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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


MODERN    DOGS. 
SPORTING    DIVISION 


A 

HISTORY    AND    DESCRIPTION 


OF    THE 


MODEEN    DOGS 

(SPORTING   DIVISION) 


OF 


GREAT  BRITAIN  AND  IRELAND, 


BY 


RAWDON     B.     LEE, 

n 

KENNEL   EDITOR   OF    "THE    FIELD,"   AUTHOR   OF    THE    HISTORIES    OF 

"THE  FOX  TERRIER,"  "THE  COLLIE,"  ETC. 


THE  ILLUSTRATIONS  BY  ARTHUR  WARDLE. 


LONDON : 

HORACE     COX, 

FIELD  "  OFFICE,  WINDSOR    HOUSE,    BREAM'S    BUILDINGS, 
CHANCERY    LANE,   E.G. 

1893. 


LONDON : 
PRINTED    BY    HORACE    COX,    WINDSOR    HOUSE,    BREAM'S    BUILDINGS,    E.C. 


PREFACE. 

IN  the  following  pages  an  endeavour  has  been 
made  to  summarise  the  progress,  and  describe  the 
varieties,  of  the  dog  as  they  are  at  present  known, 
and,  I  believe,  appreciated,  in  the  British  Isles. 
Without  losing  any  of  the  early  history,  my  wish  has 
been  to  introduce  matter  bringing  the  subject  up  to 
date ;  not  only  so  far  as  the  work  of  dogs  in  the 
field  is  concerned,  but  as  they  are  found  as  com- 
panions, and  when  winning,  or  attempting  to  win, 
prizes  in  the  show  ring. 

One  or  two  new  features  have  been  introduced, 
or  rather  revived,  the  most  important  change 
being  in  connection  with  Mr.  Wardle's  illustrations. 
With  two  exceptions  these  are  not  portraits,  although 
originally  drawn  from  living  examples.  They  are 
to  be  taken  as  typical  specimens  of  the  various 


vi  Preface. 


breeds  they  represent.  The  reasons  for  this  de- 
parture from  modern  custom  will  be  obvious ;  and 
no  doubt,  for  future  reference,  such  pictures  must  be 
more  useful  than  any  portraits  of  individual  dogs 
could  be — dogs  whose  prominence  before  the  public 
is  more  or  less  ephemeral. 

The  exceptions  are  the  drawings  of  the  Grey- 
hounds and  of  the  Kerry  Beagles.  For  the  former, 
the  extraordinary  work  of  the  two  great  grey- 
hounds, "  Master  M'Grath  "  and  "  Fullerton,"  could 
not  be  passed  over;  besides,  they  form  an  admirable 
example  of  how  two  hounds,  totally  different  in 
make  and  shape,  can  be  equally  good  in  the  field. 
This  is  the  first  occasion  upon  which  an  illustration 
of  the  Kerry  Beagle  has  been  published  in  a  work 
of  this  kind.  The  drawing  that  faces  page  97  is 
taken  from  a  photograph  kindly  lent  me  by  Mr. 
Clement  Ryan,  of  Emly  House,  Tipperary,  and  is, 
I  believe,  quite  successful  in  conveying  an  idea  of 
what  a  Kerry  Beagle  is  like. 

Following  the  precedent  of  other  writers,  a  point 
scale  is  included  in  the  description  of  each  breed  of 


Preface.  vii 


dog.  This  is  done,  not  with  an  idea  that  such 
figures  are  of  the  slightest  use  in  proving  the  excel- 
lence, or  otherwise,  of  any  animal,  but  because 
some  readers,  accustomed  to  such  tables,  might 
think  the  book  somewhat  incomplete  without  them. 

I  thank  all  who  assisted  in  providing  subjects  for 
illustration,  and  in  giving  valuable  information  that 
could  not  have  been  obtained,  except  from  owners 
who  have  made  individual  varieties  of  the  dog  a 
special  study.  To  them  I  dedicate  this  work,  as  a 
slight  return  for  their  kindness  and  the  interest 
they  have  taken  in  its  publication. 

RAWDON    B.    LEE. 

Brixton,  London,  March,   1893. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   I. 
THE  BLOODHOUND 


CHAPTER    II. 
THE  FOXHOUND 


4I 
CHAPTER   III. 


THE  STAGHOUND 

CHAPTER   IV. 


THE  HARRIER 81 

CHAPTER   V. 
THE  BEAGLE 9I 

CHAPTER  VI. 
THE  OTTER  HOUND 107 

CHAPTER  VII. 
THE  DEERHOUND I2I 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  GREYHOUND    ....    

b 


Contents. 


CHAPTER   IX. 
THE  WHIPPET  .         l67 

CHAPTER   X. 
THE  GREAT  DANE  ...  •     lll 

CHAPTER   XI. 
THE  IRISH  WOLFHOUND iQ5 

CHAPTER   XII. 
THE  BORZOI  OR  RUSSIAN  WOLFHOUND    ....     207 

CHAPTER   XIII. 
THE  POINTER 233 

CHAPTER   XIV. 
THE  SETTER 275 

CHAPTER   XV. 
THE  ENGLISH  SETTER 295 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
THE  BLACK  AND  TAN  OR  GORDON  SETTER  ...     327 

CHAPTER   XVII. 
THE  IRISH  SETTER 343 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
THE  RETRIEVER 369 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
THE  SPANIEL  V  .    , 399 


Contents.  xi 


CHAPTER    XX. 
THE  IRISH  WATER  SPANIEL 409 

CHAPTER   XXI. 
THE  ENGLISH  WATER  SPANIEL 427 

CHAPTER   XXII. 
THE  CLUMBER  SPANIEL 433 

CHAPTER   XXIII. 
THE  SUSSEX  SPANIEL 453 

CHAPTER   XXIV. 
THE  BLACK  FIELD  SPANIEL 467 

CHAPTER   XXV. 
THE  NORFOLK  SPANIEL 477 

CHAPTER   XXVI. 
SPANIELS  OTHER  THAN  BLACK 481 

CHAPTER   XXVII. 
THE  COCKER 487 

CHAPTER   XXVIII. 
THE  BASSET  HOUND 497 

CHAPTER   XXIX: 
THE  DACHSHUND 525 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


POINTERS  AND  SETTER Frontispiece. 

BLOODHOUND Facing  page       \ 

FOXHOUNDS ,,  41 

HARRIERS „  81 

BEAGLES „  91 

KERRY  BEAGLES ,,  97 

OTTER  HOUNDS „  107 

DEERHOUNDS .     .  „  121 

GREYHOUNDS „  143 

WHIPPETS ,,  167 

GREAT  DANE ,,  177 

IRISH  WOLFHOUND „  195 

BORZOI „  207 

POINTER „  233 

SETTERS  (English) »  .  ,,  295 

,,          (Black  and  Tan) ,,  327 

(Irish)      ........  „  343 


xiv  Illustrations. 


RETRIEVERS  (Curly-Coated)  ...  .  Facing  page  373 

,,  (Flat  or  Wavy-Coated)  .  ,,  381 

SPANIELS  (Irish  Water) „  409 

(Clumbers) „  433 

(Sussex) „  453 

(Black) „  467 

(Cocker) „  487 

BASSET  HOUNDS „  497 

DACHSHUNDS •„  525 


fpokrtt  §035  of  drnit 


CHAPTER     I. 
THE    BLOODHOUND. 

THE  origin  of  the  bloodhound  cannot  be  traced 
with  any  degree  of  satisfaction,  but  we  believe  that 
no  modern  breed  of  dog  is  so  like  that  progenitor 
of  his  that  may  have  lived  three  or  four  hundred 
years  ago,  as  is  this  well-favoured  variety.  Although 
repeatedly  used  as  a  cross  to  improve  the  olfactory 
organs,  and  the  size  and  strength  of  other  hounds, 
especially  of  the  otterhound,  he  has  always  had 
admirers,  who  kept  him  for  his  own  sake — because  of 
his  handsome  and  noble  appearance,  because  he  was 
a  good  watch  and  guard,  and  because  he  bore  a 
vulgar  character  for  ferocity  not  attained  by  any 
other  dog. 

The  name  "  bloodhound,"  or  sleuth  hound,  had 
something  to  do  with  this,  and  he  always  bore 
the  reputation  of  being  able  to  find  a  man,  be  he 

[VOL.  I.]  B 


Modern  Dogs. 


thief  or  otherwise,  by  scent,  and  either  run  him  to 
ground,  as  it  were,  or  bring  him  to  bay  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  make  his  capture  speedy.  He  does 
this  without  biting  or  worrying  his  "  human  chase  " 
in  the  manner  writers  have  often  told  us  he  was  in 
the  habit  of  doing. 

The  natural  instinct  of  this  hound  is  rather  to 
hunt  man  than  beast.  As  a  puppy  he  may  put  his 
nose  to  the  ground  and  fumble  out  the  line  of  any 
pedestrian  who  has  just  passed  along  the  road. 
Other  dogs  will,  as  a  rule,  commence  by  hunting 
their  master,  the  bloodhound  finds  his  nose  by 
hunting  a  stranger.  There  are  old  records  of  his 
being  repeatedly  used  for  the  latter  purpose,  whether 
the  quarry  to  be  found  were  a  murderer  or  poacher, 
or  maybe  only  some  poor  gentleman  or  nobleman 
whose  politics  or  religion  was  not  quite  in  conformity 
with  that  of  those  bigots  who  happened  to  be  placed 
over  him. 

Early  in  the  seventeenth  century,  when  the  Moss- 
troopers (but  a  polite  name  for  Scottish  robbers) 
invested  the  border  counties  of  Cumberland,  North- 
umberland, and  Westmoreland,  it  was  found  that  the 
ordinary  means  of  arrest  and  punishment  were 
insufficient  to  stop  the  raids  of  the  thieves,  so  special 
provision  was  made  that  should,  if  possible,  put  an 
end  to  their  depredations.  The  Scots  were  fleet  of 


The  Bloodhound. 


foot  and  active,  and  it  was  believed  that  the 
employment  of  bloodhounds  would  strike  terror 
into  the  hearts  of  the  marauders.  The  latter 
.were  to  be  pursued  "  with  hot  trod  fragrant 
delect,  with  red  hand  (as  the  Scots  termed  it), 
with  hound,  and  horn,  and  voice."  Surely  such 
a  hunt  as  this  would  be  exciting  enough,  and 
the  hard-visaged  borderers  would  have  little  com- 
punction in  allowing  their  hounds  to  give  full  vent 
to  their  savagery. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  a  warrant  issued  in 
September,  1616,  to  the  garrison  at  Carlisle,  giving 
orders  as  to  the  keeping  of  "  slough  dogs :  " 

Whereas  upon  due  consideration  of  the  increase  of  stealths,  daily 
growing  both  in  deed  and  report  among  you  on  the  borders,  we 
formally  concluded  and  agreed,  that  for  reformations  therefor, 
watches  should  be  set,  and  slough  dogs  provided  and  kept  according 
to  the  contents  of  His  Majesty's  directions  to  us  in  that  behalf 
prescribed  ;  and  for  that,  according  to  our  agreement,  Sir  William 
Hutton,  at  his  last  being  in  the  country,  and  appoint  how  the 
watches  should  be  kept,  when  and  where  they  should  begin,  and 
how  they  might  best  and  most  fitly  continue.  And  for  the 
bettering  of  His  Majesty's  service,  and  preventing  further  danger 
that  might  ensue  by  the  outlaws  in  resorting  to  the  houses  of 
Thomas  Routledge,  alias  Balihead,  being  nearest  and  next 
adjoining  to  the  Marshes  (he  himself  having  also  joined  them — 
as  is  reported),  order  and  direction  were  likewise  given,  that  some 
of  the  garrison  should  keep  and  reside  in  his  the  said  Thomas 
Routledge's  house ;  and  there  to  remain  until  further  directions 
be  given  them,  unless  he  the  said  Thomas  Routledge  shall  come 

B    2 


Modern  Dogs. 


in  and  enter  himself  answerable  to  His  Majesty's  law,  as  is  most 
convenient  ....  and  that  you  see  that  slough  dogs  be  pro- 
vided according  to  our  former  directions,  as  this  note  to  this 
warrant  annexed  particularly  sets  down. 

The  slough  dogs  to  be  provided  and  kept  at  the 
charge  of  the  inhabitants,  were  as  follows : 

Beyond  Eske,  there  is  to  be  kept  at  the  foot  of  the  Sarke  one 
dog;  by  the  inhabitants  the  inside  of  the  Sarke  to  Richmond 
Clugh,  to  be  kept  at  the  Moate  one  dog ;  by  the  inhabitants  of 
the  parish  of  Arthured,  above  Richmond's  Clugh  with  the  Bayliffe 
and  Blackquarter,  to  be  kept  at  Baliehead  one  dog. 

Without  quoting  the  whole  of  the  warrant,  it 
may  be  stated  that  six  other  "  slough  dogs  "  were 
ordered  to  be  provided  and  kept  at  the  expense  of 
the  following  parishes,  one  dog  in  each  :  Newcastle, 
Stapleton,  Irdington  ;  Lanercost  and  Walton  ;  Kirk- 
lington,  Scaleby,  Houghton,  and  Rickarby ;  and 
Westlinton ;  Roucliff,  Etterby,  Staunton,  Stanix  and 
Cargo,  to  be  kept  at  Roucliff. 

No  doubt  there  was  considerable  difficulty  in 
obtaining  the  levy  or  tax  from  the  inhabitants  to 
keep  these  hounds  in  condition  fit  to  run  down  a 
man,  and  not  hungry  enough  to  eat  him  when  they 
had  caught  him.  In  case  of  refusal  to  pay  their 
dues  to  the  sheriff  or  bailiffs  appointed  to  collect  the 
same,  the  defaulters  were  to  be  put  into  gaol  till  the 
amount  due  was  forthcoming.  It  would  be  quite 


The  Bloodhound. 


interesting  to  note  whether  such  imprisonment  was 
ever  enforced.  Whether  this  was  so  or  not,  I  have 
not  found  any  record  to  show,  but  it  was  said  that 
the  hounds  proved  very  useful  for  the  purpose  for 
which  they  were  provided. 

The  utilisation  of  bloodhounds  in  the  above 
manner  did  not  escape  the  notice  of  Sir  Walter 
Scott.  A  King  of  Scotland,  Robert  Bruce,  threw 
hounds  off  his  track  by  wading  down  stream,  and 
thus  without  touching  the  river  bank  contriving 
to  ensconce  himself,  squirrel-like,  in  a  tree.  The 
great  Wallace,  too,  was  so  sorely  pressed  by  sleuth 
hounds  that  to  save  himself  he  slew  a  companion 
whom  he  suspected,  so  when  the  creatures  came 
up,  they  remained  with  the  dead  man  whilst  the 
living  one  escaped.  Later  the  ill-fated  Duke  of 
Monmouth,  who  sought  concealment  in  a  ditch,  after 
his  defeat  by  the  Royal  troops  at  Sedgemoor,  was 
discovered  in  his  ignoble  position  by  bloodhounds. 
Happily  this  was  the  last  battle  fought  on  English 
ground,  and  it  seems  strange  that  its  cause,  "  King  " 
Monmouth,  should  be  so  captured  by  means  of  a 
British  hound.  In  1795,  two  hundred  bloodhounds 
were,  under  British  auspices,  landed  in  Jamaica  for 
the  purpose  of  subduing  a  rising  of  the  Maroons. 
Fortunately  this  canine  importation  struck  such 
terror  in  the  hearts  of  the  rebels  that  they  at 


Modern  Dogs. 


once  laid  down  their  arms  and  the  war  came  to 
an  end. 

However,  long  before  Sedgemoor  and  the  time  of 
the  border  forays  the  bloodhound  was  used  in  this 
country.  Gratius  Faliscus,  and  Strabo,  about  the 
Christian  era,  mentioned  the  importation  of  dogs  of 
this  kind  from  Britain  to  Gaul,  and  Oppian  im- 
mortalises in  verse  the  Agassaeos  for  their  exquisite 
power  of  scent  and  great  courage.  These  big  dogs 
were  obtained  from  Britain  for  the  ignoble  purposes 
of  war.  Afterwards  they  came  to  be  used  for 
hunting  the  stag  and  other  large  game,  and  from 
them  are  no  doubt  descended  many  of  the  fine 
hounds,  still  to  be  found  in  the  possession  of  our 
Gallic  cousins. 

Dame  Juliana  Berners,  writing  in  her  "  Book  of  St. 
Albans,"  published  in  1486,  does  not  appear  to 
mention  the  bloodhound,  or  sleuth  hound,  but  the 
Lemor  or  Lymer  is  no  doubt  the  same  dog,  and  so 
called  because  it  ran  the  line  of  scent,  and  not,  as  it 
has  been  asserted,  because  it  was  the  custom  to  run 
it  in  a  leash.  Dr.  Keyes  (1570),  mentions  them  as 
having  lips  of  large  size,  and  ears  of  no  small  length. 
The  learned  doctor  tells  us  how  these  hounds  ought 
to  be  chained  up  in  the  daytime  in  dark  places,  so 
that  they  become  bolder  and  more  courageous  in 
following  the  felon  in  the  "  solitary  hours  of  dark- 


f 

The  Bloodhound. 


ness."  He  likewise  describes  them  as  being  run 
in  a  leash  which  is  held  in  the  hand  of  the  man 
in  charge  of  the  dogs.  This  was  to  enable  the 
huntsman,  shall  I  call  him,  to  be  up  with  the  hounds 
when  his  services  would  be  required.  It  seems  from 
the  same  writer,  that,  in  addition  to  hunting  the  foot- 
steps of  the  felon,  these  dogs  were  also  trained  to 
hunt  the  cattle  that  might  have  been  stolen,  a 
purpose  for  which  he  says  they  were  much  used  on 
the  borders.  This  may  have  been  so  or  not,  most 
likely  the  latter,  for  a  drove  of  stolen  cattle  would  be 
easy  enough  to  track  without  the  aid  of  a  keen 
scenting  "  slough  dog,"  though  he  might  be  able  to 
be  of  assistance,  should  the  thief  be  ambitious  to  try 
the  strength  and  powers  of  his  would-be  captor. 

