on this disqualifying.
One of the judges said, not long ago, that he had the only Dandie in England.
It is not wrong, therefore, to conclude that, had his Dandie been shown, the
prizes would have been awarded; and, labouring under the idea that he has
the only one, what could he do but disqualify those shown. It is, I think,
THE DANDIE DINMONT TERRIER. 117
incumbent on him to produce this Dandie, so that we may learn what they
should be like/^
In the next week (Dec. 19) there is a letter from J. L., who supports
generally the judges, but admits that " the treatment of the Dandie Dinmonts
caused general disapprobation/' and blames the referee for it. But you reply,
in a parenthesis, " The referee had no part in the disqualification of the
Dandie Dinmonts, as no official reference was made to him relative to that
class. Before Mr. Collins joined Mr. Smith, the latter gentleman informed
the referee that he intended again to withhold the prizes from the Dandies, to
whicb the referee replied, that he thought there were two or three good dogs
in the class, and recommended the judges to look at them together. After
this he heard no more of the matter until the awards were given in." There
is also a letter in the same number from Mr. Mathias Smith, who seems to
think it sufficient in reply to the foregoing letters to assume " that two or
more judges seldom agree," and still more improperly to suppose the letter of
'^ Vox," on the 12th, was written by a " clerical correspondent."
In the week after this (Dec. 26) we have another letter from " Vox," in
answer to Mr. M. Smith's false supposition and personalities, and also one
signed R. T. L., in which the writer reproaches Mr. Smith for not having
favoured us with a description of what he thinks the points of a Dandie, asks
how long the new style of Dandie has been invented, and notices the fact
^' that the Liverpool judges (and many others since) have reversed Messrs.
Smith's and CoUins's opinion."
The next letter on the subject is from myself (Jan. 2, 1869), in which I
refer to a correspondence I had with Mr. M. Smith, and mention that I went
to Leeds and saw his so-called Dandie — " a small, tiny animal, with very small
ears, which stood erect ; he was also without substance or strength to stand
any hard work." I further said, " As I could not expect my opinion to cany-
weight against such an accepted judge, I wrote to two of the best known
breeders in Scotland — namely, Mr. Somner, of Kelso (who bred the famons
dog Shem), and Mr. Milne, of Faldonside," and quoted their answers thus :
Mr. Somner says, " The ears of a pure Dandie Dinmont terrier ought to
be rather long, hang pendular, and quite close to the cheek or jaw of the dog,
and not rounded like a foxhound or beagle."
Mr. Milne says, "I had my first terriers from a bitch left by the late James
Davidson (Dandie Dinmont) at his death, many years ago, and have all along
paid the greatest attention to the breed of what you justly term ' much valued.'
From my experience and observation, there can be no doubt that the ears should
drop, not stand erect, as the latter indicates a Skye cross."
After this I wrote to Mr. M. Smith, and told him the ears erect were fatal
to the claim of his dog to be called a Dandie. There is also a letter in the
same paper from the Rev. W. J. Mellor, in which he reproves Mr. Smith for
118 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS.
assaming that he was '^ your clerical correspondent/^ and for his remarks upon
and disqualification of his dog Bandy : " Mr. Smith (as Mr. Mellor says) being
the only judge who has passed him over — ^and why ? Simply because Mr. M.
Smith prefers his own private opinion to that of eminent and experienced
judges and breeders. He sets at naught the points and properties of a Dandie
Dinmont, as given by them and republished in ^The Dogs of the British
Islands/ and disqualifies every Dandie Dinmont that does not have the
misfortune to resemble the animal that was presented to him by a gentleman at
Perth.^'
. Messrs Collins and Smith at length felt it was necessary to say something
in support of their decision, and gave us their views on Jan. 9, which illustrate
the wisdom of the saying, " Oh, that my enemy would write a book V Mr.
Collins, aftec discharging some heavy shot on poor " Vox,^' comes to our point
and says : " Qucestio vexata, Dandie Dinmonts : There was no Dinmont proper
in the class. The one which approached nearest was the farthest removed from
that to which so much importance has been attached. I have not seen, nor do
I care to see, my friend Smithes dog; Mr. Mosse^s description is all I have
heard or seen. I have to learn that smallness of size is a disqualification in
these classes of non-sporting dogs. The Dinmonts north of the Tweed that I
have admired for years are long-backed to strange deformity ; legs shorter than
any other breed, not excepting the dachshund of Germany ; faces as long as
crocodiles, and jaws as strong ; small pig-like eye ; ears small and erect, one
may fall over at the tip; coat not very long, but hard, and erect as bristles from
top to toe. This is a Dinmont.^'
Mr. M. Smith follows and says : " After all that has been written by ^ Vox,'
&c., my opinion is still the same. Knowing full well that there would be a
great deal said about disquaUfying this particular class of animals, I offered to
the committee of the council at Birmingham to send for two Dandie Dinmonts
from Yorkshire if the executive committee would pay the expense of their
transit, and to be by them exhibited at their show as representatives of the true
type of what I considered Dandie Dinmont terriers. They did not feel disposed
to do so. I am quite willing to produce the said dogs at any convenient place,
provided those aggrieved will produce theirs, and that two judges from
Scotland shall be sent for (not dealers, but fanciers) — one to be nominated by
you, and the other by me, and on their verdict I shall be glad to abide, the
expenses of the judges to be equally paid by those who enter into the compe-
tition. I must now say a word relative to the Rev. Mr. Mosse's statement. I
allude more particularly to that which relates to the ears of a terrier, inasmuch
as Dandies, Scotch, or broken-haired terriers have not always drop ears. In
fact, all that the rev. gentleman has said amounts, in my opinion, to nothing."
It is obvious that the animals Mr. Collins admired, north or south of the
Tweed, could not add a feather's weight in solving the question, while the
THE DANDIB DINMONT TEERIEE. 119
description of the objects of his admiration — with small pig-like eyes, ears small
and erect, coat hard and erect as bristles from top to toe — proves conclusively
that he would not know a Dandie Dinmont when he saw one. To the same
effect Mr. M. Smith betrays his ignorance with his classifying of " Dandies,
Scotch, or broken-haired terriers ^^ in a batch, and saying they have not always
drop ears.
The Rev. Mr. Mellor and myself replied (Jan. 16), and protested against
the ideas of a Dandie held by Messrs. Collins and Smith, and pointed out the
absurdity of Mr. Smithes proposition to the Birmingham committee and his plan
of reference; and I suggested that ''Mr. Smith should name one, and the
exhibitors another, and you a third, or referee, in case they differed, and that all
three should be selected from well-known breeders (not being dealers) of Dandie
Dinmonts.^^ " Vox " also sharply returned Mr. Collinses fire — vox faudbus
hcesit — who sent him another missive (Jan. 23) ; but Mr. Collins throws no more
light on the question before us, nor has Mr* M, Smith accepted my amendment
to his impraticable proposal to refer the question to two judges, one of them to
be chosen by himself.
I come now with much pleasure to the letters of " A Border Sportsman "
and " Dandie Dinmont," in The Field of Jan. 30. The former gives us such
an interesting " historical account of the origin, &c., of the pepper-and-mustard
terrier," that I shall not attempt to curtail it, but recommend all admirers of
" the most game and determined dog in existence " to procure a copy.* The
latter, who lives in a district (Selkirkshire) '' where, although not so common
as it once was, the Dandie is to be seen in its greatest perfection," proceeds to
say, '' I never yet heard any difference of opinion, among men in this part of
the country, in regard to what were the points of the true breed. I thought,
moreover, that, after the articles first published by you, and then in ' Dogs of
the British Islands,^ there could be no great difference of opinion anywhere.
These articles, taken together, coincide exactly with the opinion of Border men
on the points most to be desired in a Dandie ; and, that being the case, it is
annoying to see a man in the position of a judge at a Birmingham Dog Show,
like Mr. Collins, writing as he does on the subject," &c. (see p. 114.)
So much for Messrs. Charles Collins and Mathias Smith, of whom I trust
we shall hear no more as judges of Dajidie Dinmonts.
I shall now conclude with a full description of a well-bred Dandie Dinmont,
compiled from the valuable papers published in the " Dogs of the British
Islands," and the more recent correspondence in The Field :
Head, — Large and long, with immensely strong jaws and teeth, which are
quite level, and the nose cut short like a pointer's. The head of the bitch is
generally much smaller than that of the dog, so that they may be distinguished
by a glance.
* This is reprinted on the next page.
120 THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
Ea/rs. — Pendent, from lliree to four inches long, and hanging close to the
cheeks, as the hound^s or beagle^s, but not so broad or round at the point —
more in the shape of an almond or filbert.
Eyes, — Full, bright, and very intelligent.
Neck, — Well developed, and rather short.
Body, — Long, but not quite so long as that of a good Skye, with low
shoulders, and the back slightly curved down behind them, with a correspond-
ing arch of the loin.
Legs, — Short, particularly in front, with extraordinary bone and muscle in
proportion to the size.
Tail, — Slightly curved, and carried over the back, in a hound-like manner,
with little or no feather on it.
Height, — Prom ten to twelve inches to top of shoulder ; it may be less, but
it should not be more.
Coat. — ^A mixture of hardish and soft (but not silky) short hair — what old
John Stoddart used to term a " pily coat *' — with the head more or less covered
with soft and silky hair (which is generally of a lighter colour than that On the
body) ; and the legs and feet partake to a slight extent of the same soft silky
hair.
OoZow?'.— ^Either ^' mustard '' (reddish brown) or "pepper" (bluish-grey),
or a combination of both, in which case the back is of the latter colour, while
the legs, inside of ears, chest, and under side of tail are " mustard,'^ verging on
a pale tan or fawn colour.
Weight,— From 131b. to 181b.
Such is the real Dandie Dinmont originally bred in the south. The
Bedlington and other terriers have been much crossed with the Dandie, and
hence numerous larger and Dandie-like dogs from 201b. to 301b.
I now leave it to you and others to promote an exhibition of the best Dandie
Dinmonts to be found, and to assure the exhibitors that competent judges shall
be obtained to decide upon the merits of the specimens exhibited.
S. Tekison Mosse.
Historical Account op the Origin, Progress, and Decline of the
Pepper-and-Mustard Terrier.
At the end of the last century the farms of Arks and Wooplaw, on
the north side of the Redswire, were occupied by a Mr. Davidson. It was
his son James who figures in " Guy Mannering '^ as Dandie Dinmont. He
appears to have been born at Wooplaw, but the date of his birth is uncer-
tain. At the period in question every farmer and shepherd was a keen and
ardent votary of the chase ; and in the locality of the above-mentioned farms
THE DANDIB DINMONT TEREIEE.
121
many of the farmers^ and even some of the shepherds^ had a couple of honnds
and a terrier or two. The quality of sport that these aflForded, and the whole
subject of the gatherings for the purpose of hunting and destroying foxes^
badgers, and otters, is most correctly depicted in " Guy Mannering /' but to
the " Waverley ^' account, in justice, I must add that neither Melton Mowbray
nor the Pytchley ever turned out truer or more ardent sportsmen than nearly
all those figures indistinctly seen through the thick morning mist, though truth
it be that nearly all are mounted on their own legs.
In the year 1800, Andrew Armstrong presented the young sportsman,
James Davidson, with a foxhound and a terrier named Tuggin ; and shortly
after he received from a Dr. Brown, Bonjedward, the famous bitch Tar (men-
tioned by Mr. John Brown in " Horae Subsecivae '^) and a dog named Pepper.
Tuggin was of the breed common in that wild country — a dog that conld make
his way anywhere ; a compact tallish terrier, red ochre in colour, with wiry
hair.
It is not, however, of him that I have to write, but of the other two
terriers, Tar and Pepper. These were both very small and very short in the
leg, with long bodies, large and long heads, ears large and pendent like a
hound^s or beagle's, but a little more pointed in the lower end. Tar was
reddish ochre in colour, with rough wiry hair ; Pepper was quite shaggy in coat,
and of a creamy ochre colour.
About this time young Mr. Davidson got the farm of Hindlee, on the
Rule Water, on the estate of Lord Douglas ; and soon after this a Mr. Steven-
son, the tenant in Plenderleigh, procured for him another of those small
terriers. It was no relation to those he already had, being from Rothbury, on
the Coquet Water, where that peculiar small breed was to be found in the
greatest perfection, and bred by the Allans, Andersons, and Anguses. This
Rothbury specimen was very dark in colour, and very rough in coat. The
descendants of these three form the first of the pepper-and-mustard or Dandie
Dinmont race of terriers.
The real pure original pepper-and-mustard race, as bred by young
Davidson, and as known by Sir Walter Scott — who has rendered it so famous
in history — was a very long-bodied animal, short in the leg (particularly so in
front), with long head, and immensely strong jaws and teeth compared with the
size of the creature ; it had pendent ears like the hound or beagle, but had
nothing of the hound or beagle in voice. In short, it was more a picturesque
than a strictly handsome animal.
The true breed was quickly spread among Mr. Davidson^s friends and
brother sportsmen, the Davidsons of Swinnie, the Telfers of Blinbum, Silicos
of Jedwater, Bells of Hundalee Mill, and Ned Dunn of Whitelea. But next to
Dandie Dinmont himself for keeping up and distributing the pure race at an
early period of its history were the Hon. G. N. Baillie, of Jerviswood and
B
122 THE DOaS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
Millerstain, and Mr. Home, or Hume, of Oarolside. It was, however, only the
little breed of Dandies that they cultivated — ^the descendants of Tar and the
first Pepper, then their oflfspring the Peppers and Mustards, with the Pepper
from Rothbury. These terriers were only ten to eleven inches high, and
weighed only about from thirteen to eighteen pounds ; their coat was rough on
the body, and hard and wiry, in what was called pencils ; on the head soft and
silky, and generally of a much lighter tint than that on the body ; the legs and
feet partook to a slight extent of the same soft silky hair as that on the head.
The pure breed was at one time in the possession of almost everyone who
could afford to keep a dog in the south of Scotland and north of England.
There was scarcely a nobleman, gentleman, clergyman, former, or school-
master in Northumberland, Cumberland, Berwick, Roxburgh, or Selkirk but
possessed a Dandie. The breed was certainly the most game and determined
dog in existence. As proof of this I may mention that I have frequently seen
one of these little creatures seize an otter while in the water, and go down with
and remain clinging to it for a length of time perfectly wonderful to witness.
In these times another terrier, analogous to the real pepper-and-mustard,
was common on the Border. It is not yet extinct. It was nearly like a
Dandie on long legs, but a shorter body, and in general a less head : it was
exactly of the same colour — coat, body, head, and legs being exactly the same
as in the real pepper-and-mustard. Alliances with these were not uncommon
even with Dandie Dinmont himself; and Tuggin or Tuggim (James David-
son's first terrier) was of this race.
Another race of terriers, in many points bearing a resemblance to the long-
legged Bedlington, were often crossed with the Dandie ; but even then any
real judge at once knew the one breed from the other. Some of the terriers
bred on Whitelea, Aiks, &c., had large long bodies, and would be twelve inches
or sometimes more in height, and would weigh from twenty pounds to thirty
pounds.
The illustrious author of "Waverley,'' I am quite sure, never intended to
make the pepper-and-mustard terrier a fancy article for the market ; but his
writings had that effect, and mark the result. Not all, but nearly all, the
breeders of that peculiar and particular race, like the Jew with his watches and
his razors, manufactured an article or toy for sale, and not for such as
A BoBnsB Sfoetsman.
THE BEDtmOTON
THE BEKLINGTON TBBBIER.
128
THE BEDLINGTON TERRIER.
This variety of the terrier has only lately attracted notice beyond the coal
districts of Northumberland, where the pitmen set a high value upon it. The
breed is said to be enduring, but it certainly has not that appearance, the pale
fawn colour and the liver having a soft look, especially with the cherry nose
which accompanies them. We can testify to the fighting propensity, as we
have rarely seen two dogs exhibited on the same bench without evidence of
a serious " turn up '' in the shape of torn ears and other severe bites. These
dogs are used in rabbit coursing, being very speedy and quick at their turns.
The following are their points :
Head moderately large, with fine muzzle, not by any means underhung.
Nose flesh-coloured, or, if the dog be fawn or Kver-coloured, the nose may be
black or blue. Ears filbert-shaped, and drooping close to the head. Eyes
set near together, hazel or reddish, and small.
Body well developed; chest round and deep, but not heavy in proportion
to the legs ; shoulder-blades free and well apart at the top. Legs long ; toes
straight, hare-like, and arched, but well split up.
Tail fine and pointed, 8 to 12 inches long, moderately clothed with hair,
but not feathered.
Coat like flax in texture ; hair often called " linty,'^ and moderately long.
Colour fawn (like that of dressed flax) and dark blue or liver.
We are not aware that the value of the points has been settled.
124
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
CHAPTER VL-THE BULL-TERRIER AND BULLDOG.
THE BULL-TERRIER.
country in the world can produce terriers, or vermin dogs, equal to
those of Great Britain. Many of these dogs are quick, hardy little
animals, with a natural propensity, not only to hunt above ground, but
to "go to ground^' after any animal which has sought security in its
''earth," or burrow. Our forefathers bred the terrier with great care, and
we frequently meet with the portraits of specimens which they possessed,
as graceful, and game, to all appearance, as the best animals of modern
times.
Tears ago, however, our old ancestors found out that a hardier, stronger,
more punishing dog than the true terrier was needed, to cope with the polecat,
the marten cat, or the badger ; for all these animckls were common enough
before draining, disforesting, and the inclosing of common land drove the
greater part of these shy yet savage creatures to the northern moors and deer
forests. The dog which they required they obtained by crossing the true
English terrier with the bulldog, and retaining those specimens most resembling
the terrier until they had a stock as symmetrical as the old terrier, but
stronger, stouter in constitution, and possessed of more courage than the
original pure breed.
The bull-terrier, to be generally useful, should be one-fourth bulldog. A
dog of this quality, provided he is of a lively temperament, can be trained to
do anything a dog ought to be required to do when possessed of his speed
and strength. His talents are so well known that he has been the pet of the
schoolboy, the undergraduate, or the " sub ^' for generations. A good game
terrier, with a splash of the bulldog, is an enchanting companion either for
town or country life, as the old sportsman well knows, and he generally
possesses one himself, or admits the excuse of his coachman or groom for the
presence of such an animal in the neighbourhood of his stables. The dog
accompanies the keeper on his rounds if he can get the opportunity ; he goes
out to exercise with the horses ; he will lie by the earth if rabbiting is going
on, and give his valuable opinion when the ferret has "laid Up;*' he is the
terror of rats, weasels, and poaching cats ; and now and then does good service
UB. HINES'S " UAPUANv"
THE BULL-TERRIER.
125
for the hunt if the fox goes to earth before the hounds, in his master's neigh-
bourhood. The variety of his accomplishments, his ^^ general utility," has
resulted in his being attached to nearly every establishnjent ; and there is
scarcely a market town which does not boast of some celebrated strain. He
will go to water like a Newfoundland, and fetch and carry almost as well ; and
unless he has too much bulldog blood in him, he will be docile, and easily kept
well in hand.
A bull-terrier, which is always quarrelling and anxious to fasten upon
every animal he sees, is a thoroughly useless brute ; and when he is too easily
roused, and cannot, from excitement, distinguish friend from foe, he is a most
dangerous companion, although frequently only masking his cowardice. A good
dog, while possessing great courage and endurance, and sustaining any amount
of punishment without whimpering, will be thoroughly good-tempered,
cheerful, and obedient : his • countenance and carriage should show these
properties. As we have said before, a morose bull-terrier is worthless, and
generally "soft.''
In weight he varies from 91b up to 351b, or more. In general appearance
he resembles the terrier, except that he is wider across his skull and possesses
more strength and stamina. His head should be long, the muzzle sharp, the
jaw level — ^not underhung, which is a disfigurement, and also prevents a dog
punishing his adversary ; and the under jaw should display great power. The
neck should be long, the chest wide, the shoulders sloping and powerful, the
loin and back strong, the hind quarters and thighs muscular. The tail
should be fine and sting-like, but not bare ; carried gaily, but not " hooped."
The coat throughout should be fine and short, and it should lie smoothly,
like a well-dressed race-horse. Pure white, with a black nose and eye, is the
most approved colour. Next in merit we should place white with coloured
ears, or a patch on the eye. We believe all the best judges entertain a strong
preference for the white dog ; but we think, supposing a dog were brought
before them of any other colour, they would be influenced to a certain extent
by the rules of the " Bulldog Club," supposing the coloured dog to be a very
striking and symmetrical example. These rules are as follows :
1 . Uniformity . — The colour should be " whole," that is, unmixed with white,
unless the dog be all white, which is, in that .case, considered a " whole " colour.
2. Tint, — This should be either red, red-smut (that is, red with black
muzzle), fawn or fawn-smut, fallow or fallow-smut, brindled, white, blue-fawn
(that is, fawn with blue muzzle), or pied with any of those colours.
We have seen a rare and excellent breed of white bull-terriers which have
a blue-mottle in their shins — a peculiarity which is not evident unless the dog
is wet, or very closely examined. The black-and-tanned " half-bred " dog is
not held in much estimation by connoisseurs, although black-and-tan is a good
old English terrier colour.
fmSSB
126
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
Mr. Hinks^ of Birmingliam^ the breeder of Puss^ Madman^ Tartar^ and
other celebrated bull-terriers, has shown white dogs equal to anything we have
ever seen, and, to our fancy. Madman is the best of them. Five-and-twenty
years ago the Freeborns of Oxford, and Luker the dealer, possessed an excel-
lent breed, though not so symmetrical as the Puss or Madman strain. Bull-
terriers are to be procured very perfect in every respect in the pottery districts,
especially in the neighbourhood of Burslem.
The Scotch or broken-haired terrier has been crossed with the bulldog
with good results ; but we have invariably found, where courage is required,
that the smooth dog will beat the rough one. On this account we have prin-
cipally confined our remarks to the smooth English bull-terrier.
Head 25
Neck 5
Ears 5
35
Chest 10
Shoulders... 10
Loins 10
Value of Points of the Bull-t&rrier.
Feet 6
Legs 6
30
Coat 6
Colour 6
10
Grand total, 100,
10
Symmetry.. 10
Tail 5
15
However it may be disguised, there is no disputing the fact that these
dogs have for a long time been bred for fighting purposes, and for them
alone. In support of this opinion we insert' at length the following article
from the Birmingham Daily Mail of Nov. 23, 1871 :
THE FIGHTING DOG.
By " The Odd Man Out."
We have a duty to perform. It shall be our pleasing mission to endeavour
to remove an odium now attaching to a faithful and much-maligned member of
the canine race. The British bulldog is not a fighting dog, and never was.
When described as such he is grossly insulted, and would have ample grounds
for an action for slander if justice had provided a tribunal for the reparation of
his wrongs. It is a common error with reporters (who never appear to know
anything about dogs) to talk, or rather write, of " fighting bulldogs,^' whereas
the fighting dog is as far removed from the bulldog as an Italian greyhound
from Master M'Gtath. At every dog show at Curzon Hall, when delicate
young ladies and benighted young gentlemen approach the row of ugly, pug-
nosed, big-headed, afiectionate, slobbering brutes at the end of the gallery, just
over the stage, we hear the cry, " Oh ! here are the fighting dogs,'' and
etiquette bids us suffer in silence. One of our most faithful and attached
friends was a bulldog — ^peace to thy maneSy dear Punch — a most amiable and
gentlemanly creature. He was too mild in disposition and fond of society to
be a '^ good watch,'' and wagged his tail at all comers ; he was also fond of the
THE BULL-TERRIER.
127
company of cats, and allowed our tabby to reside en permanence in his kennel.
He was insulted one day in print, the time-honoured, silly legend of " fighting
bulldogs '' turning up, and we rushed into print (being young then), and dis-
patched a letter containing much indignant protest, and many '^ Now sir's," to
the editor of the offensive paper. Our letter appeared, it is true, but, alas !
the sceptical editor inserted a paragraph, and hinted that we were as abandoned
as our dog. Aha ! Punch you may yet be avenged ; 3f. le Redadeur we may
meet ! Not that a bulldog will not fight (he will do battle usually until ho
dies) in his way, but his way is a very bad one, and a long-headed bull-terrier,
the only proper dog for the work, would soon make short work of him. The
mouth of the " bull '' is too short for biting purposes, and his jaws are ^'under-
shot,'' I.e., the lower one projects. The mouth of the fighting dog proper
must be perfectly level, and as long as possible. Again, a pure bulldog is
much too valuable an animal to be risked. We could buy fighting dogs by the
dozen any day in the Black Country for a couple of pounds a-piece, brutes that
would hang on to an elephant, or ourselves, if required ; but the '' bulls " are
worth ten, twenty, aye, fifty pounds, and may not be compassed by men of
slender purses. It is a heart-breaking " fancy/' so much is required of a good
bulldog. His lineage must be ancient and undoubted, his tail should have a
break in it, as though he had met with an accident in early life, and indifierent
surgical attendance afterwards ; his nose cannot be too short, or his head too
big. As a puppy he is most perverse and aggravating, a slight illness kills
him in no time, especially if ho happens to be the flower of the litter. After
he has been submitted to the critical inspection of connoisseurs, and duly pro-
nounced *' a good bodied 'un " and " very short in the face,^* his despairing
owner may observe, with profound disgust, that his nose is lengthening every
day, or that he is guilty of the enormity of cocking his ears up and growing an
unholy and what is figuratively termed a " telescopic '' tail. You may partially
remedy this by shaving the under side of the tail, and " dropping '^ the ears by
cutting a sinew and glueing them down ; but the practised eye can tell the
" faked '' ears of bulldogs and fox-terriers as easily as we can discover wigs
and such base artifices. Though perfectly useless as a fighting dog, the bull-
dog is invaluable; and should the pure breed ever become extinct, we may
expect to see the canine race decline woefully in pluck. He possesses probably
more true courage than any animal living ; and a slight admixture of bulldog
blood is highly necessary in many breeds. There was a great "Bulldog Club ''
formed in London once, with a noble viscount nt the head thereof; but the
viscount couldn't stand it, and soon left. We believe the society is defunct,
but the members certainly did good service to dog fanciers by looking up
animals of aristocratic descent, registering pedigrees, and so forth.
Well, the stem necessities of fate decreed that Punch and ourselves
must part, so we resigned him to other friendly hands, and when we took leave
128
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
of him he was lying on a warm drawing-room rug, before a blazing fire, one of
the most important and respected members of a snug family circle. Having
thus endeavoured to explain the great bulldog scandal, let us proceed to
treat of the fighting dog proper. We may premise that he is an exceedingly
vulgar beast, with very plebeian surroundings ; so, perhaps, dear Miss Prim
had better confine her attention to the Record this week.
As we have said, the fighting dog is a bull-terrier ; he may be a cross-bred
animal occasionally, but in any case he has a strong dash of " buU'^ in him — it is
essential. A cross between a foxhound and a ^' bull " produces good stock,
which, if crossed again with bull-terriers, make severe fighters — the hound
gives the mouth and strong rough coat, and the bulldog the requisite courage ;
but in all of these experiments, it takes a generation at least to get the right
article for the pit, and the buU-terrier is almost invariably used. Many are
the noted ^'strains" in favour with the fanciers of this district; there are
" Joeys,^^ the '^ milkman^s breed j^' ^' Homer's breed,'' descendants of the
renowned '^ bear dog " (a perfect canine Tom Sayers in his day) ; the invin-
cible ^' Ventur " {Aifiglwe Venture) ; and the redoubtable " Nothing." So
marked are the family characteristics of some of these brutes, that you may see
an old fancier cast a sagacious eye on a descendant and " reckon that's a Joey."
The brutal pastime of which we write is fast diminishing, if not wholly dis-
appearing in Birmingham, though still largely practised in the '^ Black Country.
It is almost impossible (thanks to the vigilance of the police) to " bring off
a fight in town, so the contending parties go to Walsall; and, to the shame
of Walsall be it said, that at least two-thirds of the dog-fights in the district
take place within its boundary. A certain sporting publican enjoys a monopoly
in promoting the disgusting sport, and he has to be communicated with. Why
the authorities cannot put a stop to this we do not pretend to say ; we are
simply quoting facts which are pretty generally known. The first attack on
dog-fighting in Birmingham was about the year 1839 or 1840, when the
efficient " new police," just established, made a capture at the public pit in
Fox-street, and lodged about thirty men in gaol. A dog of the depraved
" milkman's breed " was contending at the time. In our far more respectable
day very few sporting houses will have anything to do with dog-fighting. We
know one dubious tavern where dark schemes are concocted ; and when we
on the prowl," and find ourselves loafing in the dirfcy bar or still dirtier
yi
>i
are
«
kitchen of the '^Red Indian," we generally meet two or three ferocious and
pugnacious curs, of the approved pattern, wandering about the premises. The
landlord is modest on the subject of " matches," and shy of talking to the
inquisitive stranger. It usually happens that one or more of his vicious pets
exhibit remarkably stiff and swollen necks, and carry their heads on one side,
and have many half-healed scars on legs and chest. We know full well what
this means, it is a sure indication that they have been " putting a mouth on,'^
. THE BULL-TERRIEE.
129
either in a '^ trial *' or a recent battle. The host explains matters in an ofFhand
manner, which certainly does not deceive ns, by stating that " a lot of ^em
broke loose last night, and had a bit of fun all to theirselves/^ It won't do Mr.
Licensed Victualler, you mean Walsall next Monday morning, you do.
The fighting dog proper is a bom gladiator. As a puppy he will hang
on to anything, and often has to be choked off his hold. Still he is trained
and educated, and taught his profession when he arrives at years of discretion.
His diet is excellent. He has the best of meat — legs of mutton, even — ^milk,
jellies, ofben enriched by a little port wine, cow-heel, and boiled bullock's
nose, which is tough, and supposed to strengthen his jaws. Nothing is too
good for him, and there is little exaggeration in the old Black Country- tale
of the collier who asks his better half — " What have you done with the
milk ? " " Gen it tV child ! '' " Why da'int yer gen it th' pup ? " The
'^pup,'' with a stake of five or ten pounds impending, is of far more im-
portance in the home than the child. Training having commenced, the dog
takes long walks, accompanied by a tutor (the bigger brute of the two) ; he is
dressed in a neat suit of clothing, the efforts of some canine tailor. Most
probably he has to lose many pounds in weight, before going to the scale ; to
make his wind good he is made to jump at a piece of meat or some attractive
object hung against a wall — and jump he will, until quite exhausted — or he
runs about incessantly after a baU. Of course he has been " tried " many times
with other dogs, and held his own. Had he shown any signs of the white
feather, or ventured to "speak'' (i.e., whimper), he would most probably have
been immediately put to death by the master whose trust he had thus betrayed.
Puppies are often "tried" with old muzzled dogs, which is a most barbarous
proceeding.
The " weights " of the combatants were much heavier in the " good
old days " — all humbug, by the way, those good old days — than at present.
A celebrated deaf dog, called " Dummy," fought at 5516. The present
fighting weights range from 181b. to 321b., and a dog in condition is very
thin. Many are the tricks if dogs will not "scale" at the right weight:
tails have been cut off ere now, to turn the balance. Prior to the combat each
dog is "tasted" by a properly authorised official, who receives a fee of one
shilling. It is his pleasing duty to lick the animals in various places with his
tongue, to satisfy the gentlemen present .that they have not been doctored with
tobacco water, bluestone, or other chemical compounds, which would blister the
mouth of the non-doctored dog, and make him unable to worry anything.
This is a favourite trick, which applies also to ratting matches, where a " faked "
rat, with a highly medicinal coat, is dropped in the pit, a rat which no mortal
dog will shake.
The battle money, in accordance with the old sporting usage, is " made
good" in driblets at the bars of different public houses week by week.
s
130 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
Articles are drawn up, and signed by both sides. The Birmingham rules, which
differ from the London and Yorkshire rules, are adhered to in this district. All
preliminaries being settled, the deposits paid up, the dogs duly weighed, a
referee appointed, and so forth, a day is fixed for the encounter, and the
" oflElce '' or " griflEln '^ given to the select circle of blackguardly patrons. It is
hard to say where the rendezvous may be, an old bam, a public-house cellar,
or some secluded spot. Great are the precautions taken to evade the law (no
difficult matter, Walsall or "Dudley Wood side^' way). Doors are barred,
windows blocked up, and every aperture closed. No person can quit the place
under any circumstances until the fight is over ; the temperature is often quite
tropical, and men strip to the shirt, and sit bathed in perspiration and half
fainting for hours together. A few rats and a terrier are generally at hand as
decoys, so that if a police raid should take plttce, the canine combatants would
be stowed away somewhere, and the officers merely drop in upon a party of men
mildly engaged in killing a few rats. Before the proceedings commence, a
leader looks round the brutal faces of the company, and asks if " everybody is
known,'^ and woe betide the unlucky stranger who has not proper credentials ;
he will get remarkably full change for his shilling entrance (or gate) money.
In the centre of the pit is a chalked Hne, which is termed the " scratch.'^ The
dogs are " played ^^ at opposite corners, and each dog must in turn cross the
^' scratch,^^ and fetch his opponent out of his corner. This is one of the
Birmingham rules, and is strongly objected to by the Yorkshire division, for a
dog may be disabled, or even lying dead in his corner, and yet win the fight if
the other animal has not the courage to face him, or is too weak to drag
himself over the mark. It is a great mistake to suppose that the creatures are
set on each other ; they are only too anxious to be at work, and will literally
scream with rage, or else utter no sound at all, but lower their heads, and watch
each other with bloodshot eyes, and an ominous licking of the jaws, so soon to
be dripping with gore. Once released from the hold of the seconds, they fly
straight at the throat, and are locked together in the struggle for life or death.
They rarely growl or whimper at all, but bite and tear in grim silence, as though
they would rip limb from limb. In a few minutes the sawdust is soaked with
blood, and huge, gaping wounds appear on head, chest, and legs. It is
wonderful to see the clever tactics of the brutes; old veteran fighters will
submit to be half-eaten by novices, and when the beginner has worn himself out
they will turn and kill him in five or six minutes. Some fight at the head,
others at the throat, more astute quadrupeds still fight at the legs, which are
often broken. The " round ^' ends when one dog " turns " {i.e., looses his hold
to breathe) ; both are then taken to their comers and sponged. About a
minute is allowed between each " round.^^ The duration of fights varies
considerably ; they may last three or four hours, and end in a " draw.'^ No
mercy is shown to the beaten dog ; he is usually killed on the spot, or given
UB. It. T. L. PBICFS "BOMANIE."
THE BULLDOG.
131
away. The victor is borne home in the arms of sympathetic and rejoicing
friends — ^he will be put in a warm bath, afterwards wrapped in blankets and
placed before a good fire, and carefully nursed until he either dies of his wounds
or lives to fight again.
Dog-fighting is one of the most brutal and degrading vices left amiong
us — sport it cannot be termed. None but the most hopelessly debased minds
can take pleasure in the sight of two good dogs tearing each other to pieces.
For the credit of the dog fanciers of the town be it said, they set their faces
against such wanton cruelty, almost to a man. We passed by the old '' Jim
Crow '* the other day, a famous rendezvous in days of yore, and were pleased to
see that the house had been purged and decorated, and re-baptised. Dogs are
like children — ^pretty much what their owners make them. It is natural for
the bull terrier to growl and fight — he delights in it, like Doctor Watts^s bears
and lions — ^but he might be checked in his evil propensities, and not have them
developed by ingenious artificial methods. By many signs do the knowing
ones tell if dog-fighting is meant. When those mysterious advertisements in
BelVs Life inform us that Mr. Blacksheep will " match his dog Billy against
any dog breathing at 1816.,^' we know that Mr. B. means fighting. The
subject matter of this article is horrible and repulsive, we admit ; but it is as
well that such things should be known, and shown up in a true light. We
have still among us the last lingering traces of a fiendish pastime, peculiar to
the good old days, and the sooner it is finally stamped out the better. If you
require further information on this head, kind reader, we reconunend you to
journey to Walsall.
THE BULLDOG.
TsuB Enghsh bulldog and the game cock are indisputably the most courageous
creatures on the face of the earth ; but there is one marked difference between
them — the bulldog transmits his courage and endurance for generations,
however remote the cross ; the game cock^s courage is absolutely lost in one
generation, unless both parents are of the purest blood.
The best authorities differ exceedingly when they describe this dog's
temperament ; some describe him as ferocious, others as stupidly amiable, and
others as uncertain, and fastening, without visible provocation, on the master
whom he had been fondling until excited by a sudden noise or accidental blow.
Experience has shown us that these dogs are not capable of much attachment; that
they are not safely to be trusted; that they are very rarely, if ever, teachable; but
182 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
that, in a general way, they are gentle and quiet in their demeanour. A dog
of this breed is not quarrelsome ; he is a capital guard or watch dog, and
certainly ought to be looked upon as an invaluable animal for instilling courage
and endurance into any description of dog requiring such properties by direct
or partial crosses. He is pre-eminent amongst the canine race for the follow-
ing qualities : He attacks silently ; he bears any amount of punishment without
uttering a sound ; he invariably goes at the head of his adversary ; and he will
not " let go '' until he is kiUed, or made insensible by strangulation. For
these properties, especially his forward attack and holding power, he was
selected to bait the bear, the bull, and occasionally the lion ; for, although the
half-bred dog might almost equal the genuine animal in courage, it was always
doubtful whether a bull-terrier would seize the head or the heel, and (as a
celebrated old " bull baiter " impressed upon us years ago) " pinning is win-
ning ^^ when you loose a dog at a bull.
Tradition has handed down to us the points of a bulldog, but we have no
means of ascertaining the origin of the breed. We can call to mind few, if
any, drawings or engravings of the dog further back than 1521. There is an
engraving of that date by Richard Pynson, in Berjeau^s " Book of Dogs,^^
representing the baiting of the bear, and two or three of the specimens are
something like bulldogs, both in form and method of attack \ but one, as
much Uke a bulldog as any of them, is flyiag &t the hind quarters of his victim,
and the carriage of the tail in every example intimates a decided cross with the
terrier.
We proceed to describe the points of the bulldog as settled by competent
authority ; but we must first state that on certain properties opinions vary, and
that we have given due weight to all these differences, and have decided upon
the true form after weighing carefully the sentiments of others. Our opinions
have been framed upon our own experience, but we have also carefully studied
and followed the rules of the Bulldog Club.
The skull should be large, high, and broad ; the cheeks extend promi-
nently beyond the eyes ; and the forehead be well creased or wrinkled, and
flat. The eyes should be black and round, not very large, situated in front of
the head, wide apart, and neither prominent nor deeply set, the corners at
right angles with a line drawn down the centre of the face. The " stop "
(which is an indentation between the eyes) should extend up the face a consi-
derable length. The face should be as short as possible from the front of the
cheek bone to the end of the nose — deeply wrinkled ; and the muzzle should
turn up. The '^ chop *' (that is, the fleshy part of the muzzle) should be broad
and deep, and should perfectly cover the teeth. The nose should be large and
black, well set back, and the nostrils wide open — these points being essential
when the dog was used to pin his game, for without them he would be choked.
The lower jaw should project, and turn upwards. The neck should be
THE BULLDOG, 183
moderately long and well arched^ with a good dewlap. The ears should be
small^ and on the top of the head. Three descriptions of ear are permitted^
called '^ rose/' '^ button," and " tulip." The rose ear folds at the back, the
tip laps over outwards, exposing part of the inside ; the button ear falls in
front, hiding the interior completely ; the tulip ear (which we abhor) is quite
erect, and is allowed to be an undesirable form.
The chest should be wide and deep ; the back short, wide across the
shoulders, and not so wide across the loins ; the ribs round. There should be
a slight fall behind the shoulders, and the spine should rise at the loins, falling
rapidly to the stern, and well arched. The stern should be moderately thick
where it joins the body, and be fine to the point : it should have a decided
downward carriage, and be low in its situation also. We prefer a tail of
moderate length, and decidedly object to a long tail having a curve at the end,
commonly called the " ring tail/*
The fore legs should be strong, muscular, and straight;* they should be
short, with the elbow well let down. The hind legs should be rather longer
in proportion than the fore legs, so as to raise the loins ; and, in direct opposi-
tion to the established opinion of connoisseurs, we prefer the hocks to be
straight, and that the stifles should not turn out, which must be the case if the
hocks approach each other. The fore feet should be well arched, moderately
round, and the toes well split up. The feet should turn neither in nor out ;
they should be small, and the hind feet should be of the same character.
The coat should be fine and smooth; the colour should be whole or
unmixed, and may be red, red-smut, fawn, fawn-smut, fallow, fallow-smut, or
blue-fawn or white, which last we prefer.
With all these points and properties he must be symmetrical. His action
is rather slovenly, his hind legs not being lifted high as he runB. He varies in
weight from 151b to 601b.
Mr. Henry Brown, of Hampstead, has paid great attention to the bulldog,
and is an authority on the subject. Mr. Hinks, of Birmingham, is also a
competent authority in all relating to them. Mr. Jacob Lamphier, of Soho-
street, Handsworth, Birmingham, the owner of King Dick (a dog of unrivalled
form, and the winner of a vast number of prizes), is one of the foremost men
as a breeder at the present time, and his strain is, we believe, remarkably
pure. He has possessed the breed of his brindled bitch Duchess for forty
years, and can trace it, he asserts, for nearly a century. She descends from
Mr. Sutton's Old Tumbler, who was, forty years ago, the best bred bulldog in
England ; on the father's side she combines the blood of Stockdale's Top and
Boss, of Bill George's Viper, Morrison's Gully, Redman's Romaney, Boatswain,
and Old Gribb, and a first-class breed it is. We have also seen some very
* Many authorities say they shoald be slightly bowed, bat we consider this a
malformation in any dog.
134
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
first-rate buUdogs bred by, and the property of, the celebrated Bill George, of
Kensal New Town : Turk, Cribb, and many others bred by him, have done
good service to England by perpetuating the best blood in the world.
Value of Points of the Bulldog,
SknU 25
Stop
Ears
Eyes
Face
Chop
6
5
6
5
5
Nostrils 5
55
Neck 5
Chest 6
Body 6
Stern 6
Legs
Feet.
10
5
20
15
Coat...
Colour
5
5
10
Orwnd Total, 100.
Romanic, who took the first prize at the Birmingham Show in the open
class, is the original of our engraving. He measures as follows : Height, 18in,;
length from shoulder to root of tail, 22in. ; girth of chest, ISJin. ; of loin,
15in. ; of head, before the ears, 14in. j of thigh, 18in. He is by King Dick
out of Nell, and has been lately sold by Mr. Lamphier to Mr. R. T. L. Price,
of Bhiwlas, Bala.
Oeigin op the Bulldog and Mastiff.
A warm discussion on the origin of the bulldog was carried on in The
Field in 1871, originating in a letter firom E. W. R., who is a well-known
ardent admirer of the mastiff. We do not see that any reliable conclusion
was arrived at, but still, as the subject is of great interest to lovers of this
class of dogs, we produce the following selection from the series, omitting some
portions of the letters which were personal rather than bearing on the discus-
sion. We also give an engraving from an old picture by Abraham Hondius,
who painted in the middle of the seventeenth century. The dogs in this picture
are certainly larger than the modern bulldog, but there is no proof adduced of
the strain to which they belonged, and they might be either pure bulldog of
that day, or pure mastiff, or a cross between the two. P. A., who kindly lent
the original for engraving, assumes (see page 143) that they were pure bulldogs,
but we certainly cannot admit that point without some hesitation.
Sir, — ^In the matter of the bulldog I must be permitted to doubt his
antiquity, as a bulldog, and to question if he was " indigenous '* in that shape
to the British Isles.
THE BULLDOG.
135
The dogs of old were divided into chiens gentils, or sporting dogs, and
chiens roturiers. The masters of the latter were fined if they were not either
muzzled or tied up during the day. They were evidently large, savage dogs,
used as guards for houses and cattle. Of this description was the mastiws —
the Latin name for the French '' chien qui tient le maa,'^ the dog that guards
\he farmhouse. The mastiff was originally of no particular breed, provided he
was big enough and savage enough. He is first mentioned in sdme of the laws
of Henry II., who ordered his claws to be cut if his owner lived within the
limits of a foresta, or great preserve ; and his name at any rate is French. I
doubt if the mastiff has much connection with the bulldog beyond being used
occasionally to bait bulls.
One of the ancestors of the bulldog may, I think, be traced in the "alan,^'
a white dog much extolled by Chaucer, of great size, strength, and unrivalled
courage. He was a match for any great beast of chstse, and could roll over a
mastiff in no time. Fast hounds were used to run down the beast, and bay
him till the slower alans came up and settled him. Two varieties branched off
from the original dog, the "alan gentil,'' crossed with the fast hound to give
him a turn of speed, and the *' alan roturier,^^ often known as the butcher^s
dog, for he was used to keep the st^ll in his master's absence against all
comers. This last I look upon as one of the leading ancestors of the modern
bulldog. Bull-baiting was a roturier sport, followed in towns, and butcher's
dogs played a conspicuous part in it.
Another animal I would connect with the bulldog is the '^brach'^ — a wide
name ; but in Danish, Spanish, and I think in old French, the name is applied
to a pug-nosed man, which gives an idea of one of the features generally
belonging to the animal. The dog we call a bloodhound, and the old Spanish
pointer, descend in part from the brach. But there was a hound of this
description used in old times in England, snub-nosed, crooked-legged, under-
hung, famous for its scenting qualities, and for the ferocity and tenacity with
which it followed up the game. These qualities are observable in the blood-
hound, and I believe that in the modem bulldog (setting aside recent crosses)
the snub nose, the crooked legs, the underhung jaw of this variety of brach,
with most of the scenting quality and tenacity of the breed, have been grafted
on the powerful form and unrivalled courage of the white alan.
I have generally noticed that large bulldogs are usually white; and I
believe, if the bulldog were bred larger, he would gradually come out a
powerful, straight-nosed, straight-logged white alan, losing some of his scenting
qualities and perhaps some of his tenttcity, but none of his courage.
E. W. R.
is6
THE DOGS OP THE BEITISH ISLANDS.
Sir, — E. W. R., in manufacturing " the buUdog^s ancestry/^ has done it, I
think, from a dictionary,
I find, as others can, in a FreDch-English dictionary, the following defini-
tions : alan, a kind of big, strong, thick-headed, and short-snouted dog ;
braque, a kind of hunting dog ; gentil, pretty, handsome, fine; roturier^ ignoble,
meanly extracted, a plebeian. I have looked in three Latin dictiooaries for
mastivite, and cannot find it ; therefore I think it must be dog-Latin,
I am quite prepared to admit that upon the question of *' What breed
was the indigenous dog of Britain V^ it is not necessary that a man should
know anything of dogs ; therefore I will not take exception to those portions
of E. W. R/s letter which to my mind show that he knows little of them. But
the subject is one which has not been thought beneath the notice of able and
learned men, who, in spite of all their research, have not been able to bring
forth such satisfactory proof of their conclusions as to cause all men to admit
that any one of them is right. But if E. W. R. can prove all he states in his
letter, he has solved the riddle, and henceforth all men must admit that a kind
of big, strong, thick-headed, short-snouted dog was the indigenous dog
of Britain, and this dog is the one called in a French-English dictionary the
alan.
I am ready to believe this if E. Wi R. proves it by convincing authority;
but I think if he could have quoted an authority he ought to have done so. I
dispute the statements in his letter, and ask him to produce his authority for
them. But I hope he will give authorities to the point, leaving out such
statements as bull-baiting being a roturier, i.e., ignoble, plebeian sport. What
it was in its last days is not to the purpose ; we have ample evidence to prove
that, whatever we in these days think of it, it was for generations a national
sport, and patronised by every class in the land, from the highest to the lowest.
Cabbies.
Sir, — " Carrier ^' is quite right in stigmatising mastmus as dog-Latin, and
I should have been surprised if he had found it in any classical dictionary.
For all that, dog-Latin that would have puzzled Varro was often used in the
Middle Ages ; and if '' Carrier '^ will turn to the regulations about " the
Laweing of Dogs," written in mediaeval Latin, or to Spelman, he will find the
mastimis amongst the sufferers by that cruel practice. The custom is first
alluded to in the Forest Laws of Canute. None but the man of gentle birth or
position might keep " the dogs the English call greihimds ;" and if the owner
lived within ten miles of the forest his greihunds were bound to be mutilated.
Li Thorpe^s '^Diplomata^' wills may be found, dated in the tenth century,
containing bequests of " high-deer hounds.'^ The high-deer is the name given
THE BULLDOG.
137
in the Saxon Clironiole to the hart ; and as the greihund was maimed to pre-
vent his chasing the deer in the king's forest, I think it allowable to assume
that he was the deerhound of the age. His name is thoroughly English, for
'^ greihund '^ is a living word in Icelandic ; but mastivits is dog-Latin for
"mastin,'' an obsolete French word that will be found in Ootgrave and
Palsgrave. The mastivus only found his way into the forest in the twelfth
century at the earliest, for he was not there in the time of Canute ; and I think
the ancestor of the greyhound of the deerhound type, with his English name
and documentary evidence to his existence in the eleventh, and probably in the
tenth, century, has a fair claim to take precedence, as an early English dog,
over the mastiff with his French name.
The theory that I have manufactured a dog (and two classes of dogs) out
of four words taken from a French dictionary is more creditable to ^^ Carrier's ''
ingenuity than to my common sense.
I am writing in a London club, more than one hundred miles from home,
where are the notes I jotted down from Record and Roll and many a quaint
old source, a few years back. I cannot promise chapter and page from memory,
but I will do my best.
Besides the " elan gentil," Cotgrave, who wrote in the times of Elizabeth
and James I., describes two other crosses of the alan. He calls the ^'alan
vautrier," "an ugly, lop-eared brute, with great dewlaps, used for hunting
the boar.'' He must have been not unlike the hounds of Theseus, with " ears
that sweep away the morning dew, crook-kneed, and dewlapped like Thessalian
bulls ; " and I think I have recognised something very like him in pictures of
boar hunts. " The alan de boucherie," says Cotgrave, " is very like the dogs
used by our butchers for driving the oxen and keeping the shop ;" and, as the
"Jewel for Gentrie," published in the reign of James I., enumerates '^butchers'
dogges " amongst other breeds (and for the first time, if I recollect rightly),
there was a breed of dogs in England by this time, of alan race, known as
" butchers' dogs." According to an old Spanish authority, whose name I
cannot recollect — ^the passage will be found under AlanOy in the dictionary
compiled some two hundred years ago by the Spanish Academy — ^the alan was
"a large, high-couraged dog, used in bull -fights (fiestas de toros) to pull the
bulls down by hanging on to their ears, also for hunting wolves, wild boars,
and other large beasts of chace, and for guarding the house." Thus he seems
to have been the Spanish mastiff. I pass over the fact that Strutt writes
" alaunts or bulldogs," and that modern dictionaries generally render alano by
bulldog, and bulldog by alano, I ground my opinion on the statements of
writers who describe animals they had seen and were familiar with. I cannot
trace the alan in any English authority before Chaucer, who describes him as a
white dog used in the chase of the " leon and the bere j" nor can I find him
amongst the early dogs of France or Germany, though he was evidently largely
138
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
used for crossing as soon as he was well known. Hence I t^iink that, like
the originals of the spaniel, setter, and pointer, he came frona Spain.
Our modern hound combines scenting quality with speed, bat '^ Carrier '*
must be aware that our predecessors once used to hunt with swiffc hounds and
scenting hounds. I must refer him to " L^Art de Venerie," by Turci, hunts-
man to Edward II., for the proper method of putting up the hare with scenting
hounds and chasing her with fast hounds ; much as the spaniel, or his prede-
cessor, put up. the game at which the hawk was flown. The German in the
thirteenth century, when he rode in the. forest, was bound to have his winden
and bracken (fast hounds and scenting hounds) coupled. The '^ Maister of the
Game^^ will give him further hints about what was done in the time of
Henry V., and an old French ti'eatise (the name has escaped my recollection),
from which I am about to quote the following statements.
Francis I. (the Hugo Meynell of stag hunting) seems to have brought
about a great revolution when, by crossing his breed with a white deerhound,
given him by Queen Mary of Scotland, and a Spanish dog, he bred the baudes,
or white staghounds, reckoned the best of the age. This hound is best known
in England as the talbot, who never appears in old heraldry, and is only
familiar as a supporter, a comparatively recent addition. The dogs of old
heraldry are the greyhound and the brach, the latter carried by some German
families, and not unlike the hounds of Theseus described by Shakespeare.
If " Carrier ^' had pursued his investigations in the French dictionary he
would have found braconnier rendered poacher. But the " braconnier du roi '^
in early times was not a poacher, but an officer of the royal kennels ; and a
little later the word came to be applied to h pot-hunter. The Spanish and
Portuguese dictionaries render braco by snub-nosed man, or ^'perro de
pontar^' — pointer; and, if they are worth anything, add that in the latter
sense the word is obsolete. The dog has passed away. The modem pointer
is a great improvement on the braco ; but if a man without gun, hawk, or
fast hound were to follow up game with a pointer, to catch it he must use a
net; and accordingly the man who hunted with a slow-scenting hound, or
braco, and net — the mere braconnier — ^was either poacher or pot-hunter.
After Francis I. made an approach towards combining scent and speed in
the same animal (for the " limehound,^' in a pack of the talbot type, was simply
the best scenting dog — he was of the same breed as the hounds that hunted
the stag, and the French word for bloodhound is limier, or the dog in the
lyme), the brach and other dogs of an old type gradually died out ; but the dog
is not a mere "dictionary'^ dog — his type and his qualities are well known
to anyone conversant with the subject, and some of the latter seem traceable
in the old southern hound, who, like the hound of Theseus, was certainly
" slow in pursuit.^'
As to the connection of the brach with the bulldog, that is a mere matter
THE BULLDOG.
139
of opinion. The alan had pointed ears^ and was not a scenting dog; the
bulldog has not pointed ears, will hunt by scent, and has been used by
poachers with a net, much as the braco has. Where did he get his power of
scent 7
All men must admit, according to " Carrier," if I prove my assertions,
that the indigenous dog of Britain belonged to the alan type. He and I seem
to be at cross purposes. I confess to being sceptical about dogs or men being
indigenous, or growing up like vegetables ; but the earliest dog I can find in
Britain or Ireland is the " greihund,'' and I must give him the place of
precedence until he is displaced by some other animal.
My letter seems to have sent " Carrier ^' to a dictionary, and on the
strength of his discoveries in it he has favoured me with a translation of
" gentil " and " roturier," and with a reproof for describing bull-baiting as
roturier. As he lectures me for using the word he is of course aware of the
distinction in old French between gentil, roturier, and vilain. To know how
to quarry a hart, or break up a fox, formed part of the gentil science, and of
the education of a gentleman. To know how to slaughter an ox, or to cut up
a sheep, was probably more useful j but it was roturier. Cricket and rowing
may be classed amongst the gentil sports of modem times, for a gentleman
may try to excel in them ; but when it comes to climbing a greased pole, or
chasing a pig with hv3 tail soaped, the gentleman looks on and laughs — there
is nothing wrong or odious in the sport ; it is not vilain, but simply roturier.
As '^ Carrier " objects to my definition of bull-baiting as roturier, let him prove
it was gentil ; lot him show it was part of the gentil science, and define its
position. I am ready to give my reasons, if required, for cljissifying bull-bait-
ing as a roturier pastime, never much " patronised as a national sport,'' before
the time of the Tudors. If '^ Carrier '' can prove the contrary, and can point
out the bulldog as a separate breed before that time, let him back up his
assertions with his authorities — and by old authorities, living near the times of
which they wrote. E. W. R.