From  that  period  down  to  the  present  time,  the 
bloodhound  was  mostly  kept  as  a  companion,  and 
only  occasionally  has  he  been  trained  to  "  man- 
hunting,"  to  the  terror  of  the  poacher  and  the  evil- 
doer. For  the  latter  purpose,  he  has  repeatedly 
proved  of  great  service,  and  many  stones  are  told  of 
the  extraordinary  power  a  skilful  hound  may  possess, 
in  its  faculty  for  sticking  to  the  old  scent,  however 
it  may  have  been  crossed  and  re-crossed  by  either 
man  or  beast.  Colonel  Huldman  mentions  the 
capture  of  some  poachers  through  the  instru- 
mentality of  bloodhounds,  who  hunted  the  men  fully 


8  Modern  Dogs. 


for  five  miles  from  the  plantation,  in  which  they  were 
committing  their  depredations.  Another  case  is 
mentioned,  where  a  sheep-stealer  was  discovered  by 
similar  means,  though  the  hound  was  not  laid  on  the 
man's  track  until  his  scent  was  at  least  six  hours 
old.  Another  hound  is  said  to  have  hunted  for 
twenty  miles  a  fellow  who  was  suspected  of  having 
cut  off  the  ears  of  one  of  his  former  master's  horses, 
and  the  scoundrel  was  captured  and  treated  accord- 
ing to  his  deserts. 

The  Field  had  the  following  not  long  ago : 

In  1854  Tom  Finkle,  an  old  superintendent  of  police, 
was  stationed  at  Bedale,  in  Yorkshire,  before  the  rural  force  was 
established.  He  was  the  owner  of  a  bloodhound  named  Voltigeur. 
Old  Tom  was  fond  of  company,  and  at  that  time  sat  for  many  a 
night  in  the  public-houses  along  with  the  farmers  and  tradesmen. 
When  he  was  wanted  for  anything  particular  at  the  police  station, 
Mrs.  Finkle  would  let  Voltigeur  loose  with,  "  Go  and  fetch  master," 
and,  no  matter  where  "  master "  was,  either  in  Bedale  or  the 
neighbourhood,  the  hound  was  sure  to  find  him ;  and  the  moment 
Finkle  saw  Voltigeur,  the  old  superintendent  knew  he  was 
required  at  the  station. 

In  the  winter  of  1854,  or  early  in  1855,  certain  burglars  broke 
into  a  house  at  Askew,  and  stole  a  quantity  of  silver  plate  and 
linen.  The  burglars,  heard  by  the  inmates  of  the  house,  had 
to  decamp  rather  hurriedly,  and  a  messenger  was  immediately 
sent  to  the  police  station  to  report  the  outrage.  Old  Tom  was,  as 
usual,  with  his  companions  at  the  Royal  Oak,  whilst  his  wife  was 
in  bed.  The  latter  immediately  got  up  and  turned  Voltigeur  loose, 
with  the  order,  "  Go  and  fetch  master."  The  hound  was  not  long 
in  doing  his  duty,  and  Tom,  jumping  off  his  seat,  said  to  his 


The  Bloodhound. 


friends,  "  I  am  wanted  at  home,"  and  hurried  there  as  quickly  as 
possible.  His  wife  reported  the  circumstances  of  the  robbery  to 
her  husband,  who  at  once  called  his  constable,  and  saddled 
his  horse. 

The  two  then  started  off  to  the  scene  of  the  robbery,  and  after 
visiting  the  house  and  learning  all  particulars,  they  went  outside. 
When  in  the  grounds,  Finkle  said  to  Voltigeur,  "  Where  are  they  ? 
Seek  '  em,"  and  Voltigeur,  putting  his  nose  to  the  ground,  took 
up  the  scent  and  went  away  at  a  nice  pace,  every  now  and  then 
giving  tongue.  The  night  being  calm,  Voltigeur's  voice  was  heard 
by  many.  The  hound  made  out  the  line  of  the  robbers  on  to  the 
High-street  leading  from  Boroughbridge  to  Catterick,  and  after 
going  about  three  miles  on  the  High-street  he  stopped  suddenly 
at  a  small  watercourse  that  ran  under  the  road.  The  superin- 
tendent dismounted  and  looked  under  the  bridge,  where  he  found 
a  bundle  containing  a  quantity  of  linen  and  silver  plate,  part  of 
the  proceeds  of  the  robbery.  He  waited  there  for  a  time  until  his 
man  came  up,  then,  remounting,  ordered  his  hound  on  again". 
Voltigeur  put  his  nose  to  the  ground,  and  went  back  along  the 
same  road  he  had  come  for  about  a  mile.  Then  through  a  gate 
he  made  his  way  to  an  outbarn  and  buildings. 

Here  the  bloodhound  became  more  excited,  and  was  baying 
and  giving  tongue  freely  as  his  owner  and  his  man  got  up.  The 
superintendent  went  to  one  door,  and  the  constable  to  the  other. 
The  former  demanded  admittance,  but  all  was  still  as  death,  and 
the  doors  fast.  Tom  looked  about  the  buildings  and  found  a 
crowbar,  and  was  then  soon  into  the  barn,  where  he  discovered 
two  men  concealed  in  the  straw.  They  appealed  for  mercy,  and 
prayed  him  to  keep  the  dog  off,  and  they  would  yield  themselves 
up  quietly.  The  prisoners  were  then  secured  and  searched,  and 
upon  them  was  found  the  remainder  of  the  stolen  property. 
They  were  taken  to  Bedale,  locked  up  for  the  night,  next  day 
brought  before  the  magistrates  and  committed  to  the  assizes, 
where  they  were  sentenced  to  five  years'  penal  servitude  each, 
there  being  previous  convictions  against  them.  Voltigeur  was  of 


io  Modern  Dogs. 

the  Duke  of  Leed's  strain  of  bloodhounds,  some  of  which  were  at 
that  time  kept  at  Hornby  Castle,  Yorkshire. 

But  dog  stories,  like  the  yarns  of  fishermen  and 
shooters,  are  apt  to  become  rather  monotonous 
than  otherwise,  to  say  nothing  of  the  exaggerations 
that  creep  into  them  occasionally.  However,  the 
authenticity  of  the  above  interesting  account  is 
beyond  reproach,  hence  it.  was  deemed  worthy  of 
reproduction  here. 

Captain  Powell,  wnriting  in  1892  on  the  convicts 
of  Florida  (London  :  Gay  and  Bird),  gives  some 
interesting  information  as  to  the  dogs  used  there  in 
tracking  such  criminals  as  may  attempt  to  escape. 
He  says  that,  although  bloodhounds  were  first  used, 
they  were  found  quite  useless,  and  at  the  present 
time  foxhounds  were  used  for  man-hunting  in  all 
the  southern  convict  camps.  These  hounds  are 
trained  when  young  to  follow  the  track  of  a  man 
who  is  sent  to  run  a  few  miles  through  the  woods  ; 
and  there  is  no  difficulty  whatever  in  so  training 
them.  Indeed,  the  author  tells  us  that  he  has  had 
hounds  that  were  "  natural  man-hunters/'  He  gives 
an  instance  where  some  puppies  he  was  carrying  at 
the  time  a  convict  tried  to  escape  were  put  on  his 
trail,  and  followed  it  until  he  was  captured.  Captain 
Powell  corroborates  what  I  have  already  written, 
that  it  is  a  popular  error  to  suppose  that  hounds 


The  Bloodhound.  u 


attack  a  prisoner  when  they  run  up  upon  him. 
When  once  the  man  is  brought  to  bay,  they  are 
a  great  deal  too  wary  to  venture  close  enough  to 
their  chase  to  run  the  risk  of  a  blow ;  in  fact,  they 
merely  act  as  guides  to  the  men  who  follow  closely 
on  horseback. 

Some  six  years  or  so  ago,  at  Warwick,  in  1886,  an 
attempt  was  made  to  hold  trials  of  bloodhounds  in 
connection  with  the  dog  show  held  there.  These 
were,  however,  a  failure,  excepting  so  far  as  they 
afforded  an  inducement  to  owners  of  the  variety  to 
give  a  little  time  and  trouble  to  working  their 
favourites,  which  hitherto  had  only  been  kept  for 
fancy  purposes.  A  little  later,  similar  meetings  were 
held  at  Dublin,  in  the  grounds  of  the  Alexandra 
Palace,  London,  and  elsewhere,  but  in  no  case  could 
they  be  called  very  successful. 

I  had  the  good  fortune  to  be  present  at  two 
particularly  interesting  gatherings,  that  took  place 
during  the  wintry  weather  of  January,  1889,  and, 
maybe,  the  following  particulars,  written  at  the  time, 
give  a  better  idea  of  the  modern  capabilities  of  blood- 
hounds than  could  be  written  now.  It  must  be 
noted  that  the  hounds  mentioned  were  of  the  so- 
called  prize  strains,  were  "  show  dogs  "  in  the 
modern  acceptation  of  the  term,  and,  excepting 
perhaps  in  ferocity,  they  would  no  doubt  compare 


12  Modern  Dogs. 


favourably  with  any  hounds  of  the  kind  that  lived 
fifty,  a  hundred,  or  more  years  ago. 

Readers  will  no  doubt  be  aware  that,  about  1889 
and  a  little  earlier,  considerable  commotion  had 
been  caused  in  the  metropolis  by  the  perpetra- 
tion of  some  terrible  crimes.  The  police  arrange- 
ments were  quite  futile,  and  the  murderers  still 
remain  at  large.  The  attention  of  the  authorities 
was  drawn  to  the  fact,  that  bloodhounds  might  be 
of  use  to  them  in  such  a  case.  Mr.  Hood  Wright 
offered  the  loan  of  his  hound  Hector,  but,  owing  to 
the  fact  that  he  required  some  indemnity  in  case  his 
dog  was  killed  or  injured,  Hector  remained  at  home. 

Mr.  E.  Brough  was  then  communicated  with,  and 
he  brought  from  Scarborough  to  London  a  couple  of 
his  hounds,  when  they  had  several  "  rehearsals  "  in 
St.  James's  Park,  where  they  acquitted  themselves 
to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Chief  Commissioner  of 
Police ;  but  it  may  be  said,  that,  though  repeatedly 
the  line  of  scent  was  crossed  by  a  strange  foot, 
without  throwing  off  the  hound,  when  the  same  was 
done  in  the  streets  and  on  the  pavement  hounds 
were  quite  at  fault.  Indeed,  to  be  useful  in  tracking 
criminals  in  a  town  very  special  training  would  be 
needed,  and,  personally,  I  believe  that  bloodhounds, 
even  with  that  training,  would  be  useless  in  our 
large  centres  for  police  purposes. 


The  Bloodhound.  13 


Under  fair  conditions  any  bloodhound  will,  in  a  few 
lessons,  run  the  trail  of  a  man  a  mile  or  two,  or  more, 
whose  start  may  vary  from  ten  minutes  or  a  quarter 
of  an  hour,  or  longer.  Some  of  the  more  practised 
hounds  can  hunt  the  scent  even  though  it  be  an  hour 
old,  and  we  know  that  a  couple  of  Mr.  Brough's 
bloodhounds,  early  one  summer's  morning,  hunted 
for  a  considerable  distance  the  footsteps  of  a  man 
who  had  gone  along  the  road  eight  hours  before. 

This  is,  of  course,  exceptional,  but,  with  a  proper 
course  of  training  during  three  or  four  generations, 
there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  that  bloodhounds  would 
.be  able  to  reliably  make  out  the  trail  of  a  man  who 
had  gone  three  or  four  hours  previously — so  long,  of 
course,  as  his  footsteps  have  not  been  crossed  and 
recrossed  by  others,  or  foiled  in  any  other  way. 

That  hounds  will  ever  be  got  to  track  a  criminal, 
or  anyone  else,  on  the  cold,  damp  flags  continually 
passed  over  by  pedestrians,  as  in  the  streets  of 
London  and  other  large  towns,  no  one  who  under- 
stands them  will  believe.  Such  work  they  never  have 
done,  and  never  will  do ;  nor  do  the  owners  them- 
selves aspire  to  such  excellence  for  their  favourites 
In  country  districts  they  may  be  of  aid,  but  in  towns, 
so  far  as  appearances  are  at  present,  the  apprehension 
of  criminals  must  be  left  to  the  mental  sagacity  of 
the  official  biped. 


14  Modern  Dogs. 


Bloodhounds  might  be  of  use  in  smelling  out  any 
secreted  article  or  a  man  in  hiding ;  but  an  equally 
well-trained  retriever,  or  even  terrier  or  poodle, 
would  do  this  description  of  work  equally  well. 

The  bloodhound  stands  alone  amongst  all  the 
canine  race  in  his  fondness  for  hunting  the  footsteps 
of  a  stranger ;  any  dog  will  hunt  those  of  his  master 
or  of  someone  he  knows,  and  of  a  stranger,  probably, 
whose  shoes  are  soaked  in  some  stinking  preparation 
to  leave  a  scent  behind.  The  bloodhound  requires 
nothing  but  the  so-called  "  clean  shoe,"  and,  once  lay 
him  on  the  track,  he  hunts  it  as  a  foxhound  would  the 
fox,  or  the  harrier  or  beagle  the  hare. 

To  proceed  with  the  following  description  of  man- 
hunting  with  bloodhounds: 

The  storm  of  Sunday  had  passed,  and  how  deep 
the  snow  lay  in  the  streets  and  in  the  country  places 
on  the  Monday,  are  now  a  matter  of  history.  The  air 
was  keen  and  sharp,  made  so  by  a  brisk  north  wind 
which  blew  on  the  Monday  morning,  when  we  left 
Euston  station  for  Boxmoor,  where  we  were  to  see 
two  couples  of  Mr.  Brough's  bloodhounds  run  in  the 
open  country  without  assistance  of  any  kind,  and 
under  any  conditions  which  might  prevail  at  the  time. 
Surely  the  surroundings  could  not  well  have  been 
more  unfavourable  unless  a  rapid  thaw,  immediately 
following  the  snow,  had  made  them  so.  At  Boxmoor 


The  Bloodhound.  15 

the  country  was  thoroughly  white.  The  snow  lay  on 
the  ground  to  an  uniform  depth  of  about  eight  inches  ; 
where  it  had  drifted,  occasionally  we  were  almost  up 
to  our  knees.  For  a  time  the  sky  was  fairly  bright, 
but  later  a  blinding  shower  of  snow  fell,  which 
happily  cleared  off  in  about  an  hour's  time.  At  our 
terminus  we  were  joined  by  Mr.  Holmes  Pegler,  who 
brought  with  him  a  dog  hound  named  Danger,  by 
Maltravers  out  of  Blossom.  This  hound  a  few 
generations  back  can  claim  some  of  the  old  southern 
hound  blood  ;  but  he  shows  not  the  slightest  trace  of 
this,  being  a  good-looking  black  and  tan  animal, 
though  not  in  the  best  of  form,  so  far  as  health  is 
concerned.  He  had  very  little  preliminary  training, 
and  thus  afforded  fair  evidence  of  what  a  bloodhound 
will  do  under  adverse  circumstances.  Our  small 
party — which  included,  in  addition  to  the  gentlemen 
already  mentioned,  three  ladies  in  a  sleigh,  Dr. 
Philpot,  and  Mr.  W.  K.  Taunton — made  the  best  way 
along  the  lanes  to  the  Downs,  and,  ascended  them, 
on  to  the  Sheep  Hanger  Common.  Towards  the 
summit  we  found  ourselves  on  one  side  of  a  pretty 
valley,  which  even  under  its  wintry  garb  looked  quite 
charming,  and  afforded  some  idea  of  the  beauty  of 
the  locality  when  summer  blooms.  However,  before 
quite  reaching  the  hill  top  it  was  decided  to  give 
Danger  a  trial. 


1 6  Modern  Dogs. 


A  man  was  selected  for  the  purpose,  and  the 
course  he  had  to  run  was  pointed  out  to  him.  The 
thickly  lying  snow  made  locomotion  very  difficult, 
and  as  even  now  there  came  a  recurrence  of  the 
storm,  a  comparatively  short  start  was  given.  In 
seven  minutes  from  the  time  the  man  had  set  off, 
Danger  was  laid  on  his  track,  and,  picking  up  the 
line  in  an  instant,  went  away  at  a  quick  rate  along  the 
hillside.  We  tried  to  run  with  the  hound,  but  to  do 
this  in  the  deep  snow  and  keep  Danger  in  sight  was 
impossible.  After  following  him  some  six  hundred 
yards  or  so,  we  had  to  make  our  way  to  the  tiny  knot 
of  spectators  on  the  hilltop,  and  once  there  saw  that 
he  had  lost  the  line,  after  running  it  well  for  some- 
thing less  than  half  a  mile.  In  making  a  cast  round, 
he  unfortunately  struck  the  wind  of  the  spectators, 
and  came  back  to  them.  Nor  did  he  seem  very 
persevering  in  attempting  to  regain  the  scent,  giving 
us  the  idea  that  in  previous  trials  he  had  not  been 
allowed  to  depend  upon  his  own  exertions  to  recover 
a  lost  trail. 

Mr.  Brough's  hounds  included  Barnaby  (one  of 
the  couple  brought  to  London  at  the  instance  of  the 
late  Commissioner  of  Police),  and  Beeswing,  with 
Belhus  and  Blueberry,  their  offspring.  The  two  first 
named  are  well-known  hounds  on  the  show  bench. 
Barnaby  had  run  at  the  Warwick  trials ;  the  younger 


The  Bloodhound.  17 


animals  are  fairly  good  looking,  and  their  work  was 
quite  satisfactory.  Blueberry  was  afforded  the  next 
trial,  a  stranger  to  him  acting  as  the  quarry,  taking 
a  course  down  the  hill  over  sundry  fences,  making 
one  side  of  a  circle,  a  distance  of  about  a  mile. 
After  eight  minutes'  law  the  hound  was  un- 
leashed, and  had  no  difficulty  in  hitting  the  line, 
though  snow  was  falling  heavily.  She  carried  it 
along  at  a  good  pace,  quite  mute,  and,  a  little  at  a 
loss  at  one  fence  in  the  hollow,  cast  well  around, 
refound  the  line,  and,  without  more  ado,  ran  it  out  up 
to  the  man. 

At  one  portion  of  this  trial  a  labourer  crossed  the 
track,  but  the  bitch  stuck  to  her  line,  and  was  not 
thrown  out  for  a  moment.  Without  resting,  the  two 
couples  of  the  Scarborough  hounds  had  a  quarry 
provided  in  Dr.  Philpot.  For  some  distance  he  made 
his  way  along  the  hillside,  through  scrub  and  stunted 
bushes,  down  to  a  hedge  at  the  foot  of  the  vale. 
Here  there  was  a  road,  and,  crossing  this  and  a  fence, 
the  quarry  made  up  a  bare  field  to  a  plantation. 
Skirting  the  wood  for  three  hundred  yards,  another 
fence  was  reached,  across  this,  along  some  bare 
ground,  by  the  side  of  another  hedge,  to  the  foot  of 
the  hill  where  we  stood.  No  better  view  of  such  a 
trial  could  be  had.  This  course  was  quite  a  mile. 
As  the  four  hounds  were  to  start,  they  were  slipped 

[VOL.  I.]  C 


1 8  Modern  Dogs. 


ten  minutes  after  their  quarry  had  gone.  Barnaby, 
a  little  slow  in  commencing,  was  not  long  behind, 
and,  with  a  fresh  and  cheerful  burst  of  music,  the 
little  pack  raced  along  at  an  extraordinary  pace,  con- 
sidering the  depth  of  the  snow.  A  little  hesitancy 
in  the  bottom,  and  Barnaby  cast  forward  a  little,  had 
"  it"  again,  "his  wife  and  children"  flew  to  his  note, 
and  away  they  rattled  up  to  the  plantation. 

The  old  dog's  size  and  strength  were  useful  in  this 
deep  going,  and  he  led  the  way ;  but  scent  must 
have  been  good,  for,  without  losing  it  again,  they 
raced  down  the  hill,  and  fairly  caught  their  man 
before  he  reascended  from  the  valley.  A  good  trial 
in  every  way. 

Possibly  the  prettiest  hunt  of  the  day  was  afforded 
by  Beeswing  and  Danger,  with  Master  Pegler  to  be 
hunted,  and  a  ten  minutes'  start  given  him.  These 
hounds  did  not  at  the  first  hit  off  the  line,  but,  when 
fairly  on  the  track,  went  through  the  scrub,  down  the 
hill  to  the  foot  road,  and  over  the  fence  without  a 
check.  Some  nice  work  was  done  in  the  bare  field, 
especially  where  the  quarry  struck  off  at  a  sharp 
angle,  and  along  by  the  fence  of  the  plantation. 
They  had  no  difficulty  in  making  out  the  whole  of 
the  course,  which  we  would  take  to  be  about  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile 

The  final  trial  was  run  by  the  entire  two  couples 


The  Bloodhound.  19 


and  a  half  of  hounds,  and,  with  fifteen  minutes'  law 
to  the  quarry.  Now  that  the  snow  had  ceased,  the 
pack  quickly  went  along  the  right  line  down  the  hill 
and  over  the  first  fence.  In  the  middle  of  the  second 
field,  some  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  start,  Danger 
seemed  at  a  loss,  and,  turning  back  to  his  owner  who 
was  following  as  fast  as  the  deep  snow  would  admit, 
somewhat  disconcerted  the  other  hounds,  as  they 
turned  round  to  the  voice  of  Mr.  Pegler,  who  called 
his  hound  up.  Higher  up  the  field  Beeswing 
appeared  to  be  the  one  that  struck  the  scent  again, 
her  voice  attracting  her  kennel  companions,  who 
rattled  along  the  correct  track  up  to  a  hedge  which 
lay  to  the  left.  The  quarry  had  skirted  this 
boundary  line,  and  made  his  way  down  hill  to  a  couple 
of  hay  stacks,  or,  at  any  rate,  stacks  of  some  kind. 
He  had  doubled  along  the  road  here,  but  hounds 
found  him  without  the  slightest  difficulty. 

As  all  hunting  and  shooting  men  know,  scent  is 
one  of  the  mysteries  of  nature.  Here  we  were  out 
on  a  day  when  one  might  reasonably  expect  that 
hounds  would  be  unable  to  run  a  hundred  yards  with- 
out a  check.  Still,  all  these  bloodhounds,  with  their 
quarry  given  from  seven  to  fifteen  minutes'  start,  hit 
the  line,  and  took  it  along  at  a  "  racing  pace/'  it  may 
be  called,  when  the  ten  or  eight  inches  of  snow  are 
taken  into  consideration.  The  keen  north  wind,  too, 

C    2 


20  Modern  Dogs. 


must  have  been  against  scent,  and  one  of  the  best 
trials  of  all  was  run  in  a  blinding  snowstorm.  Surely, 
then,  these  bloodhounds  have  olfactory  powers  of 
more  than  average  excellence ;  at  any  rate,  that 
Monday  they  proved  to  us  their  possession  of  such. 
The  men  who  acted  as  quarry  had  no  knowledge  of 
these  hounds,  no  strongly  smelling  concoctions  were 
smeared  over  their  boots ;  and,  indeed,  they  had 
been  standing  over  the  shoe  tops  in  snow  during  the 
whole  of  the  time  the  trials  were  taking  place.  So 
the  "  clean  shoe  "  must  in  the  end  have  been  sadly 
water  soaked.  These  bloodhounds  did  all  we 
expected  them  to  do,  even  more,  and  we  are  quite 
prepared  to  see  the  same  hounds,  under  more  favour- 
able circumstances,  hunt  a  man's  trail  or  footsteps 
though  they  be  two  hours  old.  Running  singly, 
each  hound  was  mute ;  together  they  gave  tongue, 
and  their  voices  were  very  fine.  It  may  be  interest- 
ing to  state  that,  in  their  earlier  training,  all  Mr. 
Brough's  hounds  ran  silently,  whether  hunting 
together  or  separately;  but,  working  them  with  a 
noisy  basset,  they  were  tempted  or  encouraged  to 
throw  their  voices,  as  they  now  do  when  hunting  in 
company. 

The  trials  arranged  by  the  Kennel  Club  were 
advertised  to  take  place  on  the  racecourse  adjoining 
the  Alexandra  Palace  on  Wednesday  morning,  at 


The  Bloodhound.  21 

10.30.  As  it  happened,  when  that  hour  was  reached, 
the  only  one  of  the  three  judges  present  was  Colonel 
Starkie,  who  a  little  later  was  joined  by  Lord  Alfred 
Fitzroy.  Then  snow  began  to  fall,  few  of  the  stewards 
were  in  the  dog  show,  and  the  prospects  seemed  to 
favour  an  abandonment  of  the  trials  altogether.  Up 
to  11.30  o'clock  nothing  had  been  decided  upon,  so 
Mr.  Craven,  with  his  couple  of  entered  hounds,  went 
home.  Next  it  was  officially  stated  that  a  decision 
would  be  come  to  at  twenty  minutes  to  one,  when  it 
was  resolved  to  hold  the  trials.  The  snow  had  by 
this  time  given  place  to  rain  ;  a  cold,  chilly  wind 
blew  from  the  south-west ;  and  these  combinations, 
with  the  addition  of  the  wet,  damp  ground,  upon 
which  old  snow  lay  three  inches  or  more  in  depth, 
made  the  surroundings  of  these  trials  as  unfavour- 
able as  they  well  could  be. 

Mr.  Lindsay  Hogg,  in  addition  to  the  gentlemen 
already  named,  judged,  but  the  duties  were  almost 
sinecures.  Several  tracks  had  been  marked  out  by 
small  flags,  and,  although  these  courses  were  said  to 
be  six  hundred  yards  in  length,  they  appeared  con- 
siderably more — probably  that  distance  straight 
away,  with  the  run  home  additional.  Each  hound 
was  allowed  a  track  of  his  own,  which  extended  along 
the  racecourse  for  several  hundred  yards  on  the  flat, 
over  sundry  lots  of  railings,  winding  round  in  the 


22  Modern  Dogs. 


direction  of  a  small  plantation.  The  hounds  had  to 
pass  this,  and  then  enter  the  road  on  the  run  home. 

The  latter  portion  of  the  track  was  along  the 
same  line  by  each  man  who  acted  as  the  quarry, 
thus  making  the  trials  more  difficult  tests  for  the 
hound  ;  though  those  that  ran  first  must  necessarily 
have  had  the  advantage,  as  the  latter  part  of  the 
road  was  less  foiled  by  one  or  two  men  than  it  would 
have  been  by  half  a  dozen.  Two  stakes  were  pro- 
vided, the  one  for  the  "  clean  boot,"  the  other  for 
the  "  not  clean  boot."  The  latter  in  this  instance 
meant  that  the  shoe  soles  of  the  man  acting  as 
quarry  had  been  rubbed  with  horseflesh,  the  only 
material  at  hand  for  the  purpose.  As  a  fact,  the 
second  stake  never  ought  to  have  been  arranged, 
and  it  is  by  no  means  to  the  credit  of  a  bloodhound 
that  he  should  require  such  assistance ;  the  status  of 
the  trials  was  thus  reduced  to  the  commonplace 
"  hound  dog"  trails,  so  popular  in  the  rural  districts 
of  the  North  of  England.  As  matters  progressed, 
the  bloodhounds  actually  hunted  the  clean  boot 
better  than  they  did  the  soiled  one,  and  we  would 
suggest  that  in  future,  when  the  "  not  clean  boot" 
is  to  be  run,  terriers  rather  than  bloodhounds  should 
be  utilised  for  the  work. 

However,  in  due  course  one  of  the  keepers  out  of 
the  show  was  despatched  as  quarry,  with  a  start  of 


f 

The  Bloodhound.  23 


ten  minutes,  during  which  time  he  traversed  more 
than  three-fourths  of  the  course.  Then  the  first 
hound,  Mr.  B.  C.  Knowles's  Koodoo,  was  slipped. 
He  struck  the  line  immediately,  but  lost  it  after  going 
about  a  hundred  yards,  and,  casting  round,  struck 
the  wind  of  some  of  the  spectators,  and,  failing  to 
persevere,  was  called  up. 

Mr.  W.  J.  Scott's  Hebe  III.,  a  smart  bitch,  likewise 
picked  up  the  line  quickly,  and,  running  it  a  little  too 
much  to  windward,  was  at  a  loss  for  a  moment.  She 
cast  well,  and  without  assistance  struck  the  scent, 
and  kept  it  until  she  turned  the  corner  at  the  planta- 
tion and  out  of  sight  of  the  spectators.  For  a  time 
Hebe  tried  to  regain  the  lost  line,  and  looked  like 
doing  so  until  catching  the  wind  of  a  labourer,  and 
rather  startling  him  by  making  his  passing  acquaint- 
ance. She  failed  to  finish  her  task. 

Mr.  R.  Hood  Wright's  well-known  Hector  II., 
who  had  performed  well  at  the  trials  in  the  grounds 
of  Warwick  Castle  two  years  before,  and  now  nearly 
eight  years  old,  was,  after  the  stipulated  five 
minutes,  put  upon  the  line.  He  did  not  start  with 
so  much  dash  as  the  bitch  had  done,  carried  his 
head  nearer  the  ground,  and  ran  the  exact  line  the 
quarry  had  taken.  This  he  did  well,  and  the  manner 
in  which  he  leaped  those  railings  the  man  had 
climbed,  and  ran  under  those  he  had  crept  through, 


24  Modern  Dogs. 


interested  the  spectators  not  a  little.  There  was  no 
mistake  as  to  the  correctness  of  his  nose  up  to  the 
plantation ;  but  here,  where  the  quarry  had  turned, 
the  hound  was  at  fault.  He  cast  about  till  striking 
the  line  again,  and  was  hard  on  the  track  of  the  man 
on  turning  into  the  road  home.  This  he  stuck  to 
until  near  the  goal,  when  he  became  somewhat  dis- 
concerted, no  doubt  striking  the  wind  of  the  crowd 
as  he  approached  them.  His  trial  was  very  well 
run. 

Mrs.  Danger's  Jaff  was  absent,  and  Mr.  E.  Brough's 
Blueberry  strangely  refused  to  run,  though  what  we 
saw  of  her  work  on  Monday  proves  her  an  excellent 
bitch,  and  her  owner  considered  her  about  his  best. 
Mr.  Brough's  Barnaby,  mentioned  earlier  on,  went 
quicker  along  the  line  the  runner  had  taken  than 
Hector  had  done,  and,  like  him,  cleared  or  went 
under  the  railings  according  to  the  mode  the  quarry 
had  adopted.  Just  before  reaching  the  plantation 
Barnaby  lost  the  scent,  but  cast  to  the  right  and  left 
until  it  was  struck  again.  He,  too,  was  a  consider- 
able time  out  of  sight  behind  the  plantation,  but  on 
reappearing  in  the  road  he  was  running  the  line  of 
the  man,  which  he  continued  much  as  Mr.  Wright's 
hound  had  done,  failing  to  quite  come  up  to  the 
winning  post  for  similar  reasons. 

Dr.    Hales    Parry's   Primate   was   absent,   so    the 


The  Bloodhound.  25 


end  of  the  stake  was  reached,  there  being  four  of 
the  nine  entries  that  failed  to  meet  their  engagement. 
The  judges  awarded  the  prizes  as  follows :  First, 
Mr.  R.  H.  Wright's  Hector  II. ;  second,  Mr.  E. 
Brough's  Barnaby  ;  third,  Mr.  W.  J.  Scott's  Hebe 
III.  ;  the  fourth,  of  course,  being  withheld.  There 
was  little  to  choose  between  the  first  two,  for  both 
ran  excellent  trials,  considering  the  unfavourable 
surroundings,  and  afforded  ample  proof,  even  to  the 
incredulous,  that  the  bloodhound  will  hunt  a  man 
without  even  smelling  any  part  of  his  person  or 
clothes  until  laid  on  the  track  of  his  footsteps. 

The  second  stake  is  of  no  account  whatever, 
being  that  already  alluded  to,  where  the  men  acting 
as  quarry  had  their  shoe  soles  smeared  with  raw 
horseflesh.  It  was,  however,  thought  that  three 
competitors  of  the  five  entries  would  run  well,  so  the 
time  was  taken,  and  Koodoo,  who  did  badly  on  the 
"  clean  boot,"  now  ran  a  brilliant  course  at  a  good 
pace,  going  the  distance,  including  a  check  behind 
the  wood,  in  five  minutes.  Hebe  III.  and  Hector 
II.  both  began  well,  but,  losing  the  line  at  about 
three-fourths  the  distance,  failed  to  regain  it,  and 
were  called  up.  They  were  awarded  equal  seconds, 
Mr.  Knowles's  Koodoo  taking  premier  honours. 

So  much  for  the  bloodhound  trials ;  and  now, 
when  writing  in  1892,  they  appear  to  have  been 


26  Modern  Dogs. 


entirely  discontinued,  at  any  rate  so  far  as  public 
exhibitions  of  them  are  concerned. 

With  the  introduction  of  dog  shows  the  general 
public  were  enabled  to  see  howfar  the  bloodhound  sur- 
vived, and  the  early  exhibitions  held  at  Birmingham 
always  included  two  nicely  filled  classes  of  this  dog, 
which  many  persons  believed  to  be  almost  extinct. 

"  Stonehenge,"  writing  in  1869,  says  : 

Until  within  the  last  twenty-five  years,  or  thereabouts,  the  blood- 
hound has  been  almost  entirely  confined  to  the  kennels  of  the 
English  nobility;  but  at  about  that  distance  of  time  Mr.  Jennings, 
of  Pickering,  in  Yorkshire,  obtained  a  draft  or  two  from  Lord 
Faversham  and  Baron  Rothschild,  and  in  a  few  years,  by  his 
skill  and  care,  produced  his  Druid  and  Welcome,  a  magnificent 
couple  of  hounds,  which  he  afterwards  sold,  at  what  was  then 
considered  a  high  price,  to  Prince  Napoleon  for  breeding  purposes. 
In  the  course  of  time,  and  probably  from  the  fame  acquired  by 
these  dogs  at  the  various  shows,  his  example  was  followed  by  his 
north-country  neighbours,  Major  Cowen  and  Mr.  J.  W.  Pease,  who 
monopolised  the  prizes  of  the  show  bench  with  successive  Druids, 
descended  from  Mr.  Jennings's  dog  of  that  name,  and  aided  by 
Draco,  Dingle,  Dauntless,  &c.,  all  of  the  same  strain.  In  1869, 
however,  another  candidate  for  fame  appeared  in  Mr.  Holford's 
Regent,  a  magnificent  dog,  both  in  shape  and  colour,  but  still  of 
the  same  strains,  and,  until  the  appearance  of  Mr.  Reynold  Ray's 
Roswell  in  1870,  no  fresh  blood  was  introduced  among  the  first- 
prize  winners  at  our  chief  shows.  The  dog,  who  died  in  1877, 
maintained  his  position  for  the  same  period  almost  without 
dispute,  and  even  in  his  old  age  it  took  a  good  dog  to  beat  him. 