Sib, — E. W. E.'s references to "the Lawing of Dogs;'' Thorpe's
" Diplomata ;" Cotgrave's alan vautrier and alan de^ boucherie ; " The Jewel
for Gentry;" the old Spanish authority, backed up by the dictionary of the
Spanish Academy published two hundred* years ago; "L'Art de Venerie," by
Turci, huntsman to Edward II., on the proper method of putting up the hare ;
the German in the thirteenth century who, when he rode in the forest, was
bound to have his winden and bracken coupled ; the Maister of the Game who
can give me further hints about what was done in the time of Henry V. ;
Francis I. having crossed his breed with a white deerhound and a Spanish dog,
the descendants from which never appear in old heraldry; the Spanish and
140
THE DOaS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
Portuguese dictionaries which render hrdco by '^ snub-nosed man '' — I dismiss :
they are beside the question, for none of these are written to prove that the
bulldog is descended from the alan or the braque, or in any way refer to it,*
which is the point at issue. E. W. R. twits me about using the term of
'^ the indigenous dog of Britain/^ and says he is " sceptical about dogs or men
being indigenous, or growing up like vegetables.'' I disclaim thinking such
an absurdity, much less writing it. Buflfon expressly states that, while the
original stock of all dogs is the sheepdog, "the bulldog seems to form a
particular variety, and even to belong to a particular climate ; he is a native of
England, and it is difficult to preserve the breed even in Prance.'' Gr. W. R.
says " He (^Carrier ') lectured me for describing bull-baiting by an expression he
does not seem to have understood, for he flew to a French dictionary to find it
out" (he called it a roturier sport; I have said I do not know French), and
says, " I am ready to give my reasons if required, for classifying bull-baiting as
a roturier pastime, never much patronised as a national sport before the time of
the Tudors." Now I do not think Henry II. was a Tudor, but on reference to
Rees's "Cyclopasdia" I find in the article "Baiting" the following:
" This barbarous practice, the first rise of which cannot be satisfactorily ascertained,
has the sanction of high antiquity. Fitz-Stephen, who lived in the reign of Henry II., and
whose 'Description of the City of London* was written in 1174, informs us that *in the
forenoon of every holiday, daring the winter season, the young Jjondoners were amused
with bears opposed to each other in battle, or with balls and full-grown bears baited by dogs.'
The practice of ball-baiting was much approved by the nobility in former ages, and was
countenanced even by persons of the most exalted rank, without exception even of females.
When Queen Mary visited her sister the Princess Elizabeth, during her confinement at
Hatfield House, a great exhibition of bear-baiting was presented immediately after mass in
the morning for their amusement. The same Princess, soon after her accession to the throne,
entertained the foreign ambassadors with the baiting of bulls and bears."
I ask, does this not prove what I said, that "it was for generations a
national sport, and patronised by every class in the land, from the highest to
the lowest " ? In addition I now refer him to my letter in The Field of
June 3.* He will see I have some slight acquaintance with authorities ; and
* The portion of the letter of June 3 bearing on this subject is as follows : " No man
will admit that the mastiff is superior in courage to the bulldog, few that it is its equal,
high-couraged though it doubtless is ; and no authority that I have met with has proved the
claims of the mastiff to be the indigenous -dog of Britain, so renowned for its strength and
courage, to be superior to those of the bulldog. Buffon states * The shepherd's dog is the
stock or body of the tree ; transported into temperate climates, and among people civilised,
as those of England, Prance, or Germany, it loses its savage air, erect ears, its long, thick,
and rough hair, and takes the form of the hound, bulldog, and mastiff. Of the two latter
the ears are still partly erect or only half pendent, and in their manners and sanguinary
dispositions they very much resemble the dog from which they draw their origin.' And
again, in speaking of the varieties of dogs, he says : ' Lastly, the bulldog seems to form a
particolar variety, and even to belong to a particular climate; he is a native of England, and
THE BULLDOG.
141
when he can write something to the question, I may perhaps find something
more ; but I won^t pretend to answer such authorities as Shakspeare and the
hounds of Theseus (for I can't see how they prove that the bulldog is descended
from the alan and the braque) ; and, considering that Shakspeare lived over
2500 years after Theseus, I hardly think he could know much about the
" shape and make *' of Theseus's dogs. It is a great many years since I read
the life of Theseus, and I do not recollect that Plutarch says anything about the
points '^ of his dogs. Cabbies.
c<
Sir, — '^ Carrier's '' reference to his former letter obliges me to trouble
you once more. The writer of the article in Bees — an authority of the
nineteenth century — ^honestly gives his authorities (Strutt and Houghton). On
turning to Strutt, I find that most of the quotation given by ^' Carrier '' is
copied, word for word, from '^ Sports and Pastimes '' — an excellent authority ;
but for all that Strutt has written on the subject of dogs he refers to Turci, the
Maister of the Game, and " The Jewel for Gentrie.'' I merely mention this to
point out that, whatever may be the value of my authorities, I went direct to
the store from which Strutt drew his deductions, quoted at second-hand by the
writer in Rees, and at third-hand by " Carrier.'' The passages in the quotation
about Mary and Elizabeth only prove the truth of my assertion that the sports
of the bear-garden became fashionable under the Tudors. The passage from
Fitz- Stephen Strutt has not rendered literally, nor does he pretend to do so.
it is difficult to preserve the breed even in France.' In Rees's f/yclopsBdia there is a long
article on dogs. It states, under the head of * Mastiff/ that Dr. Caius who lived in the reign
of Queen Elizabeth, and who has left us a curious treatise on British dogs, informs us that
three of these animals were reckoned a match for a bear, and four for a lion. From an
experiment, however, made in the presence of James I., as related by Stow, the lion was
found an unequal tnatch for only three of them. Two of the dogs were disabled by the
combat, but the third forced the lion to seek safety by flight. The two dogs were so much
beaten and torn in the conflict that they soon died of their wounds ; the last survived, and
was taken great care of by the King's son, who said, ' He that had fought with the king of
beasts should never after fight with any inferior creature.' Under the head of * Bulldog * it
states: *The bulldogs of Great Britain were celebrated for their strength and invincible
courage in the early history of the country. Even under the Boman Emperors, while their
forces colonised this island, an officer was appointed whose sole business it was to breed and
transport from hence such as would prove equal to the combats of the amphitheatre. There
may not, however, remain sufficient evidence on record to decide whether the mastiff or the
bulldog was the breed in such high request. Some writers affirm it to be the mastiff, others
the bulldog. Linnaeus seems to consider the mastiff as the dog in question, and gives it the
trivial name of * anglicus * for that reason. Aldrovandus calls it Oanis bellicosue anglicu8t
and Bidinger Englissche docke. The true bulldog, the Linnaean Canis molosfus, neverthe-
less, appears to be an indigenous breed in this island, and from their acknowledged
superiority in courage, though inferior in point of size, may perhaps be regarded more truly
as the genuine British race so highly celebrated by the Latin historians."
142
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
It will be found in Sfcrype, and the following is a literal translation — the Latin
is doggish : " In winter, in the holidays before noon, boars contend for their
heads, and hogs before they become bacon, fatted bulls if they have horns, and
huge bears are worried by dogs/^ Not a word is said about the ^^ young
Londoners,^^ nor of any breed of dogs used for baiting the hogs, bulls, and
bears ; not a word is said about the practice of bull-baiting being at that time
"approved by the nobility and countenanced by even persons of the most
exalted rank/' Every historian, every poet, every writer on old sports, is silent,
from this time forward, on the subject of a breed of bulldogs and the practice of
bull-baiting, .until in the time of the Tudors, like prize-fighting in the last
century, the bear-garden became fashionable. The solitary passage in Fitz-
Stephen shows that the fat stock brought to the London market at Christmas
were baited before being killed — a fact I never doubted.
Now to the next point. In his letter of June 3, " Carrier *' quotes Bees
under " Bulldog*' for the fact that bulldogs were bred in Britain, and fought
in the Roman amphitheatre. If he turns to the heading '' Mastiff,'' he
will find the same thing said of that animal, showing the careless and
slovenly manner in which such articles are written by anonymous contributors
who don't give their authorities. I do not think either mastiff or bulldog was
ever brought from Britain to fight in the amphitheatre, and I will give my
reasons. The " Monumenta Historica," compiled by the Record Commission,
contains every passage written by a Greek or Latin author about Great Britain,
and I have searched it through ; I have looked at it to refresh my memory,
and it lies before me. The following are the only passages to be found in it
about dogs. Strabo writes : " Britain produces dogs sagacious in hunting,
and the Celts use them for the purposes of war." Oppian describes these dogs:
"Small in size, squat, lean, and shaggy, with blinking eyes and lacerating
claws, but mostly prized^ for their scent and skill in tracking where the foot
has passed." Does this description apply to either mastiff or bulldog ?
Now for the dog that fought in the amphitheatre. " As now your offering
of seven Irish dogs has shown, at which, in the day of the spectacle, all Rome
was so astonished," wrote Symmachus. ''The Irishman with his fighting dog"
{cane milite), wrote Prudentius. Is the mastiff or bulldog an Irish dog?
Turn to Rees, and read the passage . under " Irish Greyhound ;" read the
passage in which Evelyn expresses his admiration of the dog that '' surpassed
every other dog, and beat all the bulls ;" and I think it will be found that the
dog which astonished the Romans was the Irish wolf-dog.
The above are some of my reasons for not regarding the bulldog as the
indigenous dog of Britain. Now for my n xt point. '' Carrier" writes, "He
will see I have some slight acquaintance with authorities." His authority is
the writer in Rees, who quotes Strutt. In describing '' dogs of chase," Strutt
writes : " Alauntes, or bulldogs, chiefly used for hunting the boar." The French-
THE BULLDOG. 143
man calls the bulldog '^ bouledogue/' the German " buUen-beisser/' the
Spaniard and Portuguese " alano." The alan dog was used of old in Spain for
pinning the bull in bull fights ; the bulldog was used in England for pinning
the bull in bull baiting (the mastiff baited the bear) . Strutt identifies the alan
dog with the bulldog. Such are a few of my reasons for agreeing with Strutt
in deriving the bulldog from the alan.
If " Carrier '^ will refer to my second letter, he will see I wrote this : " The
share of the brach in the pedigree of the bulldog is a mere matter of opinion.'^
As such it must remain for the present. It is impossible to discuss the points
and peculiarities of extinct races of dogs without referring to the works of
the sportsmen who were familiar with the breeds when in existence, and a
familiar acquaintance with these works is required on both sides. '' He will
see that I have some slight acquaintance with authorities/' writes ^^ Carrier '"
and I have not the slightest^ intention of questioning his claim — as he began by
questioning mine ; but, after the xnuddle between the bulldog and the mastiff I
have pointed out in Rees, I must demur to accepting such an authority as final
without further proof of the authenticity of the statements contained in it.
Aug. 19, 1871. • E. W. R.
Ancient Picture of the Bulldog.
Sir, — ^As some discussion about the bulldog and the mastiff has been going
on in The Field, I write to say I have a copy of a picture painted in 1685 of a wild
boar attacked by two bulldogs, one a red-smut, and the other a brindle-pied.
Judging from the relative sizes of the boar and dogs in the picture, the
latter must have been at least 801b. to lOOIb. in weight each, and there can be
no doubt that these are the kind of dogs described by Dr. Caius in 1576 under
the name of " Mastyue" or '' Bandogge." The Doctor, in his quaint way, says : —
'' This kind of dogge, called a mastyue or bandogge, is a vast, huge, stub-
borne, ugly, and eager, of a heavy and burthenous body, and therefore of but
httle swiftnesse, terrible and frightful to beholde, and more fierce and fell than
any Arcadian curre (notwithstanding they are sayd to have their generation
from the violent Lyon) . They are serviceable against the foxe and badger, to
drive wild and tame swine, to bayte and take the bull by the ear, when occasion
so requireth, one dogge or two at the uttermost sufficient for that purpose, be the
bull never so monstrous, never so fearce, never so furious, never so stearno,
never so untameable. For it is a kind of dogge capable of courage, violent
and valiant, strikiug could feare into the hearts of men, but standing in feare
of no man, insomuch that no weapons will make him shrink or abridge his
boldness ''....
I shall be most happy to lend you the picture I refer to for the purpose of
having it reproduced in The Field, if you should be of opinion that it would be
interesting to your readers. F. A.
144
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
CHAPTER VII. -MASTIFFS.
THE OLD ENGLISH MASTIFF.
;IKE the bulldog, the mastiflf is in all probability indigenous to Great
Britain, the exact origin of both being lostnn obscurity. Indeed, with
with the single exception of the Lyme Hall strain, we believe that none
of our modem breeds of mastiff can be traced back beyond seven or eight
generations. Mr. Edgar Hanbury, of Eastrop Grange, Highworth, Wilts, and
Mr. Lukey, of Lock^s Bottom, near Bromley, Kent, have produced by far the
best examples of this dog until within the last four or five years, yet neither
of them can trace his kennel beyond the limit we have stated.
Mr. Hanbury tells us that he '^ commenced with a bitch belonging to a
gentleman now dead, the pedigree of which he had failed in tracing ; and
as it is nearly twenty years since he saw her, he cannot bring her shape
quite well to mind, but she was a good specimen, and of the same colour as her
descendants — namely, fallow.^^ He bred from this bitch by a dog which he
bought in Wales, but whose ancestry he also failed in making out, beyond the
fact that he was from Cheshire. He also was a magnificent animal, of great
size, and of the same colour as the bitch. Since that first cross Mr. Hanbury
has introduced the blood of Mr. AnsdelFs Leo, one of the Lyme Hall mastiffs,
and that of Mr. Lukey, to which we shall presently allude. Great care has
been taken to avoid '' in-breeding," to which he is very much opposed, as
well as to the least indication of ferocity, which, when present, renders the
mastiff not only a constant source of annoyance, but positively dangerous to
all about him.
Mr. Lukey began with a brindled bitch he bought of Mr. G. White, of
Knightsbridge, in 1835, bred by the then Duke of Devonshire. She was
crossed with Lord Waldegrave^s celebrated dog Turk, a black-muzzled fawn
of great courage and symmetry, and the produce consisted of two brindled
bitch pups. These were put to the well-known Pluto, belonging to the Marquis
of Hertford ; and, unlike Mr. Hanbury, he has since then confined his kennel to
these strains, apparently without injury, and within the last eight years, when
ho obtained possession of that magnificent dog Governor, by Lieut. Gamier^s
MB. LUEEY'S •' QOVEENOB."
1
THE MASTIFF. U5
Lion, out of Countess, a daughter of Mr. Bmce^s Duchess. This dog has also
been used a good deal by Mr. Hanbury and others for stud purposes — a son of
his (Mr. Hanbury^s Prince) having been almost better than his sire.
The celebrated dealer of Kensal New Town, Bill George, has always kept
up the breed, but his puppies have not generally been so well reared as those
of Mr. Hanbury and Mr. Lukey, and they have, therefore, not the good loins and
straight legs of Governor, Duchess, Countess, and Prince.
There is probably no variety of the -species which combines so much
strength and power of doing mischief with such docility and amiability, and
hence he is, jpar excellence, the keeper^s dog. A well-broken mastiff may be
taken out at all hours, and in any company, by the most delicate lady, without
the slightest fear of leading her into a scrape, and with the most perfect con-
fidence in his protection. There are few Newfoundlands even, docile as they
are generally considered to be, from whom it would be safe to take away a bone,
but this may be fearlessly done by the master or mistress of the mastiff; and
with children he is gentleness itself; yet when roused, and set at man or
animal, his courage is second only to that of the bulldog. His sense of smell
is acute : Mr. Hanbury tells us that his Duchess will track him with the truth
of a bloodhound, and he has seen her draw up to a oovey of partridges like a
pointer. These dogs are not good at water, and do not voluntarily take it,
except in the heat of summer.
The points of the mastiff are as follows : —
The head should be massive, with a broad and flat forehead ; ears small
and wholly pendent, lying close to the cheek, though set on farther back than in
the hound, pointer, and setter ; eyes small, but mild and intelligent in expres-
sion ; face short, with a square muzzle, not tapering towards the point of the
nose; teeth level, but sometimes there is a slight projection of the lower
jaw ; flews deep.
The neck should be muscular, with the head well set into it, showing a
slight prominence at the upper point of junction ; body very large, with deep
and wide chest, well ribbed up, and a powerful loin.
The legs should be straight, with great bone (this point is not generally
well displayed, owing to confinement, as is also the case with the next) : feet
round and close.
The coat should be short, and the tail fine, but with a very slight indica-
tion of roughness — it should be carried high when the dog is excited.
The colour most to be desired is fallow (fawn), with black muzzle, and the
richer the black the better ; next to this comes brindle, then red with black
muzzle, or black ; sometimes there is a considerable admixture of white, but
this is not desirable.
Height from twenty-nine to thirty-one inches in the dog, and even more if
a fine symmetry can be combined, as in the dog which illustrates this article.
146
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
but his good shape is seldom met with in so large an animal j bitches are two
or three inches lower. A dog standing twenty-nine inches high onght to weigh,
in good condition (not fat), &om 1201b. to 1301b.
Valu^ of Fovnta of the Mastiff.
Size of
head... 10
Shape of
head... 10
Byes 6
Ears 5
Muzzle .. 5
Neck ... 6
Shoulders 6
Ijoin ... 8
Chest... 7
Legs ... 5
Feet ... 5
Colour 5
Coat ... 5
SyminetrylO
Stem ... 5
Size ...
5
35
10
15
10
10
15
5
Qrwiid total, 100.
The following are the dimensions, in inches, of Mr. Lukey's Governor,
whose portrait illustrates this article : Height at shoulder, 83 ; length, nose to
tip of tail, 86; girth, 40; girth round loin, 31 ; round fore leg, lOf; round
thigh, 22 ; round" head before ears, 28 ; skull, 9^; muzzle, 5^ — conjoined, 15 ;
ears, 7i. Weight, 1801b.
Ths following letters , among many others, have appeared in The Field
during the year 1871 :
Mastiffs and theib Breeding.
SiE, — I have been requested by several persons, mastiff breeders, to
publish the particulars of my reading and experience on the subject of mastiffs
and their breeding. The result has been the accompanying paper, which,
should you be able to find space for it, may possibly prove of interest to those
of your readers who are admirers of this class of dog.
The Breeder of Governor's Sire.
The principal point at issue seems to be — ^What were the points and
characteristics of the old English mastiff?
The broad-mouthed dogs of Britain were well-known to the Romans, and
highly prized by them for the combats of the amphitheatre ; and the mastiff
which we read of as having fought with a lion before Alexander the Great was
probably brought by the Phoenicians from Britain in one of their trading expe-
THE MASTIFF. 147
ditions to this island. Thus the mastiff is perhaps the very oldest breed in
existence, and its characteristics were the same two hundred as they were two
thousand years ago. Various English writers whose writings have come down
to us have spoken about these dogs, and £rom them we gather that their legiti-
mate use in former times was the same as now — ^viz., as watch-dogs, the
guardians of large preserves, forests, &c. They speak, however, also of their
being employed in the same manner as by the Romans, or in combating wild
beasts ; and these combats have been described by them with more or less
detail. Generally speaking, two mastiffs were a match for a leopard, three for
a bear, and four for a lion ; although there were instances in which a single
mastiff contended successfully with the king of beasts, and Henry VII. ordered
a mastiff to be hanged because he had fought and overcome a lion single-
handed. Nor was this by any means an isolated instance, as anyone may
satisfy himself who cares to study the chronicles of those times. Now the
question is — Is there one, or are there even four mastiffs, at the present
moment in England, a match for a lion 7 I think not. There may have been
some years ago ; but if there are now, we have not seen them. For I do not
believe that the larger existing specimens have the necessary stamina and
power, or that those with the requisite muscular development and determina-
tion have sufficient size and weight. I am partly led to this belief from the
result of the fight which took place in the earlier part of this century between
Wombwell^s two lions and bull-mastiffs. These dogs were probably consider-
ably inferior to such dogs as King and Baron, but, inasmuch as they were
picked dogs, they were not probably inferior in power to some of the smaller
specimens of the present breed. The larger of the two lions refused to fight,
but the smaller, against whom the dogs were let loose two at a time, made
short work of them, breaking the back of one, crushing the head of another,
settling a third with a stroke of his paw, and walking about with a fourth in
his mouth as a cat would with a mouse. Looking, therefore, at the utter
inefficiency of these dogs, I contend that not even the extra power possessed
by the best specimens of the present breed would have enabled them to turn
the scale the other way, and that the mastiffs of England three hundred or
even two hundred years ago were of greatly superior size and power. Fortu-
nately we are not without the very best record of what they were. In Vandyke's
picture of the children of Charles I. is the portrait by that exact animal
painter of a celebrated dog, one who had actually successfully contended with
a lion single-handed. This lion had killed or disabled two mastiffs which had
previously been let loose at him, but the third, by his determined hold of the
lion's lip and tongue, so exhausted the latter that on getting loose he was
unable to renew the combat.
I have seen an excellent engraving of this picture, and will describe the
dog therein delineated. He is sitting down on the left of the picture, and, by
148
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
a careful comparison with Buironnding objects, I estimated him to be from
32in. to 34iii. at the shoulder. He is a big, burly dog, with a broad chest and
massive loin. The head above the eyes, although very broad and full, is round
and bullet-shaped rather than square, as in King. The muzzle also is broad
and blunt, but not so short as in the above dog ; the ears are cropped close to
the head. The coat, without being long, is coarse and rugged. (This is
mentioned a,8 a characteristic of the mastiffs of Lancashire in the reign of
Henry VIII.) The skin is loose, and the colour apparently brindled, with
white on the nose, chest, and under part of the belly. The eye is small, and
the general expression suUen, but full of conscious strength and dignity.
In comparing this dog with the best-known dogs of the present day, I should
say that the muzzle of King is too short, and not blunt enough, and the skulls
of Baron and King above the eyes not round enough ; but Baron less deficient
in these points than King. Druid and Peveril are both greatly inferior in
muscular development, and Druid's head above the eyes is not full enough.
In former days, however, I have come across many an animal which well
answered to the type of Vandyke's mastiff, and notably those of Mr. Lukey.
I well remember his two dogs Bruce and Bell, some fifteen or sixteen years
ago. Bruce was a brindled dog, with a black head, and stood about 31 in. in
the shoulder, or rather under, weighing about 1601b. He was not so muscular
a dog as Mr. Lukey's present dog Baron, but was nevertheless a remarkably
deep, lengthy animal, with a grand head, not square, but full and round. But
what struck me about all Mr. Lukey's dogs were their broad and heavy, but
not short, muzzles. They formed the most decided feature of their heads,
and strongly recalled to my mind at the time the epithet by which the Romans
distinguished this breed, ^^ the broad-mouthed dogs of Britain.'' Bell was an
animal of the same character as Bruce, but was more muscular, and had half-
erect ears and a somewhat broader muzzle. Wallace, a silver brindle and an
uncle of Bruce, stood S3 inches at the shoulders ; and at eighteen months, just
before he died, weighed no less than 1801b., and would, therefore, when fully
developed, have pulled down at least 2001b. Another Wallace, a son of
Bruce's, figures in " Stonehenge on the Dog." One point which I noticed in
Mr. Lukey's breed was that the under edge of the lower jaw was deeply
convex, giving a depth of jaw, which point is not so marked in more modem
dogs. Besides these, I remember two grand dogs which Bill George had in
1855. They were very old, and he could never obtain any stock from them.
The dog stood over 33 inches at the shoulder, but was all. to pieces when I saw
him. The bitch, however, still retained her grand muscular development and
broad flat loin. She stood 30iin. at the shoulder, with remarkable length and
depth of body, measuring round the chest 40in. Her head also was round and
full, and her muzzle broad and blunt, but with hardly such heavy flews as I
have seen in some dogs.
THE MASTIFF.
149
About this time I bought of Bill (Jeorge a pair of mastiffs, whose produce,
by good luck, afterwards turned out some of the finest specimens of the breed
I ever saw. The dog Adam was one of a pair of Lyme Hall mastiffs, bought by
Bill George at TattersalFs. He was a different stamp of dog to the present
Lyme breed. He stood 30iin. at the shoulder, with length of body and good
muscular shoulders and loin, but was just slightly deficient in depth of body
and breadth of forehead ; and from the peculiar forward lay of his small ears,
and from his produce, I have since suspected a remote dash of boarhound in
him. The bitch was obtained by Bill George from a dealer in Leadenhnll
•Market. Nothing was known of her pedigree, but I am as convinced of its
purity as I am doubtful of that of the dog. There was nothing striking about
her. She was old, her shoulders a trifle flat, and she had a gi-ey muzzle, but
withal stood 29in. at the shoulder, had a broad round head, good loin, and
deep lengthy frame. From crossing these dogs with various strains I was
easily able to analyse their produce, and I found in them two distinct types —
one due to the dog, very tall, but a little short in the body and high on the
leg, while their heads were slightly deficient in breadth ; the other due to the
bitch, equally tall, but deep, lengthy, and muscular, with broad massive heads
and muzzles. Some of these latter stood 33in. at the shoulder, and by the
time they were two years old weighed upwards of 1901b. They had invariably
a fiffch toe on each hind leg, which toe was quite distinct from a dew-claw, and
formed an integral portion of their feet. By bad management, I was only
able to bring a somewhat indifferent specimen with me on my return to
England from America — a badly-reared animal, who nevertheless stood 32in,
at the shoulder, and weighed 17016. This dog was the sire of Governor and
Harold, by Mr. Lukey's bitch Countess, and so certain was I of the vast size
of the breed in him that I stated beforehand, much to Mr Lukey's incredulity,
that the produce would be dogs standing 33in. at the shoulder — the result
being that both Governor and his brother Harold were fully that height. Li
choosing the whelps Mr. Lukey retained for himself the best marked one, an
animal that took after the lighter of the two strains that existed in the sire ;
for Governor, grand dog and perfect mastiff as he was, compared to most
others of the breed, was nevertheless shorter in the body, higher on the leg,
and with less muscular development than Harold, while his head, large as it
was, barely measured as much round as did his brother's. I, who wont by the
development of the fifth toe (in this case only a dew-claw), chose Harold, a dog
which combined all the best points except colour of both strains, and was a
very perfect reproduction on a larger scale of his dam Countess. This dog
was the finest male specimen of the breed I have met with. His breast at ten
months old, standing up, measured 13in. across, with a.^irth of 41 in., and he
weighed in moderate condition 1401b., and at twelve months old 1601b., while
at 13^ months old Governor only weighed in excellent condition 1501b. with a
150
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
girth of 40in. ; and inasmuch as Governor eventually weighed 1 80Ib. or even
more, the size to which Harold probably attained must have been very great.
His head also in size and shape promised to be perfect.
I will mention three other dogs. The first. Lord Waldegrave's Turk, better
known as " Couchez," was the foundation of Mr. Lukey^s breed. This dog
has frequently been described to me by Bill George and Mr. Lukey, and I
have a painting of his head at the present moment. He stood about 29iin. or
80in. at the shoulder, with great length and muscular development, and,
although he was never anything but thin, weighed about 1301b. Muzzle
broad and heavy, with deep flews ; skin over the eyes and about the neck very
loose ; colour red, with very black muzzle. He was a most savage animal ;
was fought several times with other animals, and was invariably victorious.
The second was a tailless brindled bitch, bought by Mr. Lukey from George
White of Knightsbridge. She was a very large, massively-built animal,
standing 30in. at the shoulder. Her produce with Couchez were remarkably
fine. " Long-bodied, big-limbed, heavy-headed bitches. They were mastifis
Mr. Lukey had in those days!'' is Bill George's eulogium of them. This
bitch was bred by the Duke of Devonshire, and must therefore have been one
of the Chatsworth breed. The third animal, L'Ami, was a brindled dog of
such vast size and weight that he was taken about and shown in England, in
the year 1829, the price of admission being one shilling. Of the head of this
dog also I have a drawing, and it shows him to be very full and round above
the eyes, with a broad heavy muzzle and remarkably deep flews, the ears
being cropped close. This dog, with the exception of rather heavier flews,
answered exactly to the type of Vandyke's mastiff".
Now the point to which I wish to draw attention is, that both Couchez
and L'Ami came direct from the Convent of Mount St. Bernard. The mighty
dogs which used to be kept at Chatsworth (and one of which stood 34in. at
the shoulder) were pure Alpine mastiffs, as also were the two magnificent
animals I have mentioned as having seen at Bill George's kennels some sixteen
years ago ; while others that I frequently used to meet with at that time were
of the same character. These, one and all, presented the same type — ^a strong
proof of their purity — and that type was in all respects the same as the old
English mastiff" portrayed by Vandyke. The same may be said of the dogs in
Landseer's picture of Alpine mastiffs, which have all the points of the true
mastiffs, although their tails, as might be expected from the cold climate, are
hairier than they should be. At that time one used to meet with good English
mastiffs also, but they were few compared to the number of half-bred animals
that went by that name ; and, with the exception of Mr. Lukey's breed, the
good ones have nearly all come from Lancashire, Cheshire, and the north of
England generally, where some years ago they were still in considerable
request for guarding the large bleaching grounds. Between these and the
THE MASTIFF.
151
Alpine dogs I never could discover the slightest difference except in size — ^the
best English dogs varying from 29in. to 83iu. at the shoulder, while the Alpine
male specimens were seldom under 32in.
Now, it is ridiculous to suppose that the dogs that used to be found at the
convent, and in a few of the Swiss valleys, were a breed indigenous to that small
part of the continent of Europe ; and yet it was there only that the breed existed.
When, therefore, we find the same animal common in England two hundred
years ago, and still to be met with in considerable numbers, though more rarely
than formerly, it is only reasonable to conclude that the English and Mount St.
Bernard mastiffs are identical breeds, and that the monks, requiring large,
powerful, generous, and high-couraged animals for their benevolent purposes,
selected the old English dog in preference to all other breeds. It is very easy
to understand that with the disuse of the breed for combating wild animals they
should have been allowed to die out and degenerate in England; and it is
equally easy to understand that the mastiffs kept at the Convent of St. Bernard
for a particular purpose, requiring strength and courage, should have been
kept up, and thus that the best specimens of the breed in modern times have
come from there.
The old breed can now no longer be obtained from the convent, the cause
of which is thus stated by Mr. Richardson in his valuable little work on the dog,
republished in 1851 : ''The old mastiff breed was almost completely destroyed by
pestilence many years ago, and the monks were obliged to resort to a cross with
the rough- coated Italian and Pyrenean wolf dogs in order to keep it up, the
result being a broken-haired dog, an excellent illustration of which is to be seen
in the engraving in Youatt.'^ Since then, however, I have spoken to people who
have visited the convent, and it appears that the monks have used another
cross — viz., the huge boarhounds found in Bavaria, the Upper Danube, and
Tyrol. The fine animals in the possession of Mr. Macdona are from these
crosses, and have for some years been established as a distinct breed.
While upon this subject I will say a few words on dew-claws. There
appears to be some uncertainty as to whether they ought to appear in the present
Mount St. Bernard; the truth of the matter being that they have been
transmitted to that breed from the old Alpine mastiff, from i^^hich I have shown
the present Mount St. Bernard dogs to have originally sprung. These
appendages are simply the imperfect development of a fifth toe — a peculiarity
which all the older naturalists agree in attributing to the mastiffs, and to them
only — and it appears to be an exuberant development by nature in these giants
of the canine race, just as wo read of the extra toes and fingers possessed by
the giants of old of the human race. I have invariably found that where the
development was complete, as in the Alpine breed and my own, all the other
characteristics of the mastiff w^re perfect. When, however, they are simply
dew-claws, and not part of the foot, the cjise is different, and most people object
152
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
to such appendages ; and^ as they are certainly unsightly^ and destroy the clecm
appearance of the limb^ it is doubtless better to remoye them ; but they are no
proof of impurity of blood, as in other breeds. Mr. Lukey has bred scores of
mastiffs with them, and among others, the pair I have mentioned (Bruce and
Bell) ; while, for my own part, I have seen scores of mastiffs, and good ones too,
either with them or with the traces of them. But, although the dew-claw is a
peculiarity of the mastiff, its development is by no means necessary as a proof
of breed. There are quite as many good mastiffs whelped without them as
with them, and their presence or absence in a dog ought neither to depreciate
nor exalt his excellence as a mastiff.
The points of the mastiff may be gathered from what I have already written
on the subject, but for the sake of clearness I will state them in detail. Height
in dogs, originally from 31in. to 34in. at the shoulder, now from 28in. to 33in.;
body long and deep, chest broad and shoulders muscular, loin broad and flat,
limbs massive, with the frequent development of a fifth toe on the hind feet of
the larger specimens ; head above eyes very broad and full, but rounded, and
not square, a deep furrow down the centre, and the frontal sinus much
elevated ; the under edge of the lower jaw deeply convex, giving it depth ;
muzzle broad, heavy, and blunt, but not too short ; eyes small, and appearing
to be deeply sunk from the loose skin of the forehead causing the eyebrows to
hang over, giving the animal an expression of great sternness and dignity;
ears of moderate size, and either half-erect or pendent. I have found the purest
specimens with both descriptions of ear, and for my own part somewhat prefer
the half-erect, it being invariably accompanied by great nervous energy and
activity, as in Mr. Lukey's Countess and her son Harold. Coat originally
coarse, but now, by greater domestication, and perhaps also by intermixture
with other breeds, much shorter and closer ; colour brindled or all shades of
fallow and red, with black muzzle and ears. Brindled dogs were originally held
in the highest estimation, and I have generally found them, ccsteris jparihusy the
best in other respects — ^the reason being doubtless that, while the lighter colour
is possessed in common with some other dogs, the brindle is the characteristic
of the mastiff only, and so far is a proof of purity of breed.
With this standard I will briefly compare some of the best-known dogs of
the present day. Baron and King are direct descendants of Mr. Lukey^s old breed,
and are undoubtedly the most perfect specimens known to the public. The bull
strain in them shows itself in their squareness of head and shortness of muzzle.
These are faults on the right side ; and for other reasons I do not think the bull
cross need be objected to, except in oue particular: the full prominent eye
produced by it robs the dog of that dignity and gravity of expression which is
a characteristic of the pure breed. The muzzles of King and Baron are both
blunt, and both their muzzles and foreheads are. full and broad. Both are deep,
muscular dogs, but Baron is the lengthier, and I prefer him somewhat to his
THE MASTIFF.
153
&ther^ except as regards colonring. Both dogs, however^ are very deficient
in size.
That very handsome dog^ Turk, shows many of the characteristics of his
sire. His muscular development is excellent, and he has more length than
King. On the other hand, he is somewhat deficient in depth and weight of
body, his limbs are too light, and his head would be better if it were a trifle
larger and his muzzle blunter. These defects, though not very marked, spring
from his dam Hilda, who, thoagh large, is very deficient in mastiflf properties,
and her faults are more visible in his progeny than in Turk himself. This,
however, arises from want of suitable mating, as, with the size in his blood,
he ought with a bitch of the Baron or Tiger strains to get animals second
to none.
Druid and his brother Peveril have more of the character of the old breed
than the above dogs, as one might expect from the absence of the bull cross,
and from the fact that they are the immediate descendants of Mr. Lukey^s old
breed. Both have broad, heavy, and blunt muzzles, and their heads are ronnd,
and not square — Peveril's head, in all but colour, being nearly perfect. Druid,
also, has capital depth of body and massive limbs. The skins of both are loose,
and their size is quite that of the old breed. On the other hand, they are full
of faults. Peveril wants depth, length, and weight of body, and is utterly
deficient in muscular development, and his colour is as ugly as it could well be;
while Druid is almost equally deficient in muscle, and his otherwise good head
is spoilt by the narrowness of his forehead. Without, however, further
comparison of existing dogs, it is evident that they one and all fall short of the
dogs of ten or twenty years ago. The best-headed and most muscular are
deficient in size, and the larger are deficient in substance or in breadth of head,
&c.; and the question for breeders therefore is. How can they improve the
breed?
In reference to this subject, I may, in the first place, remark how
very few really good animals are represented at the present day. Mr.
Lukey's Countess, Bill George's Tiger, Mr. Cauntley's Quaker, Mr. Hanbury's
Duchess, Mr. Lukey's Wallace, and my own Lion, are pretty nearly all, and the
first two were very deficient in size. The remaining blood is made up chiefly of
animals of questionable value. It is impossible, however, to suppose that the
numerous magnificent strains that were comparatively common even a dozen
years ago are no longer in existence, or that a little trouble would not find
them out. Here, then, is one source of improvement. But the real source of
improvement must ever be a greater attention to the true principles of breed-
ing than has hitherto been observed. These I will shortly discuss.
The points required may be divided as follows : Size ; development of
head ; length and muscular development of body ; colour and coat.
Size I have placed firsts not because I consider it of greater importance
154
THE DOGS OF THE BBITISH ISLANDS.
than other qualities, but because it is the most difficult to obtain, and to retain
when got. It is wonderful how much a few generations of CEureful rearing and
feeding will increase the muscular development, while, on the other hand, a
century of equal care would fail to increase the average height of the breed by
one inch. In-and-in breeding will also quickly reduce the size, and should,
therefore, only be followed within certain limits. The principal cause, how-
ever, of the loss of size in the present breed has been the fashionable prejudice
with regard to colour, a quality of such a superficial and mobile character
that it may always be last considered. Thus the biggest and heaviest whelp
in a litter is immediately drowned if he has a white nose, and the black-muzzled
one kept, even although the smallest ; while a bad-coloured dog is never bred
fipom, even though a giant in size and perfect in every other respect. Size, with
every other quality, is quickly lost in this way, and the breed reduced to a lot
of good-looking curs. Another mistake is to condemn a large dog for breed-
ing purposes if his head is not quite perfect, or his muscular development is
deficient ; for, firstly, it must be remembered that it is very seldom indeed that
he represents in himself all the characteristics of his strain, and that if* that is
not generally deficient in these qualities, neither will his produce be. Thus, in
the case of Druid and Peveril, breeders before passing them over should con-
sider that their sire, Mr. Lukey's Wallace, was a giant in size, perfect in all
mastiff qualities, and by the side of whom most of the present breed would
hardly have been noticed. Secondly, faults may generally be correcfed
by suitable mating, and I expect that the union of the strains of Druid and
Peveril with that of King and Baron would give results that could hardly be
surpassed. Finally, we must remember that vast size is the characteristic of
the old breed, and one which is only possessed besides by one other breed in
Europe, the Bavarian boarhound, sometimes called the Ulmer mastiff — ^a breed
already largely crossed with mastiff; so that it is at least more likely than not
that by breeding from the larger mastiff strains, not only size, but all other
characteristics of the breed, will at the same time be obtained. In breeding
for size, it is more important that the sire should be large than that the dam
should be so.
A large and well-developed head appears to be a quality transmitted from
sire to son with far more certainty than size ; and, on the other hand, no
characteristic is so quickly affected by impurity in the blood. But to obtain size
and weight this cannot always be avoided ; and, as both are equally important,
it becomes a question what to do. Now it is well known that the bulldog cross
in greyhounds, instead of diminishing the size, increased it after the first few
removes, although from in-and-in breeding it has since been somewhat lost. It
may be expected, therefore, that this cross for the mastiff woald not materially
affect the size after some half-dozen removes, while the muscular development
and Mlness of skull would probably be retained. Some people, however.
THE MASTIFF.
155
object to it ; but I think unnecessarily. The bulldog is at the present time
looked upon as the representative dog of England ; but few people are perhaps
aware that the breed is of comparatively modem origin, and that the name
was unknown when the mastiff was pa/r excellence the typical dog of Britain.
Mr. Aiken, in his '^ National Sports,'^ gives an account of the way in which the
term first came into use, about two hundred years ago ; and, comparing the
present bulldog with all other known breeds, it is perfectly certain that it could
have sprung from no other breed but the mastiff; and probably the smallest and
most active animals of that breed were chosen, as being more suitable for bull-
baiting than their larger and more unwieldly brethren. Since, too, the fancy
has arisen for the smallest possible bulldogs, their size is much reduced,
although even now some of the most perfect specimens weigh upwards of 70Ib.
By crossing, then, the bulldog with the mastiff, we merely combine two breeds
which a century or two ago were identical. This fact is also proved by the
colour of the two breeds, which are the same, viz., brindled, fallow, and red
with black muzzles ; while the known effects of domestication and warmth in pro-
ducing white in all animals would have fiill play in the bulldog — the fireside
companion of the working man — and would quite account for the change of a
light fallow into that colour, and its presence in the bulldog of the present
day. In using the cross, however, it would, of course, be advisable to select a
brindled or fallow dog.
We have an illustration of the bull cross in King and his produce ; but
here I think it has proved of but slight use. King combines in him some of
the best strains of the pure mastiff, and his good qualities are quite ab much
derived from them as from the bull strain in him. His great grand-dam, Mr.
Lukey's Countess, had a longer and more muscular body than he ha«, and his
head and muzzle are not one whit fiiUer than any of Mr. Lukey^s old strain ;
while Baron, his son, who is the result of another cross with the old strain,
has, I think, a slightly fuller head than he himself. His ears also are more
probably inherited from his great-granddam Countess than from the bull cross.
The only effects produced by the latter are the under jaw slightly underhung,
a full prominent eye, short muzzle, and square forehead. The two first are
objectionable, and the two latter produce certain illusive effects on the eye.
The shortness of the muzzle makes it look broader than it really is, and the
squareness of the forehead makes that part look fuller. These latter so far
are advantages, but mastiff critics should remember that the effects produced
by them are more apparent than real. Thus Turk^s square forehead measures
no more round in proportion to his size than does Druid's ; and yet, while the
eye can detect no great fault in Turk's head, the want of breadth in Druid's is
evident at once. So also the contrast of a strongly-marked muzzle with the
rest of the head makes it look fuller than it really is. While on this subject,
I may as well notice another effect. Some of the correspondents in Thi
156
THE DOaS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
Field have written of Druid as having a narrow and pointed muzzle. If,
however, they measure the girth of his muzzle and that of King^s, they will
find that they are in the same proportion as the relative sizes of the two dogs,
while Druid^s muzzle is actually more truncated than King'3, and as much so
as Barents; but let the owner of Druid slightly lift the skin on each side of
his dog's head, so as to give the forehead an appearance of greater breadth,
and the supposed faults in the muzzle will at once disappear. So deceptive are
these little tricks of eflFect, that I never depend on my eye alone, but always
assist my judgment with the tape. The fact that in the particular case of King
the bull cross has had no very decided eflfect need not prove an objection to
that cross, unless it can be shown that the bulldog used was the best of his
class. For there are ''bulldogs and bulldogs/' and it is only in the best
specimens that the head will measure more round in proportion to their size
than the heads of well-bred mastiffs, the squareness of forehead and shortness
of muzzle in the bulldog contributing to make their heads look larger and fuller
in proportion to their size than they really are. From what I know of the strain
&om which the bull cross in King came, I expect that his bulldog ancestor was
not of the largest-headed type. But take such a dog as Bill George's Young
Dan, whose head measures 20^in. round, and who stands 22in. at the shoulder.
If he stood 32in., the height of Peveril, his head would measure neatly 31in.,
while Peveril's only measures 27in.; and the volume of the two heads would
then be as 3 to 2.
Muscular development and length of body. — ^These are simply and easily
attained by good food and exercise when young, by the bulldog cross, and
careful crossing of the different strains.
Colour. — The present taste is for fallow with black muzzle, for obtaining
which there is a simple recipe. Use every now and then a brindle cross. If
this is not done, the black muzzle will get less and less every succeeding
generation, and finally disappear. The muzzle, tips of ears, toe nails, and the
tip of the tail seem to be the last points where the black of the brindle remains;
and in proportion as there is more of the brindled cross, the black extends over
the whole face and ears, down the centre of the back to the tip of the tail, with
a shade or two perhaps on the shoulders and chest, the next step being the
actual brindle. This colour is probably the original colour, the fallow being
only the ground of the brindle stripes and markings.
Many mastiffs show white round their noses, or a blaze down their face. I
expect it originally arose from breeding with old dogs. Grey hairs always
make their appearance there in old age, and are generally transmitted. Where
this exists in a good dog, use a brindled cross ; or, if this cannot be done, it is
very unlikely that more than one or two of the pups will be similarly marked,
and those not necessarily the best. I have frequently observed that the puppy
most like the sire in colour has been most like the dam in all other points.
Finally, the colour of the sire affects the colour of the pups far more than that
of the dam does.
In conclusion, T will make a few suggestions on judging at shows. The
head appears to be the first and most important point, inasmuch as it, more than
anything else, is a proof of purity ; and I think it should be considered under
the following heads : Size in comparison to body ; shape ; ears ; colouring (the
two latter being, in my opinion, of less importance than the two former) .
2. The body. — ^This may also be considered under heads as follows:
Shoulders ; chest ; loin ; legs and feet ; and length in proportion to heiglit.
The latter point, when wanting, is most difficult to attain, and has, I think,
been rather lost sight of; but it is one of the most characteristic points of the
breed.
3 and 4. Colour and coat. — The colour of the body is of little importance
comparatively to the markings of the head ; and when that is good, the colour
of the body is also generally good. Coat is of more importance. Fineness
and shortness of coat are proofs of care and culture, and it is not desirable that
the carefully-housed modem animal should have the rugged coat of the old
breed, who probably had to rough it all night and in all weathers.
5. Size. — ^This, until quite lately, has apparently not been considered at all,
people seeming to judge a dog by points only, forgetting that size is as much a
characteristic of the breed as anything. The points laid down by the National
Dog Club do not, indeed, mention size ; but it is not therefore to be supposed
that they intended size to be left out of the question, or that a good big dog
was not better than a good little one. For if they did, they might have been
placed in the dilemma of having to award a prize to some half-bred bulldog or
bull-mastiff, of which there are specimens, that, if judged by the points in a
mastiff class, would bear away the palm even from Baron and King. But it is
manifest that size cannot be left out of consideration ; for, although not the
only element of strength and power, it is one of the most important, and
strength and power at letust will be admitted as characteristics of the mastiff.
There may, however, be individuals who, like the fanciers of toy bulldogs, do
not care for size and power, but desire rather perfection of shape, even although
the animal may be only a dwarfed representative of the original breed. By all
means let everyone follow his fancy, but let us, at the same time, distinguish
these toy mastiffs from their larger brethren.
Finally, with regard to judging generally, I think two points should be
considered — ^first, the actual merit of the dog itself; and, secondly, his value as
a stock dog. Under the first. Tiger, in spite of his good head, would never
have been even commended, with his crooked legs, narrow loin, and bad body
generally, and the result would have been that a most valuable strain would
have been, much neglected. For this reason, although I consider Druid and
Peverel far from model dogs, and inferior to Baron and King as mastiffs, yet
their size gives them at the present time an extra valae as stock dogs^ and I
was not sorry to see them awarded prizes at Birmingham last year.
The table of merit below may be open to correction, but I think it is correct
in principle, and of possible use. In the scale of marks for size I have made
the increase of the greater heights rather more in proportion, on account of the
difficulty of obtaining such strains ; and I would propose that a dog below
twenty-six inches and a bitch below twenty-four inches at the shoulder should
be disqualified, as well as animals with utterly defective heads.
Tabl?
I OF
Merit.
Head.
Body.
General.
1
10
10
7
8
5 6 5
*
6
6
25
OQ
1
5
O
10
100
1
^
1
O
1
3
6
2
43
■%
>2
1
3
1
P
1
G ovemor /
9
10
10
8
9
10
6
7
7
6
8
3
3
6
5
6
6
4
4
4
4
23
8
19
6
5
3
9
10
10
85
l^Cimr
81
Peveril
3 3
78
SCA.LE OF MaUKS FOS SiZB.
Dogs.
Bitches.
Maries.
Height.
Weight.
Height.
Weight.
26
93
24
70
3
27
105
25
81
6
28i
125
26
93
10
30
148
27
105
14
31
163
28
120
19
32
182
29
133
25
33
200
30
148
The Bbeedeb of Govebnob's Sibe.
Sib, — In The Field of the 29th of April there appeared, under the title of
'^ Mastiffs and their Breeding/^ a paper from a gentleman signing himself
*' The Breeder of Govemor^s Sire/' which I, in common, I am sure, with your
readers in general, have read with very considerable pleasure. It is in truth a
hijou epitome of the history and characteristics of the noblest of dogs. To the
accuracy of the facts the author advances, everyone who has at all studied the
subject will readily testify. There is one incident, however, connected with the
ancient history of the mastiff which he does not mention, but of which, if true^
>
ME, BOBIiraON'S "CAELO."
I fancy he mast be cognisaot. I allade to the statement that in the days of the
Roman dominion over these islands there existed an official whose peculiar duty
it was to select and forward to Rome those mastiffs which were deemed worthy
to figure in the sports of the amphitheatre. I have more than once noticed
allusions to this statement in the works of our more modem writers upon field
sports, but have never yet met with it in any author of an earHer date than
Camden. I have not Camden's work by me at present, and it is long since I
read it ; but, if my memory serves me aright, he states that this officer was
distinguished by a particular title, that his sole business was the selection of
mastiffs for the amphitheatre, and that he resided at Winchester.
My object in alluding to this is to obtain, if possible, from the author of
the paper upon " Mastiffs and their Breeding,'^ or indeed from any ^ther of
your correspondents, an indication of the original authority for the assertion
that such an official existed among the Romans. In what Latin author of the
period coeval with the Roman occupation can it be found, and did the official
provide other animals or other dogs, or did his duty relate to mastiffs only ?
Was he, too, a functionary of superior rank ? I am rather curious upon this
point, and shall feel obliged to any gentleman who will afford me information
upon the subject.
That the breed of mastiffs had attained a high degree of excellence in those
early days is not to be doubted ; but nothing could bear better testimony to the
esteem in which it was held than reliable historical evidence of the former
existence of this Roman provider of British dogs. Pobbst Aisle.
THE NEWFOUNDLAND DOG.
It is universally admitted that there are two breeds of dogs imported from
Newfoundland — the larger, or true Newfoundland, and the lesser, or
Labrador dog. Some people, however, make a third variety, which they
denominate the larger Labrador, but this last we do not believe to be a
distinct strain. It may readily be known when well marked, by its woolly,
shaggy coat, and by the great admixture of white which generally predomi-
nates over the black ; but the two varieties are merged, the one in the other,
continually.
We now propose to describe that larger, longer dog, commonly known as
'' the great Newfoundland,*' a dog of massive form and great character, and
possessing marvellous intelligence. In his native land he is bred for harness.
His large feet, his thick coat, his hardy constitution, his readiness to endure
160
THE- DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
fatigue or privation — all these qualities render him a most useful animal when
the earth is deeply covered with snow, and the track is impassable except for
dog-sledges, to which these animals are yoked. Probably the dog has sup-
ported himself entirely during the fishing months ; but in the winter it is
asserted that a pair of good dogs c^n support their master, and some thousands
of dogs are kept for this purpose.
The Newfoundland dog has no equal in the water. He appears to endure
immersion in the coldest weather for any length of time without injury, and is
hardly ever afiFected by rheumatism in old age. He will jump into a rough
sea from a height, dive many feet to please his master or to amuse a child, and
seems to float without exertion to please himself. Many wonderful tales have
been told of his floating powers, some undoubtedly true, but others apocryphal.
Colonel Hamilton Smith, a good authority, relates one, which we give in his
own words. He says: ''I possessed one, picked up in the Bay of Biscay.
The dog had been observed by the man at the mast-head, the ship whence he
must have come being out of sight. When taken into the boat which was
lowered for him he gave no signs of extreme fatigue.^^
The afiection of a Newfoundland dog for his master equals, or rather
exceeds, the love of any dog ; but his regard for the human race is also called
forth by the peril or weakness of a woman or a child. He instinctively aids or
protects the imperilled, and appears to feel they have an especial claim upon
him. At such times he thoroughly disregards his own life ; and frequently his
courage is absolutely heroic. Antics belong to the poodle ; the spaniel seems
most remarkable for affection (an affection, however, that occasionally has some
regard to the future) ; the bull-terrier is '^the rough ^^ of the dog family; but
the great, the good, the self-sacrificing, belongs to the Newfoundland,
He is in form a majestic, colossal animal. The purest specimens are of an
intense black colour, with a gloss upon their coat which reflects the light like a
mirror. Any admixture of white is a defect ; but there are specimens with
brindled points, or black-and-white, or wholly brindled, or of a rufous-dun
colour.
There are two, if not three, varieties of coat. The smooth dog i^ almost
as free from any approach to feather as a mastiff*. If this dog has any tendency
to feather, it will declare itself in profile just below the set-on of the head.
His coat, if well-examined, will be found more dense than a mastiff'^s, and of
greater volume.
The shaggy-coated Newfoundland has a smooth face, but within two inches
of the skull the coat suddenly elongates, and, except that he is very clean to
the angle of his neck, he is thoroughly feathered in his outline. His coat
generally parts down the back, and this parting is continued to the end of his
tail, which is bushy and carried very gaily. His hind legs are close-coated
from the hock, and his feet all round are nearly as free of feather as a cat^s.
THE NEWFOUNDLAND DOG.
161
A very old and favourite curly-coated breed exists, as we are informed, at
St. John's, and we have seen a specimen (a remarkably beautiful one) which
was purchased there. We confess to a dislike of the curly coat, however, and
prefer the smooth dog for the yacht or duck-punt, and the shaggy coat for
every other purpose.
In form, as we have observed, the Newfoundland is colossal. He has been
known to reach 84in. in height, and he is frequently to be found from 28in. to
SOin., or even more.
His head is remarkably grand and fuU of character, and its expression
very benevolent. Across the eyes the skull is very broad, and he has a large brain.
The forehead is very wrinkled. The eyes are small, but bright and intelligent ;
they are generally deeply set, but should not hove a blood-shot appearance.
The ears must be small, smooth, set low, and hanging close ; they are very
seldom set up, even when the animal is excited. Nose and nostrils large ;
muzzle long and quite smooth ; mouth capacious ; teeth level.
The neck is naturally short — shorter than we like. It is, however, well
clothed with muscle, as are the arms, legs, and fore hand ; but there is a slack-
ness about the loin, which accounts for his slouching and somewhat slovenly
carriage. He is frequently short in his back ribs ; and some of the largest dogs
have a tendency to weakness in the back.
The feet are large and strong, but the sole is not so thick as that of a
well-bred pointer, nor are the toes so much arched as in the average of hunting
dogs. This peculiar structure of the foot is adapted for his sledge work on
snow, and accounts for his power in the water, and has given rise to the vulgar
error that he is '' semi-palmated.'' Owing to* this structure, the dog has a
wholesome dread of the down-thistle or of short furze. Like the St. Bernard,
he has often double hind dewclaws.
A very beautiful dog, ^' black as midnight,'' the property of Mr. Van
Hare, was exhibited at Islington in 1862. He was not large, and, so far as we
remember, had some white about him, but he was exhibited in condition, and
with a gloss upon his coat impossible to excel. We have also seen two very
superior specimens, the property of Mr. Infelix ; but we prefer a dog named
Cabot, the property of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and the
winner of the first prize at Islington in 1864. He was a rich black dog, totally
free from white ; powerful, good-tempered, fine-framed, very massive in form,
with a sagacious expression. He possessed all the points of a good animal.
His feet were far above the average, his loin the best we have ever seen, and
his carriage appeared to be excellent. At the time he was shown he was changing
his coat, and therefore appeared to disadvantage. Since 1866 the Rev. S.
Atkinson's Cato has been exhibited without a rival, and he is admitted to be a
magnificent animal of the true type.
162
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
Value of Points of the Newfoundland Vog.
Head... 30
Neck... 10
40
Back 10 I Feet .
Chest...... 5 Legs .
15
10
Size 10 i Colour... 5
Symmetry 10 Coat ... 6
20
10
Orand Total, 100.
Stern.,. 5
Our illustration represents Mr. Robinson^s Carlo, a fine black dog, by
Mr. Lotinga's Nero out of Bella. He took the first prize at Birmingham in
1864, and at Islington in 1865. His dimensions are as follows: Height at
shoulder, 30in. ; length, 34in. ; girth at chest, 40in. ;• girth at loin, 34in. : round
thigh, 20in. ; round arm, lOiin. ; length of head, 14in. ; length of tail, 20iin. ;
length of ear, T^in.
Tlie various strains of the Newfoundland are investigated with great acmira<cy in
the following letters, which xcere -published in The Yvsjuiy during the year 1869.
SiE, — A few years ago (I don^t name the year, not wishing to be in any
sense personal) I addressed to you a letter on the subject of the judging at a
certain dog show, which I may now say took place at Birmingham. In the
Newfoundland class (eighteen entries) a dog of mine, which I had brought
with others from St. John^s, was adjudged second, he being beaten by a dog
which was no Newfoundland at all. Since then I have been mostly on the
Continent, and have not exhibited ; but now that I have returned I intend to
do so, provided there is some reliable and uniform standard of breed and merit,
as in the case of other dogs — pointers, mastiffs, Dalmatians, terriers, &c.
With regard to the Newfoundlands at the National Dog Club^s first
exhibition (Islington, 1869), you say : " H size is beauty, the Newfoundlands
were handsome enough, and the judges were certainly right in their awards.^^
This observation is the cause of this letter. It is possible (and I hope they
were) that the winning dogs were of the genuine breed ; I have not seen them ;
but, in view of the fact that they were largo, I should like some more detailed
information. I attack no one, least of all the judges, who are always entitled
to the thanks of exhibitors and the public. But I wish to know, not only for
my own guidance but for the general good, what the judges^ standard in
England is, and whether or not it is the true one. The public, I think, is in
fairness entitled to know this, and I should bo very much obliged to Messrs.
Hedley, Barrow, and Monsey, or any of those three gentlemen who oflSciated
in the non-sporting classes at that show, to state for our information and
assistance — I refer especially to owners of Newfoundlands, real or supposed —
the standard which they, or any of them, have adopted.
THE NEWFOUNDLAND DOG. 163
I have a Newfoundlaiid dog which stands about 25in. high at the
shoalder. If there are three of these dogs in the whole of Newfoundland
higher than he, I will forfeit 20Z. This assertion, though made after a year's
observation and experience on the island, is to a certain extent speculative, and
there may perhaps be one or two more than three. But it is an absolute fact
that every true Newfoundland is entirely black, except a small streak of white,
which is upon the breast of about ninety-nine out of every hundred genuine
dogs. These conditions are as necessary in the nature of things as that a black-
and-tan terrier is not, and cannot be, white-and-fawn. A dog professing to be a
Newfoundland which has any white or any other colour about him except a
little on the breast, cannot be a pure Newfoundland. He must have been
crossed somewhere ; and, no matter how handsome and perfect he may be in
other respects, to award him a prize is to raise the mongrel (and mongrels are
often very beautiful animals) at the expense of justice to the true dog, which
is invariably of an " intense black colour .'' The last three words are used by
you to describe one characteristic of the Newfoundland dog, in an admirable
and weighty article in The Field of Nov. 4, 1865, and reprinted in ''The Dogs
of the British Islands.'^ 1^^
June 12, 1869.
Sib, — As the letter of your correspondent ^^ has been elicited by your
remarks on the Newfoundland dogs at the recent Islington show, may I beg
you to insert a short defence of the first-prize dog Cato ? I am encouraged to
make this request from the fact of your criticism being understood as an
absolute censure of every specimen exhibited. That this was your meaning I
cannot believe, judging from your previous complimentary notices of Cato.
Thus, in your review of the 1867 Birmingham show (he being then twenty -one
months old, and he has greatly improved since), you approved of the decision
of the judges in the following terms : " A magnificent black Newfoundland,
Mr. Atkinson's Cato, had no rival near his throne ; but Mr Nichols took the
second prize with a fair average specimen, Major.'' Again, Field, Doc. 5,
1868: "Mr. Atkinson's Cato took the first prize in the Newfoundland dog
class, and deservedly so, being above the average ; but the second, Cabot,
shown by the Duke of Newcastle, did not please us so much."
But your correspondent, encouraged as he confesses by your remarks,
jumps to a rash conclusion, and strongly asserts that it is very rare indeed to
find a pure-bred dog ''in the whole of Newfoundland" higher than 25in.
at the shoulder. This may be, and it may not be. But, supposing it to be
true, it only proves that bad treatment has somewhat reduced these dogs in
size ; while to conclude that no dog which measures more than his standard
can be a pure Newfoundland is simply illogical. My experience, which by the
way, is pretty extensive, is widely different.
164
THE DOGS OP THE BEITISH ISLANDS.
For years I liave been an admirer of the majestic Newfoundland. I have
spared neither pains nor expense to procure the purest blood and best strains,
and have taken care to preserve it pure, while I have C€wefully avoided " in-
and-in breeding ^^ beyond the first cross. I am in a position, therefore, to
prove the Cato pedigree. The article on the Newfoundland in '' The Dogs of
the British Isles'' is to my taste. I prefer the shaggy coat and the rich
glossy black colour, and these Cato and his family possess in an eminent
degree. He stands 28^in. at the shoulder, measures 37in. round the chest, and
9|in. round the forearm.
In conclusion, I should like to know the height and other particulars of
the specimen of this dog presented to H.II.H. the Prince of Wales some years
ago, and the winner, I believe, of a first prize at* Islington in 1864. I would
also express a wish that others competent to deal with the question would take
it up and discuss it in your pages. The Newfoundland is not known or valued
as he deserves to be ; but I am glad to find the authorities of the difierent
important shows throughout the country are establishing classes for New-
foundland bitches, which must tend to improve the breed, and establish it in
popular favour. A.
[Our remarks were certainly strained beyond the point we intended,
nor are we prepared to accept 25in. as the highest standard of the New-
foundland. — ^Ed.]
Sib, — I fully agree with your correspondent A. His notion of the true
Newfoundland exactly agrees with mine. He accepts the authority of the
" Dogs of the British Islands,'' that most interesting collection of articles and
letters from The Pikld ; so did I in my letter to you in 1866, and I still
do so in 1869. There is a jet black and very rare curly-coated breed in
Newfoundland, of which I have a superb specimen, and for ideal beauty
perhaps the curly-coated breed is unequalled in the world of dogs. But I
quite agree with The Field, as I said in 1866, that the purest specimen is the
dog whose rich glossy black coat is long and shaggy.
Sometimes I have seen in Newfoundland a very large black-and-white
dog. Perhaps there are three or four on the whole island ; and those persons
who know how small a portion of the country is settled will also know that a
year's residence ought to be ample for a man of methodical and scientific
habits to acquire perfectly authentic information, so far £bs he would venture to
communicate it to the pubHc. Conscious of this responsibility, I affirm, first,
that I have invariably found these large black-and-white dogs to be direct
importations from England or the Continent — often from Spain, where they
frequently reach an enormous size; secondly, that they are utterly and
unanimously repudiated as the true breed by the inhabitants, who recognise
THE NEWFOUNDLAND DOG. 165
no dog as genuine but the dog described by you, accepted by A. and by me,
and now accepted also, it would seem, by the judges at our chief dog shows ;
and, thirdly, that the thousands of dogs of all colours which are accumulated
in and around St. John's, and up and down and into the country (including an
immense number of close smooth-haired black dogs, from 18in. to 24in. high,
called Labradors, and who are often admirable retrievers), are no more true
Newfoundlands than they are Dalmatians, except in so far as their birth on the
island makes them so.
Books about dogs are almost uniformly wrong in their treatment of this
breed. Some of them describe varieties which absolutely do not exist. The
writers copy each other, and the first blunder accounts for the rest. Imperfect
observation or a single hasty generalisation, and we know the inevitable result.
Hence Sir Edwin Landseer was led by bad, but the then currently accepted,
authority to misrepresent the colouring of the Newfoundland dog — a mistake
which in no way affects the grandeur of the conception, and the splendour
and minute beauty of the execution of his picture. But, if inaccurate or
insufficieut observation or experience may sometimes put or leave a writer in
the wrong, much more dangerous is it to try to generalise or contribute to
the settlement of a debated question without previous personal examination
and cautious systematic inquiry.
I have never said, or wished, that a dog should be condemned on account
of his size. On the contrary, the larger the dog, other things equal, the
better. At the same time it seems to me that the average height, or near it
(and whatever that height may be in different people's opinions does not affect
the argument), is more likely than any exceptionally high or low stsmdard to
be united with perfection of shape. No doubt A.'s black dog, 28Jin. high at
the shoulder, might possibly beat my black dog (25^in. high), owing to the
difference of size ; though a large Newfoundland, according to my experience
not *only on the island and in my own kennel, but from seeing the class at
various dog shows — ^is very often markedly inferior to a much smaller animal,
who wins by a number of points which count more than mere size in forming
a competent judge's decision.
But the complaint I made, and make, is that, while a pure Newfoundland
must be black, except generally a mark of white upon the breast, the first-
prize dog at a former Birmingham show (my pure black dog being second)
was a dog who was more white than black, and who therefore could not have
been of the genuinq breed. In other words, the principle I lay down is that
the true Newfoundland can be no more white, or any other colour than black,
than a black-and-tan terrier can be fawn-and-white. It is indeed possible,
though I don't say the fact is so, that to my having earnestly called attention
to this principle in 1866 Mr. Atkinson owes, in this limited sense, his success
in ] 867 and subsequent years.
166
THE DOGS OF THE BRrriSH ISLANDS.
The size of a dog is a thing altogether apart firom every other con-
sideration. There are, of course, large and small Newfoundlands. Everyone
must admire the ^^ majestic Newfoundland/' of which size is a prominent
characteristic. And of two genuine black Newfoundlands, equal in all other
respects, the larger dog is obviously the superior. Nor do I dififer from your
correspondent as to the great size sometimes attained by individuals of this
breed. I have often talked in St. John's with the breeder of the dog pre-
sented by the inhabitants to the Prince of Wales. This dog's height was, I
believe, considerably over thirty inches ; but, as a matter of fact, so large a
black dog (the Chang of dogs) was never before known within living memory,
or by tradition, to be on the island. He was altogether an abnormal specimen,
not handsome, and not remarkable for anything but his size j so I believe that
on a comparison of points he would have had to be adjudged second to Cato
or some of my own dogs.
Don't let me be misunderstood. I am aware, and it is well known in
Newfoundland, that dogs bred and reared on the island do not as a rule, with
only a very few exceptions, grow as big as dogs bred and reared in England.
There must be a reason for this, and I shall be ready to submit a theory if the
opportunity occurs. But I am now only concerned (just as I was in 1866, and
in my last letter) to prove that size in the Newfoundland dog, apart from
colour, is worthless ; that, indeed, Newfoundlands on the island are generally
smaller than they are when whelped and developed in England ; and that to
place a mongrel specimen who showed his impurity of breed in his variously
coloured coat, before a true Newfoundland who was remarkably handsome,
and who, though not exceptionally large for this country, was yet larger than
ninety-nine out of every hundred dogs on the island, was, to say the least, a
mistake, which might act as a discouragement to owners, and which would
certainly defeat one of the chief objects of dog shows — the cultivation of dogs
in their purity to the highest standard of excellence. No attack was madB on
Cato, and therefore no defence was needed. He must be a magnificent dog ;
and though I trust he will yet have to lower his colours before a specimen of
mine, I venture to congratulate Mr. Atkinson on the possession of an animal
at once so indisputably noble and so hard to beat.
SiK, — The very able letter of " Index " (®") is most interesting. There
now seems to be a catena of competent opinion. Yourself, A. (whom I judge
to be the owner of Cato), and last, but not least, " Index," all appear to agree
that the real Newfoundland must be black, with the exception of a patch of
white on the chest of many of these dogs. Will you allow me to say a few
words on the subject, and to supplement them with a question to yon or
THE NEWFOUNDLAND DOG.
167
^' Index,'' which is suggested by the letter of the former and the article from
The Field, reprinted in the '' Dogs of the British Islands/^ which ought long
ago to have settled the question.
All my observation convinces me that the average height of the New-
foundland ranges from 24in. to 26in., but the height is more often near to 24in.
than 26in. I made many years ago eight voyages to and from St. John's,
staying at the capital each time from a fortnight to two months. A lover of
dogs, I have in that dull city devoted a deal of the abundant leisure of a loafer
to cultivate very intimate relations with the canine species. In all my
experience, I have never seen a Newfoundlander as tall as 2 Gin. At the
commencement I was astonished, having taken with me the popular English
belief that the Newfoundland was of great size, and black and white, or any
colour. In reply to my inquiries, I found that he is always black, and small
according to our false idea, and that the large dogs of different colours are
never indigenous. Every dog except that acknowledged by you is disavowed
by the people. It is a national and undisputed belief, confirmed to everybody
with eyes. How the wrong opinion got prevalent I cannot explain, but it
receives no sanction across the Atlantic.
The black dog may have been crossed with large breeds ; but having seen
much of both dogs — the black, and the black and white — I unhesitatingly give
the palm to the former for beauty, intelligence, endurance, and grandeur of
head and* carriage. The very large black dogs are even disagreeable to my
eye; they appear monsters. Like the giant Chang (if "Index" will allow me
to continue his simile), they are big, and consequently fine animals ; but they are
probably out of proportion somewhere by reason of their size. Apollo is not
represented as a giant ; had he been so, he would not have been Apollo. In
like manner a very large (not a large) Newfoundland ceases ipso facto to be a
really fine specimen. A giant among dogs, like a giant among men, cannot
realise the noblest type of the race.
One peculiarity I have observed in the Newfoundland. It may not be
confined to him, but I have never seen it except in him. He seldom barks
except when irritated, and then with a very painful effort, and the bark is
particularly short and harsh.
The question I would ask is this. Both you and " Index " say that there
is a very handsome and rare black curly-coated dog which is a true Newfound-
land. This is so. What I want to have made clear is whether a handsome
specimen of this dog ought not to take a prize before an inferior specimen of
the shaggy-coated. I think it ought. The curly dog is greatly esteemed
in Newfoundland, and it is there regarded as a genuine Newfoundland,
which it is. It is identical with the other in disposition and habits. It is as
noble-looking a creature as the poet or painter can conceive. Why then.
Sir, should it be shut out from competition ? But is it ? If I might ask
168
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
another qnestion^ it would be — ^Why are the numerons judges silent in the
controversy ? Inteblopeb.
July 6, 1869.
[There is no doubt that the Newfoundland, if reared in the island, is com-
paratively small (say 25in. to 26in.) ; but one of the same litter, if brought
early to this country, and well reared, will reach 30in., or even 31 in., as we
know from actual experience. — Ed.]
Sib, — I beg to thank your courteous correspondent ffg' for his able letter
on the Newfoundland dog. If not intruding too far upon his kindness, I would
beg to solicit the favour of his opinion on the following points : —
1. There are specimens which pass as Newfoundlands, with tails '' curled"
as decidedly as in the pug. Is this ever found in the true breed ?
2. Has he any objection to the '^slouching gait," or, as it is sometimes
called, " the sailor's roll ?"
3. Does " the brown or brindled tinge " on the coat meet with his
approval ? Is the presence of either " characteristic of the true breed ?"
A.
Sib, — I am indebted to you for the manuscript of A.'s letter, so that his
questions and my replies will be published in the same Field. This con-
sideration on your part is more than any writer on the Newfoundland dog has
a right to expect, because the public now seem to be as convinced as 1 am that
you rightly described the breed in your article of November 4, 1865. There
is little probability, I hope, of the mistake of 1866 being repeated. All along
I have only sought to support the authority of The Field with the testimony
of one who has seen the dog in his own country, and who without bias has
tried to draw his conclusions from facts authenticated by personal observation.
The following extracts from your article will once again, and definitely, put
upon record an accurate description of the true Newfoundland. I would only
explain that in arranging the extracts I have not scrupled to make here and
there one or two unimportant alterations or additions (which are indicated by
italics), with the object of bringing together all the facts in as brief and distinct
a shape as possible. Thus a just and intelligible standard will be available to
apply to all dogs professing to be Newfoundlands, and by which their purity or
otherwise may be determined with some approach to precision and uniformity.
Tho purest specimens are of an intense black colour, with a gloss npon their coat
which reflects the light like a mirror. Any admixture of white is a defect, except a email
patch of it on the hreast, which is so general as to he almost charact&ristic.
The dog has been known to reach 34in. in height, and he is frequently to be found
from 28in. to 30in.
THE NEWFOUNDLAND DOG. 169
His head is remarkably grand and full of character, and its expression very benevolent.
Across the eyes the sknll is very broad, and he has a large brain. The forehead is
frequently wrinkled. The eyes are small, but bright and intelligent ; thoy are generally
deeply set, but should not have a bloodshot appearance.
The ears must be small, smooth, hut with long hair falling helow the sides and tips of the
fleshy parts, set low, and hanging close ; they are very seldom set up, even when the animal
is excited.
Nose and nostrils large ; mouth capacious ; teeth level ; muzzle quite smooth, and of
medium length, being in good proportion, a/nd not givvtig the idea thaf it is either short or
long, tmless compared with the pug on the one hand or the greyhound on the other.
He has a smooth face ; but within 2in. of the skull the coat suddenly elongates, and,
except that he is very clean to the angle of his neck, he is thoroughly feathered in his
outline.
His coat parts down the back, and this parting is continued to the end of his tail,
which is bushy and carried very gaily.
His hind legs are close coated from the hock, theyVon^ part of them, not the hack, which
is often much feathered, especially in old dogs ; and his feet are also often much feathered,
especially in old dogs.
The neck is naturally short. It is, however, weU clothed with muscle, as are the arms,
legs, and forehand; but there is a slackness about the loin which accounts for his slouching
and sometimes somewhat slovenly carriage. He is frequently short in his back ribs ; and
some of the largest dogs have a tendency to weakness in the back.
The feet are largo and strong, and capable of great expansion ; but the sole is not so
thick as that of a well-bred pointer, nor are the toes so much arched as in the average of
hunting dogs. This peculiar structure of the foot is adapted for his sledge work on snow,
and accounts for his power in the water, and has given rise to the vulgar error that ho is
semi-palmated.
The points of a Newfoundland are as follows : Head, 30 ; temper, 20 ; neck, 10 ; feet
and legs, 10 ; back and loin, 10 ; colour and coat, 10 ; carriage, 5 ; and stem, 5 ; total, 100.
After these extracts, a few words, I think, will answer the specific
questions of your correspondents A. and ^^ Interloper." The reply to A.*s
first question seems to me to be that a Newfoundland's tail is never curled like
the pug's. Out of thousands of dogs, I have never seen one tail thus curled.
It is not very uncommon to see a Newfoundland's tail gently curved like the
coUey^s ; but, though nature plays all sorts of tricks, I think that the fact of a
Newfoundland's tail being curled over the back like a pug's would, no matter
how otherwise perfect the specimen, remove him so completely from the ideal
of the true dog, that he would have to give place to an infinitely inferior
specimen who did not exhibit this unusual and objectionable freak of nature.
To A-'s second question, I answer that I believe a '^ slouching gait " or
^' sailor's roll " is very characteristic of the Newfoundland. The dogs have it,
of course, in various degrees, but I think it ought to be counted against a dog
only when it is so excessive as to make his walk or carriage clumsy and ungainly
instead of graceful and dignified.
The reply to A.'s third question is to repeat that a true Newfoundland is
neither brown nor brindled, but is always black, except generally the white
patch on the breast. The black dogs, especially when young, often appear to
170 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
hare a brown tinge on their coats. It is to be seeb more or less in almost all
these dogs, though not in all. Combing will often remove it if the dog has
not been well kept ; but I don't think much combing is advisable, for it some-
times would remove the brown- tinged black hair at the sacrifloe of the length
and thickness and beauty of the coat. Nor is the slight brown tinge (not
visible in all hghts) ugly ; nor is it inconsistent with purity of breed, though it
would be always better absent.
The answer to " Interloper's '' question appears to me to be that the
cnrly-ooated dog cannot be of the same race as the shaggy-coated. Their
tempers and habits are alike, but their appearance is totally dissimilar. Under
these circumstances I cannot wish that the two should be brought into com-
petition. Both dogs exist on the island, and are about equally esteemed ; and
I venture to suggest that the difficulty would be met, and encouragement
given to a magnificent breed of dogs, if another class were established where
these curly-coated specimens might be assembled in their own honour, and for
the pleasure of the public.
While thanking your two correspondents for the tone of their letters, and
you for having afforded me so much space, I take the liberty to add that I
cannot agree with "Interloper'' in condemning very large black dogs as
disagreeable to the eye. I cannot share this feeling. While from 24in. to
26in. is the average height of dogs on the island, I have seen that the standard
often reached in England is considerably higher ; and I cannot, either in
theory or as a matter of taste, object to size if it be united with perfection of
shape. All I have said, and all I maintain, is that size apart from colour is
worthless, and that very large dogs would often (in my experience almost
invariably, though I have not had the presumption to advocate any rule on
this experience) be found much inferior to dogs which stood in height in
proportion as 24 or 26 is to 31 or 84, Whether young imported Newfound-
lands do generally or frequently reach 30in. or 31in., or whether such cases as
those adduced as being within the knowledge of The Field are exceptional
cases, has not been discussed by me. I have my own opinion on the subject,
which involves a larger inquiry than the one before us.
All I have wished, from my first letter to my last, and all I wish for now,
is that some true and uniform standard of the Newfoundland should be
adopted, so that this '^majestic" animal, whatever his height, should be
judged with due regard to every characteristic, and not with undue regard
to one. This standard once fixed in the official and public mind, and it
remains a very small matter whether I be right or wrong in believing that at
least nine times out of ten the highest type of the race will be reached by the
comparatively small dogs, to the discomfiture of those of 30in. and upwards.
July 31, 1869.
THE EEV. J. C. MACDONA'S "TELL."
THE ST. JOHN'S, SMALL LABRADOR, OR LESSER
NEWFOUNDLAND.
This dog is known by his smooth, though slightly wavy and glossy coat, being
the foundation of the wavy-coated retriever already alluded to (page 89). He
is much smaller than the Newfoundland proper, seldom exceeding 25in. or
26in. in height. In other respects there is little dijBference.
THE ST. BERNAED DOG.
About the year 962, Bernard de Meuthon built two "hospitia,'^ one on Mont,
Joux, where a temple of Jupiter stood — constructing his hospice firom the ruins
of the temple; the other on the road that leads over the Orison Alps at
Colonne Jou, so named from a column dedicated to the same heathen deity.
The benevolent builder presided over both hospitia for forty years, and left to.
his monks the duty of affording refuge to travellers, and searching for those
who were lost in the snow. St. Bernard^s portrait with that of his dog on the
same panel is still in existence, and the dog appears to be a bloodhound.
The Hospice of the St. Bernard Pass stands 7668 feet above the sea-level, and
is undoubtedly the highest inhabited spot in Europe. Nine months in the year
the snow is thick on the ground ; and in the very worst part of winter from
fifteen hundred to two thousand of the poor inhabitants of the low countries
pass over the mountain. During this inclement season all travellers from
Martigny are desired to pass the .night at the first house of refuge. Every
morning a servant, accompanied by a St. Bernard dog, descends from the
hospice to take all the travellers under his direction. The dog leads the way,
for he can not only discover the buried traveller by his marvellous powers of
scent, but he can also to a certainty keep the track, in spite of snowstorms and
bewildering drifts. The dogs have been used by the monks in. these ways,
cmi in no other, for years, and they have acquired a well-deserved high reputa-
tion for perseverance, sagacity, and power of scent.
The old breed died out many years ago, and we doubt whether the monks
have possessed the present race of dogs more than forty or fifty years. About
forty years ago, or a little more, all their dogs and several servants were swept
away by an avalanche ; but two the monks had given away were returned to
them, and the breed was thus preserved.
One of the St. Bernard dogs, Barry, a brindled-and- white one, saved the lives
172 THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
of forty-two persons, and was vigorous and active at the age of fifteen years,
although they generally succumb to rheumatism in their tenth year. He is
preserved in the Berne Museum, wearing an iron collar with large spikes,
which had often protected him from the wolves. We were told he had dis-
covered a man lost in a snowdrift, and, being mistaken for a wolf, the poor dog
received a blow on the head, and " il etait oblige de mourir.^'
At the time we were the guests of the monks they possessed but three
dogs — Barry, Pluto, and Pallas. The finest specimen had goitre or bronchocele,
and wore a muzzle, as he was of an uncertain disposition ; and a very fine bitch
was expected soon to add to the strength of the company. Two dogs were
placed out at some neighbouring hospice. We purchased a young dog at the
Hotel des Alpes (on our way home) from the proprietor ; the mother had been
procured from the hospice, the father was the fine specimen we had seen there.
Subsequently we found him very intelligent and good-tempered ; he was very
pleased to carry or fetch, and he appeared to have an excellent nose ; but, alas !
when nearly twelve months old, like Barry, " il etait oblige de mourir,'^
All these dogs were orange-tawny, had white legs, flecked slightly with
orange, white belly, and white collar round the neck ; the head was remarkably
fine, majestic, and full of character; the ears small, and set low; the eyes
deeply set, a crease between them, giving a mastiflf character to the whole
animal ; from the eyes, half-way down, the face was black, then suddenly white
down to the nose (which is black) ; the lips, which were pendulous, were spotted
with orange-and-black ; the white above the nose was continued in a blaze or
streak up the forehead, and extended in a narrow litie down the poll, meeting the
white collar round the neck. The monks begged us to observe this peculiar
mark, and compared it to the badge of their order — a white band or tape,
single behind, slit to pass over the neck, and the two ends tucked into the
black dress in front at the waist. Some very fine specimens, however, are
brindled instead of orange-tawny, and many have no white in the face at all,
nor down the poll. The coat, which appears to the casual observer hard and
smooth, when closely examined proves to be very thick and fleecy, and is well
suited to repel cold by retaining the animal heat. The tail is bushy, but
carried generally down between the hocks ; and the gait or carriage of the dog
much resembles the march of the lion.
The character of the dog is majestic and important. He has that true
nobility possessed by the highest type of Newfoundland, from which he chiefly
differs in the shape of his skull, which is longer and narrower — and in his colour,
which is deep black. The same thoughtful, observant eye, the muscular neck,
the enormous loin, and sinewy arms and thighs, and the large round arched feet
and toes {"pattes enormes'^ the monks called them), and that general intimation
of power, and sense, and benevolence, which no other domesticated animal
possesses in the same compass.
THE ST. BBRNAED DOG.
173
Tell, the noble specimen here engraved, had the true form of the St.
Bernard dog, and was, in our opinion, the best dog of his class in England.
His owher, Mr. Macdona, proceeded to Switzerland in the winter of 1865-6, to
obtain at any cost the best specimen to be had for money, and after rejecting
many fine examples, at length bought the only one that came up to his ideal.
He was bred in Berne ; his sire. Hero (a descendant of the famous Barry), and
his dam, Diane, came from the Oberland, where the monks obtained a fresh
supply of dogs when their old breed died cut. Tell was about two years and a
half old when this portrait was taken. His measurements and weight were as
follows : — Height at shoulder, 30iin. ; length from nose to tip of tail, 7ft. ;
girth of chest, 36in. ; girth of arm, 13in. ; girth of head, 22in. ; length of
head, 13in. Weight, 1471b. He was a red or tawny brindle, the muzzle
black, as far as the lower line of the eyes ; chest white, the two fore paws
white, the ankles white, belly white. Tail heavily feathered, and sometimes
carried gaily. Hind quarters beautifully furnished with coat. Head massive,
eyes quick and intelligent, ears small and well set. He had the peculiar
slinging gait of his tribe, and the retriever instinct, and was very fond of
carrying, or retrieving from water. He was of the rough or shaggy-coated
breed.
Tell died from an accident in 1870, but his sister Hedwig bred Alp in this
country by a dog without a pedigree, which Mr. Macdona purchased in the
north of England. Alp, though like his sire, entirely without hind dew-claws,
has generally beaten all his competitors, and may be considered the champion
rough St. Bernard of England. He is of the same colour as Tell, but with
more white, and has a still more magnificent head than that dog.
Mr. Macdona has also imported the smooth variety, of which his Monarque
is a grand specimen, but the fashion of the day is in favour of the rough strain.
Alp having nearly always beaten Monarque when brought into competition.
Valvs of Points of the St, Bernard Dog,
Head 20 . Line down
poll ... 10
20
10
Frame 10
10
Feet 5
Legs 5
10
SymmetrylO
10
Size 2Q:DonbIe
'■ I
20
dew-claw 10
10
Colour 6
Goat... 5
10
Qrcmd Total, IQO.
174
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
THE POMERANIAN .DOG.
This dog^ called also Spit2s and Loap Loup^ is, like the St. Bernard, a foreign
variety, but is now completely naturalised in this conotrj. In shape he
resembles the Scotch Oolley, but the colour should be a pure white, and the
tail should be carried completely over the back. He is generally selected as a
companion by ladies rather than gentlemen. No points have been assigned to
him as far as we are aware.
THE DALMATIAN DOG.
This also is a naturalised foreigner, being chiefly used as a stable companion,
for the purpose of following the carriage, which he does most closely. In shape
he resembles the bull-terrier with a cross of pointer, but his colour is the point
for which he is chiefly valued. The body is white, marked all over with black
or liver coloured spots, as nearly as possible the size of a half-crown, and upon
their distinctness his value depends. The black is thought to be very superior
to the liver colour, but if the latter is well spotted, the spots not coalescing, yet
being thickly sprinkled without large free spaces, it bears the palm.
Markings —
Size 20
Clearness 20
Freedom from
white patches 10
Value pf Points of the Dalmatian Dog,
Colour 30 Symmetry
20
50 ' ^0
Gramd Total, 100.
20
.%
THE SCOTCH COLLET, FROM iL DOG NEVEB EXHIBITED.
THE SHEEP DOG.
175
CHAPTER VIIL-SHEEP AND DROVERS' DOGS.
THE SHEEP DOG.
[O dog has BO large and valuable an amoant of property entrasted to his
care as this faithful creature. Natui-ally clever and intelligent, he is
susceptible — in good hands — of very high training ; and his performance
is frequently surprising.
The English Sheep Doo, whether rough or smooth, is to be found of
various colours. It is a common thing to see them grizzle, black, red, brindled,
or (for the most part) white ; and we have also observed a dull rust colour,
patched with black, in the smooth dog. This variety has frequently what are
called " china ^' or " walled eyes.^^ As the shepherd^s dog under the old
excise laws was only exempt from tax when the tail was cut ofif, it was formerly
always removed, and in process of time many mothers produced litters — or
parts of a litter — wholly without tails, and an instance of this has occurred in
our own experience.
The English Rough Dog has nearly always a wiry muzzle, and a good
useful hard coat of hair over his whole body. The best specimens we have
seen were not so long in the leg as the generality of dogs, and when they had
tails they carried them lower than the Scotch dog. They have good feet and
legs, and are possessed of iron constitutions. In those districts where large
numbers of sheep are kept, great attention is paid to their education, and a
good sheep dog is considered as indispensable to the well-doing of a flock as a
good shepherd.
The Scotch Collet, or Highland sheep dog, is, in our opinion, a far
more graceful animal, and in sense and intelligence equals any breed of dogs
in the world. Two races are to be found in Scotland — the rough and the
smooth. The rough or shaggy-coated colley is the most choice description ;
for his impenetrable warm thick coat is a good protection to him when his
duty calls him to face the storms and mists and snows of the wild mountains,
especially when the stragglers of his flock have been covered by the snowdrifts,
and he goes in search of them with his master. He has a fine foxlike muzzle ;
full, expressive, but rather crafty eyes ; small ears, dropping forward ; and the
mask of his face is smooth. From the base of the skall the whole of the neck
176
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
and the entire body are protected by a deep, warm, long coat of various
colours — ^sometimes black with tan points ; sometimes sandy, or of various
mixed greys, some of which are singularly beautiful and picturesque. There
is generally a very fine white line down the forehead, not amounting to a
blaze, as in the spaniels. His legs (especially the hind legs, from the hocks)
are bare, that is, not feathered; and for many years authorities on the dog
have described the colley as having one, or even two, dew claws on each hind
leg — which is, indeed, generally the case. His neck is long, and rather arched ;
his shoulders are set well back, and are very powerful. The elbow is well let
down j the fore arm is short ; the ankles or pasterns are long, and rather small
for his size ; and the feet are round, arched, and have excellent thick hard
soles. The chest is deep, but rather narrow : he is broad over his back ;
his loins are well arched ; the hips are wide ; his thighs are muscular, and he
is inclined to go rather wide behind. The tail is very bushy and large, and
carried up when he is in motion ; and when he is controlling his excitement it
is tui*ned over his back.
The Smooth Scotch Dog is generally of a sandy colour, although occa-
sionally he may be met with of the black-tan or mixed tints.
Both descriptions of colley form very strong attachments to their masters,
and have given wonderful proofs of their fidelity. Their homing faculty is
very extraordinary ; and it has been asserted that the Scottish drovers would
send them back alone from Smithfield to the Highlands with a wave of the
hand.
Whether Scotch or English, the value and skill of the dog depend chiefly
upon the temper and intelligence of the shepherd. Some surly, morose,
ignorant, discontented men look upon the poor creature as a thing at which
they can, in their worst humours, hurl their crook, or which they can use as a
safety-valve for their sour humours. These fellows return from every sheep
fair with a fresh dog in a string, which they soon tell you is as bad or worse
than the last; for the dog is a capital judge of character, and, having made
out that he is in bad hands, he takes up a stubborn, defiant air if he is bold,
or becomes in a few hours nervous, shy, and cowed if he is timid. With such
a shepherd's dog the flock are either harrassed and driven about uselessly, losing
condition, and '' never looking well ; " or the dog is of no assistance whatever,
and the ill-conditioned owner has all the work to do himself.
The good-tempered sensible master, on the other hand, knows how to
control the high-couraged or to bring out the nervous dog. The training his
young " fellow-servant '^ is a pleasure to him, and he gradually gets his dog
to the highest possible pitch of training. From an eminence he will gradually
teach his dog to attend the wave forward or backward of his hand, and to
copy the old dog, or broken dog, which he never sells until the young one has
been made " handy.'' He will teach him the simplest things first — ^such as to
THE SHEEP DOG.
177
bring in one or two stragglers, and then leave them alone ; to '' lay down ''
and ''keep off/' whilst he sets the fold; to keep up the flock like another
shepherd, as he walks before the flock along the road to a change of pasture,
with his dog behind ; then he will divide his flock, and, placing the dog in the
middle, and going himself behind, he will show the animal how to keep and
drive together the flocks of different owners, if required, without mixing them.
He would teach him to bark ('' speak to 'em,'' he calls it) at a signal, and by
degrees he will get him to sweep round a large flock, perhaps of thousands, a
mile away, and, having collecte'd them, to bring them as steadily and patiently,
and with all the importance of the lawful owner, to his master, and save him
so many weary steps, pretending to bite the stragglers, but never really using
his teeth. By degrees he will become perfect in his work, and in the lambing
season will show extraordinary gentleness to the lambs. Indeed, it is asserted
that some dogs have been seen to push the weak ones in the direction of the fold,
and to steady them with their heads when they tottered. If a dog is of marked
intelligence, he may even be trusted to lie all day upon an eminence and to
watch the movements of thousands of sheep grazing below him, for he will
keep all in their proper district ; and when he hears his master's shrill whistle,
he will '' go round " and drive them home.
A third or fourth rate shepherd will be content with a dog doing very
little for him, and has no idea how to teach him to do more. A really clever
shepherd will get his dog to '' do anything but carry a hurdle," and will begin
the dog's education as soon as he can ''head" (that is, go faster than) a
sheep. He will also put him in the way of doing by artifice what a " blunder-
headed " shepherd would never think of. In a narrow lane, for instance, he
will get his dog to jump the fence, run down it unseen, and head the flock
without flurrying them at all ; or, if they get " blocked," and the front sheep
will not move, he will teach his coUey to run over the sheep's backs, and thus
move them on.
Many of the Scotch dogs will find and point steadily at game; but
probably these dogs possess a cross with the pointers or setters annually
imported during the grouse shooting. Occasionally, the shepherd's dog is
used for driving cattle also, and on most English farms this is the case ; but
the sheep dog, to be an efficient, trustworthy animal, ought to be kept for
sheep only.
Value of Points of the Scotch Colley.
Head 15
White line be-
tween eyes 5
~20
Shoulders... 10
Chest 10
Loin 10
30
Feet
Legs
10
10
20
Coat 10
Colour ...... 10
20
Symnietry.. 10
10
Grcmd Total, 100.
A A
FAST III.
CHAPTER IX.-THE GREYHOUND.
;S ITS NAME IMPLIES, this variety of the dog must be classed with
the hounds, but it diflTers from all the others of this division in being
used for the pursuit of hares by the eye alone. Its congener, the
deerhound^ fills up the gap between the two, being encouraged to take up the
scent of its game when it loses view. But it must not be supposed that our
modem greyhound is entirely without the power of scent, as there are number-
less proofs to the contrary in the shape of pure-bred dogs of this kind which
are used as lurchers. A good dog of this sort will run from view to scent and
back again as often as is required by the nature of the ground, and will account
for every hare he is allowed to hunt undisturbed. Indeed, the chief difficulty
with the trainer of greyhounds is to keep his charge from using their noses,
which many strains are very apt to do, to the great disgust of the public courser ;
though the tendency of this development of the olfactory organ is so much in
favour of ^' current jelly " that the private courser does not always object to it.
On the whole, however, the greyhound may be defined as the only British dog
hunting its game by the eye alone.
As the points of this dog have been fully described in " The Greyhound,^'
and as it is desirable to keep them before the public without any alteration, we
shall insert them in the ipsissima verba which have now become the st-andard
authority on the subject :
^^ Experience has convinced all coursers that a dog with plenty of length
from, his hip to his hock is lil^ely to be speedy, because there is a greater than
usual length of muscle to act upon the hock, and also a longer stride. The
same unerring criterion has also led us to believe that a good back will give
increase of power ; in fact, that, cceteris paribus, size is power. But this law
must not be taken without exceptions, since there must of necessity be a due
proportion of parts, or else the successive actions necessary for speed will not
take place in due order and with the proper regularity of stroke, and also
"DAVID" AND "EIOT."
THE GBEYHOrSD.
179
becanse, hy a weH-known mecfaaiuGal law, what is gained in power is lost in
speed or time. This framework, then, of bone« and mnacles, when obtained of
good form and prc'p-i-rtions, is so mncfa gained towards onr object ; but still,
without a good brain and nerroos sjstem to stimulate it to action, it is ntterly
useless, and withoat a g*>jd heart and longs to carrr on the circulation during
its actire emplojment, it will stiD fail as in oar need. Again, eren if all these
organs are soimd and formed of gocd proportions by nature, if mismanage-
ment or rrher causes interrupt their prc-per nutrition by digestion and
assimilation, the framework speedily &I!s away, and our hopes are irrecoverably
" TKrH^ai. — ^I hare already said that, in my opinion, the head should be
large between the e^rs, and in a dog fr^^m 2oin. to 2^3in« high should measure
at least 14 1 in. in crpcnmference midway between the eyes and ears. This point
is one which is n:t usiially iiLdit^ on, many coursers preferring the narrow and
elegant head, which wiH easily all .w the neck-sirap to slip orcr it. My own
conriction is so strcn^^ tLit I d^ not hesitate to advise the selection of the head
with a wider bock to it,, and as narrow and low as it can be obtained between
the ejes- ^ery Ifrrle intellfzence is repaired in the greyhound ; and if it were
possible to obtain the fiill devel:pinent of the appetite for his g^me (the seat of
which is, no donbt, in the back of the brain without any corresponding
increase of ir.tell*?ctnal fifccn!-ie*», it wr^ald be desirable to do so. But, unfor-
tunately, thi* ts not attainabLe withoat seme slight drawback ; for, though it
may be po*?irle to select heads in which there is rery great increase in volume
in the back cf the head, in prrporrion to the enlargement of the forehead, still
the latter part is more or less developed, and in these animals greater care is
neceasary in the rearing' to pre^rent them from self-hunting, or from assisting
the she^)dog of the farm in finding and killing what rabbits and haros are in
the neigiLboarho«>L Bat when thac care has been taken, this groyhounil is
really valuable ; hiii cnnragre is immen.^ ; no amount of injury or work scH»ins
to cow him thourfi he is not neces^arHy srcat, for this quality, I bnliovo.
resides in the whole nervons sj-itr^m, xaA not in any part of it), and ovou tho
whip only subdues fcr a time his appetite f.r hWA, The jaw can hardly bo \w
lean, bat' the muscle *hor.:d be ^*^.! and there should be little or no dnvoloptuont
of the nasal sinuses. I am not f.nd cf long-no-^ed greyhounds j but I havt»
seen good ones pr.ases5»iny thac appendage* in almost every variety of i>lmiH\
The eye should be full and bri^n, ^Wj? ch.- i^ea of high spirits and aninm-
tbn- As to the ears, there ra a ^ery great variety in the difforfmt broodn. (Vt»ui
the large npstaodina' onej» of the HparherjV/^.k variety t<i tho snmll »«d
elegandy-&IIin^ ear of moHr of our modem greyhounds. The bitxjh bus nlwtiy^
a neater and more compact head *:han her brothers, and thfrn \n jr^nnmlly «*
livelier look about the eve; bnt -}\cxvA the head is smaller, it is Mill 1« t«**
same relative proportion v> the wh.;ie bodj, which is mor^ nmi ftiid Hr^^ul
THE GEBYHOUND. 179
because, by a well-known mecbanical law, what is gained in power is lost in
speed OP time. This framework, then, of bones and muscles, when obtained of
good form and proportions, is so much gained towards our object ; but still,
without a good brain and nervous system to stimulate it to action, it is utterly
useless, and without a good heart and lungs to carry on the circulation during
its active employment, it will still fail us in our need. Again, even if all these
organs are sound and formed of good proportions by nature, if mismanage-
ment or other causes interrupt their proper nutrition by digestion and
assimilation, the framework speedily falls away, and our hopes are irrecoverably
wrecked.
" TherHead. — I have already said that, in my opinion, the head should be
large between the ears, and in a dog from 25in. to 26in. high should measure
at least 14iin. in circumference midway between the eyes and ears. This point
is one which is not usually insisted on, many coursers preferring the narrow and
elegant head, which will easily allow the neck-strap to slip over it. My own
conviction is so strong that I do not hesitate to advise the selection of the head
with a wider back to it, and as narrow and low as it can be obtained between
the eyes. Very little intelligence is required in the greyhound ; and if it were
possible to obtain the full development of the appetite for his game (the seat of
which is, no doubt, in the back of the brain) without any corresponding
increase of intellectual faculties, it would be desirable to do so. But, unfor-
tunately, this is not attainable without some slight drawback j for, though it
may be possible to select heads in which there is very great increase in volume
in the back of the head, in proportion to the enlargement of the forehead, still
the latter part is more or less developed, and in these animals greater care is
necessary in the rearing to prevent them from self-hunting, or from assisting
the sheepdog of the farm in finding and killing what rabbits and hares are in
the neighbourhood. But when that care has been taken, this greyhound is
really valuable ; his courage is immense ; no amount of injury or work seems
to cow him (though he is not necessarily stout, for this quality, I believe,
resides in the whole nervous system, and not in any part of it), and even the
whip only subdues for a time his appetite for blood. The jaw can hardly be too
lean, but the muscle should be full, and there should be little or no development
of the nasal sinuses. I am not fond of long-nosed greyhounds ; but I have
seen good ones possessing that appendage in almost every variety of shape.
The eye should be full and bright, giving the idea of high spirits and anima-
tion. As to the ears, there is a very great variety in the different breeds, from
the large upstanding ones of the Heatherjock variety to the small and
elegantly-falling ear of most of our modem greyhounds. TKe bitch has always
a neater and more compact head than her brothers, and there is generally a
livelier look about the eye ; but though the head is smaller, it is still in the
same relative proportion to the whole body, which is more neat and elegant
THE GBBYHOUND. 179
because, by a well-known mechanical law, what is gained in power is lost in
speed or time. This framework, then, of bones and muscles, when obtained of
good form and proportions, is so much gained towards our object j but still,
without a good brain and nervous system to stimulate it to action, it is utterly
useless, and without a good heart and lungs to carry on the circulation during
its active employment, it will still fail us in our need. Again, even if all these
organs are sound and formed of good proportions by nature, if mismanage-
ment or other causes interrupt their proper nutrition by digestion and
assimilation, the framework speedily falls away, and our hopes are irrecoverably
wrecked.
" The* Head, — ^I have already said that, in my opinion, the head should be
large between the cars, and in a dog from 25in. to 26in. high should measure
at least 14iin. in circumference midway between the eyes and ears. This point
is one which is not usually insisted on, many coursers preferring the narrow and
elegant head, which will easily allow the neck-strap to slip over it. My own
conviction is so strong that I do not hesitate to advise the selection of the head
with a wider back to it, and as narrow and low as it can be obtained between
the eyes. Very little intelligence is required in the greyhound ; and if it were
possible to obtain the full development of the appetite for his game (the seat of
which is, no doubt, in the back of the brain) without any corresponding
increase of intellectual faculties, it would be desirable to do so. But, unfor-
tunately, this is not attainable without some slight drawback ; for, though it
may be possible to select heads in which there is very great increase in volume
in the back of the head, in proportion to the enlargement of the forehead, still
the latter part is more or less developed, and in these animals greater care is
necessary in the rearing to prevent them from self-hunting, or from assisting
the sheepdog of the farm in finding and killing what rabbits and hares are in
the neighbourhood. But when that care has been taken, this greyhound is
really valuable ; his courage is immense ; no amount of injury or work seems
to cow him (though he is not necessarily stout, for this quality, I believe,
resides in the whole nervous system, and not in any part of it), and even the
whip only subdues for a time his appetite for blood. The jaw can hardly be too
lean, but the muscle should be full, and there should be little or no development
of the nasal sinuses. I am not fond of long-nosed greyhounds ; but I have
seen good ones possessing that appendage in almost every variety of shape.
The eye should be full and bright, giving the idea of high spirits and anima-
tion. As to the ears, there is a very great variety in the different breeds, from
the large upstanding ones of the Heatherjock variety to the small and
elegantly-falling ear of most of our modem greyhounds. THe bitch has always
a neater and more compact head than her brothers, and there is generally a
livelier look about the eye ; but though the head is smaller, it is still in the
same relative proportion to the whole body, which is more neat and elegant
THE GEBYHOUND. 179
because^ by a well-known mecbanical law, wbat is gained in power is lost in
speed or time. This framework, then, of bones and muscles, when obtained of
good form and proportions, is so much gained towards our object ; but still,
without a good brain and nervous system to stimulate it to action, it is utterly
useless, and without a good heart and lungs to carry on the circulation during
its active employment, it will still fail us in our need. Again, even if all these
organs are sound and formed of good proportions by nature, if mismanage-
ment or other causes interrupt their proper nutrition by digestion and
assimilation, the framework speedily falls away, and our hopes are irrecoverably
wrecked.
" TherHead, — I have already said that, in my opinion, the head should be
large between the cars, and in a dog from 25in. to 26in. high should measure
at least 14iin. in circumference midway between the eyes and ears. This point
is one which is not usually insisted on, many coursers preferring the narrow and
elegant head, which will easily allow the neck-strap to slip over it. My own
conviction is so strong that I do not hesitate to advise the selection of the head
with a wider back to it, and as narrow and low as it can be obtained between
the eyes. Very little intelligence is required in the greyhound ; and if it were
possible to obtain the full development of the appetite for his game (the seat of
which is, no doubt, in the back of the brain) without any corresponding
increase of intellectual faculties, it would be desirable to do so. But, unfor-
tunately, this is not attainable without some slight drawback ; for, though it
ilaay be possible to select heads in which there is very great increase in volume
in the back of the head, in proportion to the enlargement of the forehead, still
the latter part is more or less developed, and in these animals greater care is
necessary in the rearing to prevent them from self-hunting, or from assisting
the sheepdog of the farm in finding and killing what rabbits and hares are in
the neighbourhood. But when that care has been taken, this greyhound is
really valuable ; his courage is immense ; no amount of injury or work seems
to cow him (though he is not necessarily stout, for this quality, I believe,
resides in the whole nervous system, and not in any part of it), and even the
whip only subdues for a time his appetite for blood. The jaw can hardly be too
lean, but the muscle should be full, and there should be little or no development
of the nasal sinuses. I am not fond of long-nosed greyhounds ; but I have
seen good ones possessing that appendage in almost every variety of shape.
The eye should be full and bright, giving the idea of high spirits and anima-
tion. As to the ears, there is a very great variety in the different breeds, from
the large upstanding ones of the Heatherjock variety to the small and
elegantly-falling ear of most of our modem greyhounds. TKe bitch has always
a neater and more compact head than her brothers, and there is generally a
livelier look about the eye -, but though the head is smaller, it is still in the
same relative proportion to the whole body, which is more neat and elegant
THE GBBYHOUND. 179
because, by a well-known mechanical law, what is gained in power is lost in
speed or time. This framework, then, of bones and muscles, when obtained of
good form and proportions, is so much gained towards our object ; but still,
without a good brain and nervous system to stimulate it to action, it is utterly
useless, and without a good heart and lungs to carry on the circulation during
its active employment, it will still fail us in our need. Again, even if all these
organs are sound and formed of good proportions by nature, if mismanage-
ment or other causes intemipt their proper nutrition by digestion and
assimilation, the framework speedily falls away, and our hopes are irrecoverably
wrecked.
" TherHead, — I have already said that, in my opinion, the head should be
large between the ears, and in a dog from 25in. to 26in. high should measure
at least 14iin. in circumference midway between the eyes and ears. This point
is one which is not usually insisted on, many coursers preferring the narrow and
elegant head, which will easily allow the neck-strap to slip over it. My own
conviction is so strong that I do not hesitate to advise the selection of the head
with a wider back to it, and as narrow and low as it ban be obtained between
the eyes. Very little intelligence is required in the greyhound j and if it were
possible to obtain the full development of the appetite for his game (the seat of
which is, no doubt, in the back of the brain) without any corresponding
increase of intellectual faculties, it would be desirable to do so. But, unfor-
tunately, this is not attainable without some slight drawback ; for, though it
may be possible to select heads in which there is very great increase in volume
in the back of the head, in proportion to the enlargement of the forehead, still
the latter part is more or less developed, and in these animals greater care is
necessary in the reariug to prevent them from self-hunting, or from assisting
the sheepdog of the farm in finding and killing what rabbits and hares are in
the neighbourhood. But when that care has been taken, this greyhound is
really valuable ; his courage is immense ; no amount of injury or work seems
to cow him (though he is not necessarily stout, for this quality, I believe,
resides in the whole nervous system, and not in any part of it), and even the
whip only subdues for a time his appetite for blood. The jaw can hardly be too
lean, but the muscle should be full, and there should be little or no development
of the nasal sinuses. I am not fond of long-nosed greyhounds ; but I have
seen good ones possessing that appendage in almost every variety of shape.
The eye should be full and bright, giving the idea of high spirits and anima-
tion. As to the ears, there is a very great variety in the different breeds, from
the large upstanding ones of the Heatheijock variety to the small and
elegantly-falling ear of most of our modem greyhounds. TKe bitch has always
a neater and more compact head than her brothers, and there is generally a
livelier look about the eye ; but though the head is smaller, it is still in the
same relative proportion to the whole body, which is more neat and elegant
180
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLAITOS.
also. No courser should omit to examine the teeth^ which require to be strong
and long enough to hold the hare when taken.
^' The neck of the greyhound, in the old rhyme, was compared to that of a
drake, and of all the comparisons therein contained this is the nearest to the
truth. It certainly is not so long or so round as a drake's, but sometimes
approaches very nearly to it. This form will enable the greyhound to seize his
game while in full stride without losing his balance ; but I have known many
good kiUers with short necks, almost like that of a bull ; still, as a rule, a long
neck is of great importance, and should be well considered in selecting a cross.
Too often the thick compact form has also the bull neck ; but in some breeds,
as in the Curler and Vraye Foy family, which are very muscular, the neck
is proportionally long.
*' The points I have been considering are not immediately connected with
speed; but now I have to describe the framework by which locomotion is
effected. It must be apparent to anyone who watches the gallop, that its
perfection depends upon the power of extending the shoulders and fore legs as
far as possible, as well as of bringing the hind legs rapidly forward to give the
propulsive stroke. Upon the due relation between these two parts of the
action everything depends ; and if the one part is more perfect than the other
— that is to say, if the hind quarters are well brought into action, while the
shoulders do not thrust the forelegs well forward — the action is laboured and
slow ; whilst, on the contrary, if the shoulders do their duty, but the hind legs
are not brought well forward, or do not thrust the body onwards with suffi-
cient force, the action may be elegant, but it is not powerful and rapid. For
these various purposes, therefore, we require good shoulders, good thighs,
a good back, and good legs, and, lastly, for lodging the lungs and heart,
whose actions are essential to the maintenance of speed, a well-formed and
capacious chest.
'^ Jw the fore quarters, therefore, I repeat, the shoulders must be so formed
as to thrust the fore legs well forward, and to do this the shoulder-blade must
be as oblique as possible. The reason for this is, that its muscles may be able
to exert their full power upon the true arm, in bringing it into a straight line
with the axis of the shoulder-blade. This alone is a great advantage ; but, by
the greater angle which it forms with the arm, it also enables the greyhound
to bear the shock of a fall upon his legs in coming down from a leap without
injury, which is another most important feature. An oblique shoulder is
likewise usually accompanied by a longer true arm, because the point of the
shoulder must be raised higher from the elbow to allow of the obliquity, and in
proportion to the increased length will the fore foot be extended forward ; thus
this form gives longer levers with greater power of leverage, and frvore space
for the lodgment of muscles. If, then, we have this form, combined with good
length from the elbow down to the knee, compared with that from the knee to
tlie ground, and with a good development of bone and muscle in addition,
perfection in this essential part of the frame is insured. In this last point
(from the elbow to the knee) there is a very great difference in greyhounds ;
but, by a careful measurement of various well-formed legs, I am inclined to
think that from the elbow to the knee ought to be at least twice the length
from the same point to the ground. In this measurement the dog would be
standing on a level surface with his weight bearing upon both legs, and I
think the measure should be taken in this way, and not from the base of the
two middle nails, because in the stride the action is from the ball of the foot,
and not from the end of the toes. In variously-formed feet there is a
difference of nearly an inch in length of toes ; and many a dog with short toes
would measure from the ground nearly an inch less than another with long
toes ; which latter would, nevertheless, measure, from his toe-nails to his knee,
nearly an inch more than the former.
" Such are the general points of importance in the fore quarter; the minor
ones are, good bony and well-developed shoulder points, elbows neither turned
in nor out, muscular arms, good bony ' knees, not too much bent back, large
and strong pasterns, and well-formed feet. With regard to this last point
much difference of opinion has arisen, and most coursers advocate the selection
of the catlike foot, as in War Eagle ; but I do not myself care for more than a
moderately short one, provided the knuckles are powerful and well up, and
that the toes do not spread; and provided also that the sole is thick, and
covered with a good homy skin.