About  1860,  Lord  Bagot,  of  Blithefield,  near  Tarn- 
worth,  had  some  very  fine  hounds,  and  was  success- 


The  Bloodhound.  27 

ful  with  both  the  dogs  and  bitches  he  put  on  the 
benches  at  the  National  Show  in  Curzon  Hall. 

Coming  down  to  the  present  time,  there  are 
perhaps  more  admirers  of  the  bloodhound  than  at 
any  previous  period  of  its  history.  Dog  shows  have, 
no  doubt,  popularised  him  ;  and,  well  cared  for  and 
well  treated,  made  a  companion  of,  instead  of  being 
kept  chained  in  a  kennel  or  in  a  dark  cellar,  he  has 
lost  most  of  his  natural  ferocity,  and  is  quite  as 
amiable  as  any  other  variety  of  the  canine  race. 
Colonel  Cowan  still  keeps  a  hound  or  two  at  Blaydon, 
near  Newcastle;  Mr.  E.  Brough,  near  Scarborough,  is 
perhaps  our  greatest  breeder  ;  but  good  bloodhounds 
are  also  to  be  found  in  the  kennels  of  Mr.  Tinker, 
near  Birmingham  ;  of  Mr.  F.  B.  Craven,  Bakewell ; 
of  Mr.  M.  H.  Hill,  Birmingham;  of  Dr.  Reynolds 
Ray,  Dulwich;  of  Dr.  Parry,  Norfolk;  of  Mr.  C. 
Garnett,  near  Bolton  ;  of  Mr.  R.  H.  Wright,  Newton- 
le-Willows  ;  of  Mr.  H.  C.  Hodgson,  Lichfield ;  of 
Mr.  E.  Nichols,  South  Kensington ;  of  Mr.  Morrel, 
Mr.  M.  Beaufoy,  Mr.  J.  E.  Wilby,  and  others. 

Here  mention  must  be  made  of  the  pack  of 
bloodhounds,  kept  about  sixteen  years  ago,  by  the 
late  Lord  Wolverton,  who  hunted  the  "  carted  "  deer 
with  them  in  Dorsetshire  and  in  the  Blackmore  Vale 
Country.  They  were  sold  by  him  to  Lord  Carring- 
ton,  who  had  them  but  a  single  season,  during 


28  Modern  Dogs. 


which  he  showed  sport  in  Buckinghamshire.  From 
here  they  went  into  the  kennels  of  Count  Couteulx 
de  Canteleu,  in  France,  where  they  have  been  useful 
in  hunting  both  wild  deer  and  wild  boar. 

Prior  to  this  Mr.  Selby  Lowndes  had  several 
couples  of  bloodhounds,  in  Whaddon  Chase,  where 
occasionally  they  had  a  run  after  deer.  One  of  his 
hounds,  named  Gamester,  bore  a  great  reputation  as 
a  man-hunter,  and  on  more  than  one  occasion  was 
useful  in  capturing  thieves.  This  hound  appears 
to  have  been  a  waif  from  some  other  kennel,  for  he 
was  purchased  from  a  hawker  for  ten  pounds,  the 
latter  using  him  as  a  protection,  and  to  run  under 
his  van. 

Then  it  is  said,  bloodhounds  have  been  owned  by 
the  verderers  in  connection  with  the  New  Forest  in 
Hampshire,  but  they  were  known  as  Talbots,  and 
most  of  these  hounds  were  smaller  than  our  modern 
hounds.  Mr.  T.  Nevil  had  a  small  pack  at  Chillend, 
near  Winchester,  dark  coloured  hounds — black  St. 
Huberts  they  were  called ;  a  well-known  writer  in 
Bailey's  Magazine^  gives  a  long  description  of 
them,  which,  he  says,  were  descendants  of  the  pack 
of  which  William  Rufus  was  master.  It  was  said 
they  would  hunt  anything,  from  "  the  jackal  and  the 
lordly  stag,  to  the  water-rat  and  such  '  small  deer.' ' 
At  the  present  time  there  is  no  pack  of  bloodhounds 


The  Bloodhound.  29 


kept  in  this  country  for  hunting  purposes,  still,  with 
the  many  admirers  of  the  race,  there  is  little  fear  of 
the  strain  being  allowed  to  become  of  the  past. 

As  already  hinted,  our  bloodhound  has,  in  reality, 
suffered  less  from  a  craze  to  breed  for  certain 
exaggerated  features,  than  some  other  dogs  have 
done.  He  is  still  a  fairly  powerful  and  large  hound, 
with  great  thickness  of  bone,  well  sprung  ribs  and 
considerable  power  behind.  I  rather  fancy  that,  like 
most  large  sized  dogs,  he  fails  more  in  his  loins, 
and  hind  legs,  than  elsewhere,  nor  does  he,  as  a 
rule,  carry  so  much  muscle  as  a  foxhound.  No 
doubt  in  head  and  ears  he  has  much  improved  since 
the  time  he  was  kept  for  the  public  good  at  the 
expense  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Scottish  borders. 

Some  of  our  modern  hounds,  have  been  simply 
extraordinary  in  what  are  technically  called  "  head  " 
properties.  Perhaps  the  finest  hound  in  this  respect 
was  Captain  Clayton's  Luath  XL,  a  fawn  in  colour, 
a  huge  specimen  of  his  variety,  weighing  over  io61b., 
but  unfortunately  spoiled  by  his  execrable  fore  legs 
and  feet.  On  the  contrary,  Mrs.  Humphries'  Don, 
that  once  did  a  considerable  amount  of  winning, 
excelled  in  legs  and  feet,  and  loins — a  plain- 
headed  hound,  always  much  over  estimated.  Mr. 
E.  Nichols  had  a  dark  coloured  hound,  called 
Triumph,  that  excelled  in  head  and  ears,  and  perhaps 


30  Modern  Dogs. 


there  has  been  no  better  hound  in  this  respect  than 
Cromwell,  owned  by  Mr.  E.  Millais,  but  bred  by  Mr. 
W.  Nash  in  1884,  by  Nestor — Daisy.  The  head 
properties  of  this  hound  were  so  fine  that  on  his 
death,  in  1892,  a  model  was  taken  of  them  by  Mr. 
Millais.  But  here  a  list  cannot  be  given  of  all  the  ex- 
cellent bloodhounds  that  have  made  their  appearance 
of  late  years,  the  dog-show  catalogues  afford  a  better 
selection  than  I  could  supply  here,  and  the  owners 
of  the  kennels  named  above  are  certainly  to  be  com- 
plimented on  the  progress  they  have  made  with  the 
bloodhound,  notwithstanding  the  difficulty  to  be  sur- 
mounted in  rearing  the  puppies. 

Mr.  Edwin  Brough,  no  doubt  the  most  experienced 
breeder  of  the  present  day,  believes  the  modern 
bloodhound  to  be  much  speedier  on  foot  than  in  the 
old  days  of  the  Mosstroopers,  and  there  are  now, 
in  1892,  certainly  more  really  good  bloodhounds  to 
be  found  in  this  country,  than  has  ever  been  the 
case.  Perhaps  Bono,  Bardolph,  and  Burgundy, 
from  the  Scarborough  kennels,  generally  have  never 
been  excelled,  and  now,  in  1892,  the  two  latter, 
as  Bono  had  done  earlier  on,  often  win  the  special 
cup  awarded  to  the  best  dog  in  the  show. 

The  pedigree  of  our  present  bloodhounds  has 
been  well  kept  during  the  past  generation  or  so,  and 
their  reliability  in  the  Stud  Book  is  undoubted. 


The  Bloodhound.  31 

The  late  Mr.  J.  H.  Walsh  ("  Stonehenge  "),  in  a 
previous  edition  of  this  book,  appears  to  have  ob- 
tained a  prejudice  against  the  temperament  and 
character  of  the  bloodhound,  formed  evidently  by  a 
very  savage  and  determined  dog  of  Grantly 
Berkeley's,  called  Druid.  Whether  modern  dog 
shows  have  been  the  means  of  improving  this  hound's 
temper,  and  making  him  as  amiable  and  devoted  a 
friend  as  any  other  dog,  I  cannot  tell ;  but,  that  he 
is  so,  no  one  who  has  ever  kept  the  variety  will  doubt. 
Bring  a  bloodhound  up  in  the  house  or  stable  and 
use  him  as  a  companion,  and  he  will  requite  you  for 
your  trouble.  He  is  gentle  and  kind,  less  addicted 
to  fighting  than  many  other  big  dogs  ;  he  is  sen- 
sible, cleanly,  of  noble  aspect,  and  in  demeanour 
the  aristocrat  of  hounds. 

Of  course,  there  are  ill-conditioned  dogs  of  every 
variety,  but  the  average  bloodhound  will  develop 
into  as  good  a  companion  as  any  other  of  his  race ; 
he  may  be  shy  at  first,  but  kindness  will  improve 
him  in  this  respect.  In  hunting,  he  is  slower  than 
the  foxhound,  but  more  painstaking  than  are  the 
members  of  the  fashionable  pack.  He  dwells  on  the 
quest  a  long  time,  seemingly  enjoying  the  peculiar 
sensation  he  may  derive  through  his  olfactory 
organs,  and  will  cast  well  on  his  own  account. 
The  latter,  a  faculty  that  ought  not  to  be  lost, 


32  Modern  Dogs. 


though  in  many  hunting  countries,  where  a  good 
gallop  is  considered  more  desirable  than  observing 
hound  work,  the  master  or  huntsman  assists  the 
hounds,  rather  than  allows  them  to  assist  them- 
selves. 

The  lovely  voice  the  bloodhound  possesses  need 
not  be  dilated  upon  by  me,  and  moreover,  he  has  a 
power  of  transmitting  that  "  melody  "  to  his  offspring 
to  an  unusual  extent.  I  fancy  that  our  modern  otter- 
hound owes  something  of  his  melodious  cry  to  some 
not  very  remote  crosses  with  the  bloodhound;  and  if 
I  mistake  not,  Major  Cowan  has  found  his  strain  of 
"  Druids  "  useful  in  his  well-known  Braes  o'  Derwent 
foxhounds. 

If  asked  to  recommend  a  large  dog  as  a  com- 
panion, I  should  certainly  place  the  bloodhound 
very  high  on  the  list,  possibly  on  a  level  with  the 
St.  Bernard,  and  only  below  the  Scottish  deerhound. 
And  in  one  respect  he  is  better  even  than  the  latter; 
he  is  not  nearly  so  quarrelsome  with  other  dogs. 
Not  very  long  ago,  a  bloodhound  was  running 
about  the  busy  streets  of  Brixton  daily  ;  he  never 
snarled  at  a  passing  cur  or  terrier,  and  was  the 
favourite  of  every  little  boy  and  girl  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood. Had  their  parents  known  that  the  big 
black  and  brown  creature  their  children  were  petting 
and  stroking  on  the  head  was  a  bloodhound,  the 


The  Bloodhound.  33 


ferocious  dog  of  story  books  and  history,  what  a 
scene  there  would  have  been. 

Sir  E.  Landseer,  the  animal  painter,  thoroughly 
appreciated  the  bloodhound,  its  staid  manner,  its 
majestic  appearance.  He,  with  Mr.  Jacob  Bell,  kept 
hounds  of  his  own,  and  all  know  how  he  immortalised 
them  on  canvas.  His  "  Sleeping  Bloodhound,"  now 
in  the  National  Gallery,  was  a  portrait  of  Mr.  Bell's 
favourite  Countess,  run  over  and  killed  in  a  stable 
yard  ;  and  it  was  after  her  death  she  was  painted 
forming  the  subject,  "  A  sleep  that  has  no  waking." 
Graf  ton,  in  the  popular  picture,  "  Dignity  and 
Impudence"  was  a  bloodhound  considered  to  be  of 
great  merit  in  his  day,  now  he  would  be  regarded 
as  an  ordinary  specimen. 

Mr.  Brough,  writing  in  the  Century  Magazine, 
about  three  years  ago,  goes  at  considerable  length 
into  the  training  of  bloodhounds,  which  is  best  done 
by  allowing  the  hound  to  hunt  the  "  clean  boot," 
rather  than  one  smeared  with  blood  or  anything  else. 
He  says : 

Hounds  work  better  when  entered  to  one  particular  scent  and 
kept  to  that  only,  Mr.  Brough  never  allows  his  hounds  to  hunt  any- 
thing but  the  clean  boot,  but  begins  to  take  his  pups  to  exercise 
on  the  roads  when  three  or  four  months  old,  and  a  very  short  time 
suffices  to  get  them  under  good  command.  You  can  begin  scarcely 
too  early  to  teach  pups  to  hunt  the  clean  boot.  For  the  first  few 
times  it  is  best  to  let  them  run  some  one  they  know ;  afterwards  it 

[VOL.  I.]  D 


34  Modern  Dogs. 


does  not  matter  how  often  the  runner  is  changed.  He  should  caress 
and  make  much  of  the  pups  and  then  let  them  see  him  start,  but 
get  out  of  their  sight  as  quickly  as  possible  and  run  in  a  straight 
line,  say  two  hundred  yards  up  wind  on  grass-land,  and  then  hide 
himself.  The  man  who  hunts  the  pups  should  know  the  exact 
line  taken,  and  take  the  pups  over  it,  trying  to  encourage  them  to 
hunt  until  they  get  to  their  man,  who  should  reward  them  with  a 
bit  of  meat.  This  may  have  to  be  repeated  several  times  before 
they  really  get  their  heads  down ;  but  when  they  have  once  begun 
to  hunt  they  improve  rapidly  and  take  great  delight  in  the  quest. 
Everything  should  be  made  as  easy  as  possible  at  first  and  the 
difficulties  increased  very  gradually.  This  may  be  done  by  hav- 
ing the  line  crossed  by  others,  by  increasing  the  time  before  the 
pups  are  laid  on,  or  by  crossing  roads,  &c.  When  the  pups  get 
old  enough  they  should  be  taught  to  jump  boldly  and  to  swim 
brooks  where  necessary.  When  young  hounds  have  begun  to  run 
fairly  well  it  will  be  found  very  useful  to  let  the  runner  carry  a 
bundle  of  sticks  two  feet  or  two  feet  six  inches  long,  pointed  at 
one  end  and  with  a  piece  of  white  paper  in  a  cleft  at  the  other  end. 
When  he  makes  a  turn  or  crosses  a  fence  he  should  put  one  of 
these  sticks  down  and  incline  it  in  the  direction  he  is  going  to 
take  next.  This  will  give  the  person  hunting  the  hounds  some 
idea  of  the  correctness  of  their  work,  though  the  best  hounds  do 
not  always  run  the  nearest  to  the  line.  On  a  good  scenting  day  I 
have  seen  hounds  running  hard  fifty  yards  or  more  to  leeward  of 
the  line  taken.  These  sticks  should  be  taken  up  when  done  with, 
or  they  may  be  found  misleading  on  some  other  occasion.  The 
hounds  will  soon  learn  to  cast  themselves  or  try  back  if  they  over- 
run the  line,  and  should  never  receive  any  assistance  so  long  as 
they  continue  working  on  their  own  account.  It  is  most  impor- 
tant that  they  should  become  self-reliant.  The  line  should  be 
varied  as  much  as  possible.  It  is  not  well  to  run  hounds  over 
exactly  the  same  course  they  have  been  hunted  on  some  previous 
occasion.  If  some  hounds  are  much  slower  than  the  rest  it  is  best 
to  hunt  them  by  themselves,  or  they  may  get  to  "  score  to  cry,"  as 


The  Bloodhound.  35 


the  old  writers   say,  instead   of  patiently  working  out  the  line  for 
themselves. 

It  is  a  great  advantage  to  get  hounds  accustomed  to  strange 
sights  and  noises.  If  a  hound  is  intended  to  be  brought  to  a 
pitch  of  excellence  that  shall  enable  him  to  be  used  in  thorough- 
fares, he  should  be  brought  up  in  a  town  and  see  as  much  bustle 
as  possible.  If  he  is  only  intended  to  be  used  in  open  country, 
with  occasional  bits  of  road  work,  this  is  not  necessary.  Blood- 
hounds give  tongue  freely  when  hunting  any  wild  animal,  but 
many  hounds  run  perfectly  mute  when  hunting  man.  This  is, 
however,  very  much  a  matter  of  breeding.  Some  strains  run  man 
without  giving  tongue  at  all ;  others  are  very  musical. 

The  points  of  the  bloodhound  are  numerically  as 
follows : 


Value. 

Head 20 

Ears  and  eyes  15 

Flews    5 

Neck 5 

Chest  and  shoulders    i  o 

55 


Value. 
Back  and  ribs  ............   10 

Legs  and  feet   ............   15 

Colour  and  coat  ......... 


Stern  ........................     5 

Symmetry  ..................     j 


45 


Grand  Total  100. 


i.  The  head  (value  20)  is  the  peculiar  feature  of 
this  breed  ;  and  thus  it  is  estimated  at  a  very  high 
rate.  In  the  male  it  is  large  in  all  its  dimensions 
but  width,  in  which  there  is  a  remarkable  deficiency. 
The  upper  surface  is  domed,  ending  in  a  blunt  point 
at  the  occiput ;  but  the  brain  case  is  not  developed 
to  the  same  extent  as  the  jaws,  which  are  very  long 

D    2 


36  Modern  Dogs. 


and  wide  at  the  nostrils,  hollow  and  very  lean  in  the 
cheeks  and  notably  under  the  eyes.  The  brows  are 
moderately  prominent,  and  the  general  expression 
of  the  whole  head  is  grand  and  majestic.  The 
skin  covering  the  forehead  and  cheeks  is  wrinkled  in 
a  remarkable  manner,  wholly  unlike  any  other  dog. 
These  points  are  not  nearly  so  fully  developed  in  the 
bitch  ;  but  still  they  are  to  be  demanded  in  the  same 
proportionate  degree. 