" !Z%e hind quarter is even of more importance than the fore quarter, and
is composed of three separate divisions, varying greatly in total and com-
parative length in different individuals. These three divisions are — the true
thigh, between the hip and stifle joints ; the false or lower thigh, answering to
the leg of man, and situated between the stifle and hock ; and, lastly, the leg,
between the hock and foot. The -first two of these division^ should be nearly
equal in length, and in most well-proportioned greyhounds are each about one-
fiflh longer than the lower arm ; whilst the leg, from the hock to the ground,
should bear about the same relation to each of the thigh bones as the fore
pastern does to the arm — that is to say, it should be about one-half, generally
rather more than less. Many good greyhounds vary much in these proportions ;
and the stifle joint is often placed far from midway between the hip joint and
the hock^ — generally it is a little nearer the hip — ^but I have seen it much lower
than the mid-point, but never in a greyhound of good pace and performance.
With a greyhound thus formed, having both the upper and lower thigh bone
one-fifth longer than the lower arm, with the hock also placed a little above the
level of the knee, and the top of the shoulder-blade only the length of the
thigh bone above the elbow, it follows either that the top of the hind quarter
will be considerably higher than the fore^ or that the hind legs will be bent at
182 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
the hock and stifle joint considerably out of the straight line. Either of these
forms is conducive to speed; but the latter is the more elegant, and also
appears to be the best calculated for preserving the equilibrium in the turn.
If the hind legs are straight, and yet the back is level, the fore legs must be
long, or else there can scarcely be sufficient speed. This form is, however,
inferior to the bent hind legs, and correspondingly short anterior extremities.
The type of the best formation is seen in the hare, in which there is a still
greater disproportion ; and as the greyhound has to cope with her in speed and
working, he must, to a certain extent, be formed upon the same model, and so
he really is when the proportions are carefully examined in a skinned hare. In
the portraits of Mr. RandelFs Ruby, and Mr. Brown's Bedlamite, the best form
of stifles may be seen. The latter dog himself possessed remarkably developed
stifles, which have been transmitted to many of his descendants, and on which
I believe much of their success has depended. This peculiarity consists in the
stifles being set on wide apart, so that they can be brought well forward in the
stride without any difficulty. Good bony stifles and powerful hocks are
essentially requisite for the attachment and leverage of the various muscles, and
unless these are large and powerful in the haunches and thighs no greyhound
can be of first-class powers. This point is, however, so well known, that it is
scarcely necessary to insist upon it.
" But in order to unite the hind and fore quarters, and to assist in fixing
the pelvis, from which the muscles composing the haunch take their fulcrum, a
good back is required, and when of a good form it has been compared to a
beam. Now the back is composed of a series of vertebrae, having the ribs
attached to the sides of the first thirteen, but in those of the loins depending
alone upon the hip bones and lateral processes for the lodgment and attachment
of muscles. It must be self-evident that every additional inch in length of
back increases the stride by that amount exactly, and therefore if prolonged
indefinitely it would be advantageous, till counterbalanced by the disadvantages
inseparably connected with this form, in consequence of the diminished
strength. The length of back should therefore be looked for between the
neck and the last rib, rather than between the last rib and the hip bone ; and
this is a very important consideration too often neglected.
'' In measuring a dog I should take only the following points, which should
be nearly of the proportions here given in one of average size :
" Principal points : Height at the shoulder, 25in. ; length from shoulder
point to apex of last rib, 15in. ; length of apex of last rib to back of buttock,
13in. to 15in. ; length from front of thigh round buttock to front of other
thigh, 21in.
" But to be more minute, it is as well to measure also the subordinate
points as under : Circumference of head between eyes and ears, 14iin.
to 15in. ; length of neck, 9in. to lOin. ; circumference of chest, 28in. to
THE GRBTHOTJND. 183
30in. in condition ; length of arm^ 9in. ; length of knee to the ground^
4iin. ; circnmference of the loin, 18in. to 19in., in running condition; length
of upper thigh^ lO^in. ; lower thigh, llin. ; and leg from hock to ground,
5iin. to 6in.
" In taking these measurements the fore legs should, as nearly as
possible, be perpendicular, and the hind ones only moderately extended
backwards.
" The back rib should be well spread and deep ; for, unless they are in
this form, a sufficient attachment cannot be afforded to the muscles of the loins,
which constitute the chief moving power in drawing the hind legs forward, and
in fixing the pelvis. The loins must therefore be broad, strong, and deep, and
the measure of their strength must be a circular one. Breadth alone will not
do, since the lower muscles require to be well developed as well as the upper,
but a good measurement round the loin is a good test of power iu that quarter.
It was the fashion from 1840 to 1850 to select flat and straight backs, and these
certainly are handsomer than the high-arched backs previously so much in
vogue. Either form may be qualified to do its duty, if there is only the power
of straightening the line in the arched back ; but if permanently arched it
becomes what is called the 'wheel back,' and the power of extension in
the gallop is very much limited. Since the time of Bedlamite, who was
very drooping in his quarters, and possibly partly in consequence of the
attention which I drew to this point, the very level back is not so much
in fashion, and the arched loin, coupled with the Bedlamite quarter, is much
sought after.
" With regard to the chesty there are two things to be considered — namely,
capacity for the lodgment of the lungs and heart, and the attainment of that
form most conducive to speed and working. It must not be too deep, or the
animal is constantly striking it against obstacles ; it must not be too wide, or
the shoulders are unable to play smoothly upon it, as they must do in the
action of this quarter ; but it must be of sufficient capacity to lodge the heart
and lungs. A just relation between these three counterbalancing essentials is
therefore the best form — ^neither too small for good wind, nor too wide for speed,
nor too deep to keep free from the irregularities of the ground, but that happy
medium which we see in our best specimens, and which the portraits of most of
our best dogs will exhibit to the eye of the courser.''
The relative value of these several points varies a good deal from those of
dogs whose breeding can chiefly be arrived at by external signs — e,g,, the stem,
colour, and coat in the pointer and setter. Here the pedigree is well known
for many generations ; and therefore, although the breeding may be guessed at
from the appearance of the individual, it is far better to depend upon the
evidence afforded by the Coursing Calendar, or, if that is not forthcoming, to
avoid having anything to do with breeding from the strain.
184
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
Head 10
Neck 10
20
Valiie of Points in the Oreyhound.
Ohest '.. 15 I Feet 15
Loin 15 1 Legs 16
Back ribs ... 10
Tail 6
Colour and coat 5
40
30
10
Gfrcmd Total, 100.
The specimens we have selected to illustrate this article — Riot and David
— ^were perhaps the best greyhounds for all kinds of ground which ever i-an,
not even excepting the two treble winners of the Waterloo Cup, as they were
not tried over the downs. Riot was the property of Mr. C. Randell, of
Chadbury, and was not only the winner of seventy-four courses in public, with
the loss of only ten, but she was also the dam of several good greyhounds.
David had also the same double distinction, but was not quite so celebrated in
the coursing field as the bitch. 'B,e had, however, the advantage at the stud,
as might be expected from his sex, and a goodly list of winners are credited to
him. Curiously enough, both were bred in the same kennel, from which they
were transferred as whelps, in the case of the bitch, to Chadbury, and, in that
of the dog, to Mr. W. Long, of Amesbury, both distinguished in the south as
public coursers, and pitted against one another in many a stake.
We might point to the numerous descendant of Beacon and Scotland Yet,
and to Cerito and Master McGrath, as having been more successful over the
plains of Alcar ; but we believe that no strain of blood has done more over all
sorts of ground than the combination of Bedlamite and Blackfly in Riot, and
that of Motley and Wanton in David.
THE HOUNDS OF OUE FOEEFATHEES. 185
CHAPTER X.-H0UND8.
THE HOUNDS OF OUE FOEEFATHEES.
jUE ancestors possessed several fine breeds of hounds which hunted by
scent, and (either alone, or in packs like our modem foxhounds) wore
out their prey by slow perseverance. Most of these old races are now
extinct, or they have lost their peculiar and original character, their blood
being blended with the '^Fui'riers^^ and ''Hermits^' of our time. These
animals were not adapted to the modern system of hunting. They were never
lifted, and the '^ cast " was almost unknown. If at fault they were left by the
men who followed them (who sometimes even hunted them in a leash) to
puzzle the scent out by themselves, whilst the owner and his attendants took
time to breathe. The deep bay of the hound ^^as as much regarded as the
excellence of his nose, for if he would not fling his tongue, the footman soon
lost him in the deep forests. The chase was commonly protracted for many
hours, even after the Norman introduced hunting on horseback, and when
William the Conqueror brought the " talbot '^ in his train ; the line of scent was
maintained with untiring perseverance, and the game was secured by the same
means as the stoat or weasel adopts for killing a rabbit. Some few dis-
tinguished breeds survived the introduction of the Conqueror's faster hound —
the molossus or mastiff, and the wolfdog of the third century.
We have been told, although we cannot vouch for the truth, of the fact,
that the talbot is mentioned in a MS. work, written in 1307 by the grand
huntsman to Edward II. ; but we have little doubt the dog 18 described by
that royal servant, and that his pack consiisted of that fine breed. We can
judge of his form and colour by old prints and pictures ; and the fact that he
outlived so many centuries is sufficient warrant for his quality. The blood-
hound, we have no doubt, is the best modem representative of the breed, both
in outline and delicacy of nose. The talbot had the same long narrow fore-
head, the same deeply-set solemn eyes, the same large and flabby lips, the
loose throat, the thin large leathery ears, the wide nose, the expanded nostrils,
the deep bell-like voice, the lashing fine stem, the grand action, the strength
and bone and muscle, now shadowed forth in the best specimens of blood-
B B
186 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
hound of the present day. He was commonly of the same colour — a sort of
gravel-red, running into black down his back and loins — although occasionally
he was what we call " pied/' or blotched and spotted with black and red, or
blue and yellow, upon a white ground.
A black breed was well known in the Ardennes in the sixth century.
These hounds, according to the old legends, were imported by St. Hubert from
the South of Gaul, but we conjecture they came from the Bast ; probably they
were brought by pilgrims of rank, simply as curiosities.
Indeed it is said that, long before the Crusades, white hounds were
introduced from Constantinople into France, and were offered at St. Roch's
shrine, because he was the patron-saint of all who dreaded canine madness.
Some authorities considered these white hounds talbots, but all agreed to call
both black and white St. Hubert's hounds, and in the old days the dogs of
these two colours were considered types of the Pagan and Christian condition
of mankind.
It is most likely that the talbot was so designated because some pilgrim
of the family bearing that name brought the breed from Palestine, and became
well known as the possessor of the true sort in England.
Early in the twelfth century, packs of talbots were maintained by the
high ecclesiastics who were devoted to sylvan sports ; whilst even mitred heads
frequently laid aside the crosier for the hunting crop of the period, and woke
up their sober palfreys to something faster than the episcopal amble. In 1147,
Walterus, Archdeacon of Canterbury (who was afterwards promoted to the see of
Rochester), was the Assheton Smith of his generation, and cheered his hounds,
as they were drawing, up to his eightieth year. Reginald Brian, the Bishop
of Worcester, was a chip of the same block, and rode straight and " hands
down '' with the best of them. It was a matter for argument with the clergy
of the respective dioceses whether Worcester or St. David's could " go best
and live longest," an argument, like many others, unsettled up to the present
time. However, such angry recriminations never affected "the minds of these
two dignified M.F.H.s, as is proved by a letter, written by Reginald to his
brother of St. David's. After reminding the bishop that he had promised to
forward to Worcester six couples of hounds (almost beyond doubt talbot
hounds, too high or too low for the standard of the St. David's pack), he urges
his friend to send the draft without losing time. '^ Let them come," he writes,
'' reverend father, without delay. Let my woods re-echo with the music of
their cry and the cheerful notes of the horn, and let the walls of my palace be
decorated with the trophies of the chase."
The kennel was an important part of many a monastic building, and the
abbot would sometimes inspect the broth and pudding with more scrupulous
punctuality than he attended ^^ nones " and ^' primes." He was as careful to
draw them from the trough at the proper hour and with due ceremony, as the
THE HOUNDS OP OUE FOREFATHERS. 187
master mariner is to wind ap his chronometers. There he would point oat to
some favourite subordinate ecclesiastic the excellences of individuals or the
family likeness of the pack^ handing down to him the traditions of their
parentage^ and the curious arts of venerie which had come to him through tho
shaven head of his predecessor. Such^ at any rate, was the custom of tho
excellent and amiable Abbot of St. Mary's, Leicester, one William de Clowne,
whose pack was perhaps the best and most level in the kingdom, and to whom
the king granted the privilege of holding a fair or market for dealing in
hounds, thus enabling him not only to disseminate his own capital sort, but
obtain the best crosses for perpetuating his breed.
But the Catholic clergy did not confine their attention exclusively to hawk
or hound. Although they were adepts in everything relating to the mews or
kennel, they found time and leisure to cultivate the breed of the horse, the ox,
and even of swine. The incumbents of a few old livings will find in some of
the ancient parish deeds that they are enjoined to keep a bull and a boar, and
in one or more instances a horse, for the use of their parishioners ; whilst a
like injunction as to talbots, wolfhounds, and mastifis was possibly omitted,
because the reverend fathers believed the national taste would prevent (without
the necessity of legislation) the extinction of these celebrated races.
In the sixteenth century the talbot was the estabUshed favourite of this
kingdom. He was a hanger-on in his extreme age at almost every noble
mansion or old grange. In the neighbourhood of the New Forest he was
frequently kept even by the yeomen, but generally he was a pigmy specimen ;
and supposing he was a fine example, his excellence was- his misfortune, and he
limped after his owner in a style far different' to his natural elastic gait,
deprived of two claws of his fore feet ("disforested") because he was too
large of stature to be thrust through the stirrup of the Conqueror^s son,
and therefore might be large enough to head a deer. These were the
hounds (it is believed) to which Shakspeare alludes in his "Midsummer
Night's Dream '^ as
Match'd in mouth like bells,
Each under each.
They seem to have lost their purity soon after, and then were perhaps
propagated in another form, and with changed characters and instincts, as
northern or southern hounds. Tradition informs us, however, that the talbot
had not died out entirely at the end of the eighteenth century ; that some few
were to be seen in one or more parts of Wales ; and we have it authenticated
that one was possessed about that time by a Mr. Havens, living at Breedon, in
Leicestershire, who procured him from Staunton, a seat of Earl Ferrers. It
was also to be found on the Scottish borders, and was trained to track and
overtake cattle-lifters and felons.
This dog is the crest of Lord Shrewsbury and of the Qrosvenors, and we
188
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
have seen a hunting picture in the possession of one branch of the latter family
containing the portraits of hounds by no means unlike this heraldic device.
Making all due allowance for the exaggerated forms adopted by heraldic
draughtsmen, we have thought the blood of the talbot showed itself distinctly
in these running hounds, even if we compare their outline with the portrait on
the family tankard. Thus, if we have drawn a correct conclusion, the type of
the talbot, if not the talbot itself, was familiar to some huntsmen at the
beginning of this century, and there is very little doubt it might be seen in
Prance up to the time of the Revolution.
We think that the southern hound may be seen nearly, if not quite, pure*
even at the present time ; not so pure as in days gone by, when the talbot
was a distinct breed, for it is possible the southern hound may have been
coeval with the talbot, in a diflferent and lighter form, but still distinguished
by its prononce character from every other hunting hound of our time. We
have two portraits at hand in old sporting publications, one of Wareful, a
southern hound — the picture by Willis. She is called Wareful, late Gipsy, and
is described as bred by Sir S. Smyth, her dam Gaylass, granddam Old Countess,
by Leader ; her sire Worthy, out of Fairy, by Workman. She is black-and-
tanned, a little feathered .on the stem, and with a white breast. The Sporting
Magazine (1835) give us the portrait of another southern hound of the same
colour, the property of Mr. A. W. Corbet, Sundome Castle, Salop, and we are
informed her owner used her for hare-hunting. She is not unlike Bewick's
portrait of the "Old English Hound," which he states is described by
Whitaker, in his " History of Manchester,^' as " the original breed of this
island;'' but neither Whipsdy nor Wareful has so fine a head as Bewick's
hound, nor is the " hound ear " so well developed or full of hound character.
He also mentions a cross produced by a mixture of the beagle and the old
English hound which he calls " the Kibble hound ; " but we cannot depend
upon his letter-press, although all of us must admire his chaste, true, and
characteristic engravings.
Youatt's portrait of the southern hound represents a dog of more airy
form and of gayer carriage than either Wareful or Mr. Corbet's Whipsey. He
is a dog of character — of very marked character — ^yet wanting in that throati-
ness which is always observable in slow hounds, whether talbots, southern, or
northern, and which bespeaks a tuneful voice even in the beagle or harrier.
He has also much white about him.
The southern has a good title to be considered one of the ancestors of the
foxhound. He is, equally with the talbot, the progenitor of good noses and
good form ; yet the foxhound's propensity to cast forward (a prominent feature,
which a modem authority has impressed upon us) does not proceed from talbot
or southern blood, though the inclination to stoop for a scent does.
We have asserted that we believe the southern hound to be still in
THE HOUNDS OP OUR FORBFATHBES. 189
existence. We have the following grounds for that assertion: A hound
called a bloodhound (which he was not) existed in the neighbourhood of the
New Forest five-and-twenty years ago. We purchased a very fine bitch
indeed, named Necklace, in the year 1839. She came from a forest-keeper, and
trEkcked a deer admirably, with great patience, and over very trying and difficult
ground. Within the last five or six years we procured from the same neigh-
bourhood a dog named Tracer, who had obtained considerable notoriety for
detecting sheep stealers. This dog precisely resembled Touatt's engraving.
He would also track a man's foot without blood, and did follow an old keeper's
line for five or six miles, when we tried him, with complete accuracy, although
it was a very bad scenting day. Subsequently he went to the north to recover
wounded deer ; and although when we first owned him he cared for nothing
but the human foot, he turned out an admirable retriever of venison. In
1864 Mr. Nevill, of Chelland, Hants, exhibited five couples of staghounds,
of what he calls the black St. Hubert breed. They very strongly resemble
both Wareful and Whispey, and from their colour and general appearance we
believe them to be the last relics of the southern hound.
Our fathers had a singular method of breaking their packs for hunting the
hare, which is alluded to in the Spectator. We allude to '' stop hounds," as
they were called. These hare hounds were evidently slow hunters, dwelling
on the line, never cutting corners, but following the hare at a respectful
distance, full cry, through her various turns and doubles for many hours
together. The squire, in cocked hat and wig, dressed in a gay-coloured, laced,
wide-skirted coat, with long flapped waistcoat to correspond, and shod with
boots on the model of the French postilion, floundered after them on his thick-
set hunter, attended by his friends, neighbours, and tenants, dressed in all the
colours of the rainbow, and mounted on horses somewhat coarser and pro-
portionably worse. The huntsman, in his master's livery and boots (his
features terribly outraged by a hideous hunting cap), was not only encumbered
with a huge brass French-horn encircling his body, but he had also to carry
on his shoulder a long pole of tough light wood. When at last the hare sank
down exhausted, he managed to get before his pack and to throw down this
barrier. Immediately every hound stopped, and although they bayed as well
as their parched throats would let them, not one attempted to go on or seize
the hare, which was picked up by the master of the hunt.
Such were the hounds of our forefathers, as far as we can ascertain from
the imperfect accounts of sport handed down to us. We now propose to
describe the improved breeds for which this country is famous all over the
world.
160
THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS.
THE BLOODHOUND.
The different sub-varieties of the hound, including all dogs employed in the
chase which hunt by scent and have large pendulous ears, would appear —
from their near relation to each other in form, and in their susceptibility for
an education to particular habits — to have originated in one type. Those
which are now known, and of which distinct breeds exist, are the bloodhound,
the old southern hound (or its descendant, in greater or less purity, the otter
hound), the staghound, the foxhound, the harrier, and the beagle ; and it is
supposed by some authorities that the magnificent animal now under con-
sideration constituted the original breed of hound in the country, the stock
from which the others have been successively derived. Whether this be the
case or not cannot now be ascertained, but there is no doubt that it is of very
ancient use in England, and was probably the talbot of the sportsmen of olden
times, though that name appears to have been afterwards indiscriminately
applied to hounds of other breeds also. Pennant says, " the better opinion is,
that the original stock was a mixture of the deep-mouthed southern hound
and the powerful old English staghound.'^
The qualities for which it has acquired so high a reputation are the
acuteness and certainty of its scent, and the pertinacity and sagacity with
which it will track any object to the pursuit of which it has been trained. This
propensity, originally made subservient only to the usual objects of the chase,
has, in' subsequent ages, been applied to the purpose of tracking felons and
political fugitives. We are told in history that moss-troopers, children of the
mist, and adventurers were not the only persons who were put to their shifts
to evade the diligence of the sleuth-bratch or bloodhound, as Barbour and
Uenry the Minstrel relate events in which personages no less than the Bruce
and Wallace were the principal actors. The former gives accounts of the
king^s repeated escapes from such pursuits, and the " wily turns ^^ whereby
he threw the hound off the scent. On one occasion he waded a bow-shot down
a brook, and olimbed a tree which overhung the water. Barber well describes
the " wavering ^^ of the " sleuth-hound ta and fra ^^ when it was thrown out
by the king^s stratagem. Henry the Minstrel, in a romantically wild story,
relates how, after a short skirmish at Black-Erne side, in which Wallace was
worsted, the English followed up the retreat which he was forced to make with
a Border bloodhound :
In Gelderland there was that bratohet bred,
Siker* of soenfc, to follow them that fled ;
So was he used in Eske and Liddesdail,
Whilef she gat blood no fleeing might avail.
• Sure.
t TiU.
"DRXHD," BKED BY HB. T. A. JENNINGS.
(Sdd to Prinoe NapoUcm.)
THE BLOODHOUND.
191
Tradition and history tell ub that not only was this noble hound nsed in
the clan fends of Scotland^ in the Border contests of the debatable land of the
two kingdoms, but that in the Irish rebellion its extraordinary powers were
taken advantage of without much regard to the claims either of justice or
mercy. Sir Walter Scott gives a striking reality to the scene when he makes
the stark moss-trooper, William of Deloraine, who had baffled Percy's best
bloodhounds, allude to the pleasures of the chase, though he himself was the
object of pursuit, in pronouncing his eulogy over Richard Musgrave with the
sorrow of a warrior who had lost the stem joy afforded by a hero worthy of
his steel :
Yet rest thee God ! for well I know
I ne*er shall find a nobler foe.
In all the northern countries here.
Whose word is Snaffle, spur, and spear,
Thon wert the best to follow gear !
'Twas pleasure, as we looked behind.
To see how thoa the chase couldst wind.
Cheer the dark bloodhound on his way.
And with the bugle rouse the fray !
I'd give the lands of Deloraine
Dark Musgrave were alive again.
In the same " Lay " there is one of the best poetical descriptions of the
bloodhound in action, if not the best ; for though Somerville's lines may enter
more into detail, they want the vivid animation of the images brought abso-
lutely under the eye by the power of Scott, where the " noble child,'^ the heir
of Branksome, is left alone in his terror.
Starting oft, he journey'd on.
And deeper in the wood is gone, —
For aye the more he sought his way,
The farther still he went astray,
Until he heard the mountains round
Ring to the baying of a hound.
And hark ! and hark ! the deep-raouth'd bark
Comes nigher still and nigher ;
Bursts on the path a dark bloodhound.
His tawny muzzle tracked the ground,
And his red eye shot fire.
Soon as the 'wilder'd child saw he,
He flew at him right furiouslie.
I ween you would have seen with joy
The bearing of the gallant boy.
When, worthy of his noble sire,
His wet cheek glow'd 'twixt fear and ire !
He faced the bloodhound manfully,
And held his little bat on high ;
So fierce he struck, the dog, afraid,
At cautious distance hoarsely bay*d.
But still in act to spring ;
When dash'd an archer through the glade,
And when he saw the hound was stay'd,
He drew his tough bow-string ;
But a rough voice cried " Shoot not, hoy I
Ho I shoot not, Edward — 'tis a boy ! "
Sir Walter also states that the breed was kept up by the Bucoleuch family
on their Border estates till within the eighteenth century, and then relates the
last instance of an attempted ^^ Border foray " on record.
But as the times changed, and civilisation advanced, and learning became
diffused, the bloodhound sank from the nobler pursuit of heroes and knights
to be the tracker of the deer and sheep stealer, and other petty felons. Our
ancestors, in training the young dog for the pursuit of the more ignoble
quarry, permitted him to be accompanied by a staunch old hound to the spot
whence a deer or other animal had been taken on for a mile or two ; the
hounds were then laid on and encouraged, and, after hunting this *^ drag ''
successfully, were rewarded with a portion of the venison which composed it.
The next step was to take the young dog with his seasoned tutor to a spot
whence a man whose shoes had been rubbed with the blood of a deer had
started on a circuit of two or three miles ; during his progress the man was
instructed to renew the blood from time to time, to keep the scent alive. This
circuit was gradually enlarged at each succeeding lesson, until the young hound
became at last fully equal to hunt by itself.
Gervase Markham, in his " Maison Rustique," speaking of hounds, says,
"The baie-coloured ones have the second place for goodnesse, and are of
great courage, ventring far, and of a quicke scent, finding out very well the
turnes and windings They runne surely, and with great boldnesse,
commonly loving the stagge more than any other beast ; but they make no
account of hares. It is true that they be more head-strong and harde to
reclaime than the white, and put men to more paine and travaill about the
same. The best of the fallow sort of dogges are those which are of a brighter
haire, drawing more unto the colour of red, and having therewithal a white
spot in the forehead, or in the necke, in like manner those which are all fallow ;
but such as incline to a light yellow colour, being graie or blacke spotted, are
nothing worth : such as are trussed up, and have dewclawes, are good to make
bloodhounds.'^
The colour of the true breed is stated to be almost invariably a reddish
tan, darkening gradually towards the upper parts till it becomes mixed with
black on the back. A white patch on the body, a white face or a streak down
it, pr6claims a stain which is death to all hope of purity of blood. Some breeders
^^refer the body flecked with white, and they hold that great purity is exhibited
V the white tip at the end of the tapering stern. The coat should be close,
ther silky, short, and strong, approaching to the texture of wool at the bottom.
V
THE BLOODHOUND.
193
The forehead is long and narrow; the eyes are deep and sunk^ but
expressive, and showing the third eyelid or haw very plainly, which gives an
appearance of redness to the eye. The ears are very long and thin, hanging
straight down — even when excited they never rise at the roots, but continue to
hang straight down, as if the face were smiling. Face and upper jaw to the nose,
narrow; the nose itself very large, and the lips or " flews ^^ long, thin, and
pendulous, so that, like the ears, which meet at the point of the nose, they will
join under the chin.
The neck is remarkably long, and the shoulders and fore legs are very
good, the legs being straight and powerful, and the feet round and full. The
throat rather hanging in its skin, or wrinkled, or what in hunting language is
called " throaty .'' The back and loins are broad, and the ribs and chest deep,
with the brisket well let down. The stem is set on high, long, very pliant or
lashing, tapering to a fine point. Toe-nails, black.
In temper the bloodhound is very touchy, and, when aroused, very savage;
but forgiving, and anxious, in a moment after biting, by smiles and fawning to
express regret and ask forgiveness.
The tongue when thrown is deep, mellow, and prolonged.
Height 2 Sin. ; but some well-known breeders fix the standard at not less
than from 30in. to 33in.
The most celebrated breeders, of late years, have been Lords Tarborough,
Fitzwilliam, and Faversham ; the Hon. (Jrantley Berkeley ; Mr. Jennings, of
Pickering, Yorkshire ; Mr. Cowen, of Blaydon-upon-Tyne ; Mr. Harrison, of
Dudley ; and lastly, though by no means the least, Mr. Holford, of High Oak
House, near Ware. Of the various dogs exhibited from the above kennels,
Mr. Jennings's Druid, sold in 1864 to Prince Napoleon, was in our opinion the
best specimen of the breed, and we accordingly reproduced him on wood. Mr.
Cowen's Druid was also a grand dog, though not now in his prime ; but his
head is not equal to that of Mr. Jennings's old favourite. Our artist has faithfully
rendered the old dog as he appeared when first exhibited, and he must not be
compared with the poor fellow as shown at Islington after he had been sent to
France, being then already in the sere and yellow leaf. Mr. Holford's Regent,
exhibited with unvarying success in 1870 — 71, is perhaps his equal, and by
some people is considered his superior, but we lean to the old dog yet.
Head
Ears
Neck
15 I Legs
6 Feet
5
25
Vahie of Points of the Bloodhound,
10 Shoulders 10 Hind quarters .
10 Back ribs and
chest 10
Loin 10
20
10 I Symmetry
Colour ....
Stem
30'
Grand Total, 100.
10
5
5
5
15
c
192
THE DOGS OP TEE BRITISH ISLANDS.
When dasli'd an archer through the glade,
And when he saw the hound was stay'd,
He drew his tough bow-string ;
But a rough voice cried " Shoot not, hoy !
Ho ! shoot not, Edward — 'tis a boy ! "
Sir Walter also states that the breed was kept up by the Buccleach family
on their Border estates till within the eighteenth century, and then relates the
last instance of an attempted ^' Border foray '^ on record.
But as the times changed, and civilisation advanced, and learning became
diffused, the bloodhound sank from the nobler pursuit of heroes and knights
to be the tracker of the deer and sheep stealer, and other petty felons. Our
ancestors, in training the young dog for the pursuit of the more ignoble
quarry, permitted him to be accompanied by a staunch old hound to the spot
whence a deer or other animal had been taken on for a mile or two ; the
hounds were then laid on and encouraged, and, after hunting this *^ drag ''
successfully, were rewarded with a portion of the venison which composed it.
The next step was to take the young dog with his seasoned tutor to a spot
whence a man whose shoes had been rubbed with the blood of a deer had
started on a circuit of two or three miles ; during his progress the man was
instructed to renew the blood from time to time, to keep the scent alive. This
circuit was gradually enlarged at each succeeding lesson, until the young hound
became at last fully equal to hunt by itself.
Gervase Markham, in his " Maison Rustique,'^ speaking of hounds, says,
"The baie-coloured ones have the second place for goodnesse, and are of
great courage, ventring far, and of a quicke scent, finding out very well the
turnes and windings They runne surely, and with great boldnesse,
commonly loving the stagge more than any other beast ; but they make no
account of hares. It is true that they be more head-strong and harde to
reclaime than the white, and put men to more paine and travaill about the
same. The best of the fallow sort of dogges are those which are of a brighter
haire, drawing more unto the colour of red, and having therewithal a white
spot in the forehead, or in the necke, in like manner those which are all fallow ;
but such as incline to a light yellow colour, being graie or blacke spotted, are
nothing worth : such as are trussed up, and have dewclawes, are good to make
bloodhounds.^^
The colour of the true breed is stated to be almost invariably a reddish
tan, darkening gradually towards the upper parts till it becomes mixed with
black on the back. A white patch on the body, a white face or a streak down
it, proclaims a stain which is death to all hope of purity of blood. Some breeders
prefer the body flecked with white, and they hold that great purity is exhibited
by the white tip at the end of the tapering stern. The coat should be close,
rather silky, short, and strong, approaching to the texture of wool at the bottom.
THE BLOODHOUND.
193
The forehead is long and narrow; the eyes are deep and sunk^ bnt
expressive, and showing the third eyelid or haw very plainly, which gives an
appearance of redness to the eye. The ears are very long and thin, hanging
straight down — even when excited they never rise at the roots, but continue to
hang straight down, as if the face were smiling. Face and upper jaw to the nose,
narrow; the nose itself very large, and the lips or ^' flews ^^ long> thin, and
pendulous, so that, like the ears, which meet at the point of the nose, they wiH
join under the chin.
The neck is remarkably long, and the shoulders and fore legs are very
good, the legs being straight and powerful, and the feet round and full. The
throat rather hanging in its skin, or wrinkled, or what in hunting language is
called " throaty.'^ The back and loins are broad, and the ribs and chest deep,
with the brisket well let down. The stem is set on high, long, very pliant or
lashing, tapering to a fine point. Toe-nails, black.
In temper the bloodhound is very touchy, and, when aroused, very savage;
but forgiving, and anxious, in a moment after biting, by smiles and fawning to
express regret and ask forgiveness.
The tongue when thrown is deep, mellow, and prolonged.
Height 28in. ; but some well-known breeders fix the standard at not less
than from 30in. to 33in.
The most celebrated breeders, of late years, have been Lords Tarborough,
Fitzwilliam, and Faversham ; the Hon. Grantley Berkeley ; Mr. Jennings, of
Pickering, Yorkshire ; Mr. Cowen, of Blaydon-upon-Tyne ; Mr. Harrison, of
Dudley ; and lastly, though by no means the least, Mr. Holford, of High Oak
House, near Ware. Of the various dogs exhibited from the above kennels,
Mr. Jennings's Druid, sold in 1864 to -Prince Napoleon, was in our opinion the
best specimen of the breed, and we accordingly reproduced him on wood. Mr.
Cowen's Druid was also a grand dog, though not now in his prime ; but his
head is not equal to that of Mr. Jennings's old favourite. Our artist has faithfully
rendered the old dog as he appeared when first exhibited, and he must not be
compared with the poor fellow as shown at Islington after he had been sent to
France, being then already in the sere and yellow leaf. Mr. Holford's Regent,
exhibited with unvarying success in 1870 — 71, is perhaps his equal, and by
some people is considered his superior, but we lean to the old dog yet.
Head
Ears
Neck
5
6
25
Vahie of Points of the Bloodhound.
15|Leg8 10
Feet 10
20
Shoulders 10 Hind quarters . 10 Symmetry
Back ribs and Colour ....
chest
Loin
10
10
30
Grand Total, 100.
10
Stem
5
5
5
15
c c
192
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
When dasH'd an archer through the glade,
And when he saw the hound was stay'd,
He drew his tough bow-string ;
But a rough voice cried " Shoot not, hoy !
Ho ! shoot not, Edward — 'tis a boy ! "
Sir Walter also states that the breed was kept up by the Buccleach family
on their Border estates till within the eighteenth century, and then relates the
last instance of an attempted '^ Border foray " on record.
But as the times changed, and civilisation advanced, and learning became
diflFused, the bloodhound sank from the nobler pursuit of heroes and knights
to be the tracker of the deer and sheep stealer, and other petty felons. Our
ancestors, in training the young dog for the pursuit of the more ignoble
quarry, permitted him to be accompanied by a staunch old hound to the spot
whence a deer or other animal had been taken on for a mile or two ; the
hounds were then laid on and encouraged, and, after hunting this *^ drag '^
successfully, were rewarded with a portion of the venison which composed it.
The next step was to take the young dog with his seasoned tutor to a spot
whence a man whose shoes had been rubbed with the blood of a deer had
started on a circuit of two or three miles ; during his progress the man was
instructed to renew the blood from time to time, to keep the scent alive. This
circuit was gradually enlarged at each succeeding lesson, until the young hound
became at last fully equal to hunt by itself.
Gervase Markham, in his " Maison Rustique,^^ speaking of hounds, says,
^^The baie-coloured ones have the second place for goodnesse, and are of
great courage, ventring far, and of a quicke scent, finding out very well the
turnes and windings They runne surely, and with great boldnesse,
commonly loving the stagge more than any other beast ; but they make no
account of hares. It is true that they be more head-strong and harde to
reclaime than the white, and put men to more paine and travaill about the
same. The best of the fallow sort of dogges are those which are of a brighter
haire, drawing more unto the colour of red, and having therewithal a white
spot in the forehead, or in the necke, in like manner those which are all fallow ;
but such as incline to a light yellow colour, being graie or blacke spotted, are
nothing worth : such as are trussed up, and have dewclawes, are good to make
bloodhounds.^^
The colour of the true breed is stated to be almost invariably a reddish
tan, darkening gradually towards the upper parts till it becomes mixed with
black on the back. A white patch on the body, a white face or a streak down
it, proclaims a stain which is death to all hope of purity of blood. Some breeders
prefer the body flecked with white, and they hold that great purity is exhibited
by the white tip at the end of the tapering stern. The coat should be close,
rather silky, short, and strong, approaching to the texture of wool at the bottom.
THE BLOODHOUND.
193
The forehead is long and narrow; the eyes are deep and sunk, but
expressive, and showing the third eyelid or haw very plainly, which gives an
appearance of redness to the eye. The ears are very long and thin, hanging
straight down — even when excited they never rise at the roots, but continue to
hang straight down, as if the face were smiling. Face and upper jaw to the nose,
narrow ; the nose itself very large, and the lips or ^' flews ^^ ^^^g> thin, and
pendulous, so that, like the ears, which meet at the point of the nose, they will
join under the chin.
The neck is remarkably long, and the shoulders and fore legs are very
good, the legs being straight and powerful, and the feiet round and full. The
throat rather hanging in its skin, or wrinkled, or what in hunting language is
called " throaty.'^ The back and loins are broad, and the ribs and chest deep,
with the brisket well let down. The stem is set on high, long, very pliant or
lashing, tapering to a fine point. Toe-nails, black.
In temper the bloodhound is very touchy, and, when aroused, very savage;
but forgiving, and anxious, in a moment after biting, by smiles and fawning to
express regret and ask forgiveness.
The tongue when thrown is deep, mellow, and prolonged.
Height 2 Sin. ; but some well-known breeders fix the standard at not less
than from 30in. to 33in.
The most celebrated breeders, of late years, have been Lords Tarborough,
Fitzwilliam, and Faversham ; the Hon. Grantley Berkeley ; Mr. Jennings, of
Pickering, Yorkshire ; Mr. Cowen, of Blaydon-upon-Tyne ; Mr. Harrison, of
Dudley ; and lastly, though by no means the least, Mr. Holford, of High Oak
House, near Ware. Of the various dogs exhibited from the above kennels,
Mr. Jennings's Druid, sold in 1864 to -Prince Napoleon, was in our opinion the
best specimen of the breed, and we accordingly reproduced him on wood. Mr.
Cowen's Druid was also a grand dog, though not now in his prime; but his
head is not equal to that of Mr. Jennings's old favourite. Our artist has faithfully
rendered the old dog as he appeared when first exhibited, and he must not be
compared with the poor fellow as shown at Islington after he had been sent to
France, being then already in the sere and yellow leaf. Mr. Holford's Regent,
exhibited with unvarying success in 1870 — 71, is perhaps his equal, and by
some people is considered his superior, but we lean to the old dog yet.
Head ... 15|Leg8 10
Ears ... 5 Feet 10
Neck ... 6
25
Value of Points of the Bloodhound.
Shoulders 10 Hind quarters .
Back ribs and
chest 10
Loin 10'
20
10 I Symmetry
'Colour ....
Stem
30'
Grand Total, 100.
10
5
5
5
15
c c
192
THE DOGS OP TEE BRITISH ISLANDS.
When dasH'd an archer through the glade,
And when he saw the hound was stayed,
He drew his tongh bow-string ;
But a rough voice cried " Shoot not, hoy !
Ho ! shoot not, Edward — 'tis a boy ! "
Sir Walter also states that the breed was kept up by the Buccleucli family
on their Border estates till within the eighteenth century, and then relates the
last instance of an attempted ^' Border foray ^' on record.
But as the times changed, and civilisation advanced, and learning became
diffused, the bloodhound sank from the nobler pursuit of heroes and knights
to be the tracker of the deer and sheep stealer, and other petty felons. Our
ancestors, in training the young dog for the pursuit of the more ignoble
quarry, permitted him to be accompanied by a staunch old hound to the spot
whence a deer or other animal had been taken on for a mile or two ; the
hounds were then laid on and encouraged, and, after hunting this *' drag *'
successfully, were rewarded with a portion of the venison which composed it.
The next step was to take the young dog with his seasoned tutor to a spot
whence a man whose shoes had been rubbed with the blood of a deer had
started on a circuit of two or three miles ; during his progress the man was
instructed to renew the blood from time to time, to keep the scent alive. This
circuit was gradually enlarged at each succeeding lesson, until the young hound
became at last fully equal to hunt by itself.
Gervase Markham, in his " Maison Rustique,^' speaking of hounds, says,
"The baie-coloured ones have the second place for goodnesse, and are of
great courage, ventring far, and of a quicke scent, finding out very well the
turnes and windings They runne surely, and with great boldnesse,
commonly loving the stagge more than any other beast ; but they make no
account of hares. It is true that they be more head-strong and harde to
reclaime than the white, and put men to more paine and travaill about the
same. The best of the fallow sort of dogges are those which are of a brighter
haire, drawing more unto the colour of red, and having therewithal a white
spot in the forehead, or in the necke, in like manner those which are all fallow ;
but such as incline to a light yellow colour, being graie or blacke spotted, are
nothing worth : such as are trussed up, and have dewclawes, are good to make
bloodhounds.^^
The colour of the true breed is stated to be almost invariably a reddish
tan, darkening gradually towards the upper parts till it becomes mixed with
black on the back. A white patch on the body, a white face or a streak down
it, proclaims a stain which is death to all hope of purity of blood. Some breeders
prefer the body flecked with white, and they hold that great purity is exhibited
by the white tip at the end of the tapering stern. The coat should be close,
rather silky, short, and strong, approaching to the texture of wool at the bottom.
THE BLOODHOUND.
193
The forehead is long and narrow; the ejes are deep and sank^ bnt
expressive, and showing the third eyelid or haw very plainly, which gives an
appearance of redness to the eye. The ears are very long and thin, hanging
straight down — even when excited they never rise at the roots, but continue to
hang straight down, as if the face were smiling. Face and upper jaw to the nose,
narrow; the nose itself very large, and the lips or ^' flews" long, thin, and
pendulous, so that, like the ears, which meet at the point of the nose, they will
join under the chin.
The neck is remarkably long, and the shoulders and fore legs are very
good, the legs being straight and powerful, and the feet round and full. The
throat rather hanging in its skin, or wrinkled, or what in hunting language is
called " throaty." The back and loins are broad, and the ribs and chest deep,
with the brisket well let down. The stem is set on high, long, very pliant or
lashing, tapering to a fine point. Toe-nails, black.
In temper the bloodhound is very touchy, and, when aroused, very savage;
but forgiving, and anxious, in a moment after biting, by smiles and fawning to
express regret and ask forgiveness.
The tongue when thrown is deep, mellow, and prolonged.
Height 2 Sin. ; but some well-known breeders fix the standard at not less
than from 30in. to 33in.
The most celebrated breeders, of late years, have been Lords Tarborough,
Fitzwilliam, and Faversham ; the Hon. Grantley Berkeley ; Mr. Jennings, of
Pickering, Yorkshire ; Mr. Cowen, of Blaydon-upon-Tyne ; Mr. Harrison, of
Dudley ; and lastly, though by no means the least, Mr. Holford, of High Oak
House, near Ware. Of the various dogs exhibited from the above kennels,
Mr. Jennings's Druid, sold in 1864 to Prince Napoleon, was in our opinion the
best specimen of the breed, and we accordingly reproduced him on wood. Mr.
Cowen's Druid was also a grand dog, though not now in his prime ; but his
head is not equal to that of Mr. Jennings's old favourite. Our artist has faithfully
rendered the old dog as he appeared when first exhibited, and ho must not be
compared with the poor fellow as shown at Islington after he had been sent to
France, being then already in the sere and yellow leaf. Mr. Holford's Regent,
exhibited with unvarying success in 1870 — 71, is perhaps his equal, and by
some people is considered his superior, but we lean to the old dog yet.
Head
Ears
Neck
15 I Legs
6 Feet
I
6
25
Vahie of Points of the Bloodhound.
10
10
20
Shoulders 10 Hindquarters. 10 Symmetry
Back ribs and Colour ....
chest
Loin
10
10
30
Grand Total, 100.
10
Stem
5
5
5
15
c c
192
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
When daah'd an archer through the glade,
And when he saw the hound was stay'd,
He drew his tough how-string ;
But a rough voice cried " Shoot not, hoy !
Ho I shoot not, Edward — 'tis a boy I "
Sir Walter also states that the breed was kept up by the Buccleucli family
on their Border estates till within the eighteenth century, and then relates the
last instance of an attempted " Border foray '^ on record.
But as the times changed, and civilisation advanced, and learning became
diflPused, the bloodhound sank from the nobler pursuit of heroes and knights
to be the tracker of the deer and sheep stealer, and other petty felons. Our
ancestors, in training the young dog for the pursuit of the more ignoble
quarry, permitted him to be accompanied by a staunch old hound to the spot
whence a deer or other animal had been taken on for a mile or two ; the
hounds were then laid on and encouraged, and, after hunting this *' drag '^
successfully, were rewarded with a portion of the venison which composed it.
The next step was to take the young dog with his seasoned tutor to a spot
whence a man whose shoes had been rubbed with the blood of a deer had
started on a circuit of two or three miles ; during his progress the man was
instructed to renew the blood from time to time, to keep the scent alive. This
circuit was gradually enlarged at each succeeding lesson, until the young hound
became at last fully equal to hunt by itself.
Gervase Markham, in his " Maison Rustique,^' speaking of hounds, says,
"The baie-coloured ones have the second place for goodnesse, and are of
great courage, ventring far, and of a quicke scent, finding out very well the
turnes and windings They runne surely, and with great boldnesse,
commonly loving the stagge more than any other beast ; but they make no
account of hares. It is true that they be more head-strong and harde to
reclaime than the white, and put men to more paine and travaill about the
same. The best of the fallow sort of dogges are those which are of a brighter
haire, drawing more unto the colour of red, and having therewithal a white
spot in the forehead, or in the necke, in like manner those which are all fallow ;
but such as incline to a light yellow colour, being graie or blacke spotted, are
nothing worth : such as are trussed up, and have dewclawes, are good to make
bloodhounds.''
The colour of the true breed is stated to be almost invariably a reddish
tan, darkening gradually towards the upper parts till it becomes mixed with
black on the back. A white patch on the body, a white face or a streak down
it, pr6claims a stain which is death to all hope of purity of blood. Some breeders
prefer the body flecked with white, and they hold that great purity is exhibited
by the white tip at the enjl of the tapering stern. The coat should be close,
rather sUky, short, and strong, approaching to the texture of wool at the bottom.
THE BLOODHOUND.
193
The forehead is long and narrow; the eyes are deep and sunk^ bnt
expressive, and showing the third eyelid or haw very plainly, which gives an
appearance of redness to the eye. The ears are very long and thin, hanging
straight down — even when excited they never rise at the roots, but continue to
hang straight down, as if the face were smiling. Face and upper jaw to the nose,
narrow; the nose itself very large, and the lips or ^'flews'' long, thin, and
pendulous, so that, like the ears, which meet at the point of the nose, they wiH
join under the chin.
The neck is remarkably long, and the shoulders and fore legs are very
good, the legs being straight and powerful, and the feet round and full. The
throat rather hanging in its skin, or wrinkled, or what in hunting language is
called ^^ throaty.'^ The back and loins are broad, and the ribs and chest deep,
with the brisket well let down. The stem is set on high, long, very pliant or
lashing, tapering to a fine point. Toe-nails, black.
In temper the bloodhound is very touchy, and, when aroused, very savage;
but forgiving, and anxious, in a moment after biting, by smiles and fawning to
express regret and ask forgiveness.
The tongue when thrown is deep, mellow, and prolonged.
Height 2 Sin. ; but some well-known breeders fix the standard at not less
than from 30in. to 33in.
The most celebrated breeders, of late years, have been Lords Tarborough,
Fitzwilliam, and Faversham ; the Hon. Grantley Berkeley ; Mr. Jennings, of
Pickering, Yorkshire ; Mr. Cowen, of Blaydon-upon-Tyne ; Mr. Harrison, of
Dudley ; and lastly, though by no means the least, Mr. Holford, of High Oak
House, near Ware. Of the various dogs exhibited from the above kennels,
Mr. Jennings^s Druid, sold in 1864 to -Prince Napoleon, was in our opinion the
best specimen of the breed, and we accordingly reproduced him on wood. Mr.
Cowen's Druid was also a grand dog, though not now in his prime ; but his
head is not equal to that of Mr. Jennings's old favourite. Our artist has faithfully
rendered the old dog as he appeared when first exhibited, and he musfc not be
compared with the poor fellow as shown at Islington after he had been sent to
France, being then already in the sere and yellow leaf. Mr. Holford's Regent,
exhibited with unvarying success in 1870 — 71, is perhaps his equal, and by
some people is considered his superior, but we lean to the old dog yet.
Head ... 15 i Legs 10
Ears ... 5 Feet 10
Nock ... 5
25
Value of Points of the Bloodhound.
Shoulders 10 Hind quarters .
Back ribs and
chest 10
Loin 10
20
10 Symmetry
; Colour ....
Stem
30
Grand Total, 100.
10
5
5
5
15
c c
194 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ' ISLANDS.
THE MODERN FOXHOUND.
The foxhound of the present century is a marvel of symmetry, strength, and
intelligence. He is the model of the canine race — ^raised to the highest
standard of excellence by the science and experience of those gifted sportsmen
who have for many centuries devoted their best energies to produce a first-
class animal, in sufficient force and numbers to form a pack of fast, clever,
enduring, musical, hunting hounds. As to the form of a foxhound, the best
judges differ in a few trifling points ; but in all grand essentials they agree.
The breeders of this noble race possess very great advantages. They
breed large numbers of whelps, and they are assisted to rear them by the
yeomanry of England, who take a pride in the condition of their proteges.
These high-bred hounds are in great demand even if they prove above or
below the master^s standard, and they are frequently .exchanged for fresh
valuable blood, far more invigorating to the stock than the services of a stud
dog only. The most advantageous crosses have been recorded with absolute
precision, and the owners of packs have arrived at exact conclusions as to
pedigree. They have learnt that certain lines and formation must be pro-
pagated ; and the proclivities of favourite hound blood are as well ascertained
as those of Eclipse, Touchstone, Stockwell, Sweetmeat, or Newminster.
The Belvoir (in all probability the very finest pack on the face of the earth,
and as true as though they were all run in the same mould) are a palpable
proof of what can be effected by careful selection and the scientific crossing of
high-class families. The New Forest Jasper, Chute's Duster, and Osbaldeston's
Furrier were in their day the leading strains. The following are some of the
fashionable sires of modern times : The Duke of Rutland's Guider, the Belvoir
Comus (brother to Singer), the Duke of Beaufort's Voyager and Trojan, Lord
Poltimore's Archer, Warrior, Bertram, and Voyager, Lord Macclesfield's
Mulciber, Lord Fitzhardinge's Lusty, and Lord Portsmouth's Lincoln and
Bertram.
We now come to the form or shape of this superb race of hounds. The
leading poruts of importance are head and neck, legs and feet, shoulders, back,
loin, hind quarters, colour, and general symmetry and beauty. We take the
dog as our standard, and it must be remembered the bitch is smaller, lighter,
and still not inferior, except in tongue. Her note is like that of a harp, whilst
the dog hound's tongue should be loud and sonorous, and (as he flies over a
country after his fox) he and his comrades should ^^ scold him along."
The head varies in form and character. We can give a few leading
measurements, but judgment as to shape can only be acquired by close atten-
tion to the best models. The head of a first-class foxhound should be light, airy.
LUBD POLUHOBB'S "LEZIGOH."
THE MODERN FOXHOUND. 195
sensible, and full (at the same time) of dignity. His glance should convey the
impression that he could kill a fox by himself without a huntsman, horn, or
whip. There should be a certain amount of chop, and the forehead should be
a little wrinkled. The ears should be set low down, and lie close to the head.
The circumference of the head of Lord Poltimore^s Lexicon (by Bertram out of
Lively, one of the finest hounds we have ever seen), measuring the skull
in front of the ears, is full IGJin. ; he measures 4iin. from the eye to the end of
his nose. Archibald, by the Belvoir Gnider (whose head is the longest we have
ever seen), is half an inch longer, and he is proportionally larger in the cir-
cumference of his skull.
The neck should be long and clean. The least looseness or approach to
dewlap, or cravat, is fatal to appearance. Where the neck joins the head it should
be fine, and gradually widening to the shoulders. A long neck is of the utmost
importance to the foxhound, as he stoops for the scent, and a short neck will
not only impede action, but pace as well.
The shoulders must be long and sloping well back, and the chest deep
and not too narrow. Lord Poltimore's Voyager, by the Belvoir Voyager,
measures over 30in. behind his shoulders.
The elbows must be well let down. They must be in a stra/ight line with
the body ; and this is a most important part.
The fore legs, viewed in any direction^ must be as straight as a dart, large
in bone from elbow to foot, and clothed well with muscle. The pasterns or
ankles must by no means turn in or out, nor must they stand back, and they
must be large and strong. From the front there should be little appearance of
ankle. The leg should appear to be formed of one solid unbroken piece
of marble.
If the foot shows any deviation from the straight line, it should turn in.
The least tendency to turn outward is absolutely destructive to pace or
endurance. In shape it should be round, not fat, fleshy, nor flat ; at the same
time, highly arched toes are apt to "go down,'' rendering the dog useless.
We are, on this account, no advocates for prominently arched toes, and prefer
a foot rather flat, because, although not so pleasing to the eye, it is more
lasting. The division between each toe should be just apparent; the sole hard,
firm, and indurated by use. A high-couraged, dashing foxhound requires a
sole to his foot like adamant, especially in a flinty country, for lie will go,
though he lames himself for life.
A hound's back must be straight, wide, and muscular. Some hounds are
wheel-backed; but, although this form disfigures them, it seldom interferes
with their going. The loin must be strong, wide, and square, and the back
ribs must be deep, and not flat.
The deep body and the round form are equally good, and both models
have their advocates.
196
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
The hind quarters must be as strong as possihley and wide through them
when viewed from behind ; the thighs showing great development of muscle,
and being long as well as large. The bone from hock to heel should be
short and strong; and the hocks themselves should be straight, and rather
out than in.
The stem should be carried gaily, but not hooped. It should end in a
sting point, and it should not be feathered, but at the same time it must not
be exactly smooth. It should be large at the root, and tapering to the
end. Lord Poltimore's Voyager measures 4ft. 4iin. from his nose to the end
of his tail.
The black-white-and-tan is, perhaps, the very best hound colour. When
the black is very intense, or '^ pronounced,^' and the tan is scanty, the hound
is said to be black-and-white : Lord Poltimore's Archer, by the Duke of
Beaufort's Trojan out of Amazon, is a very first-rate specimen of this colour.
When the colours blend or amalgamate, the hounds are said to be ^'pied.''
Hare, badger, red, tan, and yellow pies are the best, and we have placed them
in order of merit.
The coat should be dense, although smooth and glossy. Occasionally a
hound of very choice family shows a rough coat. Wamba, by the Belvoir
Comus out of Watchful, is one of the very best made hounds we have ever
seen, but he has a remarkably rough coat.
The symmetrical foxhound appears, owing to his exact proportions, much
smaller than he really is. It is only when we closely examine his limbs and
feel his muscle that we appreciate his strength and speed, and contemplating
his expressive head^ his large nose, his expanded nostril, and intelligent eye,
we can easily understand his cast forward and his true hunting, the ease with
which he recovers a lost scent, and the speed and endurance with which he
drives his fox until he rolls him over.
He must have a gentle affectionate temper, but he must also be full of
dash and spirit and courage. He must have plenty of tongue, and be bred to
pursue fox and fox only. He must be able to exercise self-control. If of too
nervous and anxious a temperament, he becomes a babbler or a skirter, whom
the pack will not own or regard ; but for this, the same hound possibly would
be the best of the pack. He must not only appear like one of a family, but he
must work in concert with them.
Opinions vary as to the best standard for height — 23in. may be regarded
as a good size for a mixed pack. When the sexes are used as two separate
packs, we should prefer dogs of 24in., and bitches of 22iin.
Of late years hounds have been bred for speed, and we believe their
hunting is inferior to what it was some years ago. There is also a considerable
falling off in tongue, and the pack is interfered with by huntsmen, whip, horn,
holloa, and lifting when it would be best left alone. At the same time the
TBE NOSTH WABWICESHIBB "BOST."
^ra. EVANS'S "CLAHOBOCS.*'
HAERIERS.
197
graoe and beauty of the modem foxhound are at their zenith, and we con-
scientiously believe and affirm that in working qualities altogethsr he cannot be
improved, and never stood so high.
Our portrait of Lord Poltimore's splendid hound, Lexicon, gives an
excellent idea of his symmetry, and the following dimensions were carefully
taken by our artist, viz. : height, 24in. ; girth of chest, 30iin. ; of loin, 26in. ;
length of head, lOfin, ; from eye to nose, 4iin. ; circumference of skull in front
of ears, IGJin.
In order to show the difference in the shape of the two sexes we have
added a portrait of the North Warwickshire (1866) beautiful bitch Rosy, by
Cheshire Comus out of York and Ainsty Rakish, which took the first prize
in her class at the Birmingham dog show in 1865. She is. of fall size, being
within half an inch of Lexicon in height; but, though a very muscular
animal for her sex, she has not nearly the substance of the dog.
Valine of Points of the Foxhound,
Head
Neck
15
Legs 10| Shoulders 10
5 Feet 10, Elbows 5
' Back ribs and
chest 10
20
20
Loin 10
Hind quarters 10
25
Grand Total, 100.
20
Symmetry 5
Colour 6
Stern 5
15
HARRIERS.
The harrier, as his name implies, is a hound bred to pursue the hare, and the
hare only. In former days, the hounds used for this purpose were sometimes
called hate-beagles, and they were also occasionally divided into fleet and
heavy harriers. This breed is derived either from the northern or the southern
hounds — ^we suspect it traces back to the latter of these — but has obtained
more speed, without either losing nose or tongue.
Hare-hunting is described with great minuteness by Xenophon; and it
was a favourite diversion with almost all nations except the ancient Britons,
who, like the Jews, refused to eat the hare on religious grounds. The Romans,
however, made it one of their objects of pursuit, believing in the Greek author
who closed his " cynegetics " with the assurance that hunting not only affords
pleasure, but increases health, strengthens the sight and hearing, and defers
the approach of old age.
198
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
A pack of harriers is an admirable school for the future master of fox-
hounds. He learns patience, and the advantage of letting hounds alone. He
finds that holloaing or injudicious enthusiasm is the destruction of sport ; and if
he has a large '^ field '^ he will be able, no doubt, to practise courtesy and
politeness under difficulties. Thus the harrier has been cherished as forming
an admirable beginning for the novice, and an amusement for the veteran
foxhunter, who has even been known, when the infirmities of age rendered
hare-hunting too severe an exertion, to finish his hunting career with a team
of rabbit beagles.
Hare-hunting is thorough hunting — ^not riding or steeplechasing. Our
forefathers pursued the hare " from morn till dewy eve,'^ and, as we gather from
the accounts at hand, their " stop hounds ^' were checked to give the hare
time to get away, and to recover their wind and speed. It is the best system
to let the pack alone, to be quiet and patient when they throw up, to let them
spread like a fan, and cast back (which is their nature) and find it all out for
themselves. K the pack is a good pack it may be turned loose^ and the hunts-
man will command them as well a mile ofi" with a field-glass as though he wefe
close at hand.
The harrier is an animal of immense intelligence, stoutness, and power of
scent. He must have plenty of tongue and a fine temper. He must be able to
shift for himself, and need neither voice nor capping. Various standards have
been fixed upon for his height. We believe some allowance must be made for
difference of country ; but decidedly he must not reach 20in., although several
packs reach 1 Sin. •
The late Mr. T. B. Evans, of Chettle Lodge, Dorset (who possessed one of the
best-disciplined and highest-bred packs in Great Britain, and whose opinion in all
that related to fox-hunting or hare-hunting we held in the very greatest respect),
said that harriers of 1 7in. or 1 Sin. cannot turn with the hare. Mr. Evanses pack
consisted of twenty couple, IB^in. high, of the following celebrated blood:
Mr. Wicksted's, Sir T. Boughey's, Sir Vincent Corbet^s, Earl Brownlow's, and
Mr. Hurrell^s. Six were by Sir T. Boughey's Gamester ; and one of them, a
black-and-tan bitch, named Willing, struck us as the very model of a true
harrier. She was but one of a set of beauties, and had her equal in Chronicle,
Vanity, Chimer, Victory, Clamorous, Pleasant, and one or two more.
We had very great difficulty in selecting the best specimen for our illus-
tration — a difficulty we experienced with Lord Poltimore^s superb foxhounds.
When we say that Mr. Evans's harriers were as perfect in their make and shape
and blood as Lord Poltimore's foxhounds, we can say no more. After a very
careful examination of Mr. Evans's pack, both on the flags and on the turf, we
selected Willing (by Sir T. Boughey's Gramester, out of his Willing) and
Clamorous (by Gamester, out of the baronet's Concord) as models of the tribo
hwrrier. Willing was two years old at the time of our visit, and measured IS^in.
HAERIBRS.
199
at the shoulder, 1ft. 9iin. in girth behind the elbows, 8ft. 4in. in extreme length,
IS^in. across her ears, S^in. from eye to nose, and 13in. round her head. As
already stated, she was black-and-tan. Glamorous was a hare-pie, and being
three years old, was well ftirnished, and, in our opinion, embodied every point
of excellence both for appearance and work.
True harriers are remarkable, or they ought to be remarkable, for their
hunting tongue and style. Their voices should be musical and bell-like. They
must not be too fast ; but they must be possessed of the most delicate power of
scent. They need inexhaustible patience ; and they must hunt hares, owjiing
hare only, in the midst of rabbits.
The harrier^s head is heavier in proportion than the foxhound's ; and the
ears are of a thinner texture. Most masters round the ears very slightly.
Harriers are to be found of the foxhound colours, and we may add to these
the old blue-mottle (now discouraged in foxhounds) and a variety of beauti-
fully blended '' pies ;" but we think the black-and-tan-and-white is the most
desirable combination of colour after all.
The general formation of the foxhound is the model for the harrier. The
long neck, the deep sloping shoulders, the ample but not heavy chest, the
straight legs, the compact feet of that character insisted upon as the best
foxhound foot by Lord Poltimore and other practical judges of high standing ;
the deep back ribs, the strong loin, the straight hock, the clean strong ankles,
the neat stern — all these will be found in the true harrier, and in the kennels of
such masters as Mr. Charles Dundas Everett, Mr. Flower, and other eminent
breeders.
We may add that the late Mr. Teatman introduced the system of hunting
the hare with dwarf foxhound bitches so speedy that they drove the hare from
her natural defence. He has been but little followed in his plan of operations,
and the verdict has been with us — -foxJioundft for tlve fox. We are bound to
say that, to the best of our belief, the long runs of such would-be harriers are
due to their overrunning the scent, caHting forward and finding a fresh hare,
and that a dwarf foxhound is not an animal calculated to answer as a hare-
hunting hound. Having seen Mr. Teatman's hounds at work, we were further
strengthened in our opinion. At the same time, we can say of him that he
was a thorough sportsman and a good judge of hounds and hunting.
^ The points of the harrier being identical with those of the foxhound, we
must refer to that article for their numerical value.
THE BEAGLE.
The beagle was in old times a hare-hunting hound^ until it was superseded by
the harrier. At the present time there are a few packs of about 15in. used for
hare, being in all probability the strongest specimens drafted from rabbit-
beagle packs. The largest beagle has been kept also for covert beating, with,
as it appears to us, questionable advantage, and when thus used it is broken
from feather entirely, whilst the Clumbers, belonging to the same owners, are
debarred from taking any notice of hare. A medical gentleman, an M.D., and
as good a sportsman as ever lived — ^a Dr. Franklyn — ^had, some years ago, a
team of beagles admirably broken, and so well disciplined that they dropped to
the gun, and acted exactly like a team of first-class spaniels. These were, we
believe, Devonshire beagles, and at his death some of them went back into
Devonshire to a gentleman of the name of Clack.
The larger sort of beagle is full of symmetry, but he is apt to be ^' throaty.'^
He has an extraordinary power of scenting. Even a cold scent appears evident
to him. We have observed this power to carry on the line when the pack has
had to cross a turnpike road, and the foil of sheep or cattle. We have on more
than one occasion seen the whole pack go through such difficulties like minia-
ture bloodhounds.
As with harriers so with beagles, the bitches are in our opinion the most
symmetrical, and we have seen some specimens very closely approaching the
comeliness of a Boughey or Corbet harrier.
The smaller beagle, known as the rabbit-beagle, is the most elegant of
the whole family. We have seen many packs of these charming little hounds,
and occasionally a diminutive pet example has been exhibited at our dog shows.
We have seen packs where the standard has been IS^in. Captain Hall, of
Osmington Lodge, near Weymouth, hunted (1866) a pack of 12in. or over. Mr.
Henry Pickard Cambridge, of Bloxworth, kept a pack, for driving his heath
and furze country, about 13in. high, and he had amongst his hounds two or
more couples of the rough beagles, closely resembling the otter-hound in
miniature. One of these, a bitch called Mischief, a black-tan-and-white hound,
came from the kennel of a Mr. Hetty, near Cranbourne. These rough beagles
have the full ear and a thorough hound character about them, but they have
not the tongue. Their cry is sharp and ringing, and they have not enough of
it. We believe them to be produced or to have been bred by crossing with
rough terriers of some description, and that there is not, and never has been, a
rough true beagle. Yet for work they answered. They will face furze or
brambles without flinching, and they are remarkably free from running hares.
The smaller beagle is hardly ever used for or with the gun. It is kept
KB. CBANE'S "OUNT" AMD "EINGLET."
THE BEAGLE. 201
entirely to rabbit-huntings and a pack of six couples, not more than 9in. in
height, will run down a rabbit in seven minutes. Hounds of this size must be
very powerfully nutde to get through the thick furze brakes, and to keep up
their work from eleven to four o'clock. They must be little working models
of the foxhound, and they should be very powerful in their hind quarters.
Indeed, the thighs and muscles in the best hounds appear out of proportion.
A diminutive pack of rabbit-beagles, the property of Mr. Crane, of
Southover House, near Bere Begis, Dorset, contains the best ^' patterns '' we
have ever known. We have seen them on a cold bad scenting day work up a
rabbit and run him in the most extraordinary manner, and although the nature
of the ground compelled the pack to run almost in Indian file, and thus to
carry a very narrow line of scent, if they threw it up it was but for a moment.
Mr. Crane's standard is 9in., and every little hound is absolutely perfect. We
saw but one hound at all differing from his companions, a little black -tanned
one. This one on the flags we should have drafted, but when we saw him in
his work we quite forgave him for being of a conspicuous colour. Giant was
perhaps the very best of the pack, a black -white-and-tanned dog hound, always
at work and never wrong. He has a capital tongue, and plenty of it. A bitch,
Lily, has the most beautiful points we have ever seen, and is nearly all white,
as her name implies. Damper, Dutchman, Tyrant, are also all of them beautiful
models. We give the measurement of Damper : Height, 9in. ; round the chest,
16in.; across the ears, 12in.; extreme length, 2ft. 4in.; eye to nose, 2^in.
The beagle was in great force in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and '^sing
ing beagles '' were bred as small as possible. A pack of the Virgin Queen's
{it is said) could be carried in a man's glove.
Mr. Crane's standard is kept up with great difficulty. He has reduced the
beagle to the minimum. Many of his mothers do not rear their offspring, and
distemper carries them off in troops. Single specimens may occasionally be
found excessively dwarfed and proportionately deformed. These hounds
would perhaps be wanting in nose or intelligence if they could be produced
in sufficient force to form a pack ; but Mr. Crane's are all models of sym-
metry and power, and are as accomplished and as steady as Lord Portsmouth's
hounds.
The Southover beagles are as small as it is possible to* breed them (in
sufficient numbers to form a pack) without losing symmetry, nose, intelligence,
and strength; and we hold those to be the best which possess all the
requisites for rabbit-hunting in the smallest compass. Our experience war-
rants us in asserting that it would not be prudent to attempt forming a pack
of less height than 9in.
We sincerely wish every pack of beagles was multiplied by twenty; and
we express this .wish, not only because we believe hunting on foot a most
healthy and inspiring exercise, but because we are bitter foes to the rabbit,
D D
entirely to rabbit-huuting, and a pack of six couples, not more than 9in. in
height^ will run down a rabbit in seven minutes. Hounds of this size must be
very powerfully nutde to get through the thick furze brakes, and to keep up
their work from eleven to four o'clock. They must be little working models
of the foxhound, and they should be very powerful in their hind quarters.
Indeed, the thighs and muscles in the best hounds appear out of proportion.
A diminutive pack of rabbit-beagles, the property of Mr. Crane, of
Southover House, near Bere Regis, Dorset, contains the best ^' patterns '' we
have ever known. We have seen them on a cold bad scenting day work up a
rabbit and run him in the most extraordinary manner, and although the nature
of the ground compelled the pack to run almost in Indian file, and thus to
carry a very narrow line of scent, if they threw it up it was but for a moment.
Mr. Crane's standard is 9in., and every little hound is absolutely perfect. We
saw but one hound at all differing from his companions, a little black-tanned
one. This one on the flags we should have drafted, but when we saw him in
his work we quite forgave him for being of a conspicuous colour. Giant was
perhaps the very best of the pack, a black -white-and-tanned dog hound, always
at work and never wrong. He has a capital tongue, and plenty of it. A bitch,
Lily, has the most beautiful points we have ever seen, and is nearly all white,
as her name implies. Damper, Dutchman, Tyrant, are also all of them beautiful
models. We give the measurement of Damper : Height, 9in. ; round the chest,
16in.; across the ears, 12in.; extreme length, 2ft. 4in.; eye to nose, 2 Jin.
The beagle was in great force in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and ''sing
ing beagles " were bred as small as possible. A pack of the Virgin Queen's
{it is said) could be carried in a man's glove.
Mr. Crane's standard is kept up with great difficulty. He has reduced the
beagle to the minimum. Many of his mothers do not rear their offspring, and
distemper carries them off in troops. Single specimens may occasionally be
found excessively dwarfed and proportionately deformed. These hounds
would perhaps be wanting in nose or intelligence if they could be produced
in sufficient force to form a pack; but Mr. Crane's are all models of sym-
metry and power, and are as accomplished and as steady as Lord Portsmouth's
hounds.
The Southover beagles are as small as it is possible to 'breed them (in
sufficient numbers to form a pack) without losing symmetry, nose, intelligence,
and strength; and we hold those to be the best which possess all the
requisites for rabbit-hunting in the smallest compass. Our experience war-
rants us in asserting that it would not be prudent to attempt forming a pack
of less height than 9in.
We sincerely wish every pack of beagles was multiplied by twenty ; and
we express this .wish, not only because we believe hunting on foot a most
healthy and inspiring exercise, but because we are bitter foes to the rabbit,
D D
entirely to rabbit-hanting^ and a pack of six couples, not more than 9in. in
height^ will run down a rabbit in seven minutes. Hounds of this size must be
very powerfully made to get through the thick furze brakes, and to keep up
their work from eleven to four o'clock. They must be little working models
of the foxliound, and they should be very powerful in their hind quarters.
Indeed, the thighs and muscles in the best hounds appear out of proportion.
A diminutive pack of rabbit-beagles, the property of Mr. Crane, of
Southover House, near Bere Regis, Dorset, contains the best '^ patterns '^ we
have ever known. We have seen them on a cold bad scenting day work up a
rabbit and run him in the most extraordinary manner, and although the nature
of the ground compelled the pack to run almost in Indian file, and thus to
carry a very narrow line of scent, if they threw it up it was but for a moment.
Mr. Crane's standard is 9in., and every little hound is absolutely perfect. We
saw but one hound at all differing from his companions, a little black-tanned
one. This one on the flags we should have drafted, but when we saw him in
his work we quite forgave him for being of a conspicuous colour. Giant was
perhaps the very best of the pack, a black-white-and-tanned dog hound, always
at work and never wrong. He has a capital tongue, and plenty of it. A bitch,
Lily, has the most beautiful points we have ever seen, and is nearly all white,
as her name implies. Damper, Dutchman, Tyrant, are also all of them beautiful
models. We give the measurement of Damper: Height, Oin.; round the chest,
16in.; across the ears, 12in.; extreme length, 2ft. 4in.j eye to nose, 2^in.
The beagle was in great force in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and "sing-
ing beagles '' were bred as small as possible. A pack of the Virgin Queen's
{it is said) could be carried in a man's glove.
Mr. Crane's standard is kept up with great difficulty. He has reduced the
beagle to the minimum. Many of his mothers do not rear their offspring, and
distemper carries them off in troops. Single specimens may occasionally be
found excessively dwarfed and proportionately deformed. These hounds
would perhaps be wanting in nose or intelligence if they could be produced
in sufficient force to form a pack; but Mr. Crane's are all models of sym-
metry and power^ and are as accomplished and as steady as Lord Portsmouth's
hounds.
The Southover beagles are as small as it is possible to 'breed them (in
sufficient numbers to form a pack) without losing symmetry, nose, intelligence,
and strength; and we hold those to be the best which possess all the
requisites for rabbit-hunting in the smallest compass. Our experience war-
rants us in asserting that it would not be prudent to attempt forming a pack
of less height than 9in.
We sincerely wish every pack of beagles was multiplied by twenty ; and
we express this .wish, not only because we believe hunting on foot a most
healthy and inspiring exercise, but because we are bitter foes to the rabbit.
D D
THE BEAGLE.
201
entirely to rabbit-hanting^ and a pack of six couples^ not more than 9in. in
height^ will run down a rabbit in seven minutes. Hounds of this size must be
very powerfully made to get through the thick furze brakes, and to keep up
their work from eleven to four o'clock. They must be little working models
of the foxliound, and they should be very powerful in their hind quarters.
Indeed, the thighs and muscles in the best hounds appear out of proportion.
A diminutive pack of rabbit-beagles, the property of Mr. Crane, of
Southover House, near Bere Regis, Dorset, contains the best ^^ patterns " we
have ever known. We have seen them on a cold bad scenting day work up a
rabbit and run him in the most extraordinary manner, and although the nature
of the ground compelled the pack to run almost in Indian file, and thus to
carry a very narrow line of scent, if they threw it up it was but for a moment.
Mr. Crane's standard is 9in., and every little hound is absolutely perfect. We
saw but one hound at all differing from his companions, a little black -tanned
one. This one on the flags we should have drafted, but when we saw him in
his work we quite forgave him for being of a conspicuous colour. Giant was
perhaps the very best of the pack, a black-white-and-tanned dog hound, always
at work and never wrong. He has a capital tongue, and plenty of it. A bitch,
Lily, has the most beautiful points we have ever seen, and is nearly all white,
as her name implies. Damper, Dutchman, Tyrant, are also all of them beautiful
models. We give the measurement of Damper : Height, 9in, ; round the chest,
16in.; across the ears, 12in.; extreme length, 2ft. 4in.; eye to nose, 2 Jin.
The beagle was in great force in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and "sing
ing beagles '* were bred as small as possible. A pack of the Virgin Queen's
{it is said) could be carried in a man's glove.
Mr. Crane's standard is kept up with great diflBiculty. He has reduced the
beagle to the minimum. Many of his mothers do not rear their offspring, and
distemper carries them off in troops. Single specimens may occasionally be
found excessively dwarfed and proportionately deformed. These hounds
would perhaps be wanting in nose or intelligence if they could be produced
in sufficient force to form a pack; but Mr. Crane's are all models of sym-
metry and power, and are as accomplished and as steady as Lord Portsmouth's
hounds.
The Southover beagles are as small as it is possible to 'breed them (in
sufficient numbers to form a pack) without losing symmetry, nose, intelligence,
and strength; and we hold those to be the best which possess all the
requisites for rabbit-hunting in the smallest compass. Our experience war-
rants us in asserting that it would not be prudent to attempt forming a pack
of less height than 9in.
We sincerely wish every pack of beagles was multiplied by twenty ; and
we express this wish, not only because we believe hunting on foot a most
healthy and inspiring exercise, but because we are bitter foes to the rabbit,
D D
entirely to rabbit-hunting, and a pack of six couples, not more than 9in. in
height, will run down a rabbit in seven minutes. Hounds of this size must be
very powerfully made to get through the thick furze brakes, and to keep up
their work from eleven to four o'clock. They must be little working models
of the foxliound, and they should be very powerful in their hind quarters.
Indeed, the thighs and muscles in the best hounds appear out of proportion.
A diminutive pack of rabbit-beagles, the property of Mr. Crane, of
Southover House, near Bere Regis, Dorset, contains the best ^' patterns '' we
have ever known. We have seen them on a cold bad scenting day work up a
rabbit and run him in the most extraordinary manner, and although the nature
of the ground compelled the pack to run almost in Indian file, and thus to
carry a very narrow line of scent, if they threw it up it was but for a moment.
Mr. Crane's standard is 9in., and every little hound is absolutely perfect. We
saw but one hound at all differing from his companions, a little black-tanned
one. This one on the flags we should have drafted, but when we saw him in
his work we quite forgave him for being of a conspicuous colour. Giant was
perhaps the very best of the pack, a black-white-and-tanned dog hound, always
at work and never wrong. He has a capital tongue, and plenty of it. A bitch,
Lily, has the most beautiful points we have ever seen, and is nearly all white,
as her name implies. Damper, Dutchman, Tyrant, are also all of them beautiful
models. We give the measurement of Damper : Height, 9in.; round the chest,
16in.; across the ears, 12in.; extreme length, 2ft. 4in.; eye to nose, 2iin.
The beagle was in great force in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and ''sing-
ing beagles '' were bred as small as possible. A pack of the Virgin Queen's
{it is said) could be carried in a man's glove.
Mr. Crane's standard is kept up with great difficulty. He has reduced the
beagle to the minimum. Many of his mothers do not rear their offspring, and
distemper carries them off in troops. Single specimens may occasionally be
found excessively dwarfed and proportionately deformed. These hounds
would perhaps be wanting in nose or intelligence if they could be produced
in sufficient force to form a pack; but Mr. Crane's are all models of sym-
metry and power, and are as accomplished and as steady as Lord Portsmouth's
hounds.
The Southover beagles are as small as it is possible to 'breed them (in
sufficient numbers to form a pack) without losing symmetry, nose, intelligence,
and strength; and we hold those to be the best which possess all the
requisites for rabbit-hunting in the smallest compass. Our experience war-
rants us in asserting that it would not be prudent to attempt forming a pack
of less height than 9in.
We sincerely wish every pack of beagles was multiplied by twenty ; and
we express this .wish, not only because we believe hunting on foot a most
healthy and inspiring exercise, but because we are bitter foes to the rabbit,
D D
202
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
which has been the bane for years of the English yeoman. A pack like Mr.
Crane^s, steady from hare and hunted on heath and common with ability and
discretion, could in no way injure fox or hare hounds, alld would provide
recreation for many an embryo foxhunter. We believe we are corl-ect in stating
that ten or more of the most celebrated masters of the day learnt their first
lessons with the merry beagles.
The dwarf beagle should be formed on the model of the foxhound. He
should be a " Pocket Lexicon.^' It is not customary to round his ears, and we
hope to see the day when no hound's ears will be cut at all. He should be of
the hound colour, and smooth-coated. We hold the rough beagle to be
a mistake.
The points of the beagle are similar to those given for the foxhound,
and we refer to our article on that animal for their numerical value.
"JOOE," THE PBOPERTT OF MR. J. H. HUBCHISOII.
CHAPTEB XI.-THE FOX-TERRIER AND TRUFFLE-DOG.
THE FOX-TBRRIBE.
N THE early part of tlie present century, when hunting the fox was
considered of more interest than galloping after him, one or two
terriers were added to the pack, and were not merely kept in readiness
to bolt him from his earth when driven to ground by the hounds, but regularly
drew each covert with them, and throughout the run followed the line as well as
they could, being generally in at the death, before the breaking up was over.
When, however, the fields of horsemen increased in numbers from two or three
score to two or three hundred — when their riding became either a steeple-
chase between those who went straight, or a flat race among the '' macada-
misers j " and when hounds were bred fast enough to get away &om all — ^the
little terrier stood a poor chance of escaping with life and limb, and bis services
were confined to underground work, for which he is now kept handy to the
part of the country which is to be hunted, his absence being supplied by the
nearest rat c^ rabbit terrier that can be obtained. In the cub-hunting he is
specially serviceable, and, indeed, it is for this purpose that he is chiefly kept
by the huntsmen of our various packs ; for it is but seldom that a regularly
entered fox-terrier is at hand when a fox is run to ground during the season.
The origin of this dog was discussed at great length, some years ago, by
" Pad,'' " Granite,'' " Light Dragoon," '' Rufus," and several other corre-
spondents, who also went into the questions connected with the propriety or
otherwise of the bull cross ; but the controversy settled nothing, and it appears
that even huntsmen are not agreed as to the effect of this cross, some contend-
ing that it gives too much courage, while others assert that it has the opposite
result. Some, again, maintain that the bull strain has a tendency to make the
terrier punish his fox so much as inevitably to destroy him, while others allege
that it makes him lay hold of the nearest part of " the animal," and, per-
sistently hanging on, thus mechanically prevents his bolting from the other end
of the drain, if such be the nature of the " ground " to which he has gone.
Now, it is absurd to attempt a decision when doctors disagree; how much more
so to play Solomon among the huntsmen ? For ourselves, we have known
good and bad of each kind of breeding ; but the best we ever saw go to ground
204
THE DOGS OP THE BEITISH ISLANDS.
was one-eightli bull, ttougli she showed it no more than Jock, the champion
fox-terrier which we have selected as our model. There is no variety of the
dog whose peculiarities are so soon lost as those of the bulldog by crossing ;
and if the strain is made visible by their presence in any degree, we should say
that there is undoubtedly too much, and should reject the dog as not being a
genuine fox-terrier.
That these terriers were highly valued two hundred and fifty years ago,
appears from a letter (published in the Sporting Magazine of the year 1806)
dated Aug. 16, 1617. It is from James I. ''To our right truest friend the
Laird of Caldwell," asking him " to search out and to send us two couple of
excellent terriers or earth dogs, which are both stout fox-killers, and will stay
long in the grounds. We are credibly informed that the Earl of Monteithhath
good of that kind, who, we are sure, will be glad to gratify us with them.
Some, also, we had of Hankertown, which we have lost," &c., &c. In the
''Gentleman's Recreations" (1677), two sorts of fox-terriers are described,
which " take earth well, and will Ue very long at fox or badger ; one is crooked
legged, and commonly short-haired, the other shaggy and straight-legged."
These are tottJly unUke the fox-terrier of the present century, but closely
resemble the tarbet of France and the dachshund of Germany. In the
" Sportsman's Cabinet " (1803) there is a portrait of a terrier whose litter of
seven puppies was sold for twenty-one guineas, a high price in those days.
This is the earliest authentic record by engraving of an animal resembling the
modem fox-terrier, for, though not showing quite so much quality as the present
fashionable dog, she is not unlike Jock, and was, perhaps, better suited in pace
to the foxhound of her day than he, with his Ught and airy looks, would
have been.
There are few varieties of the species Oanis which show more intelligence
than the fox-terrier, and Gelert relates an extraordinary proof of his mental
powers as exhibited by Tip, the property of the celebrated Jack Russell : " If
he found," says the writer, " a fox pointing for any of the strong earths of the
country, all of which he knew, he used to get on with all speed and endeavour
to shut him out. Standing Hke a champion on the top of the earths, he would
prick his ears in the direction of the pack, throw his tongue with all energy, and
defy as loudly as he could the enemy to approach his strong and perhaps
inaccessible hold. Many a run," says Gelert, in conclusion, " has been gained,
and many a fox killed by his timely intervention."
Until the establishment of dog shows in 1858, Captain Percy Williams,
Jack Morgan, and some five or six of our foremost huntsmen were the pos-
sessers of the most celebrated strains of the fox-terrier ; but no sooner were
special prizes oflfered for them at Birmingham, Leeds, and London, as well as in
conjunction with those for foxhounds at the Cleveland Society's celebrated
gatherings in Yorkshire, than Mr. Wootton, of Nottingham, and Mr. Stevenson,
THE FOX-TERRIER. 205
of Chester, in conjunction with Mr. Gorse, and other breeders of less note, set
themselves to work to vie with the professionals, and have produced the beau-
tiful littlQ terriers which time after time have adorned the benches at
Birminghaiti) Islington, and elsewhere. Many of them, no doubt, have never
seen a fox ; but there are few which are not capable of giving a good account
of him if properly entered.
What is wanted in the fox-terrier is a dog small enough to enter any earth
or drain which will hold a fox, and this is the sine qua non, for he is of no use
above ground. Consequently he must not be above 16Ib. in weight, nor
should he be less than 141b., as it is desirable to obtain as much strength and
pace as are compatible with this size. He should be stout in constitution, so
as to withstand wet, cold, and fatigue, and must possess courage, to induce
him to face punishment without showing unnecessary irritation \ he should also
be especially free from obstinacy. These mental qualities cannot be arrived at
with certainty from an inspection, but they may be guessed at from the
expression of the countenance, and especially from the shape of the head and
the look of the eyes. The forehead should not be high like that of the pointer
or bulldog, but should come from the nose in a snakelike form, and the head
should gradually widen to the ears ; the jaw must be strong in bone, and
muscular ; nose pointed, long, and tipped with black ; mouth level, and fur-
nished with strong teeth ; ears small, but dropping close to the cheeks, and set
on well forward, so as to keep the earth out of the inner passages when
digging; legs and feet strong and straight, the latter catlike, not resembling
those of the hare ; back rather long, but strong ; chest full and round rather
than deep ; neck light and airy, coming well out of strong oblique shoulders ;
quarters and thighs muscular ; stem fine, carried well up, though not curled,
and usually cropped to about five inches. Colour preferred, white, with slight
markings of black, red, black-and-tan, or brindled ; whole colours are rejected
as not being readily seen, or when seen, as liable (if red or brindled) to be
mistaken for a fox.
Jock, now the property of Mr. Murchison, has won thirty-three first
prizes (eight of which are champion), and four second prizes (one of which
is champion) as a fox-terrier, beginning at Birmingham in 1862, and ending
at the Crystal Palace show of J 870. He is by Major Percy Williams's Jock,
out of the Grove Pepper, and was, in our judgment, the most beautiful
specimen of his kind ever exhibited for some years. He is exactly the right
size, and proved his worth for two seasons with the Grove hounds. He
shows no strain of the bulldog, and is said to be entirely free from it in his
pedigree. He was first exhibited by Mr. Wootton, of Nottingham, from
whom he passed into Captain Kindersley's hands, and thence into those of Mr.
Cropper, who sold him to Mr. Murchison, his present owner. The dog must
now be about twelve years old, and cannot be of much, if any, use for practical
206 THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLA2JDS.
purposes^ but we understand that lie is looking well in liealtli and condition.
At the Crystal Palace he was beaten by Mr. Murchison's champion Trimmer,
Since that gentleman possessed Jock^ he has been fortunate in breeding a few
genuine sons and daughters from him.
There is no breed of dog that has risen so high and so quickly in popular
favour and estimation as the fox-terrier has done since 1866. There was
not even a class for them at the first two or three Birmingham shows. In
1862^ however, a separate class was formed, and ^'Old^' Jock (as he was
familiarly called) began a long course of victories. In 1864, there were more
than forty exhibited at Nottingham ; and, if we mistake not, it was here that
the celebrated Tartar, or Young Tartar, as he was then called, made his debut.
At the DubUn show, too, in the same year, there was a fair fox-terrier class,
and Mr. Stevenson's Patch took the first prize back to Chester, a feat she
repeated at Birmingham in the same year.
In 1867 and 1868 there were respectively sixty-two fox-terriers exhibited
at Birmingham, being on each occasion about one-twelfth and one-thirteenth of
the total number of dogs at the show. In 1869 there were sixty-nine at
Islington, or one-fifteenth of all the dogs exhibited; while at Birmingham,
the same year, the number increased to 115, or nearly one-seventh the whole
exhibition.
At the Crystal Palace, in 1870, the number was 104, or nearly one-ninth of
the total number of dogs, and in the same year, at Birmingham, it was 116,
or one-eighth the whole.
In 1871, at the Crystal Palace, the fox-terriers numbered 110, or nearly
one-eighth, and at last Birmingham show 132, or one-seventh.
Our Northern friends seem also to be following the popular predilection for
this breed. At Glasgow, in 1871, the number shown was only eleven, or
about one-thirty-fifth of the exhibition, while in 1872 they amounted to forty-
nine, or nearly one- fourteenth.
We ought, however, to add that, both at the Crystal Palace and at
Birmingham last year, the average quality of the fox-terriers was not so good
as in previous years. We can scarcely account for this, except it arises from a
too great anxiety on the part of committees to increase or maintain their
numbers.
As we have already said, the fox-terrier must possess courage, to induce
him to face punishment ; but, though he must have the pluck and the tact to
deter his antagonist, and make him '^ bolt,'' it would be unpardonable to allow
him to fix on and slay his adversary, and hence the objection to the bulldog
cross. Doubts are occasionally expressed as to whether the modern prize
winners have the necessary qualifications, but we believe that most of the
well-bred ones are quite competent for their legitimate work, though
some may require training and practice. The pointer, setter, retriever.
THE FOX-TERRIER.
207
&c., must be " broken," and no doubt it is necessary to give lessons to the
fox-terrier.
Among the principal owners and breeders of the purest fox-terrier are the
Marquis of Huntly, the Hon. T. W. Fitzwilliam, Mr. J. H. Murchison of
Surbiton Hill, Surrey ; Mr. Sale of Derby, and a few others. Mr. Fitz-
william has long been known for his specimens of the right sort, such as
Tartar, Grrove Nettle, Jewel, &c. ; and Mr. Sale possesses Hornet and Gadfly,
both, we believe, bred by Mr. Fitzwilliam.
The largest and choicest collection belongs to Mr. Murchison, who has the
Grove Kennels at Tring specially for keeping and breeding them. His crack
champion. Trimmer, is well known, having won thirty-nine first prizes, of
which sixteen are chanipion. In addition to him, his kennel includes Old
Jock, Rap (the sire of Trimmer), Trimmer II. and Pincers (both sons of
Trimmer), Vandal, Renard, Lancer, Bellona, Themis, and others, that have
won their laurels at many a peaceful contest.
The essentials in this breed are more generally distributed than in most
others, and the points are therefore unusually equally balanced in value. We
should allot them as follows :
Value of Points of the Fox-terrier.
Head and ears 10
Nose 10
Jaw 5
Eye 6
80
Neck 6
Body and chest ... 10
Back 10
Shoulders 5
Quarters 6
Legs
Feet
10
10
35 '
Grand Total, 100.
20
Symmetry
Colour ....
10
5
15
The following letters on this dog have appeared in The Field, and are of sufficient
interest to repeat here. — Ed.
SiE, — Whilst visiting a friend in a neighbouring county, I was told of a
celebrated kennel of fox-terriers, which my host invited me to inspect and give
my opinion of; and, as they seemed on examination widely different in
characteristics to fox-terriers exhibited at shows, I deem a notice of them in
your columns will not be uninteresting or objectionable : indeed, I trust my
description will lead men well versed in the characteristics of the kennel
terrier to reply to my remarks, as in my judgment the features and general
conformation differ as widely as in the vexed question of Irish setters.
208 THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
From the owner, who is bordering on eighty years, I learnt that he had
possessed this breed forty years, and that the late Captain White, on witnessing
an exhibition of their indomitable courage and pluck, pronounced them to be
^' good as gold, bright as silver, and sharp as steel ^^ — a panegyric evidently
very tasteful to the master. Pedigree and blood have been held subservient to
unflinching courage ; for whenever the slightest indisposition was manifested
to go at anything when told, that specific animal was not permitted to per-
petuate his or her species, and its canine form did not long annoy the eye of
the owner nor disgrace his kennel. To test the courage of puppies, a rat is
turned into some yards of drain tiles, and the young brute held a distance of
twenty yards ; but with such force do the dogs rush at the entrance, that this
course has had to be abandoned from the frequency of dislocated shoulders !
A day and a night room are provided, and, though each mature dog constantly
wears a muzzle, only three are permitted to mingle and occupy one lodging.
It matters not whether bitch or dog snarl at his fellow, the challenge is
instantly accepted irrespective of sex, and, were it not for the restraint put
upon their mouths and the exercise of supervisional control, death would be
the inevitable result to the weaker animal. In short nothing to attack comes
amiss to them, from a pig to a postman, as was exemplified some time ago in
the poor letter-carrier being surrounded by these brutes, and before assistance
was rendered his legs were honeycombed, and death shortly succeeded. The
coat is harsh and coarse, not exactly what may be termed rough ; the nose
black, the muzzle pointed, swelling out at the eye ; optics dark, though
occasionally '^wall-eyed,'' round, full, and clear, expressively animated, and,
when roused, instantaneously darting fire, and filled with passionate hatred ;
forehead broad ; ears small, hanging backward, and in few specimens pricked ;
neck strong and thick; loins broad and powerful, indicating wonderful com-
pactness of form ; tail coarse and cropped ; legs short and straight, strong as
iron, good models for foxhounds, and feet to match. Acknowledged weight
16Ib. for dogs, but in my judgment 18Ib. at least.
I must not neglect to record that, whilst the puppies are reared with
great care, old age is respected, every dog having a separate yard and kennel
in which to end his days in peace — or, in other words, not to be worried by
younger aspirants. At death " Little Jem and Co.^' secure a quiet resting-
place in front of the hall, over which a monument is raised, and capped by a
brass plate on which is inscribed Little Jem's birthday and death-date, and
in appropriate phraseology the fidelity of the animal and appreciation of the
master.
The muzzle, the head, the eye, the ears, and neck, and geneVal form diflfer
from the leading features of our present prize kennel-terrier, and I was led to
think that the awards now given at our shows were tending to establish a
breed of drawing-room pets, rather than propagate the old-fashioned.
THE FOX-TEERIER.
209
UBfiinching tykes of former days. Why is it the fashion nowadays to ignore
the coarse, harsh-haired (not rough) dogs at our shows, and only recognise the
smooth-coated? In short, is the old style of this class of dog a relic of a
bygone period, and is the modern type an improved fox-terrier.
Oakes House, Holywell Green, near Halifax. John Walker.
Sib, — In your last issue a description is given by Mr. John Walker,
Oakes House, Halifax, of a celebrated kennel of fox-terriers. Now, sir, as I
happen to live within easy distance of the kennel alluded to by Mr. Walker,
and have for years past been well acquainted with the merits and demerits of
this pack of little terriers, I must, in justice to their worthy owner, and with all
due deference to the opinion of Mr. Walker, beg to say that the report is
erroneous nearly from beginning to end.
The late Captain White some years ago did witness a trial of the pluck
and endurance of these truly courageous animals, tried singly at two fresh-
caught badgers ; and the panegyric pronounced by him was that they were
" hard as iron, stout as steel, and good as gold ;^^ and not, as stated by Mr.
Walker, " Good as gold, bright as silver, and sharp as stoel.'^ Again, Mr. W.
says, "Pedigree and blood have been held subservient to unflinching
courage ; " but had he taken the trouble to obtain the requisite information, he
would have found this to be one of the first considerations of the master, and
that their pedigree is registered with as much care and precision as that of any
pack of foxhounds in the kingdom, as see " CociPs ^' account of this identical
pack of terriers in The Field, December 18, 1858, p. 490.
Mr. Walker goes on to say that " nothing comes amiss to these animals,
from a pig to a postman, as was exemplified some time ago in the poor letter-
carrier being surrounded by these brutes, and before assistance was rendered
his legs were honeycombed, and death sliortly succeeded.^* Where Mr. W.
obtained such untruthful information I know not ; certainly not from anyone
who knew exactly how the affair occurred. The letter-carrier was, true enough,
attacked one day by some of these dogs when at exercise in the grounds
around the house and in the charge of their keeper ; but a word from the man,
and a crack from his whip, in a moment brought them to order, and the
letter-carrier escaped without harm further than a small place or two torn in
the trousers, and the slightest possible scratch on one of his legs, all quickly
repaired by a present from the worthy squire. The letter-carrier lived for
some years after this occurrence, and up to within a week of his death fulfilled
the duties required from him in the service of Her Majesty, and his death wjis
then occasioned by " cellular erysipelas.''
£ E
210
THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS.
I shall not enter into any discussion respecting the many diflferent points
of this pack of terriers which Mr. Walker puts forth, several of which are
quite wrong, but be content with signing myself Fair Play.
Sib, — The wholesale manner in which " Fair Play '^ denounced my
description and misconstrued my appreciation of a kennel of fox-terriers
belonging to a worthy squire in a neighbouring county certainly surprised me,
and my regret was not limited when I found that circumstances over which I
had not the possibility of control entirely precluded me from saying one word
in defence, to follow consecutively " Fair Play's " unseemly assault.
Since giving my promise to answer this week, I have received from many
friends communications strenuously advising that, until my impugner has
doffed the nom de plume under which he unworthily shelters his '^ fair ^' name,
I should not notice his attack. I would fain have taken the advice of older
and wiser men than I am had I not pledged myself to reply this week ; but,
as I have nothing to retract, I do not wish your readers to suppose I am
hesitating to defend my veracity, or that I am thinking lightly upon the
subject at issue.
So openly does " Fair Play '^ give me the " lie at all points," even doing
the "worthy owner" an injustice, that I shall take his accusations seriatim.
Then, sir, so far from my account detracting from the merits of this
"pack of little terriers," or their owner requiring the "justice" of a soi-disant
advocate, I may inform you that I have received numerous letters from your
widely-diffused readers, some even from the Channel Islands, asking to whom
the dogs belong, and if I or they could obtain one of the breed, as from my
description they were just what the writers had been striving to secure ; in
fact, says one correspondent, " precisely the sort I have been looking after for
some time."
I will not monopolise the space in your columns by noticing " Fair
Play^s " objection to the panegyric, as it is a mere play on words in substance,
my rendering to the praise of the animals not being below his own. "When
inspecting this kennel I was courteously attended by the master in person, and
from his lips I had the statement that unflinching courage was held paramount.
My assertion was not that " pedigree and blood " were ignored, but that they
were held subservient to courage ; and I have letters in my possession from
well-known breeders confirmatory of this. I may even go further and say
that the good old squire showed me then in his kennel a dog he had obtained
for a cross, of which he knew nothing beyond the representation that he was
a "good un." Now, sir, for my statement that "nothing comes amiss to
these animals, from a pig to a postman," the owner related to me the case of
'1
THE FOX-TERRIER. 211
the pig, and from a nearer neighbour to the hall than " Pair Play '' I learned
the story of the postman.
Let me, before closing, again disclaim any intention to disparage the
occupants of this kennel, meaning the very reverse, or to breathe an unkindly
insinuation against the master.
I have nothing more to add than that, if the kennel remain intact as when
I visited it, I will undertake to prove every " point '^ as published in my
letter.
Oakes House, Holywell Green, Oct. 10, 1866. Jno. Walkbb.
SiE, — ^A letter from Mr. John Walker (a well-known judge at the shows)
appeared in The Field a short time back describing a kennel of fox-terriers ;
and its conclusion was, in effect, that it was very doubtful whether we were
acting wisely in allowing the hardy old-fashioned terrier, such as he described,
to become extinct.
A journey to the show of dogs at Birmingham has quite made my
thoughts run in the same channel, if the specimens there exhibited are held to
be the best extant for running with hounds and bolting foxes. The judges
pronounced the class very good, and many in it were so ; but more were of the
neat and beautiful sort ; in fact, as you style it, quite " the fashionable
breakfast-room dogs of the day.^'
But, in my humble opinion, more than half of those exhibited could not
run with hounds, and, even if they were able to do so, I , don't think they
would have strength or pluck to " stay and stand it '' with an old dog fox. In
fact, stamina and wear-and-tear properties are less regarded than beauty.
I heartily wish " Cecil '' and " The Devonian " would, when describing
kennels of fox and otter hounds, just spare a few words on the terriers of the
establishment ; and if '^ The Devonian '^ would but '' unbutton his brains " on
the subject, it would be, Pm sure, extremely interesting and instructive.
" Cecil '' has already extolled the terriers mentioned by Mr. Walker as being
quite perfect.
The Rev. Mr. Russell, so often alluded to by '^ The Devonian,^' has for
fifty years kept up a strain of white, coarse-haired fox-terriers, and better, I
beheve, in their work cannot be. The Berkeley terriers were slightly rough ;
so were " Scrutator's,^' and also some Fve seen from Mr. Farquharson's ; and
I can't see why dogs of this stamp do not appear at the shows.
I should like to see a class for white-haired terriers, the hardy, tough,
bony, muscular sort I can remember thirty years back ; and I think it would
even be as interesting to the general public as one for pugs, Pomeranians, and
such like (to me, however) curly-tailed abominations. Rufus.
212 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
• Sir, — The extensively difiFused esteem in which that very beautiful class of
the canine tribe, the fox-terrier, is held, renders the subject of his properties
and propensities a consideration of much interest ; and nothing can tend more
to the improvement of that race than the expression of opinions. A good and
well-behaved terrier is a most agreeable companion, for while he is admissible
in the house, his instincts prompt him to the destruction of vermin, for a rat
or hedgehog never come amiss to him ; therefore his attendance in the field is
always welcome.
From the diversity of opinion recently expressed by various correspondents
in these columns, it does not appear quite evident what properties it is desirable
to cultivate. A gentleman, under the signature of " Rufus,^ in Thb Field of
Oct. 15th, entertains a doubt whether the majority of those exhibited at
Birmingham could run with foxhounds and have strength or pluck enough to
stay and stand it with an " old dog fox." So far as symmetry is concerned, if
the proportions be correct, accompanied with fully-developed muscles, good
shoulders, and straight legs, I am firmly of opinion they can beat in their
powers of locomotion the cloggy, thick-set animal that at the first glance
indicates strength ; but I should be much inclined to suspect whether the pace
at which hounds run would not tend to his defeat. Then again, it is so seldom
the custom of the present day for .the terriers to run with the pack, as they are
generally led in couples by a man on foot.
A fox-terrier may be too severe for the purpose of bolting foxes. If he
possesses a bulldog ferocity, and happens to meet his antagonist in the earth
face to face, and pertinaciously fastens him, the object is defeated; he does npt
bolt his fox, and you then have to dig them both out — an operation that
cannot in all situations be accomplished. My views of the process of bolting a
fox are very simple. If it be a drain, put the terrier in to follow him, and if
the dog has sufficient hardihood to bay at him and assail him in the rear, he
performs his duty. If it be an earth with a single entrance, the most successful
plan that I am aware of is to sink a hole into it beyond where the fox is
supposed to be, and .then enter the terrier behind him. In the event of its
being a main earth, except under very pressing and peculiar circumstances, it
is seldom desirable to attempt to bolt a fox.
With respect to the coat of fox-terriers I can see no reason to advocate
wire-haired ones. Indeed, I think such an external covering is objectionable ;
in the event of having to enter a wet di'ain, for example. Such an animal
would undoubtedly be rejected if entered in the fox-terrier classes at the
exhibitions ; therefore, when introduced, he is dignified in a ch^s by himself.
As to forming any reliable opinion concerning the pluck or working
properties of terriers simply by appearances before they are tried, I believe it
to be a great fallacy. I have seen some which have evinced much shyness at
first, but when once entered to vermin they have displayed their natural
THE FOX-TERRIER.
213
instincts to perfection, while others constantly prone to snapping and snarling
have turned tail from the slightest punishment. It is highly important to
respect pedigrees, for there is no class of dogs in which greater doubt exists.
Very frequently at large, an offspring of mongrels is produced, and it requires
many generations to work out the stain. Those bred by persons who have
devoted attention to the perfection of these little favourites are exceptions.
Dog shows have good effects as regards this breed, and they would be
materially increased if some evidence were given of the working properties of
the candidates when entered to their proper game. The dog that will kill the
greatest number of rats in a specified time is not necessarily the most accom-
plished performer with a fox, for there are many curs that will kill rats most
adroitly ; neither is the feat of badger drawing a test, as the dog which will do
that may be too free in his punishing propensities. There is a happy medium
required, and that is not very commonly produced.
Above all, I must ignore any affinity to the bulldog either in pedigree or
appearance ; a dog so descended belongs to a class of a distinct character. I
accept the fox-terrier in the true expression of his title ; he may be employed
to destroy vermin, but bolting foxes should be his constitutional instinct.
Cecil.
Sib, — In common with several friends of mine, I was much interested in
the remarks by "Rufus^^ which appeared in your impression of the 15th
October.
I was delighted with the magnificent show of fox-terriers at Birmingham,
and I think it was the best class submitted to the opinion of the judges and
the public since the exhibition of dogs has been established.
The form of all terriers is wonderfully improved since sixteen terriers of
all descriptions and colours (none of which were fox-terriers) competed for six
prizes at Birmingham in 1860, two of which prizes were withheld for want of
merit.
The form of the fox-terriers shown this year can scarcely be surpassed. If
they are working dogs capable of enduring fatigue, of sticking to the huntsman
in a run, of standing fog, and drizzle, and cold ; if they have courage as well
as stamina, and will face anything, they (some of them at any rate) leave
nothing to be desired.
Every fox-terrier ought to be a good vermin killer. Only about one man
in five hundred wants a terrier to run with hounds ; but he wants a vermin
dog, and if the dog does run with hounds, he must be " a rat trap ^^ all the
same. I admire beauty much, but I have a far greater respect for character
and quality, and I prefer a rough diamond to a polished pebble.
Provided those " rough and ready " terriers so well and truthfully
214 THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
described by Mr. Walker have no bulldog blood in them^ I should infinitely
prefer a dog from that kennel to the most symmetrical specimen shown at
Birmingham, if he were deficient in heart and resolution. I do not say they
are deficient. I know that many of them are not. I have been told on pretty
good authority (let me say on very high authority) that one of the most perfect
stud-dogs of this breed has all the game qualities required in his trade, and
that he transmits these gifts to his descendants. But a great many dogs
described as prepared to "bolt any number of foxes,^' "take their death/'
" stand eating/' " tackle badgers/' and face certain destruction in any shape or
form, are (and I know it) poor, craven, shivering, shy, nervous animals, desti-
tute of any qualification for the active, bustling, neck or nothing life of a
country gentleman's companion.
Now dog shows do tend to the production of useless beauties. This applies
to every description of dog, and it is an evil we cannot remedy. Every year
dogs (without any fault in the judges), which would be very dear at a gift, will
be taking first prizes, champion prizes, and medals. The drones will be
' decorated whilst the bees are unnoticed. But as it is with dogs, so it is with
other animals — animals which a celebrated and nobly-born poet considered
inferior to the canine race.
We cannot judge of sheep and cattle by their shape alone. Horses can
display their action, and some say their leaping powers, before the judges, but
the test of worth in a dog is wanting, especially as regards courage, and when
put to the proof the vermin terrier may be a thorough Bob Acres.
All any man can do will be to go to a breeder of known character and
principle, and put himself into his hands. If he gets beauty and quality com-
bined he is fortunate ; but I should have little fear that I could get these if I
did not try to get a dog for a cheap price — a, thing I never got yet without very
much regretting my bargain.
Now I trust that the breeders of fox-terriers will not be offended if I offer
them a few suggestions.
First, I think the coat of the terrier they breed is frequently too fine. I
think a harder, denser description of jacket would be a more suitable
protection for a dog who has to face all weather and to submit all day to the
splash of the huntsman's horse. I believe if he could choose for himself he
would pick out something more like bristles, although lying closely, as offering
a better defence to the weather or to that angry thong which he is always in
reach of except when he is gone to ground, and to which he has to submit,
alas ! sometimes for no fault of his, but simply because " the fox won't break,"
and the corners of the huntsman's mouth are drawn down, and furnish him
with that ominous expression which is regarded as a caution by the men in
trousers-and-straps who mob the fox.
I am no advocate for broken-haired fox-terriers. I am thoroughly of
THE POX-TBRRIBR.
215
opinion that the smooth dog as a class beats the rough dog in pluck and stay-
ing powers. I have been at some trouble to ascertain whether any broken-
haired dog ever distinguished himself as a fighting dog in the days when such
barbarous and infernal sports were in vogue, and I can hear of none ; whilst a
very careful examination of the oldest magazines brings me to the same con-
clusion. I am far from saying there are not good broken-haired dogs used as
• fox-terriers. I believe there are ; but I should not breed them for the purpose,
nor purchase one if I could obtain a smooth one. I do not think a rough coat
is a protection against anything but frost, and in a frost a terrier can keep
himself warm.
I have seen charming terriers, bred by Mr. Russell, which I know were
thoroughly game and hardy, and I have one at the present time which has run
with hounds three seasons. In the severest runs he was always at the heels of
the huntsman^s horse, and if he has a fault it is that he is a trifle too hard
bitten. But for this I don^t think he would have come to me. I shall state
the good and the bad of him without flattery or favour.
He is white, with a blue-black pair of ears, one black eye, and a black
nose. A sort of smutty-black extends from the nose half-way to the eyes, as
though his nose had been blackened by a careless hand, and the nasal bone
had been smudged; or like the shoulder of an Eton fag's shirt after the
little wretch had blackened a pair of Wellingtons (when they were in vogue)
for his big brother.
He is rather leggy ; but perhaps this is not a very great objection, con-
sidering that ho had to run with hounds. He is rather narrow in the chest,
which, as I believe, gives speed to dog or horse. At any rate, I never saw a
fast animal with a wide chest.
He has a rough or semi-brush tail, and this is an eyesore to me, and
greatly disfigures him. His feet and legs are good, ribs round, neck long and
muscular, shoulders a little too upright, loin very good, a trifle "wheel-
backed,'' which I like, and his back ribs admirable and deep.
I should say ho is about 13Ib. in weight. His countenance is a little too
blunt for beauty, and it is covered with hair as short and close as a pointer's.
His ears are small, thin, and fall close to his head. His coat is rather long,
very hard or harsh, and yet perfectly smooth; his legs are very clean, and
the whole profile of the dog is sharp and defined, except when he sets up
his hackles.
I am given to understand that this dog is of the pure blood, which Mr.
Russell has bred for forty years or more ; but I am not sure whether there is
not some cross which would account for the rough stern and the slight coarse-
ness in the form of his face which I have alluded to.
Now, the best terriers at Birmingham have a better head and stem ; they
are in all other respects his counterpart, except that they have racing jackets
instead of hunting coats. If they can stand the weather^ the silk jacket bj all
means. This, however, I doubt ; and if these charming dogs will work and
" take their death/^ they will do, and they cannot be improved.
Nothing, it may be taken for a fact, would so imperil the purity of the fox-
terrier as any infusion of bulldog blood. We should perhaps give the oflfspring
blind rage and uncontrollable ferocity, possibly the heavy jaw and sunken eye
of a fighting dog, although we might by good luck obtain the fox face of the
Madman breed ; but whether or not the form suited us, I have no hesitation in
saying we should lose intellectual faculties — intelligence and affection. We
should not get a faithful, trustworthy, amusing companion, always prepared to
sacrifice himself to what falls to his lot, and to make the best of it ; whose
whole character and habits are as different from the bull-terrier as that of the
knight-errant from the London " rough."
A pure fox-terrier is not required to draw badgers, nor should he be so
" hard-bitten " as to slaughter a fox in his earth. The bull blood would, in all
probability, produce this impetuosity, and destroy the gentlemanly character of
the strain entirely.
The kennel dog is, and must be kept, a distinct family, and he ought to
have quite enough courage to destroy vermin without the ferocity of the bull-
dog cross. The one is a generally useful animal, adapted for ratting, rabbit-
hunting, or working a hedge-row or bii of gorse, provided his coat is hard
enough, but not otherwise. The other is good enough for vermin, but very
likely will not let a cat live about the premises, and is anxious for a '' turn up "
with any intruder of his own species — two inconvenient and undesirable
propensities.