2.  Ears  and  eyes  (value  15). — The  ears  are  long 
enough   to   overlap  one   another  considerably  when 
drawn  together  in  front  of  the  nose;  the  "leather" 
should  be  very  thin,  and   should  hang  very  forward 
and  close  to  the  cheeks  ;  never  showing  the  slightest 
tendency  to  "  prick,"    they  should   be   covered  with 
very    short,    soft,    and    silky    hair.     The    eyes    are 
generally  hazel,  not  small,  though  seeming  so  because 
deeply   sunk,   showing  the  third   eyelid  or   "  haw," 
which  ought  to  be  of  a  deep  red  colour.     This  red- 
ness of  the  haw  is,  as  a  rule,  an  indication  of  blood- 
hound cross  wherever  it  is  observed  in  other  breeds, 
whether  in  the  mastiff,  Gordon  setter,  or  St.  Bernard, 
though   occasionally   it  is  met   with    in  varieties  in 
which  no  trace  of  the  bloodhound  can  be  traced. 

3.  The  flews   (value  5)  are  remarkably  long  and 
pendant,  sometimes  falling  fully  two  inches  below 
the  angle  of  the  mouth. 


The  Bloodhound.  37 


4.  The  neck  (value  5)   is  long,   so  as  to  enable 
this  hound  to  drop  his  nose  to  the  ground  without 
altering  his  pace.      In  front  of  the  throat  there  is  a 
considerable  dewlap. 

5.  Chest   and    shoulders  (value  10). — The   chest 
wide  and  deep,  forming  a  sort  of  keel   between  the 
fore  legs  ;  shoulders  sloping  and  muscular. 

6.  The  back  and  back  ribs  (value   10)   should   be 
wide  and   deep,  the  size    of    the   dog  necessitating 
great    power    in    this    department.     The    hips,    or 
11  couples,"  should  be  specially  attended  to,  and  they 
should  be  wide,  or  almost  ragged. 

7.  Legs  &h&feet  (value   15). — Many  bloodhounds 
are    deficient    in    these    important    parts,    owing   to 
breeding  from  bad-constitutioned  and  sickly  hounds, 
and,  no  doubt,  from  lack  of  exercise.     The  legs  must 
be  straight  and  muscular,  and  the  ankles  of  full  size. 
The  feet  also  are  often  flat,  but  they  should  be,  if 
possible,  round  and  catlike. 

8.  Colour  and  coat  (value  7-5-). — The  colour  most 
general  is  black  and  tan,  the  legs,  feet,  and  all  or 
part  of  the  face   being  a  tan  colour,  and  the  back 
and  sides  and    the  upper  part   of  neck   and    stern 
black.     There    is    sometimes  a  white    star   on    the 
chest,  and  a  little  white  on  the  feet  is  admissible. 
Some  fifteen  years  since  it  was  not  at  all  uncommon 
to  see  white  flecks  on  the  black  and  a  white  tip  to 


38  Modern  Dogs. 


stern.  The  former  peculiarity  seems  unfortunately 
to  be  quite  lost,  but  the  white  tip  to  stern  is  still 
sometimes  met  with.  A  brown  red  with  tan 
markings  is  common  now,  much  more  so  than  it 
was  once.  The  most  beautiful  colour  of  all  is  a 
tawny  shade  more  or  less  mixed  with  black  on  the 
back.  This  is,  however,  rare. 

9.  The  stern  (value  5)  carried  less  gaily  than  in 
most  hounds ;  it  should  not  be  raised  beyond  a  right 
angle  with  the  back,  and  usually  wrhen  the  hound  is 
not  working,  it  is  carried  rather  low  in  a  somewhat 
slovenly  fashion.     The  lower  side  is  fringed  with  hair 
about  two  inches  long,  ending  in  a  point. 

10.  The  symmetry  (value  7^-)   of  the  bloodhound 
as  regarded  from  an  artistic  point  of  view  should  be 
examined  carefully,  and  valued  in  proportion  to  the 
degree  in  which  it  is  developed. 

The  average  height  of  a  bloodhound  is  about 
26  inches  at  the  shoulders  for  a  dog,  and  from  one  to 
two  inches  less  for  a  bitch,  and  85lb.  to  9olb.  is  a 
fair  weight  for  a  well  grown  specimen  in  good  con- 
dition, though  some  few  hounds  have  been  bigger. 
Mr.  Brough's  Bono,  one  of  the  best  all  round 
hounds  I  ever  saw,  is  881b.  ;  he  stands  25^-  inches 
at  the  shoulders,  and  girths  round  the  chest  32^ 
inches.  Bono  on  several  occasions,  after  winning 
premier  honours  in  his  own  division,  has  been 


The  Bloodhound.  39 


awarded  a  special  prize  as  the  best  dog  of  any 
variety  in  the  show. 

However,  an  all-round  better  hound  than  Bono  is 
the  same  owner's  Burgundy,  who,  like  Bono,  is  a 
black  and  tan  hound  of  lovely  colour.  When  little 
over  twelve  months  old,  Burgundy  weighed  iiilb., 
was  26f  inches  in  height  at  the  shoulders,  girthed 
35  inches  round  the  chest,  and  his  head  measured 
13  inches,  exactly  an  inch  longer  than  Bono's. 
There  is  little  fault  to  find  with  this  extraordinary 
bloodhound,  for  in  ears,  type  of  head,  wrinkle, 
shoulders,  legs  and  feet,  loins  and  general  symmetry, 
his  like  may  not  be  seen  again.  His  demeanour 
and  disposition  are  characteristic  of  his  race ;  he 
has  been  trained  to  hunt  "  the  clean  boot,"  and  is 
certainly  a  credit  to  his  breeder.  His  brother 
Bardolph  is  pretty  nearly  as  good — not  quite  so  big 
nor  long  in  head.  The  latter  was  shown  at  Man- 
chester in  March,  1892,  where,  after  winning  the  cup 
in  his  division,  he  was  awarded  the  more  honourable 
one  given  for  the  best  sporting  dog  in  the  show. 
These  grand  young  hounds,  no  doubt  the  very  best 
that  have  been  seen  of  late  years,  are  by  Beckford 
(26,188)  from  Bianca  (28,374). 

It  seems  rather  strange  that  at  this  same  Man- 
chester show  a  peculiarly  good  bloodhound  bitch 
should  be  shown  for  the  first  time,  this  being  Mr. 


40  Modern  Dogs. 


F.  B.  Craven's  son  of  Cromwell,  Constance,  she 
being  the  sole  survivor  of  a  litter  of  extra  merit  in 
every  way.  As  a  bitch  Constance,  I  should  say, 
would  have  stood  at  the  head  of  her  sex  had 
she  not  succumbed  to  an  attack  of  distemper  a  few 
weeks  after  she  had  made  so  favourable  a  debut. 


CHAPTER    II. 
THE    FOXHOUND. 

THE  most  perfect  of  his  race  is  the  foxhound — 
perfect  in  shape,  in  pace,  in  nose,  in  courage.  Not 
one  of  his  canine  companions  is  his  equal,  for  in 
addition  to  his  merits  as  a  mere  quadruped,  as  a 
hound  he  is  the  reason  for  the  maintenance  of 
expensive  establishments,  for  the  breeding  of  high 
class  horses,  and  generally  for  giving  an  impetus 
to  trade  and  causing  a  "  turnover,"  without  which 
the  agriculturist  might  starve  and  the  greatness  of 
our  country  be  placed  in  peril.  Our  bravest  soldiers 
have  been  foxhunters ;  our  most  successful  men 
in  almost  every  walk  of  commerce  have  had  their 
characters  moulded  in  the  hunting  field,  or  later  in 
life  have  regained  their  shattered  health  by  gallops 
after  hounds  across  the  green  meadows  of  the 
Midlands  or  along  the  broad  acres  of  Yorkshire. 

At  the  present  time  there  are  over  190  packs  of 
foxhounds  hunting  regularly  in  the  various  districts  of 
Great  Britain,  and  I  am  well  within  the  mark  when  I 


42  Modern  Dogs. 


estimate  the  cost  of  keeping  up  the  kennels,  in- 
cluding hounds,  food,  wages  of  hunt  servants, 
masters'  expenses,  &c.,  at  over  three  million  pounds 
per  annum.  Nor  do  these  figures  attempt  to  cover 
the  ordinary  expenses  disbursed  by  those  hunting 
men  who  have  not  hounds  of  their  own,  the  cost 
of  their  horses,  their  keep,  and  other  items.  What 
in  addition  these  amount  to  cannot  well  be  ascer- 
tained, but  he  will  be  a  bold  man  who  attempts 
to  deny  that  foxhunting,  as  one  of  our  national 
sports,  possesses  a  place  in  the  economy  of  the 
State.  Special  trains  on  our  great  railway  system 
are  repeatedly  run  to  fashionable  meets  of  fox- 
hounds. Some  large  hotels  are  to  a  considerable 
extent  supported  by  customers  who  visit  them 
because  of  their  contiguity  to  foxhound  countries 
We  have  been  called  a  nation  of  shopkeepers 
—a  nation  of  foxhunters  would  have  been  more 
appropriate.  One  way  and  another  the  expenditure 
upon  this  healthy  amusement  during  each  succes- 
sive season  may  be  reckoned  in  millions  of  pounds 
sterling,  and  still  there  are  so  called  humanitarians 
who  decry  the  sport  as  a  discredit  to  our  country. 
Lord  Yarborough  says  the  cost  of  hound  keeping 
at  over  four  and  a  half  millions  yearly,  and 
estimates  that  99,000  horses  are  engaged  therein. 
Another  authority  tells  us  that  in  Yorkshire  alone 


The  Foxhound.  43 


the  seventeen  packs  of  hounds,  including  harriers, 
hunting  there  are  kept  up  at  a  cost  of  not  less 
than  500, ooo/.  per  annum.  Of  course  such  figures, 
in  the  absence  of  carefully  compiled  statistics,  can 
only  be  approximate. 

"  The  fox  was  made  to  be  hunted,  and  not  to  kill 
geese  and  lambs,"  said  a  sporting  farmer  to  me  one 
day,  "  and  he  likes  it  too,"  continued  the  good 
agriculturist,  "  or  would  he  take  such  long  rounds  as 
he  does  when  he  could  lurk  and  skulk  about  and 
baffle  the  hounds  whenever  inclined  to  do  so." 
Maybe  our  good  red  fox  does  like  to  be  hunted  ;  at 
any  rate,  when  bedraggled  and  beaten  he  seldom 
looks  sad  and  pitiful,  and  the  hunter  loves  him  as 
much  as  he  does  his  hounds  ;  and  why  should  he 
not  love  him  and  hunt  him  at  the  same  time  ?  The 
most  kindly  of  all  men,  Izaak  Walton,  implies  that 
an  angler  should  love  the  worm  with  which  he  baits 
his  hook,  and  no  one  decried  such  sympathy, 
excepting,  perhaps,  the  cruellest  men  of  the  Lord 
Byron  type. 

Foxhounds  have  for  more  than  three  hundred  years 
been  carefully  bred  and  reared  for  hunting  purposes, 
and  for  that  length  of  time  the  sport  has  been 
carried  on  in  England  pretty  much  on  the  same 
lines  as  now,  taking  into  consideration  the  change  in 
our  mode  of  living  and  in  the  cultivation  of  the 


44  Modern  Dogs. 


land.  But  long  prior  to  this  period,  foxhunting  was 
a  fashionable  pastime,  and  Edward  II.  had  a  hunts- 
man named  Twici,  who,  early  in  the  fourteenth 
century,  became  an  author  and  an  authority  on  sport. 
He  said  : 

Draw  with  your  hounds  about  groves  and  thickets  and  bushes 
near  villages ;  a  fox  will  lurk  in  rude  places  to  prey  upon  pigs  and 
poultry,  but  it  will  be  necessary  to  stop  up  earths,  if  you  can  find 
them,  the  night  before  you  intend  to  hunt ;  and  the  best  time  will 
be  about  midnight,  for  then  the  fox  goeth  out  to  seek  his  prey 
.  .  .  The  best  time  for  hunting  a  fox  is  in  January,  February, 
and  March,  for  then  you  shall  but  see  your  hounds  hunting 
.  .  .  Shun  casting  off  too  many  hounds  at  once,  because 
woods  and  coverts  are  full  of  sundry  chases,  and  let  such  as  you 
cast  off  be  old  and  staunch  hounds,  which  are  sure.  .  .  Let 
the  hounds  worry  and  kill  the  fox  themselves,  and  tear  him  as 
much  as  they  please. 

And  so  proceeds  the  ancient  royal  huntsman,  who 
doubtless  enjoyed  his  sport  in  those  times  with  as 
much  gratification  as  do  we  ourselves  at  the  present 
day. 

Although  thus  early  there  were  hounds  similar  to 
those  of  modern  times,  they  were  not  kept  entirely 
for  the  purpose  of  hunting  the  fox,  and  to  be  actually 
perfect  in  work  they  should  not  be  entered  to  any 
other  quarry.  There  is  some  amount  of  uncertainty 
as  to  the  earliest  date  when  hounds  were  kept 
solely  for  the  chase  of  the  fox.  I  quite  agree 
with  that  painstaking  and  researchful  writer,  Mr. 


The  Foxhound.  45 


W.  C.  A.  Blew,  who,  in  his  new  edition  of  "  Noticia 
Venatica,"  ascribes  the  earliest  date  to  a  year  or 
two  prior  to  1689  5  f°r  at  tnat  ^me  tne  Charlton 
hunt  in  Sussex,  conducted  by  Mr.  Roper,  who 
managed  the  hounds  for  the  ill-fated  Duke  of  Mon- 
mouth  and  Earl  Grey,  hunted  the  fox.  Particulars 
of  this  appear  in  the  fifteenth  volume  of  the 
<(  Sussex  Archaeological  Collection."  In  1750  the 
Charlton  lapsed  into  the  Goodwood. 

In  the  Field  of  Nov.  6,  1875,  there  is  an  illustra- 
tion of  an  old  hunting  horn,  at  that  time  in  the 
possession  of  Mr.  Reginald  Corbet,  master  of  the 
South  Cheshire  hounds.  On  it  there  was  the  following 
inscription:  "  Thomas  Boothby,  Esq.,  Tooley  Park, 
Leicester.  With  this  horn  he  hunted  the  first  pack 
of  foxhounds  then  in  England  fifty-five  years.  Born 
1477,  died  1572."  Here  is  another  early  date,  and 
where  could  be  found  plainer  proofs,  though  some 
writers  have  thrown  discredit  on  them  because  they 
thought  it  possible  these  hounds  occasionally  hunted 
any  out-lying  deer  that  might  be  doing  damage  to  the 
farmer's  crops.  As  well  say  some  of  our  modern 
harriers  are  not  harriers  because,  when  the  legitimate 
chase  is  scarce,  they  have  a  day  or  two  with  the 
"  carted  "  deer. 

There   was  a  very  interesting  old   hunting  story 
Lord  Wilton  writes,  in  his  "  Sports  and  Pursuits  of 


46  Modern  Dogs. 


the  English,"  that,  not  until  1750  were  hounds 
entered  solely  to  fox ;  but  against  his  statement 
must  be  placed  that  of  Charles  J.  Apperley,  who 
died  in  1843,  an<^  ls  favourably  known  under  his  nom 
de  plume  of  "Nimrod."  He  says  that  an  ancestor  of 
Lord  Arundel  of  Wardour  had  a  pack  of  foxhounds 
at  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century,  thus  about 
coeval  with  the  Sussex  and  Leicestershire  already 
named;  and  the  same  reliable  writer  proceeds  to  say 
that,  remaining  in  the  same  family,  they  hunted  in 
Wiltshire  and  Hampshire  until  1 782,  when  they  passed 
to  Mr.  Meynell,  a  name  so  historical  in  foxhound 
annals.  Another  such  pack  was  that  of  Mr.  Thomas 
Fownes,  who  was  hunting  from  Stapleton  in  Dorset- 
shire very  early  in  the  eighteenth  century ;  but  the 
Charlton  Hunt  and  Squire  Boothby's  hounds  had 
before  this  been  entered  to  fox,  and,  with  our  present 
knowledge,  with  them  must  rest  the  credit  of  being 
the  earliest  packs  of  foxhounds  in  this  country. 

Mr.  Fowne's  pack  went  to  Mr.  Bowes,  of  Streatlam, 
Yorkshire ;  and  the  Belvoir  hounds  kennelled  at 
Melton  Mowbray,  with  the  Duke  of  Rutland  as  their 
master,  are  lineally  descended  from  those  alluded  to 
by  Lord  Wilton.  Since  these  early  times  and  up  to 
the  present  every  care  has  been  taken,  and  no 
expense  spared,  to  produce  a  foxhound  as  near  per- 
fection as  possible,  in  order  to  follow  the  calling 


The  Foxhound.  47 


which  finds  such  favour  in  our  land.  Squire  Osbal- 
deston,  Colonel  Thornton,  Mr.  John  Musters,  and 
others  of  a  past  generation  owned  hounds  that, 
either  collectively  or  individually,  could  not  be  sur- 
passed. With  so  much  attention  given  to  them,  it 
was  no  wonder  a  great  writer  on  the  subject  arose, 
and  in  1810  we  have  Peter  Beckford's  magnum 
opus,  which,  so  far  as  it  goes,  has  had  no  rival  in 
its  complete  description  of  the  foxhound,  its  work 
and  management.  And  what  he  wrote  of  him  is 
equally  true  to-day,  for  no  hound  or  dog  has  changed 
so  little  in  appearance  and  character  during  a  century, 
as  the  foxhound.  There  have  been  no  crazes  for 
fashionable  colour,  or  for  head  formed,  or  ears 
hung,  on  purely  fanciful  principles.  Hunters  wanted 
a  dog  for  work,  they  soon  provided  one,  and  have 
kept  and  sustained  that  animal  for  the  purpose. 

The  work  a  foxhound  has  often  to  undergo  is  of 
the  most  arduous  description,  he  is  repeatedly  on  his 
legs  for  eight  or  ten  hours  at  a  stretch,  often  gallop- 
ing a  great  portion  of  that  time,  or  may  be  doing 
more  laborious  work  in  the  thick  coverts,  or  even 
walking  on  the  hard  road  to  or  from  the  meet. 

Though  not  bred  with  great  precision  and  with  such 
care  for  pedigrees,  as  is  the  case  with  fashionable 
packs,  there  are  lightly  built  hounds  hunting  in  the 
mountainous  districts  of  Cumberland  and  Westmor- 


48  Modern  Dogs. 


land  whose  stamina  must  be  phenomenal.  Their 
country  is  the  roughest  imaginable,  over  mountains 
and  down  the  vales,  edging  precipices  and  scaling 
dangerous  passes.  Every  season  these  hounds 
have  a  run  that  may  last  into  the  teens  of  hours, 
beginning  soon  after  daybreak  and  not  ending  when 
stars  have  studded  the  heavens  and  hunters  are  left 
far  behind.  Last  season  hounds  were  heard  in  full 
cry  at  ten  at  night,  and  next  morning  stragglers  found 
their  way  home  to  the  kennels,  others  turning  up  a 
day  or  two  later.  Some  had  to  be  looked  for,  having 
become  "  crag  bound,"  i.e.,  clambered  down  to  a 
cleft  in  the  rock  from  whence  they  could  not  return. 
During  such  runs  as  these,  they  do  not,  owing  to  the 
rough  country,  go  the  pace  of  ordinary  foxhounds, 
but  they  possess  greater  patience  in  working  out  a 
cold  line,  and  are  perfect  in  making  casts  on  their 
own  account.  The  latter  a  most  necessary  gift 
when  they  are  at  fault,  and  no  one  near  them  to 
assist  in  hitting  the  lost  line,  for  this  hunting  at  the 
Lakes  is  done  on  foot — horses  could  not  follow, 
nor  mules  either,  where  men  and  hounds  have 
to  go. 

So  recently  as  the  end  of  March,  1892,  the  Conis- 
ton  hounds,  the  Rev.  E.  M.  Reynolds,  master,  had  an 
extraordinary  run  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Trout- 
beck  and  Kentmere.  They  were  either  dragging  or 


The  Foxhound.  49 


hunting  for  over  ten  hours,  over  a  terribly  rough 
and  wild  country,  and  their  fox,  dead  beat  and 
only  just  in  front  of  them,  had  his  life  saved  by  a 
severe  storm — the  like  of  which  is  only  known  in  the 
Lake  district — coming  on, and  effectually  driving  both 
hunters  and  hounds  off  the  mountains  into  the  valley. 
Although  the  finish  was  not  far  from  kennels,  the 
hounds  had  been  out  for  thirteen  hours  before  they 
were  safe  at  home  again. 

Other  more  fashionable  packs  have  had  extraordi- 
nary runs  in  their  day,  over  a  flatter  country,  and  where 
hounds  were  going  hard  and  fast  the  whole  of  the 
time.  The  Duke  of  Richmond's  run  near  Borough 
Bridge  in  1738,  which  lasted  from  a  quarter  to  eight 
in  the  morning  until  ten  minutes  to  six  in  the  evening, 
deserves  to  be  a  record.  Other  runs  of  almost  equal 
duration  are  still  talked  about,  but  with  a  good  country, 
fast  hounds,  and  bustling  the  latter  on  by  hard  riding, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  late  hour  of  meets,  hunting  runs 
are  not  of  such  long  duration  as  they  were  years 
ago.  Mr.  Vyner  tells  us  of  one  with  his  hounds, 
in  which  the  first  eleven  miles  were  covered  over 
pretty  rough  ground  in  about  fifty-three  minutes, 
which  must  be  taken  as  something  quite  extraordi- 
nary, when  fences  and  one  thing  and  another  are 
taken  in  consideration.  Such  a  run  in  the  open 
cannot  be  placed  side  by  side  with  the  "  trail " 

[VOL.  I.]  E 


50  Modern  Dogs. 


hunt  of  Colonel  Thornton  and  others,  to  which 
allusion  is  made  later  on. 

In  the  days  of  our  great-grandfathers  hounds  met 
at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning;  now,  excepting  in 
cubbing  time,  the  hour  of  noon  has  been  reached 
ere  huntsmen  and  hounds  appear  on  the  scene. 
We  have  a  luxury  in  our  modern  sport — not  to  its 
improvement — that  our  ancestors  could  never  have 
even  dreamt  of. 

There  is  a-  tale  of  a  Northumberland  hound, 
descended  from  Colonel  Thornton's  Lounger,  called 
the  Conqueror,  by  reason  of  his  excellence,  that  ran 
a  fox  single-handed  for  eighteen  miles  and  killed 
him  in  the  end.  A  doubtful  story  rather.  Another 
hound  of  the  gallant  colonel's  had  been  running  riot 
in  covert,  and  on  making  her  way  out,  evidently 
on  a  strong  scent,  the  whip  gave  her  a  cut  with 
his  crop,  which  unfortunately  struck  out  her  eye, 
which  lay  on  the  cheek.  This  did  not  stop  the 
plucky  bitch,  for,  with  her  nose  to  the  ground  and 
hackles  up,  she  raced  along  the  line,  and  in  the  end 
was  first  in  at  the  fox's  death,  though  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  run  the  pack  had  got  on  terms 
with  her.  Thus  she  did  not  kill  single  handed,  as  the 
story  is  so  often  told. 

In  1887,  Comrade,  a  well  known  hound  for  "  trail 
hunting,"  was  with  her  owner,  Mr.  J.  Irving,  Forest 


The  Foxhound.  51 


Hall,  Westmorland,  in  an  allotment  adjoining  his 
house.  A  fox  jumped  up  in  front  of  them,  and 
although  the  going  was  rough  and  hilly,  and  three 
inches  of  snow  lay  on  the  ground,  the  bitch  never 
lost  sight,  and  after  a  grand  course  of  more  than 
a  mile,  pulled  her  quarry  down  in  gallant  style.  A 
fine  healthy  fox,  too,  he  was.  This  "  trail  hunting  " 
is  a  favourite  diversion  in  the  north  of  England,  and 
special  strains  of  lightly-built  foxhounds  are  used  for 
the  purpose.  The  line  is  generally  run  over  an 
uneven  country,  and  may  extend  for  any  distance 
between  four  and  ten  miles.  Hounds  are  started 
from  the  same  place,  and  the  one  coming  in  first, 
having  completed  the  course,  which  was  laid  with 
fox's  entrails,  bedding,  or  some  other  strong  scenting 
matter,  wins  the  prize.  A  good  hound  will  usually 
occupy  less  than  three  minutes  in  covering  a  mile. 
These  hounds  are  almost  or  quite  mute. 

The  match  at  Newmarket,  about  1794,  between 
Mr.  Meynell  and  Mr.  Smith  Barry,  was,  perhaps,  the 
first  means  taken  to  ascertain  the  pace  of  fox- 
hounds. Blue  Cap  and  Wanton,  who  came  in  first  and 
second,  ran  the  course  of  about  four  miles  in  a  few 
seconds  over  eight  minutes,  but  these  hounds  had 
been  specially  trained  for  the  purpose.  However, 
Colonel  Thornton's  celebrated  hound  Merkin,  whose 
portrait  appears  in  Daniel's  "  Rural  Sports,"  ran  a 

E  2 


52  Modem  Dogs. 


heat  of  four  miles,  which  she  completed  in  seven 
and  a  half  minutes.  She  was  afterwards  sold  for 
four  hogsheads  of  claret  and  a  couple  of  her 
whelps  when  she  was  bred  from. 

It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  these  hounds  were 
specially  trained  for  these  trials  of  pace  and  endur- 
ance, that  they  ran  over  a  country  where  the  going 
was  all  in  their  favour,  and  that  a  strong  "  trail  " 
was  laid.  There  is  no  doubt  that  our  modern 
hounds  would  come  out  with  equal  credit  under 
similar  conditions. 

Foxhounds  soon  take  to  hunting  game  other  than 
their  legitimate  quarry,  more  quickly  taking  up  the 
change  of  scent  than  one  would  imagine.  For  years 
they  have  hunted  the  boar  and  stag  in  various 
countries  all  over  the  world,  and  the  wolf  likewise. 
Two  years  ago  Mr.  F.  Lowe  took  a  draft  of  hounds 
from  various  packs  over  to  a  friend  in  Russia.  He 
says  : 

During  our  stay  we  had  a  trial  with  the  foxhounds  in  an  inclosed 
park,  to  see  how  they  would  tackle  a  wolf.  On  the  first  day  the 
new  hounds  did  not  at  once  seem  to  understand  it,  but  they  soon 
owned  the  line,  and  we  had  a  fairly  good  burst ;  and,  if  we  had 
been  so  minded,  could  have  killed  Mr.  Wolf.  On  the  second 
day  we  had  made  up  our  minds  to  have  blood  if  the  foxhounds 
could  break  him  up,  which  my  host  seemed  to  doubt.  I  gave 
them  a  cheer  or  two  as  they  began  to  feather  on  the  line,  and 
away  they  went  in  grand  style.  Fred  Payne,  of  the  Fitzwilliam, 
would  have  been  delighted  with  the  advancement  of  Rambler's 


The  Foxhound.  53 


education  ;  and  the  Atherstone  were  likewise  well  represented. 
The  music  became  a  roar,  and  it  was  very  quickly  a  case  of  from 
scent  to  view  and  "  who-whoop !  "  The  pulling  to  pieces  was 
quite  after  the  English  view  of  the  thing ;  though  the  quarry  was 
perhaps  a  bit  tougher,  and  they  did  not  seem  to  care  about 
making  a  repast  of  him. 

In  addition 'to  his  qualifications  of  speed  and  nose 
he  has  a  peculiar  homing  faculty,  developed  to  a 
remarkable  extent.  Hounds  have  been  known  to 
return  to  their  kennels  from  remarkable  distances. 
One  draft  that  had  been  sent  from  the  Holderness 
into  Kent  were  discontented  with  their  new  quarters, 
and  had  arrived  nearly  home  again  before  they  were 
discovered.  A  Cumberland  hound  returned  from 
Sussex  to  its  old  home,  evidently  preferring  the 
mountains  of  its  native  county  to  the  downs  of  the 
southern  one. 

There  is  an  old  huntsman  in  the  English  Lake 
district,  Tommy  Dobson  by  name,  who  runs  the 
Eskdale  pack.  He  is  a  bobbin  turner  by  trade, 
but  manages  to  keep  a  lot  of  excellent  work- 
ing hounds  and  terriers  together,  the  farmers  and 
some  landowners  in  that  wild  district  giving  him  so 
much  a  head  for  the  foxes  he  kills.  He  hunts  on 
foot,  for  no  horse  could  follow  wrhere  he  goes. 
Repeatedly  he  has  long  runs ;  his  hounds  get  lost  for 
a  time,  but  they  usually  arrive  at  their  kennels  the 
day  following  the  hunt.  Dobson  is  a  keen  old 


54  Modern  Dogs. 


sportsman,  and  may  be  the  sole  survivor  in  England 
of  a  class  of  men  that  can  never  be  replaced.  He 
kills  twenty  foxes  or  so  in  the  season,  much  to  the 
pleasure  of  the  shepherds  and  farmers  in  this  wildest 
part  of  our  Lake  district. 

"Trencher  fed"  packs  of  hounds  are  not  so 
numerous  as  once  was  the  case,  though  such  are 
still  to  be  found.  They  get  their  name  from  the 
fact  that  they  are  not  kept  in  kennels,  but  individual 
hounds  have  separate  homes  with  the  supporters  of 
the  hunt,  and  are  regularly  got  together  each  morn- 
ing a  hunt  is  to  take  place.  This  is  as  a  rule  not 
much  trouble,  for,  with  a  blast  or  two  of  the  horn 
here  and  there  hounds  make  their  way  to  their 
master  very  much  on  the  same  principal  that  the 
"  bugle  call"  rouses  the  soldier  from  the  bed  and 
draws  him  to  the  place  of  muster.  Packs  of  this 
kind  are,  as  a  rule,  not  so  extensive  as  our  leading 
ones  which  repose  in  kennels  dry  and  airy,  and 
arranged  on  the  most  modern  principles. 

The  largest  packs  of  foxhounds  are,  as  a  rule, 
divided  into  dogs  and  bitches,  each  sex  running 
separately  and  distinctly  on  different  days.  The 
"  ladies,"  as  they  are  mostly  called,  are  said  to  be  the 
smarter  in  the  field,  and  to  possess  dash  and  casting 
powers  in  greater  perfection  than  the  "dogs."  In 
some  few  of  the  big  packs  dogs  and  bitches  are  run 


The  Foxhound.  55 


together,  being  matched  according  to  size  as  nearly 
as  possible,  The  dog  hounds  are,  of  course,  the 
bigger  of  the  two,  and  run  from  23  to  24  inches  at  the 
shoulder,  the  bitches  being  from  one  to  two  inches  or 
so  below  that  standard.  One  of  the  smallest  pure 
foxhounds  that  ever  ran  with  hounds  was  the  Blue 
Ransom,  of  the  Pytchley,  and  said  to  be  about  i  7^ 
inches,  whilst  the  giant  of  the  race,  the  Warwick- 
shire Riddlesworth,  was  27  inches.  At  the  present 
time  our  largest  packs  are  the  Blackmoor  Vale,  with 
80  couples  of  hounds ;  the  Duke  of  Beaufort's, 
75  couples ;  the  Belvoir,  62  couples  ;  whilst  the 
Berkeley,  Crawley  and  Horsham,  Berks,  Fitzwilliam, 
and  Mr.  Garth's  have  each  60  couples  of  running 
hounds  in  kennel.  Other  packs  number  anything 
between  the  nine  couple  of  the  Coniston  to  the 
58^-  couple  of  the  Oakley. 

For  a  hundred  years  or  more,  it  has  been  been, 
and  still  remains,  though  some  packs  now  dis- 
countenance it,  the  custom  to  "round"  the  ears 
of  fox  hounds,  which  is  neither  more  nor  less  than 
shortening  their  aural  appendages,  to  prevent  the 
latter  getting  torn  in  covert,  or  in  going  through  or 
over  the  fences.  This  is  done  at  about  four  months 
old.  Most  hound  puppies  leave  the  kennels,  after 
being  taken  from  the  dam,  to  be  located,  "  walked  " 
with  the  farmers  and  other  friends  of  the  hunt. 


56  Modern  Dogs. 


Here  they  are  fed  well  and  wax  strong  until  the  time 
comes  round,  usually  late  in  the  summer,  for  them  to 
return  to  the  kennels,  to  be  properly  entered  with  the 
cubs. 

The  occasion  is  utilized  for  a  "  show  of  the 
puppies."  Prizes  are  awarded,  silver  tea  and  coffee 
pots  and  such  like  "useful  pieces  of  furniture" 
dear  to  the  farmer's  wives  and  daughters.  A  pleasant 
day  is  spent ;  the  Master  gives  a  luncheon,  and  he 
"  toasts  "  and  is  "  toasted  "  in  return. 

The  hounds  each  year  drafted  to  make  room  for 
the  puppies,  are  usually  the  perquisite  of  the  hunts- 
man and  they  may  go  to  other  kennels,  or  become 
squandered  over  distant  parts  of  the  universe,  where 
they  form  a  connecting  link  with  u  home."  Or  they 
may  go  into  the  hands  of  some  dealer  or  other,  who 
finds  a  ready  market  for  them  to  an  enterprising 
theatrical  manager,  who  seeks  to  add  to  the  truthful- 
ness of  some  country  scene,  the  increased  attraction 
of  a  "  scratch  pack."  During  the  past  few  years, 
foxhounds  have  repeatedly  appeared  on  the  stage  in 
our  leading  theatres,  where,  to  the  sound  of  the  horn 
of  the  "  super,"  and  the  clash  of  the  orchestra,  or 
the  strains  of  "  John  Peel,"  their  reception  has  been 
such  as  any  debutante  might  have  envied.  But  a 
stage  hound's  life  behind  the  scenes  cannot  be  a 
happy  one,  nor  are  their  exercising  grounds  through 


The  Foxhound.  57 


the  thronged  streets  adjoining  our  great  thorough- 
fares, so  healthy  as  a  roll  on  the  grass  in  the  Pytchley 
pastures. 

As  to  the  "rounding"  of  the  ears,  Stonehenge 
writes  with  great  judgment  and  knowledge.  He 
believes  it  useful  in 

Preventing  canker  either  from  foul  blood  or  mechanical  injury. 
.  .  .  The  sole  use  of  an  abnormally  large  ear,  as  far  as 
I  can  see,  is  to  aid  the  internal  organ  of  hearing,  and  it  is 
only  found  in  hounds  which  depend  upon  co-operation  for 
success — that  is  to  say  that  hunt  in  packs.  In  this  kind  of  hunting, 
the  ear  is  required  to  ascertain  what  is  given  out  by  the  tongues  of 
the  leading  hounds,  so  as  to  enable  the  tail  of  the  pack  to  come 
up  ;  but  whether  or  no  "  rounding ''  diminishes  the  sensitiveness  of 
the  organ  of  hearing,  I  am  not  prepared  to  say.  It  is,  however, 
admitted  by  physiologists,  that  the  external  ear  aids  by  the  sense 
of  hearing,  and  as  this  large  folding  ear  is  confined  to  hounds 
hunting  in  packs,  which,  as  above  remarked,  depend  upon  hearing 
or  co-operation,  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  hound's  large 
ear  is  given  to  him  to  aid  this  kind  of  hunting ;  and,  if  so,  it  is  by 
no  means  clear  that  "  rounding  "  is  an  unmixed  good. 