I need hardly add that a fox-tetrier must be white, or nearly white, for
general service. Many a huntsman cares very little what colour his terrier
may be ; but for rabbit-hunting or rats he should be white. He is, in the first
case less likely to be bagged by some " ^prentice hand " who is learning to
shoot, and, in the last, he m^y escape the bludgeons of the yokels, who will
not be persuaded to leave the killing of the rat to the dog in the dark angles
of a bam.
Al l does not depend upon breed or family. A dog is made or
marred by education and management; but, once made, a fox-terrier is not
very readily spoilt.
Since these remarks were written I have received several communications
on the subject of " Rufus's " letter, and I am warranted in saying that many
of the most remarkable specimens at Birmingham were brave, bustling, sensible,
vermin dogs. Whether they can stand fatigue, wet, and rough weather is
another thing. Idstone.
Sir, — The correspondeiioe on canine matters in your colnmns not only
affords information to tlie uninitiated^ but serves to elicit and determine the
true points and qualifications of patent and acknowledged breeds.
The information acquired on the Irish setter^ through the clever letters
which appeared in The Field a few months ago^ led me^ by the arguments
adduced pro and con. in connection with private correspondence, to believe that
the black tinge was derived at some past period from an infusion of other
bloody and that the old pure genuine breed is, if not altogether, at least, like
its national congener, the wolf-hound, nearly extinct. I am told on good
authority that, in the pedigree of the now most celebrated Irish setter, a stain in
one particular cross crept in and marred the lineage. Be this as it may, there
are still distinctive features in this class of dog to enable us to declare his
nationality. Does this rule apply with equiil force to the fox-terrier class ?
Like a Yorkshire dealer who, when showing me his dogs for sale, described every
one in succession as being '^ t' best dug i' Hingland,'^ is not this feeling enter-
tained by the various owners of their so-called breed of kennel terriers ? I am
often asked to '' come and see ^^ the ''real old sort,'' by men who pride them-
selves in their stock originally coming from a certain kennel, that betrays more
bull than it shows of terrier blood. Every master of hounds has his favourite
strain of kennel terriers, and in effect ignores most others ; but this pertinacity
does not nullify the/act that his breed is not of the right sort. The duties of
this little dog are admirably given by that clever writer and sportsman,
" Idstone,'' as well as by " Cecil " and '' Rufus.'' If it be, then, the vocation
of these plucky canines to run with hounds, enter drains and earths, bolt foxes
or bay them (never seizing or laying hold when being dug to until daylight
appears), the question naturally arises. What is the particular style of dog
which should be cultivated as most suitable for this kind of work ? It proves
nothing to say, Lo ! here ; or lo I there ; or this kennel has too much bull, or
that breed is deficient in courage. Let us reduce theory to practice. How or
by what means is the veritable kennel-terrier standard to be established, so that
dogs may be bred with the necessary attributes of their class ? I have my view
of the case, but I should prefer to hear the plans suggested by others of your
correspondents. Jno. Walker.
Oakes House, Holywell Green, Halifax, Jan. 22, 1867.
Sir,— The letters of " Cecil '' and " Idstone,'' in The Field of the 29th
December, 1866, have been read, I feel sure, vrith much interest by breeders
of fox-terriers. May I venture to hope that some others of your correspondents
will in the same way freely express Iheir opinions, and favour us with any
hints that may tend to improve this deservedly popular breed of dogs ?
F F
218 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
Fox-terrier breeders are, I think, unanimoua in saying that a pure fox-
terrier should " show no bull/' Yet in this point I find their theory and
practice at variance, else how is it that a dog like the well-known Tartar is
invariably either first or second at all our dog shows ? No one can fail to
admire the splendid make and muscular development of this dog (I never felt
a terrier with a back like his) ; but, for all that, he only wants his ears
cropping to make him a first-rate little bull-terrier.
And so, too, with regard to those "rough-and-ready '^ terriers described by
Mr. Walker and alluded to by " Idstone,'' I am informed by one who professes
to know the kennel well that they are nothing more nor less than bull-terriers.
In making these remarks I have no wish to run down bull-terriers — far
from it ; I like and keep both bull-terriers and fox-terriers, but I keep them
as distinct breeds.
Then, with regard to a fox-terrier's coat, much will depend on the way in
which the dog is kept, and what he is kept for. Most of the fox-terriers
shown at Birmingham or anywhere else are dogs that are kept by men who
live in towns, many of whom have very probably never seen a fox in their
lives : they keep the dogs as companions. Such dogs live and sleep in the
house, and their coats, with the aid of a horsehair glove occasionally, are
necessarily fine and glossy ; but if these same fox-terriers were kept out of
doors, fastened to kennels, their coats would very soon, become hard, and
dense, and coarse. The coat of a horse that is " out at grass '' is very diflTerent
to that of one that is kept groomed and clothed in a warm stable.
If a fox-terrier be kept for work he should be kept out of doors, and thus
nature will soon provide him with a hunting jacket that will stand all weathers.
He need not have the slightest dash of bull blood in him. If he be of pure
lineage, kindly and patiently broken to his work, he will always be willing and
ready (if need be) to take his death at anything.
There was a time, not so long ago, when some persons were fond of
sneering at England's best sons as " ball-room dandies, carpet soldiers," &c.,
and so they were till "active service" proved what metal they were made of;
and so, if I may be allowed to compare small things with great, I shall not go
so far back as " Idstone " for a simile. I shall not compare the pure fox-
terrier to a knight-errant (fine fellows though they were) ; but I will assert
with confidence that there is as much difference between a pure-bred, well-
trained fox-terrier and a cloggy, bony, thick-set, semi-bull-terrier, as there is
between a thorough-bred English gentleman and a rough bargee.
W. J. M.
Sib, — In your last impression I see a letter from W. J. M., denying to
Tartar the essential qualification of a true fox-terrier.
THE FOX-TERRIER.
219
Tartar, as everyone knows who takes any interest in fox-terriers, was
bred by a most careful and persevering man. The dog has won sixteen
prizes, which have been awarded by many diflTerent judges — a sufficient proof
that they would not consider him a ''^ first-rate little bull-terrier,^' as W. J. M.
styles him ; and I think the public will agree with me, that the opinion of these
various judges is worth almost as much as that of the person signing W. J. M.
I am sorry to trouble you with this letter, but I cannot allow such a
disparaging misstatement to pass unnoticed.
Should W. J. M. again in print attack my dog, I cannot trouble myself
to reply to him. Thomas W. Fitzwilliam.
Wentworth Woodhouse, Rotherham, Jan. 17, 1867.
Sr», — It is only right and proper that Mr. Fitzwilliam should defend his
dog ; but I think I have just cause for complaining of the needlessly offensive
manner in which he has worded his reply to my strictures. Tartar is now
quite a public character in the fox-terrier world, and as such he has to bear
his share of public criticism. I do not (to use Mr. Fitzwilliam's words) deny
him the essential qualification of a fox-terrier (whatever that may mean) ; I
only deny him the pure fox-terrier head, and if I am wrong I am open to
conviction. But, if the fact of Tartar's having won sixteen prizes makes him
a model of what a fox-terrier's head should be like, all I can say is, that old
Tom Grant, in his dying advice to his son, ought to have added, *' and breed
'em wi' plenty of bull ! " W. J. M.
Colwick Rectory, Notts.
Sib, — I am sorry W. J. M. has taken offence at my letter, for I had not
the slightest intention of annoying him, nor can I see how it is offensive. By
'' essential qualification " I mean freedom from bull, which W. J. M. denied to
Tartar. As regards any further discussion about the dog, I must refer
W. J. M. to the last sentence in my first letter.
19, Grosvenor-square, Jan. 27, 1867. Thomas W. Fitzwilliam.
Sir, — ^I delayed to correct what I conceive to be an inaccuracy in the
m
article on *' Fox-terriers for Work," by your correspondent " Idstone,
The Field of Dec. 29, 1866, thinking some other of your readers would reply to
him. He says (paragraph 11) : ''I think the coat of the terrier they breed is
frequently too fine. I think a harder, denser description of jacket would be a
220
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
more suitable protection for a dog who has to face all weather and to submit all
day to the splash of the huntsman^s horse. I believe, if he could choose for
himself, he would pick out something more hke bristles, although lying closely,
as oflTering a better defence to the weather,'^ &c. And (paragraph 12) : "I am
no advocate for broken-haired fox-terriers. I am thoroughly of opinion that
the smooth dog as a class beats the rough dog in pluck and staying powers.
I have been at some trouble to ascertain whether any broken-haired dog ever
distinguished himself as a fighting dog in the days when such barbarous and
infernal sports were in vogue, and I can hear of none ; whilst a very careful
examination of the oldest magazines brings me to the same conclusion. I am
far from saying that there are not good broken-haired dogs used as fox-terriers.
I believe there are,'^ &c.
None of the readers of The Field can mistake '^ Idstone's *' opinion,
and, so far as it refers to fox-terriers, I agree with him ; but my experience
differs from his as to broken-haired dogs not distinguishing themselves as
fighting dogs.
About eighteen or twenty years ago a dog called Tip was kept at Denton
(about five miles from Manchester) by a person of the name of Redfem. He
was a dark barred dog, won several matches, and was open to fight any dog
his weight. He was known throughout this part of the country as '^ Redfem'a
Tip.'' I knew a son and a daughter of his of the same colour. The dog was
very game, but not a quick punisher. He fought several matches, and won :
he belonged to a person of the name of Bowker, and was kept at Qorton. The
bitch belonged to a weaver of the name of Walker, and was also kept at
Gorton — ^a remarkably clever bitch ; but her owner persistently refused to let
her fight for large stakes. Venus (also known by the name of the '' Old
Yorkshire Bitch '') was, perhaps, the best fighting dog of her day. She was a
red or sandy-coloured bitch, with rather dark muzzle, somewhat low on the
legs, had a longish body, and ribs far behind. This was, I believe, the cleverest
fighting dog (about 23Ib. or 241b. weight) in England for years. When old
she was backed against, and beat, Cossack of Stockport — a dog several pounds
heavier than she. When thirteen years of age she fought and beat the Ashton
bitch — ^rather larger than herself; she was open to be matched against dog or
bitch for any sum at 23^Ib. weight. I had a bitch puppy out of her, dark-
brindled, which I sent to America in 1852 ; she was three years of age, and I
would gladly give lOZ. for her counterpart to-day. Neither Venus nor the
last-named were quarrelsome. I have had both with me through the streets of
Manchester unfastened many a time, and they seldom took notice of other
dogs until they were encouraged. All the dogs I have named were broken-
haired. A son of Venus, called Briton, was smooth-haired, and frequently
challenged against anything 28Ib. weight. Redfem^s Tip, Venus, and Briton
were celebrated, and justly so ; and I have no doubt in my own mind any
THE FOX-TERRIER. 221
one of them would have been a good match against any dog in the world
at equal weight. Each was open in its day for all comers.
However much we may deprecate dog-fighting, it is a fact that a bull-
terrier is the gamest dog in existence. It is also a good and useful companion,
if properly treated from puppyhood ; and in my opinion, and, I believe, in the
opinion of hundreds of others, a far handsomer dog than the majority of those
which are exhibited at our shows. It may be that some of your readers (not
acquainted with the subject) may be of opinion that every man who keeps a
bull-terrier (or fighting dog) is a quarrelsome man, or otherwise not respectable.
Tou, Mr. Editor, can assure them to the contrary. Ton can also assure
them many people keep dogs of that breed who never think of letting them
fight, and who are quite as respectable as their neighbours. And I can assure
them, if I were to give up my fancy for sporting dogs, I should, the first
opportunity, speculate in a good and handsome bull-terrier.
J. BtTETON.
Sir, — ^I am quite of opinion, with your correspondent W. J. M., that a fox-
terrier should be smooth-coated, and I much doubt whether any dog showing a
rough or broken-haired coat is pure bred ; but where such is the case I believe
there must be a cross (more or less remote) of the Scotch terriers. I dare say
there are rough -coated terriers as good as any smooth-coated ones, but they
are not fox-terriers. I well remember the fox-terriers that used to run with
the Duke of Beaufort^s hounds in Will Long^s time, and I believe the breed
had been kept there for very many years. You will see a specimen amongst
the hounds in the picture of " The Lawn Meet at Badminton.*' They were
nearly always black-and-tan, but occasionally black-white-and-tan, with a
compact, well-knit frame, ears small and hanging close to the head, with coats
(though close and thick) as bright and smooth as satin; and it was really
wonderful to see with what pluck and endurance they would make their way
to the end of the longest runs, " though not at the huntsman's heels, having to
endure the splash of his horse all day long;'' but by some means or other, let
the run be ever so &st or ever so long, the little black-and-tan terrier was
always there when wanted, and did what was required of him, viz., to bolt a
fox from his earth, or remain with him till he was dug down to. Now, in these
fast days, sportsmen cannot wait for a fox to be got out, and the order is
"find another one ;" hence the use of fox-terriers to run with the hounds has
been discontinued, and the breed has not been kept up at Badminton ; but
there are a few of the old stock left in the oountrv, and I know of two or three
of the old stamp and colour, I think as good as can be. W. J. M. compares
the coat of the dog to that of the horse when turned out in winter ; but I do
not think the comparison a fair one^ as the coat of the horse naturally gets
222 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
longer and coarser in the winter, whereas a dog^s remains the same all the year
round. No donbt, if a dog is kept in a cold, damp place, without a proper
bed, and with scanty and coarse food, his coat would, to a certain extent,
become harsh and wiry, but it would not increase in length ; but, if the dog
returned to a good master and good treatment, his coat would soon regain its
form and natural smoothness and gloss, and I am quite sure he would then be
none the less capable of going through a hard day^s work.
Malmesbury. J. A. H.
SiE, — ^I am much pleased to find that my few lines on fox-terriers have been
the means of calling forth the very excellent letters, which appeared in your
impression of Dec. 29, from " Cecil " and " Idstone,^^ which, coming from such
very high authorities, may be said to have given the heaviest blow yet in print
to the vexed point of crossing with the bulldog.
Beckford was clearly of the same opinion, and he wrote at a time when
terriers were more in use than at present. Vyner and Delm^ RadcliflTe make
no mention of terriers, and Colonel Cook says little more than that they are
useful in countries where there are many drains.
'' Scrutator,^' the latest authority, merely states that terriers ran yrith his
hounds and were clever at bolting a fox, but that if he would not bolt, they
invariably killed him. These terriers, I know, were strong, fast, and coarse
(not rough) haired, and were quite free from bulldog blood ; colour, white, with
a black cheek or ear.
With the whole of '^ Idstone's " letter I quite agree. ■ The hard, harsh hair
must be a better protection against wet, cold, and gorse coverts than a fine
(racing jacket) coat; moreover, it bears strong evidence that the wearer has no
bulldog blood in his veins.
"Cecilys'' remarks about attention to pedigree should be printed in
capitals, and what he says on symmetry of frame will be disputed by no one.
A thickset " cloggy '' terrier would of course be unable to run with hounds ;
but, retaining my opinion, that half the dogs exhibited at Birmingham had not
power to run with hounds, and then be able and willing to do their duty under-
ground, I still stand up for Old Tom Grant^s dying advice to his son, ^^ Breed
^em wi^ plenty of bone.''
Why should terriers be led in couples by a man on foot, if able to
run with the pack? Suppose the fox runs into any small earth in a
neighbouring hunt; by fox-hunting law the ground must not be disturbed,
but you may use a terrier if there is one out with the pack. I cannot
fancy anything more mortifying if the hounds are in want of blood. The
man on foot with the terriers would, in the cstse I am supposing, not be
within miles, and when next you did see him Beckford's remark to his
huntsman would be very appropriate, ^' If the fox was a fool, he '^ (the terrier
man) " could not help it.^'
" Idstone ^' is no advocate for broken-haired terriers, but recommends a
close-lying coat, somewhat resembling bristles. This is precisely my notion of
what a fox-terrier^s coat ought to be, and what I call wire-haired.
When " Cecil " objects to wire-haired terriers, and mentions the case of
entering a wet drain as an instance in point, I suppose he must mean what I
style a rough-haired dog, particularly as he adds, " A dog of this sort when
sent to a show is dignified in a class by himself.^^ I dislike a long, rough,
shaggy coat, whether woolly or silky, as much as anyone, on a terrier of any
sort, whether Skye, Scotch, or Dandie Dinmont. The wearer is seldom well
shaped, very often soft, and it is no advantage to him either in otter, badger,
or vermin hunting. Rupus.
Sib, — With every respect for the opinions of others, I venture to oflfer my
own, having been an owner, breeder, and worker of terriers and sporting dogs
for nearly fifty years.
If dog shows are intended to improve the breed of dogs by purity of stock,
it is impossible for that object to be attained unless the classes are kept
distinct and strictly confined to the breed they each should represent. No man
would think of breeding pointers by a cross with a mastiff; indeed, if such
progeny were entered in the pointer class, the judges — if they knew pure
pointers — would at once throw them out for being in a wrong entry; "whilst a
splendid Irish setter is thrown out because he happens to have a few black hairs
under his ear,^^ not to be seen without turning his ear up. And why should
not the judges carry out the same principle in other classes — fox-terriers, for
instance, or pure-bred terriers? Is it because the generality of judges do not
know pure terriers when they see them ? It appears very lika it ; if not, there
must be very great prejudice. Any man who really knows a pure-bred terrier
when ho sees one must have noticed in the entries of fox-terriers more bull than
terrier, both at Birmingham and Manchester. There was one dog at Man-
chester undershot, and many more that were only fit for the bull-terrier class.
I quite agree with W. J. M. that Tartar is not a pure-bred terrier or fox-
terrier. Of course a fox-terrier should be a pure-bred terrier, or else he is
wrongly named. I cannot understand a first prize being given to Tartar,
when as true a sample of a pure terrier and a fox-terrier as England
possesses should have been in the next compartment — viz.. Old Jock.
" It is the vocation of these dogs to run with hounds and go to ground
after a fox,^' wherever he may be, if they can get up to him, and never leave
him until he is dug down upon, and then you may find the terrier and fox
chopped together. I have often seen them so ; whilst others will stop with
224 THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
their fox and bark at him. I have no doubt that Tartar wonld go np to a fox
quite mute, and either worry him or be worried. I do not consider such dogs
the most useful for hounds ; if it were a deep and long earth, or bad to get
at, you must not expect to find the fox fit for a second run, however short the
first might have been ; nor perhaps would he require to be thrown to the
hounds to worry. There cannot be a dog better formed for the work of a fox-
terrier than Tartar ; but as a terrier, Jock is the pattern card in my opinion.
No man ought to be appointed, or ought to accept, the office of judge of fox-
terriers but those who are practically acquainted with their working, and at
the same time well accustomed to the breed of pure terriers. The colour is a
matter of taste ; white-tan and black-white-and-tan are preferred, but I am
not aware that colour has anything to do with quality or form. The size
should be such as could get up to a fox, not over 16Ib, well put together — not
too short in the leg or too short in the body. Let it be understood that they
do not always run with the hounds, even the best of them, as no terrier could
keep up with foxhounds in a good scent ; but they follow very close, and a
very short check will bring the terrier up almost always in time when a fox is
gone to ground. *^ The breeder of Tartar is a persevering man,^' and will and
does breed staunch dogs, whether true terrier or not. They will stand cutting
up j and this breed of quality you must not always expect in a pure brewed of
terriers, although I have had them that would stand, and not a trace of bull
could be detected. But you must breed aud cross many times before you can
obtain a true-looking terrier that will stand. Still, it is the only course to
pursue to get beauty and quality ; and they are not fit to send to the fox-
terrier class without they show all terrier, unless you can calculate upon a
certain party who only know buU-terriers, or do not know one from the other,
as judges ; and I almost question whether it is really necessary to be at the
trouble and expense to send pure terriers without you knew who were to be
the judges. An Old Sfobtshan.
SiE, — ^A writer in The Field lately asked for the experience and opinions
of admirers of the fox-terrier regarding the breed ; a few further remarks on
the subject may therefore be acceptable to your readers.
Will " Idstone," " Rufns," Mr. Walker, W. J. M., or others, give us their
opinions of some of the dogs shown at Birmingham last month ?
Do the gentlemen I have named prefer the Jock or the Tartar type of
fox-terrier ? or do they prefer a dog intermediate between these two — such a
one as No. 19, Mr. Statter's Fox, the dog that took the first prize in the open
class ? No one knowing anything of fox-terriers can fail to be struck, like
W. J. M., with the great dissimilarity between the two celebrated prize dogs
Jock and Tartar. How is it that dogs so unlike each other in every way both
THE FOX-TERRIER. 225
get prizes as fox-terriers ? I had the fullest possible opportunities of looking
these two dogs over at Birmingham, and, at the risk of oflTending Mr. Fitz-
wiUiam, which I should be most sorry to do, I must say that I agree entirely
with what W. J. M. has said of Tartar. He is a splendid bit of stuff, I admit,
and, like W. J. M., I was struck with the uncommon amount of muscle he
possesses in a small compass, his back being extraordinarily muscular. At the
same time I think him a decidedly rough-looking customer as a fox-terrier.
He looks more like a fighting dog, and: I believe is a remarkably free punisher.
I write entirely out of love for the breed of fox-terriers, and with the hope of
seeing it still farther improved, and, as a matter of course, without the slightest
leaning either for or against the breed of anyone in particular. K some of us
take exception to Mr. Fitzwilliam^s Tartar, we all like his Jock and his Grove
Nettle. To continue my remarks about Tartar:. He has. an unnecessarily
wide chest, and his stifles turn out, though he is not, as far as I remember,
much out at elbows ; his head is to a certain extent bully, the muzzle not being
as lean and well defined as in other specimens of the fox-terrier. He has a
usefal coat, and gives one the idea of being a hardy dog enough. Old Jock,
like Tartar, I had the opportunity of seeing off his bench. In him we have a
real gentlemanly terrier-like dog. He is as terrier-like all over as anyone can
desire. His loins and quarters are good ; his stifles are. not turned out, but
his legs, both before and behind, are carried straight forward as he travels;
his fore legs are as good as "those .of a foxhound, and his chest that of a
terrier. He is a dog of good symmetry, and ought to gallop well. He .may
be rather light in his middle piece, and his shoulders may be a trifle upright,
but of these points I am not yet much of a judge ; his head is fine, and the
countenance not so hard and rough-looking as that of Tartar ; his coat is of
the fine racing-jacket sort. He does not give one the idea of being as hardy
in constitution or as brave a dog as! Tartar.
What did the gentlemen referred to at the beginning of this letter think
of No. 90 in the Champion Bitch Class — ^viz., Mr. Fitzwilliam's Grove Nettle ?
I think there was not a more useful, workmanlike looking animal in the show
— long and low, perhaps a trifle too much so. She has. quite a broken coat;
her fore legs approach each other, rather too much as they descend to the
ground, but she shows plenty of quality, and has a first-rate head and
countenance. Perhaps her most valuable quality is the amount of bone she
shows. Her owner told me that the difficulty was to keep her above ground.
I !have a son of Jock as well as a son of Tartar, The first-named is, I
think, the more clever hunter of the two, and he has a first-rate nose. My
son of Tartar has a much thicker, denser coat, and feels the cold less. They
are quite young dogs, being fourteen months and sixteen months old, and are
both of good courage. A, F. A.
Q o
226
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
SiK, — In your paper of Feb. 9, A. F. A. asks for the opinion formed by
'' Rufas/' Mr. Walker, W. J. M., and " Idstone/'
I accept the chance of your considering my remarks as unrequired by the
general public, not because I desire to give an opinion after having had so
much space accorded to me already, but because there is probably more
difficulty in distinguishing a pure-bred terrier than most dog^, and the genuine
terrier is a thoroughly British production.
I have long given my attention to the forms assumed by the admixture of
breeds, where I had certain facts to form the basis of my observation ; and at
a future time I shall be glad to give you the results of my experience.
Although I wish to speak of my own knowledge in the most modest manner,
I think I ought to state that, with practice, anyone taking an interest in the
canine races would generally detect a stain, and frequently detect the
parentage.
Whenever I meet a tinker's cart or a razor grinder, I make a point of
ascertaining the origin of his cur, and as vagrants and dogs almost always eat,
drink, and sleep together, there is a pretty good foundation for the facts they
give one. By means of their information and a note-book I have acquired a
good many facts, especially with regard to terriers, in which the sheepdog cross
is the most strongly marked, and next to that the bulldog strain declares itself
most plainly.
It is hardly necessary to say anything of such dogs as Jock or Grove
Nettle. He must be a very bold man, or a 'very conceited one, who would
venture to say anything against them ; and his shots, like those of the Yankee
directed at the reflection of his ship upon the iceberg, would rebound against
himself. Venom I saw at Salisbury, and I had every facility for noticing her,
as I myself unchained her and led her out. I like her exceedingly, and although
she was snappish at that show, I think she is in her heart good-tempered. She
has as good fore legs as any foxhound, and there was nothing I could take
much exception to. Mr. Statter's Fox pleased me much, but I had only a
limited opportunity of seeing him, as he was curled up and refused the piece of
bread I oflTered him. Yet I preferred Vassal, and I thought him a more
sanguine and lively dog. Mr. Mellor's Young Trap I have already noticed,
and he showed himself better than either Vassal or Fox — I mean a dog spotted
with blue, with colour down the back of his thighs, but whether Young Trap
or Young Tartar I am not sure, Beyond this point I own that I am confused ;
but as a class, I repeat, the fox-terrier class never has been equalled as exhibited
at Birmingham, and I don't anticipate its being surpassed.
By the courtesy of the Marquis of Huntly I am able to make a few
observations on one more prominent fox-terrier, as he has sent her for my
inspection. I allude to his Worry, first prize Birmingham, 1866. This terrier
is 171b. in weight, but she is too fat, and might even lose a pound or more with
THE FOX-TERRIEE. 227
advantage. She is white, with two spots of blue on her back about the size of
a fourpenny. piece. She has a perfectly level mouth and a black under lip and
nose ; muzzle white ; a white blaze runs down her forehead ; cheeks foxhound
tan, shaded to black ; her ears tan, with that blue cast in their tint which to
me speaks of very high family. Her. eye may be a trifle too full, but it is
a wonderfully knowing, sharp, foxy face, and she gives me the idea of being
crafty and yet good-natured. Her ears are very thin and drop beautifully flat.
I need hardly say they have not been tampered with. Her neck is clean, long,
taper, and muscular ; her shoulders are deep and good, and whilst her elbows
work clear of her side, like the cocks of a gun, they are perfectly straight, and
her legs and feet are first-class. Her ribs are round, the back ribs deep, and
her back and loin could not be improved. When I say her hind quarters are
as good as her fore hand, and that she has a capital tail carried a little low, as
it ought to be, I have little more to criticise. If she has a fault (I do not say
she has), it is that she is a trifle wide in her chest. She is not in good coat, but
I should think it is of sufficiently dense quality for any amount of work, and
she is of first-class temperament — sharp but good-natured. In all respects she
is worthy of distinguished notice, and must command it anywhere.
If the Birmingham committee had not made that vexatious rule of theirs,
forbidding the unchaining of the dogs at their show, I could have said a good
deal more ; but I believe they made it with the best intentions. They have to
consider before their next exhibition whether the public will be content to see
dogs on the chain only. I do not think they will.
Tour readers will be able to form some notion of what I consider a fox-
terrier ought to be from the description I have given of Worry.
Idstonb.
SiH, — A few days after the publication of my letter in The Field of
March 2, 1867, the post brought me a short note, written by an eminent
authority, couched in these words :
" I wish you had given your ideas on the breeding of a standard fox-
terrier from the present fashionable stock in your letter published in The Field
of Saturday. I am told and some of the best bitches sometimes throw
wretched specimens ; in fact, there is nothing to be relied on, when breeding,
but a long pure pedigree.''
According to my ideas, you cannot implicitly rely on pedigree. If you
could, breeding would be simplified, for we should merely tread in the steps of
our forefathers.
The marrii^e of two first-prize animals may produce one or two or none of
great excellence. Stockwell, Neville, Wild Dayrell, put to the very best mares,
would not for certain breed a Derby or Oaks winner. Possibly the oiSspring
228 THE DOaS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
might be only moderate. Then we have no right to be disappointed if out of
a litter of seven whelps all are not super-excellent. Not only is it true that
there is generally a black- sheep in every human family, but it is also a
fact that the father may be a genius, the mother a lady of talent, and the
son a fool.
It is more easy to reproduce form than quality ; but with the dog there is
the strongest tendency to '^ throw back " to some strain or cross which may
have lain dormant for fifty or one hundred years. The dog breeder knows
this. The dog purchaser may know it, or he may not. If he has experience
he will be aware that he may purchase the son of Jock and Violet, and possess
in his purchase neither one nor the other; and if every son of Draid the
bloodhound, or Ranger the pointer, or Major the setter, were equal, or an
improved edition of his ancestors, dog breeding would be a very simple and
uninteresting thing.
I speak within the mark when I say that my experience in breeding dogs
has not cost me tens, but hundreds of pounds; and after establishing a theory
one year, it is perhaps entirely demolished another. Consequently, if I have
learnt nothing else, I have discovered that I know little about pedigree. Good
working properties, and form perhaps combined, occasionally follow one
generation, or are confined to one or other. This being the case, it seems to
be a caprice of nature, not depending much upon the father. Again, sometimes
the combination of two strains produces a rare litter, and from this litter
possibly the ofi'spring is worthless. Thus a breeder selling whelps at six or
eight weeks old gets blamed if the offspring of his kennel tm'ns out badly ; if
they turn out well, very likely his name is never heard. And it is fair to say
that much (let the breed be what it may) depends upon the feeding, education,
and management. A shy puppy is at once ruined if the kitchen-maid
'^ exhibits '^ (to use a medical term) a broom-stick or the mop-handle, whilst,
if carefully nursed, he would have done credit to his breeder.
To go back to fox-terrier breeding, I may say there are certain dogs arid
bitches from which we might breed with every human prospect of success.
Let me say, once for all, I have no personal feeling of like or dislike for
any dog or his master ; I speak without the least wish to do good to a dog^s
reputation or his master.
I should breed from Jock with confidence. He has stood the ordeal of
many trials. He is the father of more good stock, I think, than any prize dog
of any breed. I should breed from Worry, who has form and pluck : but if I
bred fox-terriers, I should not breed broken -haired ones. I confess to a
prejudice against them. Let a man who wants a terrier keep or breed
rough ones if they suit him; as fox- tenners they don^t suit me. There are
numbers of fox-terriers, never seen by the public, which are nevertheless
good enough for any man, and too good for those who never will appreciate
THE FOX-TERRIER.
229
a good terrier. There may be some prize dogs whicli would sink in our
estimation if we saw them at work.
For my own part, I think, if I require a fox-terrier, I am suited if my
dog can find his way to hounds when there is a check (even if he cannot
keep up with them), and will go to ground and bark. I don^t want him to
worry Reynard in his earth. Well, if added to this, he will kill the rats that
congregate in the granary and boiling-house, he has done enough for me.
As for badgers, how many does the most experienced sportsman find in a
score of years ? Is it worth while to breed a terrier so severe that he will
draw one, considering that he is never ^^ drawn ^^ until he is close at hand?
Is it necessary a terrier should kill cats ? Is it not rather a nuisance if he
does ? As for otters, I have never seen (in England) a dozen in my life ; and
one fox-terrier, as good as Mr. Russell himself could breed, rough or
smooth, white, black, or brindled, would not avail much with an otter in a
deep millstream.
A terrier ought to '^ go to earth /* that is a sine qua non. He ought to
be of a hardy constitution, a compact form, a good open, temper, and inostly
white in colour, and he ought to be able " to lick the bottom of a narrow
pint cup.^'
I never did like a good ugly dog 3 I must have form as well as quality. I
always think of the remark of an old sagacious horsedealer at Dorchester about
ugliness. I was (years ago) buying a horse in his yard, when a gentleman
rode into the yard the ugliest mare I had seen for some time, wanting to efi*ect
an exchange, which the old dealer declined. • "I dare say,'' he said depre-
catingly, " she is all you say, sir, and a great deal more ; but if. I once got that
mare in my stable, I might as well be married to her ; nothing but death
would part us."
So it is with dogs ; if good-looking, some one will have them ; if not, no
one. If good-looking and good in their work I know of a customer ; send him
to The Field office for Idstone.
Sib, — ^May I be permitted to state that the fox-terrier exhibited by me at
Birmingham, to which " Idstone '' alludes, is Young Trap and not Young
Tartar. He now belongs to the Marquis of Huntly.
" Idstone's '' description of a true fox-terrier, such as Worry, is well worth
remembering; the difficulty is how to breed terriers of this class. In my
humble opinion, there is one important thing in breeding fox-terriers that is
not sufficiently attended to. In the generality of cases, bitches are sent to
stud terriers indiscriminately, simply because these stud terriers are prize
winners, and so the faults of the parents are reproduced with interest in their
progeny. It is evident that a brood bitch that '' shows bull '' ought not to be
230
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
put to a dog of the same stamp^ and so on with other feulty points. The
object in view should be, not to perpetuate them, but carefiiUy to breed them
out.
As Mr. Walker stated in The Field, Jan. 26, that he had his own views
on this subject, perhaps he would now not object to ventilate them in your
columns. W. J. Melloe (Colwick Rectory, Notts.)
[We think the subject has been pretty well " ventilated " already. — ^Ed.]
Sib, — The numerous and very capital letters that have appeared lately in
The Field about fox-terriers — especially those of '^Idstone,^^ "Cecil,'' and
" Rufus,'' men of practical experience and gentlemen — ^leave me but little to
say 5 and I only now write at the request of a few friends to give, through your
columns, my opinion about the dogs Jock and Tartar, having once owned
them, and for years.
Much has lately been said and written about fox-terriers, but what have
we gained? Have we been told how we may keep the breed pure, or has
anyone thought of trying to propose a scheme for so doing ? No one has done
so. We simply have an assertion that Tartar, the well-known prize dog, is a
bull-terrier. Of course, opinions diCFer about this. I do not intend to plead in
favour, or against, what W. J. M. terms ^' the little bull-terrier.''
Why call Tartar a bull and terrier, and unfit for the class he competes in,
if the public, as some do, call Jock a cur ; or, to use one expression employed,
^^ as soft as his pocket," because the dog does not exhibit the same amount of
pludk as Tartar.
Tartar I have tried hard, and cut him up, at everything in the shape of
big game. That he will '^ stay and stand it " is a '^ certainty." Go to ground
as well as any dog in England or out of it. Water like a spaniel 3 in fact, will
live in water. Cold, wet, and fatigue, alike unknown to him. However hard,
the dog, like all " good 'uns," will come again ; a ^yonder in a rat pit, fine
temper, good mannered, and has more sense than many men. I say, without
hesitation, there is bull in him, and his head shows it slightly. His legs are
the best I ever saw on any terrier, and the true temer foot to perfection ; and
the man that has a terrier as good as Tartar will certainly have but one in his
lifetime.
I object to bull in a fox-terrier. A true kennel terrier must be free from
bull to be the fox-terrier proper. Because b, terrier will fly up a box to a
badger, butcher rats in a pit, and murder your neighbour's cat (and plenty of
them), he is not necessarily a fox-terrier.
My opinion of Tartar is now as it ever has been, and I certainly
unbuttoned my pocket for him — ^viz., £35. I bought him solely because he
THE FOX-TERRIER. 231
nicks well with lights ^^ggj> delicate bitches^ and pats steam into the young
ones. And another thing, at the dog show he was always second to old Jock^
except when he twice beat him. Certain fox-terrier judges gave the awards
in this way, so contrary to reason and common sense; for if Jock was
right Tartar must be wrong, for the two dogs diflfer so very much in
appearance.
Old Jock has won eighteen prizes, and done enough to satisfy a glutton.
He is, as a few of us know, as good a fox-terrier as any man can wish, not
only to look at, but perfection at his business, which is more than can be said
of most show fox-terriers, many of which I dare say hare never been and
never will go to ground. Tet, in spite of this, Jock is called soft because he
does not show the " varmint '' look of Tartar.
No one daring this controversy has put forward a single idea to help us
to keep the breed pure ; and as no one does anything calculated to do any
good in the matter, I am tempted to offer an idea which, even if considered
impracticable, I hope will be the means of drawing out other and more able
opinions on the matter.
Is there any insuperable diflBculty in keeping a common stud-book, in
which might be registered all fox-terriers, their ago, markings, pedigree, and
ownership ? Or, if this is impossible, everyone might keep a stud-book of his
own, from which reliable information might be obtained. And again, much
good might be done if owners of stud dogs would advertise, or by some other
way inform the public to what bitches their dogs had been put ; for by so doing
a fair amount of accuracy might be insured as regards pedigrees by celebrated
dogs. Jock is no doubt a good stud dog, the fact being proved at Bir-
mingham. He was the sire of all the prize and highly commended dogs,
with one exception ; and I need only use the words of that good sportsman, the
late Captain White, to whom Jock was known: "Here is a perfect model
of what a fox-terrier should be ; connect him with a pack of foxhounds and
there leave him.^'
Some people say the vocation of fox-terriers is, even now, to run with
hounds ; but I think they would be sorely puzzled to point out a pack that is
constantly accompanied by a terrier. Such there t^ere, no doubt, formerly,
but now in any country a terrier is . comparatively useless ; they cannot
possibly go the pace with hounds or horses, and if one was to wait while a
terrier came up after a fast run of say an hour, I think everyone would have
gone away disgusted ; for is it likely a terrier would try his best when Tie knew
the hounds were perhaps five or ten miles in front of him. No terrier could
get to the end of a good day if left to his own devices, unless in a very
favourable and hilly country. Terriers, as a rule, now are led by a man in a
string, who usually runs with the pack, or by the second horseman. Fox-
terriers, in the true expression of their title, in comparison to the numbers
232
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
kept, are seldom used, and as seldom seen. As a rule, their vocation is
rabbiting, ratting, and to be the companion of many a good sportsman through
fields and towns ; in fact, anything their owner may like to do in the way
of sport. T. WOOTTON.
Mapperley, near Nottingham, March 1, 1867.
SiE, — There are probably few matters on which I should venture to
dissent from "Idstone,'' but I cannot withhold taking cognisance of his
strictures on pedigree as a chief element to success in breeding.
Inherent qualities I hold in all sporting dogs are paramount to external
form; hence the establishment of trials on game so pertinaciously insisted on
by most good sportsmen.
Prize dogs are often exhibited that arei perfect in shape and make, but
totally useless in the field or to perpetuate their species. I know many
instances where the sire and dam, destitute of pedigree, have been pronounced
as ^'handsome as paint,'^ but have thrown progeny that were veritable curs.
Men must not expect to gather grapes from thorns, nor figs from thistles.
'' Idstone^s ^\ theory could not be otherwise than demolished, when breeding
from animals whose external forms only were guarantees for the production of
clever offspring. . I scarcely need remark that no breeder of racehorses, short-
horns, or Herefords w;ould be content with the simple appearance of two good-
looking animals. Would' not those with" long ancestral scrolls, of moderate
conformation, be preferred to perpetuate their species to those possessing
merely symmetrical o liter mould ?
Whilst admitting that breeding is very speculative at best hand, yet it is
an axiom that " like begets like,^^ and when you have a pure line of ancestry
it cannot be denied but that you have something more tangible from which to
expect definite results than when dwelling mostly on external forms.
Take colour, for instance. Select parents of similar shade, derived from
promiscuous origin, and nothing is more uncertain than the tinge or dye of the
progeny; but, speaking -from experience of my own setters loith a pedigree, I
can safely predict the colours of the puppies before they are thrown by the
mother ; but can any breeder with dogs of doubtful lineage foretell thus much ?
I trow not. So convinced am I now that pedigree must be maintained in our
sporting dogs, that I should hesitate to breed from the best-looking dog
that ever ran— nay, I would not — if he were destitute of family tradition. In
short, true blood enables a breeder to look for colour, form, innate point,
speed, and endurance with tolerable certainty; and I flatter myself into
thinking that in-and-in breeding may be safely carried further in pure strains
than in those of doubtful origin.
"JTJDT,'' THE PEOPEETY OF MES, MALCOLM, BEECHWOOD, NEW FOREST.
TRUFFLES AND TRUFFLE-DOGS. 233
As you editorially remarl£ that the sabject of breeding has been
sufficiently 'Ventilated'' in your columns^ I refrain from farther remarks.
Holywell Green, near Halifax, March 20. J. Walkbb.
[We alluded to the fox-terrier iper se, and not to breeding in general.
—Ed.]
TRUFFLES AND TRUFFLE-DOGS.
Wb are far behind the Germans, French, and Italians in our knowledge of
esculent fungi. Our Continental neighbours are far more skilled, both in their
preservation and production. They can dry them, or. preserve them in oil,
vinegar, or brine ; and in neither case do these conserves lose much of their
aroma, flavour, or nutritious quality. One Italian species is produced by
scattering a shallow layer of soil upon a porous slab of stone, and occasionally
moistening it with water; another, by slightly burning, and subsequently
watering, blocks of hazel-wood ; and a third (a species of AgoHcris) is cultivated
by placing the grounds of coffee in places favourable for its growth. The
market returns of Rome show that as much as £4000 a year are expended on
those productions ; and the peasantry of France, Germany, and Italy in many
places subsist to a great extent upon them, is an established fact.
The truffle — ^an edible underground fungus — is classed by Berkeley with
the morel, as one of the Ascomycetes, because in these the " spores,^' or organs
of reproduction, are arranged in asd (tubular sacs, or vesicles). The best
writers on fungi have arrived at this learned conclusion ; but in spite of all
their discoveries, and their elaborate remarks on " spheroidal cells,^^ and
" spores,^' and " fructification taking place in some particular membrane,^' we
believe attempts to cultivate the truffle have failed.
Science has ascertained that they form an intermediate link between the
animal and vegetable kingdom, for they do not absorb carbonic acid from the
air and give out oxygen, but, like animals, they absorb oxygen and give out
carbonic acid.
The truffle is found in many districts of France, Spain, and Italy ; and in
other parts of these countries, doubtless (as in England), it exists, though it
has not been discovered.
In this country it may be found on almost every chalky down, especially
where plantations of beech flourish, and in many gentlemen^s parks, and on
lawns. Hampshire, Wilts, Dorset, and Kent, all these counties produce
truffles of rich quality and in great abundance. Beneath the beech, the cedar,
H H
284
THE DOGS OF THE BBITISH ISLANDS.
the lime, the oak, the hazel, the Scotch fir, it is frequently to be found in
clusters, one, two, or three feet apart. It is known to be 8^t Tedworth (the
seat of the late Mr. T. Assheton Smith) ; at Charbro Park, Dorset (the seat of
Mr. Drax) ; at Olantigh Towers, in Kent ; and at Holnest House, in Dorset
(both seats belonging to the same gentleman) ; whilst Kingston Lacey, in
Dorset (the property of the Bankeses), produces both morels and truffles.
Truffles are also found at East well Park, Kent ; at Sir J. Sebright^s, in Beech-
wood Park ; at Lord Barrington^s ; at Lord Jersey's ; at Longleat, Wilts ; at
the Countess Bridgewater's ; at Lord Winchilsea's ; and, we believe, at the
Earl of Abingdon's seat, near Oxford.
In some of these localities they are found in beds of twenty, thirty, or more.
Sometimes they are discovered singly, in most unpromising situations and of
extraordinary size ; occasionally they are on the surface of the earth, half eateu
by hares, squirrels, rats, mice, or rooks — ^their natural enemies. Sometimes
they are raked up with the dead leaves by the gardener ; and one of the finest
we ever dug was found by a truffle-dog close to an old gate-post ; whilst within
a fortnight of the writing of tbis article, a keeper picked up a large truffle
dropped from a fir-tree by a squirrel.
They are in season from November until March, and when fit for the table
are nearly black. Out open, they are of close texture, marbled or spotted with
a grey tint. In the summer they are white inside, and give but little smell, and
are unsavouiy. They vary in size. Occasionally they are so minute as to be
scarcely visible, frequently as large as a walnut, and they are commonly as large
as a moder8.te-sized potato.
We have questioned two experienced truffle-diggers, and gather from
them the following information :
Truffle-digging gives emplojonent to many hands during winter, and in
the early months of spring 1 OOlb. a week is not an uncommon amount when a
man has a good dog, and works hard ; and instances have been known of a
man digging 35Ib. or even 401b. in a day, where truffles were unsuspected, and
the ground had not been " worked.^'
The truffle with a rough scaly coat, much resembling the fir-cone, these
men call a '^ bud truffle /^ the smooth-coated variety they call a " garlic truffle.''
Both are equally good for the table ; but there is a redslcinned truffle found
deeper in the ground, which they assert to be poisonous.
Our informants stated that, some years ago, a specimen was found weigh-
ing SJlb., and " nearly as large as a half-gallon loaf.'' This assertion we doubt ;
but we do believe they are frequently met with weighing Iflb. or 21b., though
inferior in flavour to the smaller specimens.
In Italy, this fungus is hunted with a pig (a fact confirmed by Touatt) ; in
France (as with us), the truffle-hunter depends upon his dog. The breed is
rare, and the men dislike to sell them. It is said that about two hundred
TRUFFLES AND TRUFFLB-DOGS. 235
years ago an old Spaniard brought two dogs into Wiltshire, and made a great
deal of money by the sale of truffles which his dogs found for him ; and at his
death he left his money and his dogs to a farmer from whom he had received
some kindness, and that the present dogs are derived from those he left that
farmer.
The truffle-dog is a small poodle (nearly a pure poodle), and weighing
about 15Ib. He is white, or black-and-white, or black, with the black mouth
and under-lip of his race. He is a sharp, intelligent, quaint companion, and
has the " homeing *' faculty of a pigeon. When sold to a new master he has
been known to find his way home for sixty miles, and to have travelled the
greater part of the way by night.
He is mute in his quest, and should be thoroughly broken from all
game. These are essential qualities in a dog whose owner frequently hunts
truffles at night — ^in the shrubberies of mansions protected by keepers and
Watchmen, who regard him with suspicion. In order to distinguish a black
dog on these occasions, the hunter furnishes his animal with a white shirt, and
occasionally also hunts him in a line.
These dogs are rather longer on the leg than the true poodle, but have
exquisite noses, and hunt close to the ground. On the scent of a truffle
(especially in the morning or evening, when it gives out most smell), they show
all the keenness of a spaniel^ working their short-cropped tails, and feathering
along the surface of the ground for from twenty to fifty yards. Arrived at
the spot where the fungus lies buried, some two or three inches beneath the
surface, they dig Uke a terrier at a rat's hole, and the best of them, if let alone,
will disinter the fungus and carry it to his master. It is not usual, however,
to allow the dog to exhaust himself in this way, and the owner forks up the
truffle and gives the dog his usual reward, a piece of bread or cheese ; for this
he looks, from long habit, with the keen glance of a Spanish gipsy.
The truffle-hunter is set up in business when he possesses a good dog ; all
he requires besides will be a short staff, about 2ft. Sin. long, shod with a strong
iron ppint, and at the other end furnished with a two-fanged iron hook. With
this implement he can dig the largest truffle, or draw aside the briers or
boughs in copse-wood to give his dog free scope to use his nose. He travels
frequently thirty or forty miles on his hunting expeditions ; and with this (to
use a business term) inexpensive " plant " keeps a wife and children easily.
We know personally one blue grizzled dog of the old truffle breed which
supports a family of ten children.
The truffle dog is a delicate animal to rear, and a choice feeder. Being
continually propagated from one stock, he has become peculiarly susceptible of
all dog diseases, and when that fatal year comes round which desolates the
kennel in his quart-er, many truffle hunters are left destitute of dogs and con-
sequently short of bread; for they will not believe (as we believe) that
236 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
any dog with a keen nose and lively temper may be taught to Hunt and find
truffles.
The education of the dog commences when he is about three months old.
At first he is taught to fetch a truffle, and when he does this well and cheer-
fully, his master places it on the ground, and slightly covers it with earth,
selecting one of peculiar fragrance for the purpose. As the dog becomes more
expert and keen for the amusement, he buries the truffle deeper, and rewards
him in proportion to his progress. He then takes him where he knows truffles
to be abundant, or where they have been previously found by a well-broken
animal, and marked. Thus he gradually learns his trade, and becomes (as his
forefathers have been for many generations) the bread-winner for his master
and his master's family ; unless he is so fortunate as to become attdche to some
lordly mansion, or possibly to a royal palace, in which case he is a fortunate
dog indeed.
The supply of truffles is uncertain, and the price varies from tenpence to
thirty shillings a pound.
In the summer months we have found them, not with a dog, for at this
season they have little smell, but from a peculiar cracking of the ground. We
have more than once marked the place with a stick, and examined the specimen
from time to time. On one occasion we left a truffle from July to November,
and could discover no perceptible alteration in its size. Frost destroys those
exposed to its influence, and the very old, or very large, or frosted truffles are
frequently infested by small brown insects. We have given the result of our
inquiries and experience. We must refer our readers for further inforihation
to a work of which we have heard, although we have not been able to procure
it, " Badham's Esculent Pungi.^^
PAET IV.
TOY DOOS
CHAPTER III -ANCIENT AND MODERN TOY DOGS.
:B old greek nation foresaw the value of the dog. They appre-
ciated those slight indications of an occult instinct which they observed
in him ; they did their utmost to improve his form and disposition ;
and they reaped that reward they deserved for the care and trouble they
expended. So far as can be gathered from their literature, they produced — at
any rate they cherished — dogs to protect their flocks and herds, and hounds
which hunted either single-handed or in packs.
The classic authors furnish us with an abundance of high-soanding nanles
for the dogs of old Greece, but these are not to be understood as represent-
ing distinct breeds. They did not produce many positive varieties. Their
domestic dogs were, compared with dogs of the present time, rough-tempered,
large, badly-formed creatures. Their hound, bred in Achaia, and the prototype
of the greyhound, was most likely a very large, prick-eared animal, with about
one-fourth of the speed of a modern average courser.
As the Greek advanced in civilisation^ he became more particular about
the breed and quality of his dog or hound. He produced gradually smaller
and more refined hounds, so graceful and winning that they attracted the
notice and gained the affections of the Grecian ladies, who frequently carried
them on their horses. "Phoyles,'' large, dun-coloured, black-faced hounds,
were also reared in Sparta ; and some Greek passages lead us to believe that
the LacedsBmonian belles occasionally claimed one of the youngsters, and made
him the companion of their rambles, and their gentle treatment would elicit
qualities no Peloponnesian kennelman could bring out. They also bred small
dogs " ex vulpe et cams '^ (these, perhaps, laid the foundation for our pigmy
terrier) ; and it is possible the scampish descendant of the Pelasgi was to be
found with a poor shivering whelp under each arm, whilst he led another
marketable animal, with the conventional scarlet leash of modem Begent-
street, through the streets of Carthage.
The island of Malta furnished parlour dogs for the Greek market, and in
after years the Boman lady gave much more of her sympathy to the caprices of
238
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
her snowy Maltese than to the dying agony of a gladiator. The Italian grey-
hound was in favour about the same time, and may possibly have wandered
through the galleries of Nero's palace.
Whether pet dogs were cultivated by the Anglo-Saxon it is difficult to
determine ; but we know that he was " quite the gentleman and lived in his
kennel.^' The lord and his hounds, in fact, lived together, and the future
'' entries '^ found their way into the nursery. The favourite of the young heir
had an unlucky time of it. He had to run the gauntlet of cook and scullion^
and was the whipping boy of the whole rough " establishment.^' He was to
the Anglo-Saxon cook what the modem domestic cat has always been to the
cook of Belgravia — ^in fact, he took the blame for every breakage, and for the
mysterious disappearance of the cold mutton. When driven by the basting-
spoon into the nursery, ho became the victim *of the infant Hercules, who was
supposed to be learning to show kindness to dumb animals, whilst he subjected
his dumb playmate to the garotte.
Later on the hawk and hound equally shared the attention and aflTection of
the fair sex ; and some dogs, conspicuous for their deformity, slept upon soft
cushions and ate the choicest viands. About the thirteenth or fourteenth
century the poodle was in fashion ; and, shorn to imitate the lion, his grotesque
appearance afforded considerable amusement to the mistress and her servants,
who forgot how much he suffered from the cold and wet for their gratification.
Pictures by John van Eyck, painted about the middle of the fifteenth
century, represent dogs very much like Skye terriers. These were evidently
'' toys '' or parlour pets ; and dogs of no better quality have been exhibited
at our modem shows.
In the reign of Queen Elizabeth the beagle was most in favour, and the
ladies anxiously sought for the smallest specimens they could procure. It
is asserted (doubtless as a gasconade) that the Virgin Queen had a pack
of little '^ singing beagles " so small that they could be carried in a man^s
glove.
Charles II. selected as his pet dog, the small, large-eared, short-nosed
spaniel, and of course it became the favourite of his court. The old president
, of Magdalen College, who died about ten years ago, in his hundredth year,
was accustomed to say, that when he was a little boy he had been told by an
old lady that, when she was a little, girl, she saw the king walking round
''Magdalen walks'* with these little dogs. The beauties of this reign are
frequently painted with these pretty companions, which were succeeded by the
Blenheim, or red-and-white spaniel, of equal beauty and grace.
About this time the fancy of the ladies took another direction. They
affected the " turnspit,'* a bandy and generally a wall-eyed dog, with a very
curly tail. He was usually of a black-and-blue colour, and had a great deal of
terrier make and character, with a good amount of courage ; in fact, he was
^
ANCIENT AND MODERN TOT DOGS. 239
once used in France for fox-killing, when he would murder Reynard in his
earth as courageously as a bull-terrier. The Dutch pug succeeded him. He
was at first introduced to take his turn at the wheel, but good fortune raised
him to the drawing-room, where he became as indispensable to a " lady of
quality ^^ as her cracked china or her negro page. Capricious Fortune for-
sook him at last, and the poodle came to the fore again. Old novels show
us that washing aud combing this malevolent foreign coxcomb was the penance
of the poor relation, the paid companion, the governess, or the lady's maid.
But Pompey (for this was gener«i,Ily his name) rapidly succumbed to self-
indulgence, want of exercise, and a plethoric habit.
Then the Blenheim had a short interregnum, and was deposed by the
Dandie Dinmont and the real ^^ Skye." The white Maltese, the pug dog, the
toy-terrier (whose weight is estimated by ounces and drachms), and even the
diminutive bulldog, are at the present moment the drawing-room favourites ;
and we can enumerate no others than the Italian greyhound, the Pomeranian,
and the best and choicest specimens of the white terrier.
In a general way, sliori-coated dogs are to be recommended for the house,
such as the black-tan terrier of 8Ib. or lOIb. weight. If a more valuable dog is
desired, the Italian greyhound will be found an amusing and active companion;
and the King Charles, unless his coat renders him objectionable, and provided
he is not snappish, is a very pretty graceful creature.
Good food, dainties, and want of exercise are the destruction of parlour
dogs. They become fat with increasing age, and contract various diseases.
At last the day comes when a dose of prussic acid must finish the business, or
that medical practitioner must be called in who will, by a severe regimen and
the canine " Revalenta Arabica,'* restore the dog^s health and appetite. An
ex-kennelman in our neighbourhood made a very comfortable income by this
peculiar line of practice. He divulged the secret of his system a few days
before his dissolution to the estimable clergyman of the parish. " I always
tied 'em,'' said this canine Abernethy, "to a crab-tree at the end of my garden
for a week, and gave 'em nothing but water. When I fetched 'em from their
mistresses they refused to eat what I should have been glad to get, and when
they went back they would eat what I couldn't have touched. I've had some
dogs twice or even three times a year, but I always cured 'em at last. One of
them was as good 8is three pounds a year to me. I was terrible fond of him,
bat he never took to me ; and when he saw me coming for him to bring down
his fat, he would waddle away and howl enough to wake the dead. Dogs
haven't got no gratitude."