Foxhounds  on  the  bench  of  ordinary  dog  shows 
are  more  a  rarity  than  otherwise,  though,  whenever 
they  do  appear  in  such  an  odd  position,  always  prove 
an  attraction.  In  Yorkshire  some  attention  was 
given  to  special  exhibitions  of  foxhounds  about 
twenty-five  years  ago,  but  they  never  appeared  to 
quite  take  hold  of  the  Tykes,  and  were  allowed  to 
lapse,  the  last  of  them  being  a  large  gathering  that 


58  Modern  Dogs. 


took  place  on  Knavesmire,  in  1877.  Following  this 
came  the  establishment  at  Peterborough,  that  is 
held  in  June,  and  it  has  so  grown  under  its  excellent 
management,  that  it  now  must  be  recognised  as  one 
of  the  institutions  or  our  land.  At  Peterborough 
Hound  Show,  Masters,  Huntsmen,  and  Whips,  meet 
as  on  a  common  threshold,  and  they  talk  of  their 
prospects,  admire  the  .hounds,  and  criticise  the 
awards  in  the  most  friendly  spirit  imaginable.  A 
day  at  Peterborough  is  one  that  hunting  men  look 
forward  to  as  a  kind  of  connecting  link  between 
that  time  when  hounds  race  on  a  burning  scent,  and 
when  they  are  the  pets  of  the  household.  Almost 
all  the  best  foxhounds  of  the  day  are  to  be  seen  at 
Peterborough  Show,  and  no  prospective  Master 
should  miss  the  gathering ;  few  of  the  present 
Masters  do  so. 

Already  I  have  mentioned  the  odd  price  for  which 
Merkin  was  sold,  but  it  seems  rather  strange  that 
whilst  comparatively  useless  dogs  of  a  purely  fancy 
breed  occasionally  bring  from  ^500  to  ^1000 
apiece,  a  whole  pack  of  foxhounds  may  often 
be  purchased  for  the  latter  sum,  or  even  for  less. 
There  are  hounds  that  a  master  would  not  sell  at  any 
price,  but  if  he  would  there  could  scarcely  be  the 
demand  for  them  at  such  enormous  figures  as  a 
terrier,  a  sheep  dog,  or  a  St.  Bernard  will  often  com- 


The  Foxhound.  59 


mand.  Mr.  Corbet  bought  that  crack  pack  the 
North  Warwickshire  for  1500  guineas,  but  John 
Ward  paid  2000  guineas  for  the  same  hounds  when 
they  came  into  his  hands.  Mr.  Osbaldeston  knewr 
what  he  was  about  when,  in  1806,  he  purchased  the 
Burton  for  800  guineas  ;  but  when  the  "  Squire's  M 
hounds  came  to  be  sold  at  Tattersall's  in  1840,  they 
realized  5219  guineas,  which  may  be  taken  as  the 
best  on  record  for  a  pack  of  foxhounds.  Against 
this  maybe  set  the  modest  item  of  15  guineas  which 
twenty-one  couples  of  the  Haydon  hounds  brought 
at  auction  in  1884.  Ten  couples  of  Mr.  Osbaldeston's 
realised  2380  guineas.  Then  in  1845  Mr.  Foljambe's 
hounds  sold  for  3600  guineas ;  Lord  Donerail's,  in 
1859,  for  1334  guineas  ;  Mr.  Drake's,  2632  guineas  ; 
and,  in  1838,  Ralph  Lambton  paid  Lord  Suffield 
3000  guineas  for  his  highly-bred  hounds.  These 
are,  no  doubt,  the  most  unusual  prices  ever  made 
for  foxhounds.  In  1867  the  Wheatland  hounds 
were  sold  at  Tattersall's  in  different  lots  for  ^750, 
and  yearly  at  Rugby  drafts  are  sold  by  auction 
almost  at  any  price,  varying  from  a  sovereign  to  io/. 
a  couple. 

Stonehenge  jocularly  remarks  :  "  Nose  combined 
with  speed  and  stoutness  have  always  been  con- 
sidered as  the  essentials  for  the  foxhound,  but  of  late 
years,  owing  to  enormous  fields  which  have  attended 


60  Modern  Dogs. 


our  leading  packs,  and  the  forward  riding  displayed 
by  them,  another  feature  has  been  demanded,  and 
'  the  supply  '  in  the  '  grass  countries  '  has  been  ob- 
tained in  a  remarkable  manner.  I  allude  to  the  gift 
peculiar  to  our  best  modern  hounds  of  getting 
through  a  crowd  of  horses  when  accidentally 
'  slipped  '  by  the  pack.  This  faculty  is  developed 
to  a  very  wonderful  extent  in  all  packs  hunting  the 
'  Shires/  varying,  of  course,  slightly  in  each,  and  it  is 
no  1  s  remarkably  absent  in  certain  packs  otherwise 
equal  .o  the  Quorn  and  its  neighbours,  or  even 
superior  to  them."  I  may  say  that  through  force  of 
circumstances  this  valued  gift  of  self-preservation  has 
lately  been  exhibited  by  Her  Majesty's  and  some  other 
packs  within  easy  railway  distance  of  our  great 
metropolis. 

The  following  is  from  an  article  by  Mr.  G.  S.  Lowe, 
that  appeared  in  the  Field  some  time  ago,  and  as  it 
deals  more  fully  with  our  present  strain  of  fox- 
hounds and  their  pedigrees  (there  is  a  foxhound 
stud  book  now)  than  I  could,  I  have  an  excuse  for 
its  republication  : 

The  casual  observer  in  the  hunting  field  might  not  be  inclined 
to  appreciate  the  laudations  bestowed  upon  certain  hounds  in 
almost  every  pack.  Hounds  run  very  much  in  one  form,  and  a 
huntsman  of,  say,  forty  years'  experience  might  call  up  hounds  to 
his  memory  to  number  in  the  aggregate  several  thousands,  though 
in  speaking  of  any  exquisites  he  will  refer  to  two  or  three  only 


The  Foxhound.  61 


that,  according  to  his  idea,  were  incomparable.  The  faults  of  even 
good  foxhounds  must  be,  therefore,  numerous — far  more  so,  I 
expect,  than  the  casual  observer  could  detect,  as  faultless  hounds, 
it  would  appear,  crop  up  in  the  smallest  proportions  in  the  lifetime 
of  a  huntsman.  Mr.  Osbaldeston  was  generally  in  a  position  to 
have  the  best  of  hounds  only,  as  in  the  heyday  of  his  career,  at 
any  rate,  he  had  an  immense  pack,  hunted  his  own  hounds  six 
days  a  week,  and,  in  the  style  in  which  he  rode  over  Leicestershire 
and  other  countries,  it  can  be  fairly  asserted  that  he  was  never 
separated  from  them.  It  is  said  that  he  depended  on  his  hounds 
with  a  flying  fox,  speaking  very  little  to  them,  but  observing  all 
they  did,  and  in  strong  gorse  he  went  in  with  them  himself,  and 
could  make  them  hunt  like  spaniels.  With  all  this  experience, 
though,  Osbaldeston  had  one  hound  out  of  the  many  he  had  to 
do  with,  of  which  he  would  speak  with  exceptional  regard  up  to 
the  very  time  of  his  death.  I  remember  it  was  told  me  that  a 
friend  met  the  veteran  in  a  billiard  room,  years  after  he  had  given 
up  hunting,  and,  the  conversation  drifting  into  matters  of  the 
chase,  the  squire  got  upon  the  line  of  Furrier,  and  there  was  no 
getting  him  off  it.  He  expatiated  on  the  merit  of  this  hound  as 
the  best  ever  bred ;  and  it  must  be  remembered  also  that,  when 
Osbaldeston  bred  hounds,  he  supported  his  opinion  by  breeding 
from  this  hound  to  such  an  extent  that  he  could  take  a  pack  into 
the  field  made  up  entirely  of  Furriers  progeny. 

Harry  Ayris  lived,  I  think,  sixty  years  with  the  Fitzhardinge 
pack,  and  in  an  interview  with  him  about  fifteen  years  ago,  when 
the  old  fellow  was  over  eighty,  I  put  the  question  straight  to  him 
as  to  the  best  hound  he  had  ever  seen.  "  Cromwell,"  was  the 
ready  reply,  "and  no  man  ever  hunted  another  like  him."  It  was 
difficult,  then,  to  get  Harry  Ayris  off  the  line  of  Cromwell ;  and  it 
was  no  easier  task  to  make  the  late  John  Walker  believe  that  a 
better  foxhound  had  ever  been  bred  than  Sir  Watkin  Wynn's 
Royal.  Lord  Henry  Bentinck  had  several  favourites,  and,  for  the 
benefit  of  those  after  him,  he  left  a  written  record,  showing  how 
these  particular  hounds  excelled  their  fellows.  This  is  in  manu- 


62  Modern  Dogs. 


script  still,  I  believe  ;  but  I  am  perfectly  assured  that  the  leading 
hound  breeders  of  the  day  have  seen  it,  and  hence  the  great 
leaning  of  late  years  towards  the  pack  that  came  originally  from 
Lord  Henry's  benches.  One  might  go  considerably  further  back, 
to  quote  how  Mr.  Corbet  is  said  to  have  spoilt  his  pack  by 
excessive  in-breeding  to  Trojan ;  and  how  Sir  Thomas  Mostyn 
committed  the  same  mistake  by  appreciating  the  blood  too  much 
of  a  famous  bitch  called  Lady.  It  is  sufficient,  however,  to  note 
that  this  sort  of  allegiance  to  certain  hounds  has  had  a  marvellous 
effect  on  hound  breeding,  and  that  such  hounds  can  be  regarded 
as  landmarks  through  a  veritable  maze  of  pedigrees  ranging  over 
half  a  century.  No  animal  of  any  sort  whatever  has  been  bred  to 
in  the  same  persistency  as  can  be  traced  to  the  Osbaldeston 
Furrier  ;  he  was  the  best  hound  of  his  day,  in  the  opinion  of  an 
experienced  authority ;  and  that  opinion  was  followed  by  such 
hound  breeders  as  the  late  Mr  Foljambe,  the  late  Lord  Henry 
Bentinck,  and  the  late  Mr.  Parry,  besides  a  host  of  others,  not 
excepting  those  who  attended  to  the  well-being  of  the  almost 
classical  packs  of  Belvoir,  Brocklesby,  Fitzwilliam,  and  Bad- 
minton. 

There  have  been  hounds  in  considerable  numbers  that  could 
boast  of  temporary  reputations,  but  they  have  not  secured  lasting 
fame  :  and  I  should  be  inclined  to  limit  what  might  be  called  the 
standard  favourites  to  a  dozen  since  the  days  of  the  Osbaldeston 
Furrier.  Others  may  be  inclined  to  differ  from  my  selections, 
but  they  will  catch  my  meaning  if  they  will  trace  recent  pedigrees 
to  their  sources,  and  will  regard  such  hounds  as  are  seen  at  the 
Peterborough  show.  It  is  seen  that  during  years  of  breeding 
there  has  been  no  loss  of  size  and  bone,  to  begin  with — no  loss 
of  quality,  as  shown  in  clean  necks  and  shoulders,  and  general 
carriage ;  and,  if  looks  can  be  taken  for  anything,  there  can 
have  been  no  loss  in  pace,  or  in  such  qualities  of  shape  that 
suggest  power  and  stamina.  Hunting  men  of  various  countries 
can  decide  whether  foxhounds  are  not  as  good  or  better  than  they 
have  ever  been ;  but  a  very  strong  feature  in  maintaining  the 


The  Foxhound.  63 


qualities  and  characteristics  of  the  foxhound  has  been  the  system 
of  keeping  several  celebrated  foxhounds  in  view  when  going  in 
for  high  breeding.  Mr.  Parry,  so  long  associated  with  the 
Puckeridge,  had  two  hounds  called  Pilgrim  and  Rummager,  both 
entered  in  1840,  and  the  latter  was  a  great-grandson  of  the 
famous  Furrier,  whilst  Pilgrim  was  descended  from  another 
celebrity  known  as  the  Belvoir  Topper.  With  this  couple  of 
hounds  Mr.  Parry  stamped  his  pack,  as  they  were  always  kept  in 
view,  as  it  were,  and  before  Mr.  Parry  left  off  hound-keeping  his 
kennel  had  a  very  high  reputation  for  blood.  Of  late  years  whole 
packs  have  been  established  from  the  Belvoir  Senator,  and  others 
have  been  benefited  in  a  similar  degree,  through  holding  to  the 
Burton  Dorimont  line,  the  Drake  Duster,  the  Wynnstay  Royal, 
the  Grove  Furrier,  or  the  Berkeley  Castle  Cromwell. 

To  come  to  the  notable  twelve  that  have  been,  and  may  still  be, 
esteemed  as  "landmarks"  of  hound  breeding,  I  should,  of  course, 
name  the  Osbaldeston  Furrier,  a  Belvoir-bred  hound,  as  he  came 
in  a  draft  from  the  ducal  kennels,  and  was  by  their  Saladin  out 
of  their  Fallacy,  and  thence  going  back  to  Mr.  Meynell's  hounds 
of  1790.  It  has  been  stated  that  Furrier  was  not  so  much  a 
perfect  working  hound  as  a  hard  runner,  as  he  was  inclined  to  be 
jealous  and  impatient  on  a  cold  scent;  but  he  was  the  leading 
hound  in  every  fast  thing,  and  he  never  did  wrong  when  holding 
that  important  post  of  honour.  He  was  the  sire  of  Ranter,  and 
to  that  hound  Mr.  Foljambe  was  principally  indebted  for  the 
Furrier  blood,  as  his  Herald  and  Harbinger,  entered  in  1835, 
were  by  Ranter.  Herald  was  the  sire  of  Wildair,  sire  of  Wild  Boy, 
sire  of  Modish,  the  dam  of  The  Grove  Guider.  Harbinger  and 
Herald  appear  several  times  in  Barrister's  pedigree,  as,  for 
instance,  he  was  by  Rambler,  son  of  Roister,  son  of  Captive, 
a  daughter  of  Herald's ;  and  the  dam  of  Rambler  again  was 
Dorothy,  her  dam  Dowager,  by  Songster,  a  son  of  Sybil  by  the 
Osbaldeston  Ranter.  The  sire  of  Roister  again  was  Render,  son 
of  Riot,  by  Ranter,  and  it  is  therefore  not  difficult  to  trace  several 
lines  of  Furrier  in  the  Grove  Barrister,  a  hound  well  in  the 


64  Modern  Dogs. 


memory  of  all  breeders  of  the  present  day.  The  Fitzwilliam 
claim  a  line  to  Furrier,  chiefly  through  Hardwick,  a  hound  entered 
in  the  Milton  kennels  in  1843,  by  Mr.  Drake's  Hector  out  of 
Goldfinch,  her  dam  Frenzy,  by  Fatal,  son  of  Ferryman,  son  of 
Furrier.  Hardwick  was  the  sire  of  Handmaid,  the  dam  of  Hard- 
wick  of  1851,  and  the  latter  sire  in  turn  of  Hercules  and 
Harbinger.  There  was  another  double  Furrier  cross  in  the 
Fitzwilliams,  as  their  Hero  and  Hotspur  were  by  the  second 
Hardwick  out  of  Ransom,  by  Mr.  Foljambe's  Roister. 

Another  famous  line  from  Furrier,  and  through  the  same 
kennels  as  the  above,  is  traced  to  the  Burton  Dorimont,  a  hound 
spoken  of  in  Lord  Henry  Bentinck's  diary  as  a  thoroughly  good 
foxhound.  He  was  got  by  Roderick  by  Mr.  Foljambe's  Roister, 
named  above  as  out  of  a  Herald  bitch.  There  was  a  double  cross  of 
this  sort  in  Dorimont,  as  his  dam  Daffodil  was  out  of  Dairymaid 
by  Driver,  son  of  Harbinger,  brother  to  Herald,  and  a  third  cross 
to  Furrier  might  even  be  traced  through  the  Belvoir  Chaser, 
There  is  Dorimont  blood  in  the  Fitzwilliam  kennel,  as  Dagmar 
and  Daphne  were  by  him;  and  their  Selim  of  1869  was  out  of 
Dagmar,  and  Selim  is  the  sire  of  Balmy,  Bloomer,  Remedy,  and 
others  on  the  Milton  benches,  that  have  been  bred  from.  Dori- 
mont is  largely  represented  also  in  the  Oakley  kennels,  and,  if  I 
am  not  much  mistaken,  Sailor,  a  sire  of  note  at  the  present  time, 
from  Lord  Portsmouth's  kennels,  traces  directly  to  him.  At  any 
rate,  I  know  there  was  a  good  deal  of  the  blood  in  Mr.  Lane- 
Fox's  kennel  through  a  hound  called  -Damper ;  and  very  few 
kennels,  I  expect,  are  without  the  strain.  Dorimont  was  a 
branch  from  Furrier,  but  T  should  accept  him  as  one  of  the 
corner  stones  of  the  stud  book  amongst  my  twelve  selections. 