240
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
CHAPTER XIII.-THE KING CHAKLES AND BLENHEIM
SPANIELS.
THE KING CHARLES SPANIEL.
HE King Charles has been a drawing-room favourite for many years;
and long before the days of King Charles the Second it was bred in
considerable numbers. Before that monarches time it was called "the
Comforter " by its fair mistresses ; but their husbands gave it the name of the
" Fisting Curre/^ or " Fisting Hound." The old name of " Comforter " was
given to small pet spaniels even so lately as in the early part of this century^
when they were not of suflScient breeding or beauty to claim that more aristo-
cratic appellation which royalty has conferred upon them.
A writer of the sixteenth century calls all these small spaniels " Melitei/'
asserting that they originally came from Malta ; but we are very much inclined
to doubt this fact. It is true that the author says, " These sybaritical puppies,
the smaller they be [and thereto, if they have an hole in the fore parts of their
heads) the better they are accepted" — showing that the dent or "stop"
between the eyes was appreciated ; and this would not be seen in a Maltese
dog. But, except for this statement, we should believe that the dog he
described was a Maltese, pure and simple, and that no spaniel Comforter came
from that island.
Pepys, in his " Diary," mentions small spaniels as being in the chambers
of the king at Whitehall, where their litters of puppies crawled about in the
midst of lords and ladies. When they were bred in courts the best specimens
of the small spaniel would be procured, and the form of the pet spaniel would
unquestionably improve.
The spaniels which the upper classes fostered and petted before the time
of Charles, and which had even then for many years been known and described
as " toies," or toys, were (as we gather from the old portraits) small, currish,
white (or nearly white) little mongrels, possessing some spaniel character, but
not much of it, and almost Always showing the sharp or pointed nose which
marks the " cur " or mongrel. They had the spaniel ear, but not a good ear.
1. UB3. WOOLMINQTON'S "JUMBO.- 3. TKR OLD BLENHEIM.
8. TH£ UOPEBN BLENHEIM.
THE KING CHAHLBS SPANIEL. 241
They were not well feathered, and the tail frequently curled over the back.
What little colour these dogs possessed was either red or liver.
The pictures painted by Vandyke (not only the most eminent, but the
most faithful of portrait painters) prove that in King Charles's own time the
king's spaniel was liver-coloured and white, and we believe that we are correct
in asserting that no pictures of that day represent blaok-white-and*tan or
black-and-tan King Charles's spaniels. Although esteemed as lap-dogs, they
were well described as ^'of a currish kind;" nor can we regret that many a
so-called spaniel puppy of two days old was boiled up with nettles, ^^terpentyn,"
"parmacete," '^oyle of balm," and various secret drugs, to ^'anoynt you where
your grefe was," and cure the gout.
"We cannot ascertain how long ago the liver-and-white dog lost favour,
and became supplanted by the black-white-and-tanned spaniel. Thirty years
ago this black-white-and-tanned dog reigned supreme. If properly marked,
he had a black nose, a white muzzle, flecked with tan and black ; a white
'^ blaze" or 'Heaf" ran up his forehead; his cheeks were tan, and he had a
large red spot over each eye. His collar, belly, and legs were white, the latter
spotted with red or tan and black; the margins of his thighs and the tip of his
tail white ; the haunches were well coated with an abundance of black, white,
and tan, long, silky, straight hair; the tail well ^^fleud," cropped, and carried
low ; the ears very large, drooping, and heavily feathered ; the chest and both
fore and hiud legs being well furnished down to the toes, so that the foot
should be almost hidden in a coat. A full, prominent, large, weeping eye was
a great point. This dog was not considered of much value if he exceeded 61b.
in weight, and at the same time he must be compact and short-legged. His
skull was round, and he had a short nose ; but he had not the under-hung jaw
and the positively ugly face of the modern school. The beauty of his form and
colour is well represented in two pictures painted by Sir Edwin Landseer —
" The Cavalier's Pets " and " A Lady and Spaniels."
The great difiiculty of keeping these dogs clean and presentable led to
their becoming out of date, and they have been succeeded by the black-and-
tanned specimens which are to be seen in great force at our London dog shows.
The black-white-and-tanned dog is still occasionally seen, and one or two
whelps may be found in litters from black-and-tan parents of the very best
blood ; but the variety is discouraged.
The London breeders have in their hands, without doubt, the purest
blood and the most perfect specimens in the world ; but we consider that they
have carried shortness of face or nose to excess. According to their judgment,
the black-tan King Charles should weigh from 51b. to 101b., but the smaller
the dog is the better he is.
His coat should be silky, straight, very abundant, and of the richest colour.
The black should be intense, the tan vivid and rich. The dog should be
I I
242
THE DOGS OP THE BBITISH ISLANDS.
altogether free from white. He should have tan of this rich red quality on
his cheeks and the inner margin of the ear. His lips should be tan^ and he
should have a spot of the same colour over each eye ; the larger this spot is
the better. His cheeks should be well tanned, also his chest or " mane/' all
his legs, his belly, the feathers of his haunches, his vent, and the under plumage
of his tail.
He should have a round skull and large round prominent eyes, with a deep
indentation or "stop'' between them. The lower jaw should project beyond
the upper, and turn up. Large ears, "touching the ground," are highly
esteemed, but this is a figurative expression ; they must droop close to the
head and be thickly coated. The back of all the legs must be densely
feathered, and the feet must be almost lost in the feather, which ought to
project beyond the nails.
The tail should be carried low, the dog should stand on short legs and
appear compact. Any protrusion of the tongue is most objectionable. Mrs.
Woolmington's Jumbo is one of the very best specimens ever exhibited, but he
has an upward carriage of the tail which detracts much from his appearance.
He has been for some time one of the most approved stock dogs with London
breeders, and we think they have done well to breed from him in spite of this
defect, which we have always considered a great one in any spaniel. It is a
fault that should be obviated by every possible means.
Value of Points of the King Oha/rles.
Head 10
Nose and
jaw 10
Eyes 6
Ears 16
40
Coat, length 5
Texture 5
10
Colour 10
Feather 10
Symmetry 5
Compactness
of shape... 5
20
Grand Total, 100.
10
Size 10
Carriage of
tail 10
20
THE BLENHEIM SPANIEL.
The Blenheim spaniel now differs little from the King Charles except in
colour, which should be a rich yellow and white, with a white blaze down the
forehead. The points are otherwise the same.
THE ITALUN QBETHOUND AND THE PUG.
THE PUG DOG.
243
CHAPTER XIV.-THE PUG DOG.
;HE pug derives its name from the Greek word n^i, from whicli comes
the Latin word pugnusy a fist, because the shadow of a clenched fist
was considered to resemble the dog's profile.
Their jet-black muzzles procured them the name of carlins in France, from
a famous Parisian harlequin who performed on the French stage about the
middle of last century. They were previously known as '^doguins/' small
bull-dogs, and " roquets,'' which names they stiU retain in some parts of that
country.
The pug was most highly valued and carefully bred for many years, to the
exclusion of almost all other parlour favourites, and many families of distinction
possessed very pure and celebrated " pugs." In the days of Hogarth no lady
of fashion, provided she had the least fancy for animals, went abroad without
her pug dog and negro page, and the painter himself had his favourite, towards '
which he was attracted probably by its extreme ugliness and grotesque appear-
ance, and he has immortalised his dumb companion by painting him on the
same canvas with his master.
■
The marks of excellence have not varied since the middle or end of the
sixteenth century, with one small exception. The old English breed had a
small patch of black upon the poll, called the ^' black velvet," and this is not to
be seen in the best specimens of the day. The Dutch and the Italians have
always cherished the breed, but they have never approached our standard of
excellence in colour, distinct marking, or symmetry. The Dutch specimens are
coarse, large, crook -kneed, and phlegmatic, whilst the Italian race is pale in
colour, and, in plain language, " mongrelised."
Between the years 1836-46 the pug was the rarest breed in Great Britain.
About the year 1846 one or two specimens appeared, and under the fostering
care of a few breeders, admirable examples were produced. The old and
absurd system of cropping ofiF the whole of the ears prevailed, and this cruelty
was excused because it occasioned that wrinkling and puckering of the forehead
considered essential in a pug dog. The barbarous fashion was continued
simply because it had been followed in the days of our grandfathers and great-
grandfathers, at any rate up to the year 1804, when the dog was the rage;
and very beautiful specimens thus mutilated have been exhibited at our
modem dog shows. Within the last year or two this unhappy custom has
been on the wane; and where expediency cannot be pleaded^ owing to the
dog's occupation^ we trust such torture will be abandoned.
Lord Willoughby de Eresby, Mr. Morrison of Walham Green, the late Mr.
H. Gilbert, Mr. John Anderson, Mr. Jardine, Mr. Hinks (the owner of Madman^
the celebrated bull-terrier), and Mr. Henry Brown, of Gilling Lodge, Haver-
stock-hill, one of the most reliable breeders of valuable dogs, and certainly one
of the best judges in England of " toy dogs " — all these and many others have
bred ancj exhibited beautiful specimens of the old English pug dog ; and we
may gather from the favour the dog has met with in high quarters that the
breed is in no danger of extinction.
We have remarked that the Dutch breed, and also the Italian (probably
descended from the numerous pug dogs noticed by Madame Piozzi as
abounding at Padua), are both of them far inferior to the English. This
inferiority has been remarked by almost all authorities, and ^^ Stonehenge'' is
quite correct in saying that the yellow mask is constantly to be seen in Dutch
specimens.
The true EngHsh pug should be of a fawn colour, devoid of any smut
approaching blackness. Clearness and purity of colour are essential, so as to
render the various markings (which we shall proceed to describe) as clear and
sharp in outline as possible. The dog should stand on short. legs, as straight
and well made as a foxhound, but with long " hare feet,'' the toes well split up.
His head should be round, and the forehead high ; nose short, teeth level, jaw
square. The eye should be full and black ; the ears are small, silky, black,
and turning over close to the head. A black mole should be clearly marked
on each cheek, with three hairs in each. The mask should be black and
positively marked ; the neck should be strong and thick, devoid of all loose
or puckered skin. The chest should be broad, the back and loins wide and
strong, and a black line or " trace " should run down the back to the end of
the tail. The tail should be tightly curled over the side or hip, having a
second curl. The ribs should be round — this is a great point, as a ragged or
narrow dog of this description is considered deformed.
It will be seen that compact form, pure colour, and distinct marking form
the principal points in these dogs ; but perhaps hardly any toy dog requires a
more experienced eye. As all '' toys " are beautiful by comparison, no one can
form a correct estimate of a dog's relative value unless he is pretty well
informed upon the subject ; and the rivalry of breeders leads to one excellent
example giving place to another.
A narrow or pointed nose is a very great disfigurement ; so is a woolly or
dead coat. The coat should be sleek and shining, short, and soft to the touch.
Bound feet are also bad, so are white toes, or, indeed, white anywhere. If the
THE PUG DOG.
245
black of the mask melts gradually into a grey, and is softened until it mingles
with the fawn^ the dog loses much of its value.
Head
Ears
10
10
20
ValTie of Points of the Pug.
Pnre colour 10
Distinct mask ... 10
Black trace 10
Cheek moles 10
Coat 10
Curl of tail 10
Hare feet 10
40
Grand Total, 100.
80
Symmetry ..
Compactness
5
5
10
246
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
CHAPTER XV. -NATURALIZED FOREIGN DOGS.
THE ITALIAN GREYHOUND.
)HIS diminutive greyhound, well described by " Stonehenge ^' as " one
of the most beautifully-proportioned animals in creation, being a
smooth English greyhound in miniature/* has never been common in
this country.
The author of the " Sportsman's Cabinet '* describes it as " so little
known in England '* that it is only necessary for him to ofifer some few observa-
tions '^ on its nature in order to prove its existence/' and an engraving on
copper, from Reinagle's picture of two Italian greyhounds, gives a very meagre
notion of the dog's elegance and symmetry.
All authorities unite in the opinion that it must be an English smooth
greyhound in everything but size, which is tantamount to stating that it must
be one of the most graceful creatures, or, perhaps, the most graceful and
racing-looking, on the face of the earth.
Bewick gives no engraving of the Italian greyhound, which is to be
regretted ; and without doubt he would have given one if a specimen could
have been procured.
In Italy it has always been a favourite, and we gather from the pictures of
Antonio Watteau, the celebrated French painter, that it was much esteemed by
the lords and ladies of his country at the close of the seventeenth or at the
beginning of the eighteenth century; but it was known, and in the hands
of the rich — as graceful, and perhaps as small, as at the present time — in Milan
in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
Hogarth has represented a pair of dogs, somewhat of the breed, in one of
his pictures of ^^ Marriage a la Mode," and the dog occasionally appears in the
portraits of our old English families ; but, as we have before observed, it has
always been scarce, and it is exceedingly delicate and hard to rear.
It is neither more nor less than a small greyhound, for which Italy was
celebrated, and which, perhaps, was originally bred as a distinct breed. It
must have become dwarfed from climate or constant " in-breeding," but it has
never been in any way deformed by the means adopted to decrease its size.
THE ITALIAN GREYHOUND. 247
As the external form of the Italian exactly corresponds with that of the
smooth English greyhound, we cannot do better than refer our readers to
''Stonehenge on the Greyhound/' or his description of the animal in his
" British Rural Sports /' but, quoting from his standard, we will observe
" that the head should be wide behind, and larger in circumference if measured
over the ears than over the eyebrows. The jaw should be very lean, with a
good muscular development of the cheek." The eye of the Italian breed,
however, should not be so large or full as that of the English dog.
It has been settled that the ear of the Italian should be exceedingly small,
and falling flat, except when the animal is animated. It may then be slightly
raised, but never pricked.
The chest should be " wide, but not too round ;" the ribs should be dis-
tinctly " separated from eaoh other .'^ The form, however, is so well described
by the authority whom we have quoted, that we must refer to the description
itself, for further particulars (quoted in our article on the Grreyhound,
see p. 178, ante,), and proceed to describe the few particulars in which this
" toy dog " may vary from its larger congener.
Blue and fawn are the favourite colours ; the latter should be of an auburn
hue. Various colours, however, are fashionable for a time, and then fancy
changes. At one time cream-coloured dogs commanded the highest price, then
white with black nose. At another time black muzzles were in vogue, and we
believe they are preferred at the present time, and parti-coloured dogs are not
thought much of. When these dogs are self-coloured, they should be free
from any white ; and this may be predicated of every description of dog or
hound. Fawn dogs should have black toenails. All of the breed should have
very glossy coats and a compact form. The tail should oe very fine, and,
though coated and not bare or showing the caudal vertebrae, it should be void
of all roughness.
The weight must not exceed 81b. or 91b., and the dog is valuable in pro-
portion as he weighs less than this. Specimens have been bred which, at
maturity, did not reach 51b,, but they were very delicate and shy. Some of
the best-shaped and most perfect greyhounds of this description have reached
from 141b. to 181b. ; and at this weight they are certainly more robust than the
' more valuable dwarfs, occasionally becoming fat and losing the beautiful lines
of their kind.
Some very charming specimens have been shown in London. We have a
lively recollection of Mrs. Burke^s Silver, Dr. Palmer's Garibaldi, and Mr.
Hugh Hanley's Psyche. Some very good ones have also appeared at all our
metropolitan exhibitions. But at the present moment it would be exceedingly
dilBSicult to obtain a first-class specimen, and we have no hesitation in saying it
is the rarest dog of the day.
It has been crossed in Staffordshire with the small bull-terrier with advan-
248 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS,
tage^ and the produce displayed no delicacy and lost none of its courage. We
have seen many of these in " the black country/^ They were slate-coloured or
blue-tanned, and very like the blue terrier known in London as the '^blue
Peter/' which we suspect is bred in a similar manner.
Although the pure Italian greyhound is generally delicate and nervous, it
now and then displays wonderful affection and fidelity; and we remember
hearing that a celebrated bitch of the breed, named Fly, the property of the
same gentleman who possessed the Blenheim '^Kose^^' once jumped from
a third-story window into the street to follow her master, and alighted
without injury. This dog was used as a model by more than one sculptor, and
we believe that she was the original of the celebrated and artistic model in
parian published by the artistic potter of the day.
The points of this animal are, of course, identical with those of the smooth
English greyhound, but some preference in marks must be given for the
fashionable colour at the time when the award is made ; and we must refer to
the article on the Greyhound (page 178) for the proper distribution of them.
THE MALTESE DOG.
This diminutive parlour dog has been a favourite from the very earliest times.
It has as ancient a pedigree as most of the original races. "With the exception
of the greyhound, and perhaps a shepherd or drover's dog used as a watch
dog and hunting dog also, we doubt whether an older variety exists. We
gather from Greek authors that it was known and estimated by the ladies of
their time ; and in after ages the highborn dames of the Roman Empire sent
to Malta for their lap-dogs. Unfortunately we are not able to discover the
form, colour, coat, or weight of these Greek or Roman " toy-dogs,'' but it is
a fact that small dogs have been the favourites with the majority of ladies
from the very earliest times.
It is vain to endeavour to trace the Maltese breed, nor have we been
able to trace any records of the dog, after many inquiries made for us
amongst residents in the Island of Malta. We doubt whether anything very
good or pure could be obtained there at the present time, and one or two
which have been purchased there have proved far below mediocrity, being pied
with black and in every way inferior to the specimens which may be procured
in London.
The sketches of Albert Durer (1471) furnish two or three specimens of a
THE MALTESE DOQ.
THE MALTESE DOG. 249
sort of Maltese^ in all probability white, having the tightly curled tail of the
breed ; and a few pictnres by Prenoh ma8t^*s of the fifteenth century have left
OS representations of a dog which has some resemblance to a Maltese dog, but
also an affinity to the poodle, which, perhaps, descends from some cross of the
Maltese stock. Forty or fifty years ago the dog was in great estimation, and
there is little doubt that the dogs so frequently referred to as '^ poodles " or
French lap-dogs by the novelists of that time, or even in the days of Fielding,
were neither more nor less than Maltese, which eventually degenerated and
became poodles, or as much poodles as Maltese.
It would be impossible to select any animal more thoroughly made for
a drawing-room dog than a Maltese. It is exceedingly diminutive, very
good-tempered and sagacious, clean in its habits, and faithful to its owner.
It is quick to learn, and full of life and spirits, having the agility and elegance
of a squirrel, and endearing itself to those who possess it by a thousand tricks
and antics.
A valuable Maltese should be pure white, and should not exceed 51b. in
weight; but good specimens have been exhibited weighing 6lb., or even B^lb.
The texture of the coat must be silky. It should be long, and fall in ringlets,
the longer the better. The head must be short, the eye full and black, the
nose black, the tail short and curled over the back. The Maltese should be
of compact frame and short in the back ; but he should be so enveloped in
coat as to render his frame thoroughly invisible, and to conceal eyes, nose, and
ears from view.
We believe that the best Maltese dogs at the present time are in the
hands of Mr. Robert Mandeville, and that his dog Fido has never been
approached in excellence within the memory of man. It must be remembered
that the Maltese is not thoroughly furnished with coat until he is four or five
years old, and that his beauty when in his prime will depend upon good
management and care.
Mr. Mandeville's Fido, the subject of our engraving, stands llin. high at
the shoulder, weighs 6ilb, and measures 21in. from tip to tip of ears.
ValiAo of Points of ths Maltese Dog.
Coat 30
Colour ..: 20
Size 20
TaQ 20
50 40
Gra/nd Total, 100.
Eye 6
Nose 5
10
E E
250 THE DOGS OF THE BBITISH ISLANDS,
THE CHINESE CHESTED D0&.
The Chinese edible dog has been long well known in this conntry as a
cnriositj^ but the variety furnished with a crest and tufted tail is by no means
common. Like the ordinary breeds it is quite hairless on the body and limbs^
save only a few scattered and isolated hairs (about a dozen or eighteen on the
whole surface) ; hence the thick tufts on the two extremities are the more
remarkable. The skin is spotted^ as shown in the engraving.
The individual from which our illustration was taken is the only one
remaining of a Htter of six, bom from parents imported direct from China,
both of which are now dead. She is (1866) two years old, but has never bred in
consequence of the difficulty experienced in finding a mate of the same strain.
As would be expected from her greyhound shape, she is fast and active, and
is very affectionate in disposition, so that if the breed could be naturalised it
would be acceptable to many as a novelty in the pet department.
THE CHINESE CRESTED DOG.
PART V.
]MA.NAaBMENT OF DOGS.
CHAP. XVI.-KENNEL MANAGEMENT OF LARGE DOGS.
(By the BDITOE.)
)HE kennel management of greyhounds^ fozhounds^ harriers^ and other
sporting dogs varies almost with each kind. Thns^ greyhounds are
most carefully protected from the weather by a roof to their yard as
well as by body clothing, which is worn when in severe training. Next to these
come hounds^ and then pointers^ setters^ spaniels^ and retrievers^ all of which
last are allowed a run into an open yard at discretion. In many cases this
leads to colds and rheumatism, against which the best precaution is a sloping
door for the opening into the sleeping chamber, hinged at the top^ and made
up^ at the sides with an A shaped piece of wood, but not at the bottom. This^
when in its place^ allows the dogs to jump up on to their beds^ while it protects
them from wind and rain when there^ and can at any time be lifted completely
up so as to allow of the kennel man entering and making all clean. In the
summer time a wooden bench^ if protected in this way^ and guarded from the
wall by plankings needs no straw^ which only harbours fleas ; but in the winter
it, or deal shavings, which do not harbour fleas, must be provided, and, which-
ever is used, it should be changed twice a week. The floor of the yard should
be of glazed tiles or asphalte, and all the woodwork should be either painted or
dressed with best gas tar, the latter being the better material of the two.
Sporting dogs are all better fed only once a day, and for those whose noses
are of the utmost importance, viz., pointers and setters, the food should be
almost entirely of meal, either made into biscuit or well boiled. In either case,
a very weak broth must be made of flesh or greaves, which is then used to boil
the meal in or soak the biscuits. Spratt's and other biscuits have lately been
introduced into general use, by which all this trouble is avoided — dried flesh,
imported from abroad, being mixed with the meal before it is baked. I have
tried those of Spratt and Go. with great advantage on setters and pointers,
when containing not more than ten per cent, of meat ; but a larger proportion
I have found much too heating, causing loss of nose, and a tendency to erup-
tion. They should be given whole and dry, not soaked, the dogs breaking
them up easily with their teeth; and they appear to agree much better in this
252 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
way than when soaked. Two or three times a week, whatever may be the
kind of meal used, some green vegetables, well boiled, should be given in
addition, by which means the blood is kept cool, the coat blooming, and the
nose cool and moist. The number of biscuits required for a pointer or setter
daily averages from 3 to 3^, but some gross feeders are sufficiently nourished
with 2^, and others demand as many as 4^ or even 5.
For large dogs, carbolic acid, diluted with thirty or forty times its bulk
of water, and used as a wash, forms the best application for fleas and ticks^
and it is also useful as a vermin-destroying wash for the kennel walls and
fittings, followed by lime wash when dry. K preferred, the application
described for pet dogs may be employed.
CHAPTER XVII -MANAGEMENT OF PET DOGS,
(By the editor.)
|ET DOGS require a different treatment, to understand which it will be
better to begin at the beginning. We will suppose that a puppy six
weeks old, and of a breed not exceeding 1516. weight, is presented to
one of our readers — What is to be done ? First of all, if the weather is not
decidedly warm, let it be provided with a warm basket lined with some woollen
material, which must be kept scrupulously clean. The little animal must on no
account be permitted to have the opportunity of lying upon a stone floor, which
is a fertile source of disease ; bare wood, however, is better than carpet^ and
oilcloth superior to either on the score of cleanliness. In the winter season
the apartment should have a fire, but it is not desirable that the puppy should
lie basking close to it, though this is far better than the other extreme. Even
in the severest cold a gleam of sunshine does young creatures good, and the
puppy should, if possible, be allowed to obtain it through a window in the
winter, or without that protection in the summer. It will take exercise enough
in playing with a baU of worsted or other material indoors until it is ten weeks
old ; but after that time a daily run in the garden or paddock will be of great
service, extending to an hour or an hour and a half, but not so as to overtax its
limbs. After this age, two or three hours a day, divided into periods of not
more than an hour each, will be of service ; but it is very seldom that young
pet dogs can reckon upon this amount of exercise, and^ indeed, it is not by any
MANAGEMENT OP PET DOGS. 253
means necessary to their healthy growth. Until after the tenth week, cow^s
milk is almost essential to the health of the puppy. It shoold be boiled and
thickened at first with fine wheat flour, and, after the eighth week, with a
mixture of coco-se wheat flour and oatmeal. The flour should be gradually
increased in quantity, at first making the milk of the thickness of cream, and,
towards the last, adding meal in quantity sufficient to make a spoon stajid up
in it. If the bowels are relaxed the oatmeal should be diminished, or if con-
fined increased. This food, varied with broth made from the scraps of the
table, and thickened in the same way, will suffice up to the tenth or twelfth
week, after which a little meat, with bread, potatoes, and some green vegetable,
may be mixed together and gradually introduced as the regular and staple food.
The quantity per day will of course vary according to the size of- the puppy ;
but, as an approximation to the proper weight required, it may be laid down
that, for each pound the puppy weighs, an ounce of moderately solid food will
be sufficient. From the time of weaning up the tenth week it should be fed
four times a day ; then up to four months, three times ; and afterwards twice
until fuU grown, when a single feed will, in our opinion, conduce to its health,
though many prefer going on with the morning and evening supply. When
the puppy is full grown, meat, bread, and vegetables (either potatoes, carrots,
cabbage, cauliflower, or parsnips), in equal proportions, will form the proper
diet, care being taken to avoid bread made with much alum in it. Dog biscuits,
if sound, answer well for pet dogs ; but the quantity required is so small that
in most houses the scraps of the bread-basket are quite sufficient. Bones
should be supplied daily, for without them not only are the teeth liable to
become covered with tartar, but the digestion is impaired for want of a suffi-
cient secretion of saliva.
If the above quality and quantity of food and exercise are given, in com-
bination with the protection from cold recommended, the pet puppy will seldom
require any medical treatment. Sometimes, in spite of the most careful
management, it will be attacked by distemper contracted from some passing
dog infected with it ; but with this exception, which will not often occur, it
may be anticipated that the properly treated pet dog will pass through life
without submitting to the attacks of this disease, which is dire in its effects
upon this division of the canine race. If care is taken to add oatmeal and
green vegetables to the food in quantity sufficient to keep the bowels from
being confined, no aperient will ever be required ; but sometimes this pre-
caution is neglected, and then recourse must be had either to castor oil or the
compound rhubarb pill — the dose being one drop of the former or half a grain
of the latter to each pound the puppy weighs. If the oil is stirred up with
some milk the puppy will take it readily enough, and no drenching is required ;
but care should be taken that the quality is good, and that the oil is not the rank
stuff sometimes used in the kennels of sporting dogs. The compound rhubarb
254 THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
pill may be given by opening the moath with the left hand^ and then dropping
in the pill. It must be boldly pushed well down the throat as far as the finger
will reach, no danger being risked in effecting this simple process. If the liver
is not acting (which may be known by the absence of the natural gingerbread
colour of the evacuations), from half a grain to a grain of blue pill may be
added to either dose, and repeated, if necessary, every day or every other day
till the desired effect is produced. Very young puppies should not be washed
even in the summer season, as they are very liable to chill. After they are
three months old, however, a bath of warm water, with or without soap, will do
good rather than harm, provided that care be taken to dry them well after-
wards. For white dogs, white soap is required to give full effect to this
operation ; and it may be either " curd '' or white soft soap, whichever is pre-
ferred, the latter being most effective in cleaning the coat. Long-haired dogs,
such as spaniels, the Maltese and Skye terriers, require combing and brushing
until they are dry, which should be done in the winter before a fire ; and in
the latter breeds the coat should be parted down the back with the comb in the
most regular manner. If the hair has become matted, a long soaking will be
necessary, the comb being used while the part of the dog submitted to its teeth is
kept under water, which will greatly facilitate the unrolling of the tangled fibres.
After the coat is dry, where great brilliancy is demanded, a very slight dressing
of hair-oil may be allowed occasionally ; but the brush is the best polisher, and
when '' elbow grease '' is not spared, a better effect will be produced than by
beards grease at half-a-crown a pot.
With the exception of fleas, pet dogs ought never to be infected with any
vermin. • Sometimes, however, they catch from others either lice or the ticks
which infest the canine race. The appearance of the first two parasites is well
known to everyone ; but the tick is not among the things commonly presented
to the eye, and we may therefore mention that it may be known by its spider-
like shape and by its close adhesion to the skin by means of its legs, with
which it digs into the surface. In size it varies from that of the head of a small
pin to the magnitude of a small grain of wheat, but not being so long in pro-
portion to its width. The colour changes with that of the dog and with the
quantity of blood imbibed, which always gives a greater or less tint of bluish-
red ; but in very young ticks the colour is a pearly grey. In destroying fleas
the best remedy is the insect-destroying powder sold by Butler and M'Culloch,
of Covent Garden, and by Keating, of St. PauFs Churchyard, which may be
well rubbed in without fear of consequences. Lice and ticks require a stronger
drug to destroy them, and this should be used with more care, as, being a
mercurial preparation, it is liable to be absorbed if the skin is wetted, and then
produces serious mischief, accompanied by salivation ; or, if the dog is allowed
to lick himself, this effect is still more likely to follow. The dog should there-
fore be kept carefuUy from aU wet for at least twelve hours, and during the
DISTEMPER. 255
application of the remedy it should either be carefully watched and prevented
by the hand from licking itself, or it should be muzzled. The remedy is
white precipitate, in powder, well rubbed into the roots of the hair over the
whole body, and left on for six hours, after which it should be brushed out.
At the expiration of the week the application should be repeated, and possibly
it may be required a third time ; but this is seldom needed.
CHAPTER XVIIL-TREATMENT OF DISTEMPER,
MANGE, AND WORMS.
(By the editor.)
THE SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OP DISTEMPBE.
5ISTEMPER may be defined as a feverish disease^ always marked by
rapid loss of strength and fleshy in proportion to the severity of the
attack. It may occor at any period of life^ and even more than once
in the same individual ; it is, however, generally met with in the puppy, and
in most cases the dog is afterwards exempt. The essence of the disease^ appears
to consist in a poisoned state of the blood, which may be either produced by
contagion or by putrid emanations from filthy and overcrowded kennels ; and it
is from the eflforts of nature to throw off this poison that the various symptoms
are produced by which we know the disease. These symptoms differ according
to the peculiar constitution of each dog, and to the state of the air and other
causes which produce them. Hence it is usual to speak of distemper as either
simple or attended with certain complications in the head, chest, belly, &c. But,
although they are all essentially the same disease, these variations may be
conveniently described as — Ist, Mild Distemper; 2nd, Head Distemper; 8rd,
Chest Distemper ; 4th, Belly Distemper ; and 5th, Malignant Distemper.
In Mild Distemper there are in almost all cases the following symptoms,
which also show themselves in the other kinds, with the additional symptoms
peculiar to each. The first thing noticeable is a general dulness (particularly
shown in the eyes), accompanied by a dislike to play or take any kind of exer-
cise, and by a want of appetite. Soon there appears a short cough, attended
by a disposition to sneeze ; and the dog often seems as if he hardly knew
which of these acts to do first. The cough and sneezing are seldom heard
256
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
while the dog is qniet^ but when he is brought out of his kennel into the air,
and particularly after he begins to play or run about, the muoous membrane is
irritated and the coughing is set up, either by itself or altemately with
sneezing. There is some slight thirst, a warm dry nose generally (but not
invariably), a disordered state of the bowels, which may be either confined or
relaxed, and a scanty secretion of high-coloured urine. In a few days the dog
loses flesh and strength to a great extent, but then gradually recoyers.
Head Distemper commences in the same way as the mild form, but the
cough or sneezing is yery slight, and sometimes there is not a vestige. On
separating the eyelids, the whites are seen to be covered with blood-vessels
loaded with dark blood, and a strong light seems to give pain. This kind of
distemper is often indicated, soon after its commencement, by a fit, lasting a
short time, and leaving a state of torpor from which the dog can with difficulty
be roused. If the brain is not relieved, the fits recur at short intervals, and
the stupor increases, until the dog becomes quite insensible, and dies in a
violent convulsion.
Chest Distemper appears to be an extension downwards into the chest of
the irritation which produces the cough. It there generally sets up the kind
of inflammation known as branehitis, together with which, however, there is
often inflammation of the substance of the lungs {pneumonia), or even of the
external surface {pleurisy).
Distemper of the Belly is too often the result of mismanagement, produced
either by the abuse of violent drugs or by neglect of attention to the secretions
for some time previously. In the former case the bowels become very relaxed
at the end of a week or ten days from the first commencement of a case of mild
distemper J and then there is a constant diarrhoea, soon followed by the passage
of large quantities of blood. This may be quite black and pitchy when it
comes from the small intestines, or red and florid where the lower bowels are
affected. Sometimes these symptoms appear of themselves, but generally they
result from calomel or other violent medicines. When there has been neglect
and the bowels have been allowed to become confined, while at the same time
the secretion of bile has been checked, a most dangerous symptom, known as
" the yellows,'' shows itself, the name being given in consequence of the skin
and white of the eyes being stained of a yellow colour, from the presence of
bile. This may occur without distemper, and then it is not so fatal : but when
it comes on during an attack of this disease it is almost invariably followed
by death.
Malignant Distemper may come on at first, the dog attacked being as it
were at once knocked down by the severity of the poison ; or it may show
itself at the end of a week or ten days from the first commencement. It may
follow either of the four kinds already described, being marked by an aggra*
vated form of the symptoms peculiar to each ; but there are some additional
DISTEMPER. 257
evidences of the poisoned state of the bloody which show themselves in the
four stages into which the disease^ when well marked^ divides itself. These
stages are — 1st, vnciibation, during which the disease is, as it were, hatching or
brewing ; 2nd, reactu/ny when nature is working herself up to throw off the
poison j 3rd, prostration, following these eflTorts ; and 4th, convalescence,
wherein the constitution recovers its usual powers. In a well-marked case of
malignant distemper these four stages average about a week or ten days each ;
and it is important to ascertain their existence, inasmuch as the treatment
proper to each varies very considerably. The period of incubation is known by
the symptoms described as common to mild distemper, as well as to the other
kinds ; but, in the malignant form, the strength is lost much more rapidly,
while the appetite is almost entirely absent, and the secretions are very much
disordered. During the reaction, the pulse becomes quick and hard, the
breathing is much hurried, and is often much quicker than the pulse, without the
existence of a/ny inflammation. This is very important to notice, as, when such
is the case, any lowering measures are highly improper; but, on the other
hand, the pulse may be very high and strong, and the breathing laboured,
which, together with other unmistakable evidences afforded to the practised
ear, prove the existence of inflammation, and require energetic and lowering
treatment. At this time, also, are developed those dangerous affections of the
brain, bowels, or liver, to which I have before alluded. , When the stage of
prostration sets in the whole system is thoroughly reduced, the dog is so weak
that he is unable to stand, his appetite is often entirely gone — so that he must
be drenched if he is to be kept alive ; his gums, tongue, and teeth are coated
with a black fur, and his breath is highly offensive. At this time an eruption of
the skin generally shows itself, sometimes consisting in mere purple spots, in
others of small bladders filled with yellow matter, but most frequently of
bladders varjring in size from a pea to half a hen's egg, and containing matter
more or less stained with purple blood, or occasionally blood alone. This
eruption is thickest on the skin of the belly and inside of the thighs, but some-
times it extends to the whole body. It is a favourable sign, taken by itself,
though it generally attends upon severe cases. In the convalescence from
malignant distemper, health gradually returns ; but without the greatest care
in all respects a relapse is very apt to occur, and is then generally fatal.
To distinguish thestf several forms of distemper from the diseases which
most nearly resemble them, it is chiefly necessary to bear in mind that the
peculiarity of distemper, especially in its malignant form, is the rapid tendency
to loss of strength and flesh which accompanies it. Thus a common cold and
cough is attended with slight feverishness, languor, loss of appetite, &c., but
it may go on for several days without the dog losing mv>ch flesh, and with
a very partial loss of strength. So, also, with ordinary diarrhoea; it is
astonishing how severe an attack is required to reduce a dog in anything like
L L
258 THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
the same degree whicH a few days^ distemper will effect. In diarrhoea the dog
gets thin^ it is true^ bnt he does not become the liring skeleton which dis-
temper produces ; nor does he lie exhausted in his kennel, utterly unable to
rise from his bed, and obliged to be supported in order to relieve himself. The
same may apply to simple inflammation of the lungs, which may be treated
most energetically by bleeding and lowering medicine with good effect, and
without knocking the dog off his legs ; while in chest distemper, even though
the local symptoms are apparently as severe, a treatment one-half as energetic
will be fatal from the exhaustion following upon it.
The sequels of distemper should also be alluded to, as consisting of chorea,
commonly called " the twitch,*^ and a kind of palsy, known as " the trembles.^'
Both are produced by some obscure mischief done to the brain or spinal
marrow in the course of the disease, and they generally follow the kind which
I have described as head distemper. Chorea may be known by a peculiar and
idiotic-looking drop in one fore-quarter when the dog begins to move, so that
he bobs his head in a very helpless way. Sometimes the twitch is slight and
partial, at others it is almost universal ; but it always goes off during sleep.
Shaking Palsy affects the whole body, and is far more rare than chorea, which
is fortunate, as I believe it to be incapable of cure.
The treatment of the several forms and sequels of distemper must always
be conducted upon the acknowledged principle that this is a most debilitating
disease, and that any very lowering measure must be avoided, if possible. On
the other hand, inflammation is always to be feared attacking either the brain,
lungs, or bowels ; and as bleeding and other remedies of a similar tendency
form the most active means for getting rid of inflammation, there is ofben left
to the person in charge only a choice between two dangers. Two things, there-
fore, are to be attended to in the general treatment. 1st. Nofc only to avoid
lowering the system, but also in bad cases to support it by good diet, as far as
is consistent with the avoidance of encouragement to inflammation. 2nd. To
take especial care that inflammation does not go far enough to destroy life, or
to leave such organic change in the brain or lungs as shall render the dog
useless for the purposes to which he is designed. This requires some
experience in practice, though in theory it is simple enough ; and, indeed, one
is sometimes obliged to blow hot and cold at the same time, lowering the
dog with one hand and propping him with the (fther. It must always be
remembered, also, that this is a disease which has a natural tendency to
recovery, its essence being an effort of the powers of the system to throw off a
poison in the blood. Hence nature requires to be aided, not opposed ; and
that man will succeed the best in the long run who interferes the least with
her operations. With these preliminary observations I shaU proceed to give
specit^ directions for the treatment of each form.
1. General Treatment. — In the early stage give a mild dose of aperient
DISTEMPER. 259
medicine^ such as castor oil and syrup of poppies in equal proportions ; or, if
the liver is not acting, calomel and jalap. It is always better, however, to
avoid giving calomel if there is plenty of bile in the evacuations. After the
early stage is gone by, give nothing in the shape of medicine, but keep the
kennel dry, clean, and airy, but warm. Change the litter frequently, and avoid
exercise till the cough and running at the eyes have entirely ceased. For
several days the diet should consist of nourishing broths, thickened, when
there is diarrhoDa, with flour, rice, or arrowroot ; or, if the bowels are confined,
with oatmeal. K there is little water passed, give every night (as a drench)
five or six grains of nitre, with half a teaspoonful of sweet spirits of nitre.
2. Head Distemper requires very energetic local treatment in addition to
that recommended above. From four to eight leeches may be applied to the
inside of the ears, washing the part well with milk and water first. Then put
in a seton to the back part of the neck, first smearing the tape with blistering
ointment. If the head is very much affected apply cold water to it by means
of a wet cloth, or, if that is not allowed, by the watering-pot. Calomel and
jalap must be given to act on the liver and bowels, and a pill (consisting of
half a grain to one grain of tartar emetic) two or three times a day. As soon
as the urgent symptoms have disappeared, the dog often requires supporting
with beef tea and tonics, as described in No. 5.
3. Chest Distemper must be met with bleeding if there is evidence of
inflammation ; but if not, it is better to avoid such a lowering measure, and
trust to antimony or ipecacuanha. Miy one grain of either of these with
half a grain of opium, and give two or three times daily. If there is long-
continued mischief, apply a blister to the chest, or rub in mustard mixed with
vinegar. When the breathing is more rapid than the pulse, stimulants will be
required, such as the bark and ammonia mixture in No. 5.
4. Distemper of the Bellt, attended with purging; requires the immediate
use of astringents, of which opium is the best. There is nothing better than
the following mixture. Take of prepared chalk 2dr., mucilage of acacia loz.,
laudanum loz., tincture of ginger 2dr., water 5ioz. Of this give from a
dessert-spoonful to a table-spoonful every time the bowels are relaxed. The diet
should be almost entirely of boiled rice, flavoured with milk or broth, and if
there is much thirst rice-water only should be allowed. On the other hand,
where there is a cgnfinfed state of the bowels, which is generally attended with
"theyellows,^^ calomel, rhubarb, and aloes are the only remedies to be relied on.
Take of calomel 3gr. to ogr.; rhubarb and aloes of each 5gr. to lOgr. ;
mix, and form into a bolus with water, and give twice a day till it acts freely.
A turpentine enema may also be administered, but this requires some practical
skill to carry out. Should bile begin to flow there is still great care required to
avoid checking the diarrhoea on the one hand, while on the other the exhaustion
caused by it is often frightfully great. Strong broths thickened with flour or
260 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
rice mast often be given by force, as the appetite is generally much reduced in
this disease. Where there is great exhaustion from diarrhoea, arrow-root with
port wine will be of use.
5. Malignant Distemper is less difficult to manage than that of the head,
and far less than " the yellows/' when complicated with the ordinary attack.
The great thing is to avoid reducing the system in the early stage, and to give
at that time only such remedies as are imperatively required. A mild dose of
oil, as described under No. 1, will be of service, after which the less done the
better till the usual weakness shows itself. In the interval it may be necessary
to treat the case as one affecting the head, chest, or belly, as described under
Nos. 2, 3, or 4 ; but so soon as the excessive exhaustion shows itself, there is
no chance of recovery without resorting to strong tonics and good food. For
this purpose there is no remedy like port wine, or bark and ammonia — ^the
former of which may be given, mixed with an equal part of water, and with
the addition of a little spice, such as nutmeg or ginger. For the latter, take of
decoction of bark, loz., aromatic spirit of ammonia Idr., compound tincture
of bark Idr. Mix and give twice a day to a large dog, or half the quantity
to a small one. The greatest care here is required to support the strength by
drenching the dog, if needful, with beef tea; and, if the bowels are at all
relaxed, give the dog the astringent mixture ordered under No. 4. Clean
straw, a warm dry kennel, and absolute rest, are also essential to recovery.
6. Choeea or Palsy may be treated by a change to country air if the
puppy has been in the town, and by giving from 3gr. to 5gr. of sulphate
of zinc in a piU every day. The eyes are best left to themselves ; and, however
bad they may appear, they will generally recover their brilliancy as the
strength is restored. If not, apply a wash composed of 2gr. or 8gr. of
nitrate of silver dissolved in loz. of distilled water, or the same proportions of
sulphate of 2inc and water.
The above doses are calculated for a full-sized dog.
MANGE.
Mange consists of several eruptions, which are in common language grouped
under the above head, the chief popular distinction being, that it is communicable
from one to the other by contact — ^that is to say, that it is *' catching." Hence,
the sporting public exclude surfeit, blotch, &c., from this definition, and only
mclude under the term mange those chronic eruptions which are capable of
being taken by one dog from another. There are, however, several distinct
varieties, which are not sufficiently described ; and every now and then I see a
MANGE.
261
fresh and perfectly new form, so tliat I cannot give a complete epitome of
them. Every sportsman must know that when his dog has an eruption, the
first question asked is the following, namely, *' Is it mange, or not V and to this
it is not always easy to give a satisfactory reply. The following are, however,
the forms of mange which I have met with ; but, as I said before, I am con-
stantly meeting with a new variety.
1. Virulent Manoe, in its more ordinary form, occurs most commonly
in utterly-neglected and large kennels, where dogs are suffered to remain in
large numbers together, in all their filth, and without exercise. It is seldom
met with elsewhere, but it is highly contagious. The flkin is bare of hair in
large patches, but these are not in regular forms, being gradually shaded off
into the hairy parts, as if from scratching, and are nowhere quite free from
hairs. It is dry and rough, with a few oozing scabs here and there, and with
inflamed creases, extending wherever there is a fold. The eruption is generally
confined to the back, bosom, and inside of the thighs. The health is not much
affected, but from the loss of sleep, and constant irritation caused by the itch-
ing, there is sometimes some little fever. There is good reason to believe that
an insect is the cause of this form of mange, but my readers will be none the
wiser for reading its scientific name. The treatvient consists in a gentle dose
or two of aperient medicine internally, and externally of the application of the
ointment of green iodide of mercury, which should not be rubbed in at one
time over more than one quarter of the body, for fear of absorption. In such
virulent cases, therefore, as extend to more than this extent of surface, a part
should be first anointed sparingly, taking care to leave no superfluous ointment
on the coat, but rubbing it till it has nearly or quite disappeared. With this
precaution no danger is to be apprehended from licking, as a small quantity
does no harm to a dog of average strength. By repeating the application
every second or third day, the most severe cases are soon cured, no remedy
within my knowledge being so certain in its operation.
2. Manob, with Thickenino op the Skin, appears to be more dependent on
constitutional disorder than the first two varieties, and for it the arsenical
solution is no doubt very valuable. In this disease the discharge is very
offensive ; the skin is thick, and pouring out an irritating ichor, which occasions
a constant and violent itching ; the hair falls off, and the dog is continually
scratching himself.
The Remedy for this state is a cooling diet, without any animal food of any
kind, and composed chiefly of potatoes and other vegetables. A smart purge
may be first given, and then the liquor arsenicalis in doses of from two to ten
drops three times a-day, mixed with the food, according to the size of the dog.
If this dose makes the eyes red, or stops the appetite, or occasions vomiting,
it may be diminished one-half ; but the best plan in all cases is to begin with a
fuU dose at first, and when the desired effect is produced, gradually to diminish
262
THE DOGS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
it. Less than two or tliree months will seldom effect a cure, and green iodide
ointment will often be required to complete the cure,
3. Red Mange is the most easily detected of all the varieties, because it
always shows itself by altering the colour of the hair, whether the dog is white
or not. If white, the hair becomes pink ; and if brown or red, it is of a
brighter shade; while if black, it becomes reddish brown. It does not,
however, fall off, except from the constant scratching which takes place.
There is no eruption visible, but the skin is more red than natural.
The Remedy is either the ointment, of green iodide of mercury, which,
however, sometimes fails ; or a wash composed of carbolic acid 1 part,
water 20 parts, applied to the roots of the hair with a stiff brush every other
night. Liquor arsenicalis should also be given as above described.
WORMS.
The Presence op Worms in the intestinal canal is one of the greatest annoy-
ances to the proprietors of dogs of all classes. In the greyhound they are a
constant source of mischief, and in the other varieties of sporting dogs they are
almost equally common. In the puppy they are particularly injurious, cutting
off his supplies of food, and also irritating his nervous system, to a degree
which can scarcely be credited without actual experience. Whenever a puppy
is seen to look rough and unhealthy in his coat (mere roughness is no indication),
and when he is also thinner than he ought to be, with a ravenous appetite, and
the constant passing of small quantities of faeces, the first part of which is sohd,
while the latter part is loose and frothy; when he also is more dull than natural,
with a hot dry nose, and offensive breath, it may generally be concluded that
he has some kind of intestinal worm, a^d the only thing is to find out which
species is present, and then to exhibit the appropriate remedy. For this
purpose the areca nut is a very useful medicine, given in proportion to
the age and size, from a whole nut powdered, which is the dose for a full-
grown dog of 401b. or 501b., down to a quarter of a nut for a little dog of
101b. weight. This should be given, and followed in a few hours by a mild
dose of castor oil, when some of the worms present will most likely make
their appearance, and according to their nature must the remedy be. Major
Besant asserts, that it will clear the dog of any and all worms by persevering
in its use ; but I have always found that it only brings away a few alive, and
neither kills those left behind, nor brings away all. Nevertheless, I cannot
say how its use persevered in twice a week for some time might operate, as I
have never tried more than three or four consecutive doses.
WORMS.
263
Tfb Vaeieties op Worms are as follows :
1 . The Common Maw-Woem {Ascaris vermicularis) , — A short wliite worm,
about an inch long, with a pointed head, and a flat broad tail, the intervening
part being nearly round. These worms exist chiefly in the large intestines,
where they are often in great numbers, and they do not much interfere with the
health of the dog.
2. The Long ,Round-Wobm {Aacaris lumhricoides) , — ^A pink or red worm,
resembling the garden worm in appearance, but somewhat less in size, and not so
red in colour. They chiefly inhabit the small intestines, and are very injurious to
the health, interfering with the digestion in every way, since they take up the
chyle for their own use, and also irritate the mucous membrane by their presence.
8. The Tape-Worm {Tcenia solium and Tcenia lata). — This worm is found
in two or three species, but for our purpose it is suflScient to describe its
general appearance, which is that of a long flat worm, divided into joints, and
often coming away in portions, but leaving the head behind. It is, when
sufiered to remain long enough, from six to eight feet long, and the dog may
often be seen running about with a foot or two hanging from his antw, or curled
round his tail, to his great annoyance and disgust. The tape-worm inhabits
the small intestines, and is much worse even than the round worm in its effects
upon the health of the animal. Its expulsion should therefore be effected with
great care, and its head, which is larger considerably than the diameter of the
rest of the body, should be diligently sought for, for until this is found it cannot
be asserted with positive certainty that the vermifuge has been successful.
The General Principles of treatment consist in starving the dog for from
twelve to twenty-four hours, and then administering the appropriate vermifuge
followed by a mild dose of aperient medicine, to carry off the worms from the
intestines. The following is a complete list of vermifuges suited to the various
conditions and kinds of worms; but it will be necessary to repeat here what are
the best for each kind, and their respective advantages and disadvantages, for,
unfortunately, all are more or less injurious to the dog, and their use is only
to be encouraged as a less evil than the continued existence of worms.
The Ebmedibs for Maw- Worm and Round-Worm are as follows :
Wormwood {Artemisia absinthium).
GarUc [Alliwm sativum) .
Cowhage {Mv^una pruriens).
Santonine, or the active principle of worm-seed {Artemisia contra).
Indian pink {Spigelia Marylandica) .
Betel nut {Nux areca).
Stinking hellebore {Helleborus foetidus) .
Powdered tin and glass.
Calomel {Hydrargyri chhridvm).
264
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
For Tape-Worm the following may be used with advantage :
Kousso {Bray era anthelmintica).
Barbadoes tar {Petroleum Barbadense).
Pomegranate bark {Punica granatum),
Male fern {Filix mas).
Spirit of turpentine {Spiritua terehinthince) .
Of these wormwood, garlic, and cowhage, are nearly inert ; santonine is
useful for round worms, as also are Indian pink and hellebore; calomel is unsafe
in the highest degree, and powdered tin and glass nearly useless. With the
exception of Barbadoes tar, all the remedies enumerated -for tape-worm are
efficacious, but more or less injurious when the constitution is at all weakly.
Areca nut is the remedy upon which reliance is now chiefly placed, its
careful and repeated exhibition being almost always sufficient to procure the
expulsion of the worms ; the dose of the freshly grated nut is 2gr. for each
pound the dog weighs, and this should be given freshly mixed in broth, or, if
the dog refuses it, mixed into a pill with a little jam or treacle ; it should be
repeated every four or five days for about four or five doses, when it may
reasonably be hoped that a cure is effected, but, if not, a second course will
almost always succeed.
PAET VI.
FIELD
CHAPTER XIX -JUDGING AT SHOWS.
(HATEYEB difference of opinion may exist as to the utility of dog
shows in improving the breeds of this animal, there cjan be no doubt
of their populsirity, or that they have become permanent institutions.
Large sums of money are annually spent in rearing and feeding dogs with the
express purpose of exhibiting them ; and it may, therefore, be admitted
without argument that it is desirable to conduct these shows in the way most
likely to give satisfaction to their supporters.
From their institution at Newcastle in 1858 there has been a growing
feeling of dissatisfaction with the awards of the judges. Animals which have
been successfal under one set of judges in obtaining a first prize^ have been
altogether overlooked by another, not even obtaining a commendation, though
in equally good condition at both places, and often with the same or nearly the
same competitors. That these have been exceptional cases is true enough, but
nothing has been more common than that the position of first and second
prizeholders should be reversed within the same month — remarkable examples
of which may be adduced in the varying success of Windham and Jet in the
retrievers, and of Ranger and Peter among pointers, about the years 1864,
1865, and 1866 ; while more recently the ups and downs of EoU and Fred II.
among the English setters, of the retrievers Nelson, Jam, and Ince, and of
Shamrock, Sir Douglas, and Rhoderick Dhu, the Dandie Dinmonts, eclipsed
even the fluctuations of those years. We have repeatedly drawn attention to
these facts, and attempted to demonstrate that for the cause of this fickleness
we must look to the absence of any recognised standard by which to measure
the particular breed which is being judged. Among cattle and sheep-breeders
it is generally admitted that certain leading qualities shall be considered all-
important, such as the propensity to carry flesh of good quality on the parts
most valuable to the butcher, early maturity, and, in the sheep, quantity and
quality of wool. But in horses and dogs, and more especially in the varieties
M M
266 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
of the latter, there is not the same unanimity, even in leading principles; and
in matters of detail, as may naturally be supposed, the difference of opinion is
very great.
Prior to the year 1864 all animals exhibited at the various shows were
judged by rule of thumb, but in that year an attempt was made by Mr.
Esquilant to settle the points of the pigeon. Since that time the plan then
proposed by him has been taken up and carried out in practice by the
National Columbarian Society, the example selected by them being the carrier
pigeon, which was described, and its properties numerically allotted, in The
Field of March 18, 1865, although it is certainly one of the most diflScult
cases which could possibly be selected for that purpose. In that article,
which is undoubtedly of the greatest interest to the pigeon-fancier, this
variety of the bird has twenty-five properties assigned to it, with a numerical
value attached to each, amounting in the whole to 119. This fact in itself
will give, some idea of the diflSculty of the task undertaken by the society,
and it will also afford encouragement to others to follow the example so
laudably set.
The table (a copy of which is given on the following page) shows the
mode of carrying out this plan of judging the carrier pigeon according to
the scale laid down by the National Columbarian Society, the table itself
representing a page of the judge^s book, after it has been filled up for that
purpose by the judge.
Here the broad column on the left hand represents so much of the page
as is presented to the judge, with the precise value of each property already
defined, on the hypothesis that it is absolutely perfect. The remaining columns
of the page are of course in blank, in order that the judge may make his
entries therein.
Provided with this book, he has only to examine the points of each breed
exhibited ; to allot to them the exact value at which he estimates them as
compared with perfection ; and to enter the numbers in their respective
columns, as shown by the italic figures on the right-hand side of the above
table.
When all have been filled in he has only to cast them up, and the totals
will give the place of each bird in the prize list. Nothing can be more simple
than the working out in practice of the scheme; and all that is wanted
is to lay down the numerical value of the points in each class of animals
exhibited.
JUDGING AT SHOWS.
267
PIGEONS EXHIBITED, WITH THBIB PBOPERTIBS JUDGED.
PkOPBRTIES op THF. OABBIEa
Pigeon.
No. 1.
7 motUfu.
No. 2.
AOB,
ly«ar
hmontiu.
No. 3.
AOB,
1 year
8 monllu.
No. 4.
iyeon
1 montk.
No. 5.
' AOB,
lyrar
1 montK
No. 6.
ME,
immOu.
•
Size
Texture
Boundness
...(6)
...(6)
...(4)
...(4)
..(4)
...(7)
...(4)
■•(4)
...(4)
...(2)
•(6)
...(6)
5
6
3
5
4
2
1
3
5
s.
J^
6
2
3
0)
1^
/
3
Ji-
3
4
f
p
Regularity
Prominence of eyeball
Flatness
2
^
/
2
3
/
3
2
2
3
4
2
J^
5
3
6
5
6
7
•
09
Length
Width
A
3
3
2
/
Skull (
JL
.4
♦
S
Jf
3
2
Straightness
Dent
Circumference
TUting
a
3
2
3
3
2
4
i
2
/
2
f
Ji.
5
5
6
5
4
6
6
5
5
4
3
Length from eye to wattle . . .
Shape
Straightness
...(4)
..(4)
"..(4)
•••(4)
•••(4)
3
2
^
3
2
/
PP
A
3
J^
3
2
•
2
3
3
4
3
2
/
Thickness
^ Length
3
4-
SI
3
4
^
2
J^
3
Y
00
*
Thini jees
•••(4)
3
3
J
4-
3
4
/
Length
1^
■-(4)
'•(12)
/
4
9
/
3
" Carriage
9
5
7
//
n
09
Length of feather
...(6)
5
6
5
4
6
00
Thinness of jowl
...(4)
3
3
2
3
2
/
1
Width of shoulder
Length of limb
..(4)
•••(4)
4-
4
3
3
4
3
A
3
2
^
a
^ Colour
•••(4)
2
3
4
J
3
3
Grandtotal
.(119)
87
9^
89
93
86
7?
Order in prize list
2nd.
3rd.
m.
268
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
The foregoing is an extreme instance of the difficulties of judging,
the points being subdivided to an extent which is very seldom needed.
But at the various dog shows held of late years, numerous instances have
occurred in which the advantage of this principle, had it been acted upon,
would have been made manifest; and in the present absence of all written
law we do not see how it is possible to prevent the recurrence of such oases.
A well-known case of the difficulties connected with judging by rule of thumb
occurred some few years ago in the large pointer bitch class at Birmingham.
One of the bitches, which we will call A., had a bad head and very light ears,
combined with a strong useful middle, but spoilt by short shoulders. In
addition, she had good legs and feet, an elegant stem, well carried, and an
absence of quality, her age being eighteen months, when a small bitch is fully
developed. Another, B., showed a better head, but inferior legs and feet, a
coarse stem, and a heavy, lumbering middle. A third, C, exhibited a magni-
ficent head, beautiful ears, capital legs and feet, fine stern, good shoulders,
with great liberty of action ; but these fine points were counterbalanced by a
deficient girth of chest, for which, being only twelve months old, some con-
siderable allowance should be made, the judges having a statement of the age
of each animal on their books for this special purpose. Here, then, was a case
of some difficulty, and though we do not agree with the award, we by no means
assert that it was decidedly wrong. But, supposing, for the sake of argument,
the pointer were said to have five properties, viz., 1, head and neck ; 2, legs
and feet ; 3, body ; 4, stern ; 5, quality and coat ; and that to each of these
were allotted the following proportion of points, viz., head and neck, 80 ; legs
and feet, 24; body, 20; stem, 16; quality and coat, 10 — ^total, 100; the
judges (being provided with books for the purpose, with the number and age •
of the entries duly written in) would only have to insert under each property
such a number as would mark the degree of approximation to perfection — this
being represented by the maximum figure given at the head of each column.
Class 27.
#
No.
Age.
Head and
Neck.
Maximum.
30.
Legs and
Feet.
Maximum.
24.
Body.
Maximum.
20.
Stem.
Maximum.
16.
Quality
and Coat.
Maximum.
16.
Total.
Mn.ximum.
100.
1
2
3
4>
5
1 yr. 6 mo.
9 mo.
3 years
4 years
1 year
6
10
rejected
rejected
28
20
16
20
12
8
6
14
6
14
4
3
8
1
66
43
76
Had such a plan been adopted — and we can conceive nothing more simple or
easy to carry out — the dogs A., B., and 0. would have been placed in the order
5, 1, and 2, whereas the awards were given in the order the dogs stand on the
JUDGING AT SHOWS. 269
list. At present the jadges make their notes opposite each entry, but they
are so indefinite that afterwards it is necessary that all the animals likely to
take a prize shall be compared together at the same time — ^a far more tedious
operation than that which requires them to be carefully examined only once.
We do not for a moment assume that the numbers we have attached to each
property are correctly apportioned, or that we should have carried them out in
practice exactly in the manner we have indicated for the three pointers ; we
only contend that, supposing the judges to be each furnished with a book
containing definitions of a similar nature for their guidance, they would have
far less difficulty in deciding than at present, while the public would be able
to ascertain the reasons which guided them, and would know what to expect
in sending their animals to a show. It will no doubt take some time to settle
finally the relative value of the head as compared with the locomotive organs,
in the several breeds of dogs, for they vary in almost all. Thus the pointer,
however well formed in his back, chest, and shoulders, is perfectly useless
unless he has a head which will not only contain a good brain, but also
sensitive olfactory organs. So, also, with the feet and legs ; unless these are
capable of sustaining work equally with the back, chest, and shoulders, the
latter, however good, are thrown away. The National Dog Club, however, in
1869, made the attempt, which, though it was somewhat hastily and carelessly
carried, has served as a very useful foundation for subsequent labours in the
same field. Unfortunately, only a portion of the judges at their Islington Show
carried out their code of points into practice, great difficulties being thrown in
their way by the paucity of attendants, and the distance between the benches
and the field in which all the dogs were led out. On the whole, however, this
first attempt on the large scale to combine public judging with the aid of a scale
of points was eminently successful, but, nevertheless, it has not been followed
to the full extent at any other exhibition. The Birmingham council, in spite
of the strenuous efforts of Mr. Murchison, have steadily opposed these inno-
vations, and their only concession has been to guarantee that every dog shall
be seen by the judges off the bench to which he is chained.
The following letter upon this touch-vexed question was published by the
above gentleman in November, 1870, and as it goes fully into the bearings of
the subject, we insert it in extenso : —
Sib, — Some weeks ago I took the liberty of addressing to you a letter on
the subject of judging at dog shows, and since then I observe that your
readers have liberally responded to your invitation to discuss the question in
your columns. Will you allow me to add to their contributions ?
One of your correspondents remarks, " I take it that the judging at dog
shows should be conducted in such a way that even the appearance of any-
thing in the way of partiality and unfairness should be avoided as much as
270 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
possible/' To this I cannot but cordially assent ; but I am compelled to go
further^ and say that the dogs must be submitted to the inspection of the
judges in such manner as to enable them to form the most correct opinions
according to their impartial judgment, and under circumstances that will tend
to gain for their decisions the ready sanction of public approval.
With regard to the subject of judging dogs by a ''scale of points/' I am
aware that some breeders and sportsmen object to it, but I am sure that
recent events prove forcibly that some understanding should be come to as to
what each class of dog ought to be. Nearly every show that takes place gives
ample evidence of extraordinary inconsistencies in the decisions arrived at on
the merits of the respective breeds, and even of the same animals. Some of
your correspondents have pointed out a few of these cases, and many more
might be added. It would be curious to analyse the prize lists of shows
during the last twelve months, and see how often the same dogs have beaten
each other, and how often they again have been beaten at other shows by
animals which were not noticed at previous ones where they had met. For
instance, taking the fox-terriers (with which I am more familiar), it ought to
be known whether these dogs should have much bull in their heads, or
extended ears, or bow legs; whether, again, if these are faults, they are
minor and secondary ones, and what are the other points, the possession of
which counterbalances them ? The recent Birmingham judging, in particular,
has so perplexed the subject that one is obliged to ask these questions for the
future guidance of breeders.
Among the numerous letters I have received, one gentleman writes : " I
shall hail with satisfaction reform in the judging at dog shows, especially with
regard to fox-terriers. The very marked contrariety in the awards at the
chief shows quite upsets one's ideas of what fox-terriers ought to be.
Till a scale of points for the guidance of the judges is insisted on,
breeders of this class of dogs will continually be subject to the annoyance
of having their dogs passed over by the judges in favour of some shapely
mongrel."
But the question to which I am at present desirous of chiefly directing
attention to the manner in which the dogs are to be submitted for the
inspection of the judges. Nearly all your correspondents have mixed up
several distinct matters under this head ; but I will endeavour to discuss them
separately, as it is possible for some persons to agree to one or two, and not to
all. They are :
1 . Should the dogs be judged on their benches, or should the whole of
each class be led out together to an open space or ring ?
2. Should they be led out by their owners or their keepers, or by the
officials of the show.
3. Should the judging be done in public or privately ?
JUDGING AT SHOWS. 271
1. It seems almost ridiculous to have to say anything in support of the
necessity of having the whole of each class of dogs led out for the comparative
judgment of those who are to decide on their merits. You, Sir, in a recent
article, remarked on the impossibility to judge satisfactorily without a large
area or a judging ring. How can the dogs be seen properly, and compared
together, unless this course is adopted ? At those shows (such as Birmingham,
&c.) where the dogs in their classes are judged on their benches, a few, accord-
ing to the fancy of the judges, are taken down here and there and examined ;
but the remainder — that is, most of them — are allowed to continue their
undisturbed slumber or rest, and receive no attention. In fact, only a small
number of the dogs sent for competition are practically allowed to compete — a
plan, to say the least, very unfair to the exhibitors, particularly after they have
been to the expenses of entrance fees and carriage, &c. It is as3umed that all
dogs are unknown to the judges, and ostensible precautions are taken with the
view of keeping them in ignorance of the names of the dogs or their owners ;
but on what'principle do they select those they will examine, when in many
cases they cannot see the legs of the animals, nor can tell, without previous
knowledge, their shape nor size, on account of their recumbent postures ? I
have heard of several cases where judges have been asked why they had passed
over such and such a dog — on some occasions perhaps a noted one — and they
have admitted that they never saw him, though the animal was there on his
bench. An instance of the result of this kind of judging has also come within
my own knowledge. I was corresponding some time ago with a well-known
breeder and exhibitor on the subject of the prizes which a bitch of mine had
won before she became mine, and in one of his letters he informed me that
when he had her she won a prize *' by a fluke.*' I inquired what he meant by
this, when he replied that the judges bad afterwards told him that they had
" mistaken her for '' (naming a famous prize bitch of same breed). Prom
this it would appear that the judges had seen the bitch lying on the bench, and
from a cursory view, believing her to be another, they awarded her the prize.
Supposing the bitch was not entitled to it, would the mistake have occurred if
the whole class had been led out and examined together, on their legs and in
walking positions ? I cannot imagine anyone desiring to have dogs judged
on their benches but those who hope to win " by a fluke.''
2. As to whether the dogs are to be led out by their owners or keepers or
by the officers of the show, I would first again remark that the primary con-
sideration in the whole matter is to adopt such' a course as will enable the
judges to see the dogs as much as possible in their usual and natural form. If
dogs crouch on their legs, put up their backs, creep on their bellies, or throw
back their ears, no one is likely to form a correct opinion of them who has not
seen them before. Will dogs show themselves more naturally with strangers,
or with those they know ? Are they to be shown in the way least advanta-
272
THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS.
geous to themselves because it is asserted that those appointed to judge them
are men of such easy characters^ so insensible to fairness and justice^ and so
much without independence^ that they will be influenced by the knowledge of
ownership ? If this allegation be really true, then let dog shows be at once
things of the past. It is, in that case, worse than a farce to continue them.
But, let me ask, are not a large number of the dogs which usually appear at
shows well known by sight to the judges ? As regards them, does it matter
who. leads them out, as far as the question of ownership is concerned ? It is
asked whether it is fair that some exhibitors should have the advantage of
showing their dogs with their own keepers, while others do not. On the other
hand, I would ask, is it fair to those who spend large sums and much trouble
in collecting, breeding, and rearing the best dogs, that they should be placed
under a disadvantage, and should not have the satisfaction of showing them in
their best and most natural forms, simply because others do not or cannot send
their own keepers ? But it must be borne in mind that when a dog is properly
shown, his defects as well as his good qualities are seen. Suppose a dog
walking about at his ease has a good head, but displays bad legs, feet, or
hind quarters, and another with an equally good head, but from his cowed
attitude his other points cannot be properly examined, I should say that the
judges would be more likely to decide against the former from the positive
proof of his bad points.
If the judges cannot form a satisfactory opinion, nor properly compare a
number of dogs with each other, unless they are seen together, in easy standing
and walking positions, what is there unfair in doing that which will best enable
them to do so ? If some cannot send their keepers with their dogs, why
should they punish those who can, and also preclude the object of the show
being carried out, namely, to ascertain, in the manner most likely to show the
the natural form of the dogs, the best among those exhibited ? Can a man
who keeps a racehorse, but not having a jockey to train and ride him, complain
that those win races who have ? I believe that many of the inconsistent
awards that are made arise from the imperfect and various ways in which some
dogs are seen at difierent shows. My view of the question is, that dogs should
be submitted to the judges in the way to enable the most correct opinions to
be formed of them ; and if this cannot be done without serious objections in
other parts of the system, which are irremediable, then let dog shows be
discontinued. I think, however, eflScient safeguards can be adopted, both in
general precautions on the part of committees, and in the selection of competent
judges of character and independence. I am at present inclined to believe
that ample safeguards to insure impartiality can be adopted, but I am not
insensible to the feelings of those who think themselves under a disadvantage
when not able to have their dogs led out by some one the animals know. I
would, however, ask them, if the dogs cannot be examined properly, of what
JUDGING AT SHOWS. 273
use is it exhibiting them f And I would suggest for their consideration the
position of those who spare no cost nor trouble to possess the best dogs, who
are naturally desirous of showing them in a state of the greatest freedom, and
whose only aim is to gain the prizes if they deserve them. It is possible that
some plan may be recommended which would induce me to modify my. views on
this point, and, if so, I shall be quite prepared to yield. At Maidstone I
understand that several county gentlemen have promised the use of their
keepers to assist in leading out ; and, as they are accustomed to the handling
of dogs, it may be of material use to those who send theirs alone.
3. Publicity is one of the chief fundamental principles on which English
judicature is founded. Justice, as it is known in this country, owes its existence
in a great measure to the public manner in which the proceedings of our
tribunals are conducted. I do not know of any proposition at which the
people would revolt with greater energy and determination than one to abolish
the public character of our judicial investigations. But does anyone ever
thin:k that our judges would be influenced by any audible remarks made by the
parties interested in any suit? Are such remarks allowed? and are not
arrangements made to prevent them ? Would the losing side be more satisfied
if the proceedings had been conducted in private, and he was ignorant on what
grounds the decision had been arrived at ? Well, sir, are we to suppose that
the judges appointed by the committees of dog shows, and many of whom are
gentlemen of acknowledged experience and high respectability, would outrage
public morality, and sacrifice their own independence and self-respect, by
allowing themselves to be influenced by possible remarks by the spectators ? I
should say, that if an impartial judge overheard a remark in favour of a
particular dog, he would rather look with suspicion at that animal, and be
somewhat inclined to exaggerate its defects. Acting under the jealous influence
of the public eye tends, in cases of the exercise of judicial authority, to
thoughtful and careful consideration, and to impartial decisions.
To judge dogs publicly is the only way to insure that all will be taken ofi"
their benches and examined and compared with each other. The decisions
also lead to less dissatisfaction among the exhibitors, who have the opportunity
of seeing that everything has been done fairly and impartially. Those who
are so ready to charge the judges with easy consciences and pliable minds,
when acting in the face of day and before others of experience, seem to forget
that such men would be at least as likely to be swayed by sinister persuasiveness
when acting in private.
A well-known and successful exhibitor writes me : ''I quite agree with
you that all dogs should be judged in public, and that doing so by points
is the only plan to sedure the general endorsement of public opinion.^'
And as a further and practical proof that I am not alone on .this question,
I would point to the number of entries just made for the forthcoming
N N
274
THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
Maidstone Show. On the programme of prizes offered was oonspicaoasly
printed, " The dogs will be led out in a ring, and the judging will be done
publicly'' — the result of which has been 660 entries, or 260 more than at the
late Manchester Show, and only about 100 less than the late Birmingham
one — that show and those of London and Darlington being the only ones
above it.
Now, sir, to sum up the whole matter, I advocate some definite rules for
the guidance of judges, upon the ground that at present there is no rule in
their decisions. Some say that a competent judge knows a good dog when he
sees one, and cares for no " scale of points -/' but surely he can give the reasons
for the judgment he has formed.
I am in favour of all dogs in each class being led out together to a ring or
open space, and judged publicly, because I think it is the only way to enable
anything like correct conclusions being arrived at, and because the decisions
will at least cause less dissatisfaction.
All that exhibitors can look for is fairness and justice, without fear or
affection for anyone. I cannot imagine any person attaching the smallest
value to a prize gained upon any other principle ; and depend on it that, if a
different system is followed, judges, shows, and " prize dogs '' will soon find
their level in public estimation. J. H. Murohison.
London, Jan. 26, 1870.
In 1869, a great improvement on the existing mode of judging by points
was suggested — ^by a correspondent in The Field, who was a noted breeder of
mastiffs — and as his letter contains the whole of the argument, stated in a
clear and convincing manner, we reproduce it at length.
Sib, — ^Although I believe it to be most desirable that the judges at our
dog shows should be guided in their awards by a settled standard of points and
marks, it will, I believe, be found in practice very difficult, if even possible,
to give satisfaction by this method, unless some such plan as I venture to
suggest be followed.
In order to have a claim to be classed as a prize dog, it seems to me that
an animal ought to be fairly good in every point, and the plan of judgment I
would suggest, which is adopted from the method often followed in scholastic
examinations, is this : Presupposing that every point in the animal ought to
be fairly good, the positive marks scored in the dog's favour would represent
degrees of excellence. Should, however, the animal under judgment be
notably deficient in any particular point,' I consider that not only should no
positive marks be allotted for this particular point, but negative marks
JUDGING AT SHOWS.
275
should be given to it in proportion as the point in question fell below
fairly good.
Possibly the system may be already followed, but if not, I think it would
be found to work fairly and well. The book put into the hands of the judges
would run thus :
Boll Terrier.
Positive Marks.
Negative Marks.
Head 25
Chest 10
Neck 10
Shoulders 10
Feet and Legs 10
Loin 10
Colour 10
Temper 10
Tail , 6
Total 100
It might in practice be found advisable that the negative marks should
never exceed the possible positive marks in number ; or, again, that an animal
notably deficient in any. one special characteristic of his breed would be
considered disqualified.
These are, however, minor points ; but I hope and think that the principle
I suggest, unless it has already been thought of, may be found practical
and useful. Mastifp.
April 3, 1869.
We have endeavoured to persuade the managers of the various shows to
adopt this amended system, but hitherto without success. Still, as it is never
too late to mend, and as we are convinced that, sooner or later, it must come
into use, we give a specimen table of an open class of large pointers, with the
points filled up of half a dozen selected specimens, between which it is obvious
to the judges the three prizes given must rest. Of course it would be an
enormous sacrifice of time to set down the points of the whole of the above
class, but an experienced judge can readily point out four, five, or six, as the
case may be, all of which may be carefully ''pointed,'^ as is shown in the
following table, which is supposed to be a copy of a page of the judge^s book
filled up. In this way we believe that time may be saved rather than wasted,
as we have found that the fixing on the numerical value of the several points is
much easier than the judging two nearly equal dogs on their general merits.
THE DOOS OP THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
feSi
el
tc'^f^
_
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Totela of
Poaitive and
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FIELD TRIALS.
277
By inserting the points given at the end of each article in the first foar
parts, instead of those of the pointer^ a series of scales may easily be compiled
for the use of judges^ which we still hope to see done before long.
CHAPTER XX.-FIELD TRIALS.
)HE judging at Field Trials has for some years been conducted on
this plan at Stafford and Shrewsbury^ omitting the negative points^
which were, however, introduced at Vaynol, in September, 1871, and
gavQ great satisfaction.
The following is the scale adopted at the Stafford and Shrewsbury trials^
which prevailed up to that time. Under it a dog, which we will call Pilot,
refusing to back, but reasonably good in other points, would score 52, but
under the improved scale 10 would be deducted from his totals, and very
properly so.
Mb. Bbailspokd's Scalk of Points, as used at Staftobd and Shbxwsbury.
Greneral Remarks.
The scale used at Bedford and Bala was somewhat different ; but it did
not introduce the negative points. We insert it as filled up at Bala by " The
Prior " in the case of the celebrated Hamlet :
FIELD TRIALS. 279
experience no difficulty in carrying it out, but the spectators were satisfied
with the results, to a degree which we have never seen equalled elsewhere.
The books containing the scale of points may be obtained of Major Piatt,
Gordinogg, near Bangor, and we strongly recommend their adoption at all
field trials of pointers and setters.
INDEX TO SUBJECTS.
A.
Alpine mastiff identical with the Eneliah, 151
Alan, the, a progenitor of the bulldog, 135,
137
Areca nnt for worms, quantity, and how to
administer, 262, 264>
Arsenicalis liquor, for mange, 261
B. .
Beagles, portraits and description of, 200
" Singing " beagles of Queen Eliza-
beth, 238
Bedlington terrier, portrait and description
of the, 123
Belton gray setters, 8
Biscuits, Spratt's, use of for feeding sporting
dogs, 251
BlacK setters, Irish breed of, 49
Black-and-tan setter, portrait and description
of, 9
not necessarily a Gordon, 25
Mr. Adye's table of points, 26
See also " Gordon setter."
Black-and-tan terriers, 103
description and points of, 106
portrait in frontispiece
Blaok-ana-white setters, allusions to an Irish
breed of, 22, 39, 40, 44, 60
Blenheim spaniel, the, 238, 242
portraits of old and modem breeds,
240
Bloodhound, portrait and historical account
of the, 190
description, 192
most celebrated breeders, 193
value of points, 193
Bulldog, portrait of the, 131
aescription and points, 132
discussion as to origin, 134 to 143
supposed existence in the time of
the Bomans, 141
the bulldog cross in mastiffs, 155
Bull-terrier, portrait of, 124
description, 125
value of points, 126
the fightmg dog, a "Black Country"
sketch, 126
0.
Carriage dog, or Dalmatian, 174
Chinese crested dog, portrait and descrip-
tion of, 250
Chorea, a sequel of distemper, 258
treatment, 260
Clumber spaniel, portrait and description of
the, 77
value of points, 78
Cocker spaniel, varieties of the, 65
description and value of points, 81
CoUey, the Scotch, portrait and description,
175
value of points, 177
cross of in the (xordon setter, 10,
18,23
D.
Dalmatian dcg, description and value of
points of the, 174
Dandie Dinmont terrier, origin, and breeders
of most celebrated strains, 111
description and value of points, 112
discussion as to characteristics of
the breed, 113 to 120
historical account of its origin,
process, and decline, 120
portrait in frontispiece
Deerhound, portrait and historical account
of the, 96
description, 97
value of points, 98
Devonshire cocker, the, 81
Dew-daw, the, in Mount St. Bernard dogs,
151
Distemper, symptoms of, 255
general treatment, 258
Dog-fights in the Black Country, 128
Droppers, or cross-bred pointers and setters.
Drovers* dogs, 175
E.
Edible dog of China, 250
English setter, portrait of "Byron," 6
description and points, 7
portrait of " Roll," 8
282 INDEX.
I
I!
English terriers, smooth, 103
black-and-tan, 103
white, 104
F.
Field spaniel, historical account of the, 65
Field trials, mode of judging at, 277
Mr. Brailsford's scfue of points, 277
" Idstone's " scale of points, 278
the Yaynol scale, 278
Fighting-dog, the, 126
courage of ron^h-haired dogs, 220
Fleas, prevention of in Kennels, 251
carbolic acid for killing, 252
insect-destroying powaer, 254
Food and management of dogs, large, 251
pets, 252
Foreign dogs, naturalized, 246
Foxhounds, portraits of, 194, 197
description and measurements, 195
value of points, 197
utility of the foxhound cross in
pointers, 54
ditto in retrievers, 94
Fox-terrier, portrait of, 203
origin and qualities, 204
description, 205
influence of dog-shows on the breed,
206
value of points, 207
discussion as to the courage, work-
ing qualifications, and coat of the
modem dog, 208 to 233
G.
Gamekeeper's night dog, the, 99
Gordon setter, portrait and description of, 9
origin of the breed, 10, 18
the collev cross, 10, 18, 23
" Kent ''^as a stud dog, 11
on the true Gordon colour, 10, 17,
28,30
black-and-tan not necessarily Gor-
don, 25
curly V, flat coat, 24
description and prices of Buke of
Gordon's dogs sold at Tatter-
sail's, 30
discussion' as to general character-
istics, 11 to 39
Greyhounds, portraits of, 178
description, 179
value of points, 184
Greek hound the prototype of the
greyhound, 237
the Italian greyhound, 246
H.
Hairless dog of China, portrait and descrip-
tion of, 250
Harrier, portrait of, 197
description and measurements, 198
Highland sheep doe, 175
Hounds of our forennthers, 185
I.
Irish setter, portrait and description of, 39
the best known breeds, 41, 47
discussion on the colour and charac-
teristics, especially as to a black
shade in the hair, 41 to 50
allusions to black-and-white breed,
40, 44, 50
black breed, 49
red-and- white breed, 49
Irish water spaniel, portrait and description
of the, 83
value of points, 84
discussion as to its characteristics,
85 to 88
Irish wolf-dog, antiauitv of the, 96
fought in the Eoman ampitheatres,
142
Italian greyhound, history of the, 246
description, 247
portrait, 243
J.
Judging at shows, 265
the principle of judging by points,
266
table of National Columbarian So-
ciety, 267
application to dogs, 268
juaging in public, 269
Mr. Adye's table of black-and-tan
setters, 26
field trials, 277
scales of points, 277, 278
K.
Keeper's night dog, 99
Kennel management of dogs, 251
Kibble hound, the, 188
King Charles spaniel, portrait of, 240
history, 238, 240
colour formerly liver-and-white, 241
description of the modern breed, 241
value of points, 242
L.
Labrador dogs, 89, 159, 171
Lice, use of white precipitate for the
destruction of, 254
Loup-loup, or Pomeranian dog, 174
M.
Maltese dog, portrait of, 248
description and value of points, 249
kept as a pet by the ladies of
Greece and Bome, 237
INDEX.
283
Management of dogs, large, 251
pets, 252
Man^, symptoms and treatment of, 261
Mastiflf, portrait of the, 144
value of points, 146
antiauity of, 135
fon^bt with lion before Alexander
the Great, 146
the breeding of mastiffs, 148
Alpine identical with l^e English,
the bulldog cross, 165
the dew-claw, 151
description and points, 146, 152, 156
table of merit, 158
discussion as to origin of the bull-
dog and mastiff, 134 to 143
mastiff and bloodhound cross for
gamekeeper's night dog, 100
Maw-worm, remedies for, 263
Medicine for pet dogs, 253
Mount St. Bernard dog. See " St. Bernard "
K
National Oolumbarian Society's table of
points for judging, 267
Naturalized foreign dogs, 246
Newfoundland dog, the, 159
description and points, 160, 168
its various strains, 162
discussion as to general character-
istics, 162 to 170
the lesser Newfoundland, 171
Norfolk spaniel, description of the, 79
P.
Palsy, the, a sequel of distemper, 258
treatment, 260
Pepper-and-mustard terrier, historical ac-
count of its origin, progress, and decline.
Pet dogs, management of, 252
Pointer, the modem English, 51
comparative merits as compared
with the setter, 51
description and points, 52
the foxhound cross in, 54
pointer and setter cross, 63
Pomeranian dog, the, 174
Poodles as ancient toy dogs, 238, 239
Precipitate powder, white, for destroying
ticks and lice, 255
danger of allowing dog to lick the
powder or get wet, 254
Pag dog, portrait and history of the, 243
ears not cut nowadays, 243
chief modem breeders, 244
description of true English breed,
244
value of points, 245
Puppies, how to feed and manage, 252
Babbit beagle, the, 200
Bed mange, S3rmptoms and treatment of, 261
Red setter. See " Irish setter."
Betriever proper, portraits, description, and
points of the, 89
discussion on the value of show
dogs as working retrievers, 92
to 95
cross-bred dogs as retrievers, 89,
92, 94, 95
Boman authors on British dogs, 142
Bough terrier, description of, 106
portrait in firontivpiece
Bound worm, remedies for, 263
S.
St. Bernard dog, portrait and history of, 171
description and points, 172
of the same origin as the English
mastiff, 151
St. Hubert hounds, 186, 189
St. John's or small Labrador dog, 89, 159, 171
Setter, origin of the, 1
reference to portraits of celebrated
setters of lormer times, 3
modem breeds, 5
value of points, 6
portrait of English setter, 6
description, 7
Belton Qray^s, 8
pointer and setter cross, 63
See also "Gordon setters" and
"Irish setters."
Sheep dogs, English, rough and smooth, 175
tne Scotch colley, with portrait, 175
the smooth Scotch dog, 176
value of points, 177
Skye terriers, drop-eared, portrait and
description, 108
prick-eared, portrait and descrip-
tion, 110
Skye terriers in the fifteenth cen-
tury, 238
Sleuth-hound, the, 190
Southern hound, the, 188
Spaniel, land or field, introduced by the
Bomans, 1
description of in the sixteenth cen-
tury, 2
the ancestor of the setter, 2
history of the field spaniel, 66
discussion on the improvement of
the breed, 66 to 69
description and points of the Sus-
sex, 69
the Clumber, 77
the Norfolk and mixed breeds, 79
Cockers, 81
Water spaniels, 82, 83
INDEX TO CONTRIBUTORS.
Thb following is a list of the correspondents whose letters have been inserted
in the course of the present volume, either as supplementing the information
given in the " leading articles/^ or as showing the divergency of opinion on
special points :
A.
A., on the Newfoundland dog, 163, 168
Adje, Bev. F. W., on the characteristics of
the black-tan setter, 25, 33, 36
on the foxhound cross in pointers,
67
A. F. A., on the working qualifications of
the fox-terrier, 225
Atkinson, Mr., on the colour and character-
istics of the Newfoundland dog, 163, 168
" Avon," on the improvement or the breed
of spaniels, 66
on the characteristics of the Sussex
spaniel, 72, 75
on the English water spaniel, 82
B.
Bastin, Mr. C. F., on the pedigree, colour,
and characteristics of the Gordon setter,
17,20
Brailsford, Mr. F., on the colour of the
Gordon setter, 17
"Breeder of Governor's sire," on mastiffs
and their breeding, 146
Brown, Mr. S., on the colour and charac-
teristics of the Gordon setter, 18, 20
"Border Sportsman," on the origin, pro*
gress, and decline of the pepper-and-
mustard terrier, 120
Burton, Mr. Joseph, on the improvement of
the breed of spaniels, 68
on the courage of broken-haired
terriers, 221
C.
" Carrier," on the antiquity of the bulldog,
136, 141
" Cecil," on the courage and working qualifi-
cations of the fox-terrier, 213
Collins, Mr. Charleston the Bandie Dinmont,
115
D.
D. on Gordon setters, 18, 23
" Dandie Dinmont," on the characteristics of
the Dandie Dinmont terrier, 115
" Decoy Duck " on the Irish water spaniel, 87
Dyer, Mr. J. E., on the enduring qualities of
the Irish red setter, 48
E.
Emery, Mr. W., on the characteristics of the
Sussex spaniel, 77
E. W. B., on the origin of the bulldog and
mastiff, 135, 13», 149
" Experientia," on Kent as a stud dog, 12,
F.
F. A., on an ancient picture of the bulldog,
143
" Fair-play " on the courage of the fox-
terrier, 210
Fisher, Mr. John, on tHe colour of the Duke
of Grordon's setters, 31
Fitzwilliam, the Hon. T. W., on fox-terriers,
219
"Forest Aisle" on the antiquity of the
mastiff, 150
H.
H. C, on the value of cross-bred pointers
and setters, 63
Hoare, Sir Edward, Bart., on Gordon
setters, 15
" Holdfast " on the Irish water spaniel, 87
Hopcroft, Mr. J., on the characteristics of
tne Sussex spaniel, 72, 73, 75
Horlock, Mr. Darrell H. W., on the stud
setter Kent, 15
on the coat of the Gordon setter,
24,28
Hutchinson, Captain W., on the colour and
qualities of the Irish red setter, 42, 47
286
INDEX.
''Idstone" on the ori^n and characteristics
of the (Gordon setter, 29
''Idstone" on the foxhound cross in pointers,
63
on the eamekeeper's night dog, 99
on the fox-terrier, its character and
qualities, 216, 227, 229
"Index" (0^ on the colour and charac-
teristics of the true Kewfoundland dog,
163, 166, 170
" Interloper " on the Newfoundland dog, 168
Ivoy, Mr. A. J. J., on the foxhound cross in
pointers, 54
J.
J. A. H., on the working qualifications of
the fox-terrier, 221
J. C. S., on Gordon setters, 18
J. S., on the foxhound cross in pointers, 56
K.
Knox, Mr. Harry Blake, on the colour and
working qualities of the Irish setter, 46
M.
McCarthy, Mr., on the points and working
qualifications of the Irish water spaniel,
84, 88
Martin, Mr. Henry, on the prick-eared Skye
terrier. 111
" Mastiff," on judging by points, 275
Mellor, Rev. W . J., on the working qualifica-
tions of fox-terriers, 218, 219, 230
Montresor, Capt., on the characteristics of
the Irish water spaniel, 86
Mosse, Rev. S. Tenison, summary of corres-
pondence on the characteristics of the
bandie Dinmont terrier, 120
Murchison, Mr., on judging in public, 269
N.
K. Q., on the foxhound cross in pointers, 56
0.
" Odd Man Out," the, on the fighting-dog,
126
*' Old Calabar," on the performances of the
champion setters Kent and Brougham, 12
** Old Sportsman," on the working qualifica-
tions of the fox-terrier, 224
P.
"Prior, the," on the foxhound cross in
pointers, 57
R.
"Retriever," on the characteristics of re-
trievers at shows, 93
Robinson, Mr. Edward, on the sale of the
Duke of Grordon's setters, their colour,
prices, &c., 30, 38
"Kufiis," on the working qualifications of
fox-terriers, 211, 223
"Ruthwell," on the improvement of the
breed of spaniels, 67
S.
"Sixty-one," on the origin and character-
istics of the Gordon setter, 21,
24, 34, 38
on the Irish setter, 44
on the foxhound cross in pointers, 57
Smith, Mr. E. Bradshaw, on the character-
istics and best strains of the Dandie
Dinmont terrier, 113, 116
" Sterling," on the improvement of the breed
of spaniels, 67
Stokes, Mr. H. J., on the Gordon setter, 33
" Sussex," on the Sussex spaniel, 74
W.
Walker, Mr. John, on the colour and charac-
teristics of the Irish setter, 41, 44
on the working qualities of the fox-
terrier, 209, 211, 217, 233
W. C, on the breeding of retrievers, and
the uselessness of prize dogs, 94
W. P., on the Irish water spaniel, 86
W. P. M., on Gordon setters, 17
Whyte, Colonel, on the colour and charac-
teristics of different breeds of Irish
setters, 43, 50
Williams, Dr., on the characteristics of the
Sussex spaniel, 71, 74
Wootton, Mr. T., on the breeding and
working qualities of fox-terriers, 231
W. X., on the merits of prize retrievers as
working dogs, 95
Z.
Z., on the Gordon setter, 36
ADVEBTI8EM1NTS.
SPRATT'S PATENT
HEAT FIBRINE DOG CAKES.
NONE
GENUINE E-'J^I'!'^.]
Fbov the jBfmtadon thofi ICeat Blacoltfl lutve u
UNLESS
BO
STAMPED.
rnrntadon thofi ICeat Blacoltfl lutve now BfdBBd, th« require Hc&rnly mj axplHvtloD to
. 3 tbem to Che OH of anrj one who luwa ■ dog: annce it to urthattlieF srs Ilie cliniHgt tood.
reqoJre no oooUng. an eucErBlj free from «ii;r. will keep cb« do^ In oouditloij wlthont meat or other reed,
make tha Imir fflouj, the akin pnTa,uid. belnv made or tho beit meal. fibrlDo, date?, and other Inifrediente,
. ■-. -i._I..,_.«n«uSi..^^,_:'JS. irtngall Uia elemenla (or ondoran™, Ijono, nmacle, nod
XztMot trtan ma Editorial Notioe iik THE FIELD, 8rd Jim«, 1871, p. 468.
SPBATT'S riBEINE BISCTTITS.
lUoitta Udi'i wC mar aooa be laia
OHMlDiulIf , and ^ther '
UBO^ BD excrandmaTT •-
w i t »B« M il {MWT or ppinle
mar aooo be Indaced to eat So. 1, and «U1 reqnSre
intlj huTdtiied w1
bl4ilned, notbing la mors «■> than io elie a oaaDtltf ot ihlp bliimils oi
hoBd of Mr. SpratC, bo aa to redou the Utter In a proper detTTee. With tbii
a of boUad groen TAg^tahle tvo or threa Umea a wee^, we have Tiot btie
r enjptloD roUDWtng
i that then 9
SFSATT'S PATENT OBEAT OHALLENaE FOULTBT
FOOD,
Oi [round PnirlnB Onkea, Lupin and Bonflowa Heal Iplocd with " Btnanti msm." wfld nnutvd -, a rich and
nItrocoDOna faed. Tt le Che vnataaC eSg-oroAaciag food and fattener of Daoka uid PonltT7 known, nneqnaUed
Ibr rufling joiuiffPheaMintfl» Ghleka* andTDnaklinra- BehwInltaeU a completo diet, wltbonc the neod of arlt
iuidn«enTeBetabl((,ltaapMlanireooniniendjilCaBU to Bhlv Ownen, and la UrKolj mod [or tba leathered Uie
^' IK In paaaanger Bld£a. and la alao fonnd of preat Talm In f«edluf . diuinf the TDjaca, amall blrda exported
SPBATT'S PATENT DATE FARINA HOESE BISCUITS.
Bia nonl9 tnHilna ftaelf. and SUi a want lonB dsahrMI. A few taken in the pookeC of Che rider, ud i
" fllSjlnu.MD PR&IBIE MB A™6Kia™lt, Ibo iLt no^fSw^d maCeat boon to Pheaunt ral
□□Jtrtkeepera, tftkfli theDladeof Ineect life. Handfol a dnf every doien Pbeoaanta or Henj, tM. t»i
SPBAT^S PATBNTCAT FOOD -Thlt food U introdnoed [o .npenedeChenreMntnnwholaioi;
mention, protons the exfatenee, and extend oiefalnBaii and cleanlineei of Che oA, Frjoa Id. per i
ifflolent in each paoket to f4ed a oaC for two daj*. Asaznple paeket bypoaCfor tfaneld. atam^M.
1, bal It not Cher
,1 Foon.— Three pa
ng to the ^ of the doc I tacked
Ji aoakad, if the doRiriir eat them
I np onmiblj moli t. not iloppj.
SPBATT'S PATENT, Henry Street, Tooley Street,
Sonthwark, S.E.
ADTEBTISElfinTTS.
J. OFI^'ORD,
COACHBUI'LDER,
79, VELL8 - STEEET, OXFORD - STREET, AND 28, BROOK -STltEET.
GEOSTENOR-SQTJARE, LONDON, "W.
THE OANOE ILANDAXJ.
This Luidnn U fltled with the Patest Preulo SeU-icUng Heid, wbicb an be r>p«Ded bj tbe Hdera u nsO*
la DO Hdditloti eilher to weigbt or price. Uadc in (ll ehapn, aixea, and colaun. A lirge stock alwaja on
hand retdj for ose.
An; carriage oaa be bung nllb Offord'g Indianihber Blccba, vbicb preveiit noise und abukjii;,
Oarrlagea for bot elimoteB conetructed of special materials. Ail Aile Bozei made of beet wrought iron.
MEDIOAIi BROUGHAM.
a novel plan, by wbich the bind vrbeels are brought within ILIrtj iiudiM
._v. .. ...... .,,][ n„[ of an ordinary Bronghasi, and the aaving to thB
>uui iTBrcia^m, n-ou note Ibe difference. The door is amaller than Qsaal, and
le to be pulled off by accident. These Broughams can be made to carry either two,
IS inside. Price from 120 guineas.
ADVEBTISEMBNTS.
J. OFFORD, COAOHBUILDER,
79, Wells-itreet. Oxftrd<Etreet and 28, Brook-atreet, Orosvonor-Bqnare, London, W.
THE LADY'S LANDAU.
■tintly ohuiglaK ollmkts whra fltt«d with th« Pitant Prwto
D riderg sg euilT u m paruoL It li so limpls that ft child ein
open or oloH it iDBtKDtl; ; yet itMDnotgel oat of order, uid is no 4ddit<oa eltlier to weight orprioa Made
Id all ihapM, liiea, and colonra. A large (toch alwa;B on bud read; tor DBe.
Ad; carriage can be hung with Ojford'a todianibber Blocka, which preveot iioite and abiUng.
Carriagea tor hot olimtites ODnetrnct«d cf Bpadal materiala. All Axle Boiea Diade of bett wrought itOD.
THE OOSY OARRIA&E.
ThIi light and neefal Brongham la so baag that the wheel* are brought cloee together, M> that it m
light aa any carriage can. All BrougbaDis are made too luDg betweeD the wheela to be drawD b.
horae, eepeciall; on soft or eteep roads. The Cosy is mads to carry either (our or ail iDeide. It will bi
■een that tbs door ia at the back. It ia '■ ' ■ " ' ''
capital country or coloDial carriage.
_m_
ADVEETISEMENTS.
SCHXJLTZE
WOOD GUNPOWDER.
THE SOHULTZE GUNPOWDER COMPANY (Limited), haraig
established a mannfoctory in this country, are now prepared to eieoiite m; orders
whicli may be given to them by the trade.
The Company can strongly recommend this powder, as now prepared, to tlie attention
of Sportsmen. Great improvementB have been made in its manofiuiture, to seonre the
benefit of whioh an additional patent has been obtained.
Some of the adrantages of this Powder are the foUowtng : —
Tbe rscoll of the Onii la one-tUrd lem than with ordi-
nary Onnpowder.
The report U much leaa loud.
It Bhoota with greater foroe and preol»lon.
It BollB the OniL Inappreciably.
If It beoomoB damp, Its original propnlalve force U
restored by drjrli^.
It oanaea only a thin white smoke, which qnlokly dissi-
pates, thus admitting of the immediate nse of the
second barrel—an Inestimable adrantage to Sports-
Snpplied Wholesale to the Trade at the Company's Offloee,
S6, NEW BBOAS-STBEET, LOITBON, E.G.,
And to be had Retail, and in Cartridgea, from most respectable Dealers.
',* For tbe oonveoietiM of the Trnde the Company bivs •rraiigsd with Henn. Dtbb uid RoMOii,
AmmanllioTi Huqfactnren, of But Qreeowich, S.B., and ol 189, Leulenhtll street, LoDdoD, ILC, to kew
in ttodk Uu-trldgM at tbe SohulUe Onapowder. Tenna cud be ucerUined on appliutioD it tbe OtnapMij^
OOiim.
ADTEBTISEMEHTS.
WOOLGAE & CO.,
~VV^A.TEE,I>E,OOFERS.
ooAT&LEeaiirGs
HUNTING
SIBINQ COAT. ONE eABHENT.
PA.TENTEES OF
VENTILA TING WATE RPROOFS.
FISHING COATS, FISHING TROUSERS,
PISHING STOCKINGS, FISHING BROGUES,
THE "FREKE" FISHING BAG
(BESISTEKEO).
DRIVING APRONS.
WATERPROOFS FOR WALKING OR DRIVING.
GUARANTEED FOE ALL CLIMATES.
43, LUDGATB HELL, LONDON.
ADVBBTISEMBNTS.
SATVBDAT.
'TBI KeporTt oT M
' "g™^— " '"' WMidiy JjTtnPii
^sy
DapoBn c
ALL lb> rriniilial MUslwa i< Ilit m
Ibnnliau Am OMVi IlinJnni ■
F^'ih"^;
al iDUrin H* (liu dniliit
fjKC;
/ BqnljBC. CBfdL MAtbrtl KlabxT. Bud
B But *U tlii» Ihu tnu <i( niUsm
kH oiaia vltbln tba HlmH i< Tmi
1 ttTtCLSa Hil IHwuna on
W"S^
ifJSg'
346.
QutanmLT,
rwrlT.il-A.
ex>bm: of obubb.
To Mr. EoBAGE Cox, 346, Straiid, London, W.C.
PUata tend me The Field, commenein^ with Uitt Batarday's number, and eontinue
sending it until eoiinterTiianded, I enclote £ .- : /or
Siibgcriplion in advance. Nanie
Date Addret*
ADTEETISEMENTS.
8ATUBDAT.
SiV3?Siu
r«"."mmi«
-««D.
rsS
ll'JS'S's
glKsy'saHflss
s*«;
ojrs»3;
APniBS
33
l'~"£!.;'S
■&» -
I'-sas'S
S.t- •■
Hn^if FmCU:
II, WDol-UuyluD^
MIX'
ra CMsiuiFoBUT.
ADABTBHLI. 7>. ;
ABTEBTISEUENTS.
"Idks all grand oonoaptioiu, the pTOOaMitreiiLukabls ftit Iti limpUeitr."— GLOBB.
BOGS OF EVERY DESCRIPTION,
OUNS, AND ALL SPOBTIHG APPLIANCES, (to., <to.,
U&y reAdil; be proaur»d or diapoaed of at aquluble prioes, eitliar for Monay or b; ExchuigB,
brioeuaof
Th« iipacMlii« of which is that Qeatlamen may pnrchaas or Bell, throagh its colnmns,
without publioitj aod with perfect seoarity from dishonest persoae.
PublUhtd Watdi/, pria id., by Pott, 2id.
That the Paper maj be generally aseful, it contaios muoh information aboat Bogs,
Poultry, Farming, Travel, Pigeons, 8port, Amateur Mechanics, Art, Literatore, Soienoe,
Qardeniog, Baea, and other Bnbjects of interest, all of which are illustrated when necessary.
Qiutrt«rl7 SubMciptloii, pmstdA, Sm. ML
OFFICE: 32, WELLINGTON-STBBET, STEAND, LONDON, W.O.
SLATEfi'S MEAT BISCUIT FOB DOGS
IS THE BEST AND CHEAPEST FOOD.
It ia nsed by all tbe leading Sporlameii, and at the prinalpol Kennela in Britain. 22>. per Cwt ;
2 Owt and npwardi, Oaniags paid.
TBgrmoviAXdi.
From the Bight Eoa. Lord Qeorge CaTendish, IjhJwd HalL -October 14th. istl
" I h>Ta sMd your Mau BiKiait (or ra/ doga for lb* lut two or thne jem, ud Hud It nrj good end whaLBHin*
food. I flnd Lt nrj eoonomlod Id uh, ud one greil merit li thel It reqnlne no oooklns or other prepumtloD. This le
HTenl D( mj tiiendi.— To Krwtn. Sunut Bbotbub, Oerllile,'
From Kr. Thomaa lEaTB, Oamekasper to the Sight Hon. the Earl of Ihirhain.
"I beg to romrd P.O. Order for tbe Meet lOwmlt^ I tblnb II e good food lor doge, eod ihall tooB glTe en
And Si, BiaHOPBGATE-BTBBBT WITHOUT, LOSDON.
TIw SUm healtlgr, the Coat kImij, tlie Day liapp7 1
WHITE'S CANINE DETERGENT,
&0OD alike for Harses or Dogs (for je»rs in continaed ase in Her Mniesty's Kennels), far Borpesiing
all other pfeparetloiu. Sold Id tue, irlUi direoUane for nie, it U. M., St., lOj.. end lOi. each (large iba
evrlege free), onfj bj
WnXIAK WHITE, FoTflst EennelB, Sherwood Bi», Nottingfaam.
D O Q BISOT JIXa.
WB. PETHBEBBIDQ-B. St. George's Granary, 137, Cable Street, St. George's East
• (Dur tbe Doohg), Oennlno Shlp'a Store Blacnlla. Ueet and Oatmeal Blaooll^ Tallov Qreaiea. OreaTea
Oronnd, HouDd Heal, beat Ponltrr Ulitnre, Ohloken Bioe, Isdlaa Oan, Indian Cora Heel, Ssoloh Oatme*!, etm,
Tb* Heat and OaBneal Bliciil!e are warranted anperlor to anftblng of the Und offered to the pubUo, and reonlre
' [e. Ut« Slock rMleiedfor thlpmanti eTecToanaDdattentlon ginn.
ADVBBTISEMEKTS.
In tJemy Ho., hMuUomeh/ bownd in elotk gUt, price 12«., or by pott 12«. 6d.,
Vobime II. of
THE FIELD
QVABTEBLT MAGAZIITE ASB BEVIEDir.
This Uagazine contains Articles tram the pens of the best writers of the day on FIELD
8P0ETS and NATURAL HISTORY, and, indeed, on all those aubjeota for which "Thi
Field " ia distingnislied. In addition, there is a selection from the best Articles Uiat hare
appeared in " The Fiisls, " and an epitome, from the same paper, of all information whi^,
when preserved, ia likely to be nseful to the Sportsman and Country Gentleman.
■e classified untJer the foUovnng headingt, t
Ths Oonlmle c
AUTGLrN-Q.
ATHLETIC SPORTS.
COUNTRY HOUSE.
OOURSINa.
CRICKET.
CROQUET.
farm:
Arlieles on ike Ameriean Ifihvvue Canal, Bird Destruction, the Salmon
Uimter at Home, Cattle Poisoned by Aconte, Oyster Oultare, S^c, Sfc,
FOOTBALL.
GARDEN.
HUNTING.
KENNEL.
LIBRARY.
NATURAL HISTORY.
PASTIMES.
BOWING.
SHOOTING.
SWIMMING.
TRAVEL.
TURF.
VETERINARIAN.
YACHTING.
a a Colonasl, the
•6 tUso given.
BTTIjIj-PA<3-B] ILLT78TRA.TIOWS ON TONED PA-PBR.
HORACE COX, 346, STRAND, LONDON, W. C.
W. G. CLARKE'S BUFFALO MEAT BISCUITS
ANCHOR BISCUIT WORKS, 2, BROAD STREET, HATOLIFP, LONDON, E.
DOaS!!! r>OOS!!! DOOS!!! r>OaS!!!
ASnCE GBATIS.
I>0aS.-aA.0EHAir8 DI8TBHFBB BALLB, Thsonlf
CersaiD Car* avflr diacoTAnd for dIsCempar. No
madAT KtWhAt BtAffA,nOOTBTT_ll(»TtlUn,
sooe.-BAOKHAirs tokio oondItion balls.
DOOS.-HADKHAJl'S TOBM BALLS.
Ctirias atcer ill other idianlied ronKlIsi burs
ADTICB OKATIS.
AM-B PtmOtNO BA_.„.
-KACKHAu;8 i.'^ii|iDicB ba£u.
-&a.ckhah;b Ptmgnto balls.
I<U BALLa.
;kham'8 ear oahIIbb spxcdio.
-BACKHAK'B DLUIBH<E
iioiag eTVT prepvmtlon. £1, la., J
:i« sob, irlth MldUnKtiona for in
BACKHAM'a JAFAIf BOAP FOB DOQB.
aUDD doKt ot any siae or nffe. TabJAti, Od. aDd la. eftah ; post fro*, H andlA alu
ADVERTISEMENTS.
LIST OF BOOK
FUBIilSHirD BT
HOBACE cox, at 346, STKAND, LONDON, W.O.
;
FACTS and USEFUL HINTS relating to FISHING and SHOOTING;
being a Golleotion of Information and Recipes of all descriptions of the greatest utility to the
general Sportsman, to which is added a series of Recipes on the Management of Dogs in Health and
Disease. Vol. L of ** The Field ** Libbabt. Second Edition. Large post 8yo., price 5s. cloth.
THE COUNTRY HOUSE ; a CoUection of Useful Information and Itecipes,
adapted to the country gentleman and his household, and of the greatest utility to the house-
keeper ^generally. Illustrated. Vol. IL of ** The Field " Libbabt. Second Edition, enlarged and
revised. Large post 8vo., price 5s. cloth.
THE FARM : being Part I. of the Second Edition of " The Farm, Garden,
Stable, and Ayiary.** Valuable to country gentlemen, farmers, &o. YoL III. of " The Field "
Libbabt. Large post 8to., price 5«. cloth.
THE GARDEN : being Part II. of the Second Edition of " The Farm,
Garden, Stable, and Ayiary.'* Yol. III. of ^' The Field " Libbabt. Large post Sto., price 5s.
cloth.
THE STABLE : being Part III. of the Second Edition of '' The Farm,
Garden, Stable, and Aviary." Vol. III. of ** The Field " Libbabt. Large post Svo., price 5s. cloth.
A TEAR OF LIBERTY ; or, Salmon Angling in Ireland. Vol. IV. of
**The Field" Libbabt. Price 5s. doth.
EXPERIENCES OF A GAME PRESERVER. Vol. VI. of ^'The Field ^'
Libbabt. By " DEADFALL." Large post 8vo., price 5s. cloth.
SKETCHES of LIFE, SCENERY, and SPORT in NORWAY. Vol. VIH.
of " The Field " Libbabt. By the Rev. M. R. BARNARD, B.A. The work is admirably
adapted for use as a Sporting Tourist's Handbook, while it is of absorbing interest to the genend
reader. Price Qs, 6dl, post free 6s. lOd,
THE RAIL and the ROD; or. The Tourist-Angler's Guide to Waters
and Quarters. In Parts, paper wrapper, price Is. each ; in cloth Is. 6dl ; post free 2d. extra.
No. 1. Gbbat Eabtbbn Railwat.
No. 2. Gbeat Westebk Railwat.
No. 8. Sooth- Webtbbn Railwat.
No. 4. South-Eastbbn Railwat.
No. 5 and No. 6. Gbbat Eastebn, London and Nobth-Wbstbbn, Midland, and Gbbat Nobthebn
Railwatb.
SHIFTS and EXPEDIENTS OF CAMP LIFE, TRAVEL, and EXPLO-
RATION. By W. B. LORD, Royal Artillery, and T. BAINES, F.R.G.S. The work is written
expressly for the use of Military and Naval Officers, Missionaries, Travellers, and any who may be
obliged to " rough it " in Foreign and Savage Countries ; and it is believed that the " Shifts and
Ex}Mdients " here gathered together will be found of the greatest service to all such. The work con-
tains about 900 pages, and nearly 400 Illustrations. Pri6e 45s., cloth gilt ; or in 17 parts, 2s. 6dL each.
THE ANGLER'S DIARY, wherein the Angler can Register his Take of
Fish throughout the Year. An extensive List of Fishing Stations throughout the World is
added. Price Is. 6dL, post free Is. Sd. ; cloth 2s., post free 2s. 2d,
A TREATISE on HARNESS, SADDLES, and BRIDLES : their History,
and Manufacture, from the Earliest times down to the present period. By A. DAVIS. In
large post 8vo., price 2s. doth.
''PHE COURSING CALENDAR AND REVIEW. Edited by
J. « SXOKEHBNQE." Half-yearly Vols. Foap. Sto., piice 10<. 6d. cloth, post-free 10s. 9d.
y
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