The  Drake  Duster  is  another  not  to  be  forgotten  by  anyone  who 
has  ever  thought  of  breeding  hounds.  He  was  entered  in  1844 
by  the  late  Mr.  Drake,  so  long  associated  with  the  Bicester,  and 
he  was  got  by  Bachelor  out  of  Destitute,  the  former  running  into 
Mr.  Warde's  sort,  and  the  latter  to  the  Belvoir.  The  last  named 
famous  kennel  got  many  good  returns  of  their  own  blood  from 


The  Foxhound.  65 


Duster,  as  Siren,  the  dam  of  Singer,  was  a  daughter  of  his,  and 
Singer  was  the  sire  of  Senator.  The  most  important  line  of 
the  day  is  therefore  due  in  a  measure  to  the  Drake  Duster, 
as  it  can  well  be  said  that  every  kennel  in  England  has  gone  in 
more  or  less  for  the  Senator  strain,  and  if  there  was  anything 
to  complain  about,  it  was  a  fear  that  too  much  of  it  might 
be  infused  into  some  channels  by  way  of  in-breeding.  However, 
the  oldest  huntsmen,  the  late  Jack  Morgan  amongst  others,  have 
assured  me  that  for  dash  and  drive  there  has  been  nothing  like 
them,  and  it  was  a  characteristic  with  all  hounds  straining  from 
the  Belvoir  Singer  that  they  were  veritable  tyrants  on  the  line  of  a 
sinking  fox,  and  savages  at  a  death.  There  was  a  hound  in  Lord 
Poltimore's  called  Woldsman,  by  Comus,  out  of  a  bitch  nearly 
sister  in  blood  to  Siren,  and  he  had  to  be  coupled  up  as  soon  as 
possible  at  a  kill,  as  he  was  not  particular  about  mouthing  another 
hound  in  his  fury;  and  two  sons  of  his,  afterwards  with  the 
Bicester,  and  their  descendants  again,  were  just  like  him. 
Another  great  descendant  from  the  Drake  Duster  was  the 
Belvoir  Guider,  a  son  of  the  former,  out  of  Gamesome,  by 
General.  To  Guider  must  be  credited  the  foundation  of  Lord 
Portsmouth's  pack,  as  his  Lincoln  and  a  host  of  valuable  bitches, 
bred  from  in  due  course,  gave  to  the  Eggesford  pack  its  high 
reputation.  Guider  also  left  his  mark  with  the  Bramham  Moor 
and  Sir  Watkin  Wynn's ;  but  his  stock  has  not  been  so  widely 
distributed  as  the  Senator's.  Senator  was  entered  in  1862,  and, 
like  Duster,  he  was  out  of  a  bitch  called  Destitute,  the  dam  also 
of  Render,  and  she  was  by  Sir  Richard  Sutton's  Dryden,  by  Lord 
Henry  Bentinck's  Contest.  Besides  the  field  qualities  noticed 
above  as  belonging  to  the  Senators,  all  are  very  beautiful  hounds 
that  strain  from  that  line.  Very  perfect  necks  and  shoulders  I 
have  ascribed  to  them,  and  they  are  invariably  full  of  quality, 
whilst  their  colours  are,  as  a  rule,  perfection — the  Belvoir  tan,  and 
hare-pied  hue  blended. 

I  spoke  of  Lord  Henry  Bentinck's  Contest  in  the  above 
remarks  relating  to  the  dam  of  Senator,  and  that  relationship 

[VOL.  i.]  p 


66  Modern  Dogs. 


alone  might  entitle  him  to  be  selected  among  the  celebrated 
twelve  to  be  considered  as  a  pillar  of  the  hound  stud  book. 
There  is,  however,  something  else  to  boast  of  to  the  memory 
of  Contest,  as  he  was  the  sire  of  Harry  Ayris's  favourite  Cromwell, 
and  the  blood  of  the  latter  runs  through  the  Badminton,  the 
Croome  particularly,  through  Lord  Coventry's  Rambler,  and  it 
is  also  largely  represented  in  the  Quorn,  besides,  as  a  matter 
of  course,  being  mixed  up  in  all  the  Berkeley  Castle  pedigrees. 
Cromwell  was  bred  from  at  Berkeley  Castle  in  the  same  sort  of 
proportion  as  Furrier  was  used  by  Osbaldeston,  as  the  entries 
during  his  lifetime  show,  and  he  was  noted  for  getting  excellent 
workers. 

The  beautiful  colours  of  the  Senators  may  not  be  due  to 
Contest,  as  I  think  I  have  been  told  that  he  was  a  grey-pied 
hound,  and  Cromwell  was  that  colour,  as  I  have  seen  his  skin. 
The  goodness  of  Contest,  however  is  explained  in  his  noble 
owner's  diary,  as,  if  there  was  one  particular  favourite  with  Lord 
Henry  more  than  another,  it  was  Contest,  considered  by  him  to  be 
the  best  of  foxhounds  in  any  part  of  a  run ;  and,  as  in  the  case  of 
Mr.  Corbet's  Trojan,  Contest  was  an  extraordinary  wall  and  gate 
jumper.  His  blood  can  be  traced  to  the  three  good-looking 
sisters  that  made  up  the  two  couples  of  the  Warwickshire  in  the 
older  bitch  class  at  Peterborough — namely,  Factious,  Fair  Maid, 
and  Faultless,  as  Archibald,  their  sire,  was  out  of  a  bitch  by  Lord 
Coventry's  Rambler. 

I  have  mentioned  the  Osbaldeston  Furrier,  the  Grove  Barrister, 
the  Drake  Duster,  the  Burton  Dorimont,  the  Belvoir  Guider,  the 
Belvoir  Senator,  the  Burton  Contest,  and  the  Berkeley  Castle 
Cromwell  in  this  article  as  the  most  celebrated  foxhounds  to  be 
traced  to  throughout  all  records.  This  makes  up  eight  out  of  my 
proposed  party  of  twelve ;  and  I  have  no  hesitation  in  giving  as 
additions  the  Burton  Regulus  and  the  Wynnstay  Royal.  It  would 
be  impossible  to  enlarge  too  much  upon  the  good  such  hounds 
have  done  ;  and  it  would  be  impossible  to  say  which  of  the  two 
has  influenced  high  breeding  most.  Royal  is  represented  to 


The  Foxhound.  67 


a  large  extent  at  Belvoir,  Badminton,  Mr.  Garth's,  the  Bramham 
Moor,  and  numerous  other  kennels;  whilst  the  Burton  Regulus, 
besides  adding  much  to  the  continuance  of  the  high  prestige 
belonging  to  Lord  Henry  Bentinck's  pack,  now  mostly  identified 
as  the  Blankney,  is  credited  with  a  vast  amount  of  merit  con- 
tributed to  the  Badminton,  the  Berkeley  Castle,  the  Fitzwilliam, 
the  Quorn,  and  the  present  Burton  pack.  It  now  becomes 
a  little  difficult  to  name  two  more,  and  I  think  the  honour  might 
fall  on  the  Badminton  Flyer  of  1839,  as  he  gave  the  Fitzwilliam 
Feudal  to  the  hound  world ;  and  the  latter  was  the  sire  of 
Foreman,  sire  of  Forester,  sire  of  Furrier;  and  so  we  can  finish 
up  as  we  started  with  a  Furrier,  in  the  hound  of  that  name,  held 
in  so  much  esteem  by  the  late  Hon  George  Fitzwilliam  and 
George  Carter,  and  the  ancestor  now  of  a  very  big  tribe. 

Stonehenge's  points  and  description  of  the  fox- 
hound are  as  follows  : 


Value. 

Head    15 

Neck    5 

Shoulders     10 

Chest  and  back  ribs    ...  10 

Back  and  loin 10 

Hindquarters 10 

60 


Value. 

Elbows  5 

Legs  and  feet    20 

Colour  and  coat    5 

Stern  5 

Symmetry  5 


40 


Grand   Total   100. 


i.  The  head  (value  15)  should  be  of  full  size,  but 
by  no  means  heavy.  Brow  pronounced,  but  not 
high  or  sharp.  There  must  be  good  length  and 
breadth,  sufficient  to  give  in  the  dog  hound  a  girth 
in  front  of  the  ears  of  fully  i6in.  The  nose  should 

F  2 


68  Modern  Dogs. 


be  long  (4^in.)  and  wide  with  open  nostrils.      Ears 
set  on  low  and  lying  close  to  the  cheek. 

2.  The  neck  (value  5)  must  be  long  and  clean, 
without  the  slightest   throatiness.      It    should   taper 
nicely  from  the  shoulders  to  the  head,  and  the  upper 
outline  should  be  slightly  convex. 

3.  The  shoulders  (value   10)   should  be  long,  and 
well    clothed    with    muscle    without    being    heavy, 
especially  at  the  points.     They  must  be  well  sloped, 
and  the  true  arm  between  the  front  and  the  elbow 
must  be   long   and   muscular,   but    free  from   fat  or 
lumber. 

4.  Chest  and   back   ribs   (value   10). — The  chest 
should  girth  over  3oin.  in   a   24in.   hound,  and  the 
back  ribs  must  be  very  deep. 

5.  The  back  and  loin    (value  10)    must   both   be 
very  muscular,  running  into  each  other  without  any 
contraction    or    "  nipping"     between    them.       The 
couples  must  be  wide  even  to  raggedness,  and  there 
should  be  the  very  slightest  arch  in  the  loin,  so  as  to 
be  scarely  perceptible. 

6.  The  hind  quarters  (value  10)  or  propellers  are 
required  to  be  very  strong,  and,  as  endurance  is  of 
even  more  consequence  than  speed,  straight  stifles  are 
preferred  to  those  much  bent,  as  in  the  greyhound. 

7.  Elbows  (value  5)  set  quite  straight,  and  neither 
turned  in  nor  out,  are  a  sine  qua  non.     They  must  be 


The  Foxhound.  69 


well  let  down  by  means  of  the  long  true  arm  above 
mentioned. 

8.  Legs  and  feet   (value   20). — Every  master  of 
foxhounds  insists  on  legs  as  straight  as  a  post,  and 
as   strong ;    size   of   bone  at   the  ankles   and  stifles 
being  specially  regarded  as  all  important.     The  feet 
in  all  cases  should  be  round  and  cat-like,  with  well 
developed  knuckles,  and  strong  pads  and  nails  are  of 
the  utmost  importance. 

9.  The  colour  and  coat  (value  5)  are  not  regarded 
as  very  important,  so  long  as  the  former  is  a  "  hound 
colour,    and    the    latter   is    short,   dense,   hard,  and 
glossy.     Hound  colours  are  black  tan  and  white — 
black   and    white,    and    the    various    "  pies "    com- 
pounded of  white  and  the  colour  of  the  hare  and 
badger,  or  yellow,  or  tan      In  some  old  strains  the 
blue  mottle  of  the  southern  hound  is  still  preserved. 

10.  The  stern  (value  5)  is  gently  arched,  carried 
gaily  over  the  back,  and  slightly  fringed  with   hair 
below.     The  end  should  taper  to  a  point. 

11.  The  symmetry  (value  5)  of  the  foxhound  is 
considerable,  and  what  is  called  "  quality"  is  highly 
regarded  by  all  good  judges. 

Although  the  preceding  points  of  the  foxhound 
have  been  generally  acknowledged  to  be  correct, 
they  are  seldom  or  never  used  when  hounds  are 
being  judged  either  on  the  flags  or  in  the  ring  at 


70  Modern  Dogs. 


Peterboro',  or  elsewhere.  Such  figures  are  not 
required  by  a  hound  judge,  many  of  whom  actually 
detest  numerals  when  they  are  supposed  to  have 
any  bearing  upon  that  animal  which  they  deem  to 
be  excellence  itself,  and  far  removed  from  any  other 
variety  of  the  dog  known  to  the  civilised  world. 
The  points  are  merely  inserted  here  to  give  unifor- 
mity to  the  volume,  and  not  that  the  author  believes 
"  points  "  are  of  use  in  judging  a  hound — or  any 
other  dog. 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE    STAGHOUND. 

As  this  hound  is  neither  more  nor  less  than  a  fox- 
hound under  another  name  and  used  for  a  different 
purpose  I  would  rather  he  followed  the  latter  than 
preceded  him,  though  older  associations  and  modern 
customs  might  entitle  the  staghound,  or  buckhound, 
to  the  premier  position. 

He  has  been  used,  or  at  any  rate  a  somewhat 
similar  animal  to  him  has  long  been  used,  for  stag- 
hunting,  and  we  are  told  by  historians,  that,  in  the 
times  of  the  Normans,  villages  were  depopulated, 
and  places  for  divine  worship  overthrown,  in  order 
that  the  nobles  might  have  their  parks  in  which  to 
keep  their  deer.  Woodstock,  in  Oxfordshire,  was 
one  of  these,  and  according  to  Stowe,  the  first  of 
its  kind  in  England.  So  great  a  hold  had  hunting 
on  those  whose  position  allowed  them  to  enjoy  the 
pastime,  that  Edward  III.,  when  at  war  with  France, 
took  with  his  army  a  pack  of  sixty  couple  of  stag- 
hounds  ;  and  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth  a  pack  was 


72  Modern  Dogs. 


kept  at  Simonsbath,  Somersetshire,  which  hunted 
the  red  deer  on  the  moor  by  the  Exe,  just  as  it  is 
hunted  to-day.  But  it  is  not  my  province  here  to 
enter  into  the  history  of  each  variety  of  dog  in  its 
place,  and,  so  far  as  the  staghound  is  concerned,  I 
must  be  contented  with  thus  briefly  drawing  atten- 
tion to  his  ancient  lineage. 

Although  some  hundred  years  or  so  ago,  there  was 
every  appearance  of  a  speedy  decline  of  stag  hunting, 
owing  to  enclosures,  high  fencing,  and  similar  sport 
to  be  obtained  by  other  means,  the  retrograde  move- 
ment was  retarded.  At  the  present  time  there  are 
twelve  packs  of  staghounds  in  England  and  four  in 
Ireland,  and  with  them  many  good  runs  are  enjoyed, 
for  the  most  part  with  the  carted  deer.  Sport  with 
the  latter  is  pretty  certain,  as  when  one  deer  will 
not  run  as  he  or  she  ought  to  do,  another  is  speedily 
provided,  which  it  is  hoped  will  take  astraighter  line, 
affording  the  hounds  an  opportunity  for  hunting  ; 
and,  what  in  modern  times  is  unfortunately  con- 
sidered of  more  importance,  give  horses  a  chance  to 
gallop  and  exhibit  their  jumping  powers  at  the  fences, 
or  their  amiability  in  the  lanes  or  on  the  roads. 

As  a  loyal  subject,  I  ought  to  make  some  mention 
here  of  Her  Majesty's  Staghounds  or  Buckhounds, 
kept  by  the  State,  which,  kennelled  at  Ascot,  hunt 
the  country  round  about,  where  the  overworked  city 


The  Staghound.  73 

man  seeks  to  regain  his  failing  health  by  a  gallop 
over  a  highly  cultivated  country.  The  royal  pack, 
of  forty  couple,  as  at  present  constituted,  may  be 
said  to  date  back  to  1812,  when  the  Prince  Regent 
purchased  the  Goodwood  foxhounds,  as  they  were 
faster  than  the  old-fashioned  Southern  hounds  or 
talbots,  the  original  constitution  of  the  pack. 

The  older  and  slower  hounds  could  with  difficulty 
get  away  from  the  hard-riding  cockney,  who  even 
at  that  time  would  be  in  amongst  them  with  his 
hack,  rather  than  in  his  proper  position  in  their  rear. 
The  present  hounds  are  well  matched  and  most 
uniform,  the  dogs  standing  about  24  inches,  and 
the  "  ladies  "  22^-  inches  at  the  shoulder. 

This  may  be  taken  as  about  the  standard  height  of 
the  staghound,  though  the  Devon  and  Somerset, 
which  hunt  the  wild  deer  on  Exmoor  and  on  the 
Quantock  Hills,  are  much  larger.  The  rough  country 
of  coombes  and  thick  gorse  necessitates  as  big  a 
hound  as  can  be  obtained,  so  25  to  26  inches  is 
the  standard,  Mr.  C.  H.  Bassett,  the  present  Master, 
seeks  to  acquire,  and  he  uses  entirely  dog  hounds, 
drafts  from  various  foxhound  kennels.  Not  more 
than  one  bitch  has  been  in  this  pack  for  a  dozen 
years  or  so,  and  no  puppies  are  bred  by  the 
hunt. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  chase  of  the  wild  red 


74  Modern  Dogs. 


deer  is  most  glorious  sport,  and  the  genuine  lover 
of  hunting,  one  who  likes  to  see  hounds  work, 
and  the  cleverness  of  the  horse,  cannot  do  better 
than  run  down  to  Dulverton  in  the  season,  and  see 
how  the  Devon  and  Somerset  hounds  can  go.  Long 
stern  chases  are  common  with  them,  and  the  forty 
minutes  bursts  in  the  Midlands  after  the  fox,  give 
place  to  three  hours  here  behind  a  more  noble 
quarry. 

The  pack  consists  of  about  thirty-four  couples  of 
hounds,  a  certain  number  of  which  are  tufters. 
These  are  mostly  old  hounds,  whose  duty  it  is  to 
find  the  deer,  work  out  his  line,  and  get  him  separated 
from  the  remainder  of  the  herd  ;  the  full  pack  is 
then  laid  on,  and  so  the  hunt  goes.  The  number  of 
these  tufters  taken  out  depends  mostly  on  the  size 
and  nature  of  the  covert  to  be  drawn,  four  couple 
of  them  being  the  usual  complement.  They  are 
selected  from  the  pack  on  duty  for  the  day,  because 
of  their  staunchness  and  eagerness  in  drawing,  but. 
especially  for  their  voices  or  aptitude  for  giving 
tongue.  A  mute  tufter  is  of  course  worse  than 
useless,  and,  as  a  fact,  "  stag  hounds  "  have  a  great 
tendency  to  run  mute. 

In  autumn,  say  from  the  I2th  of  August  to 
through  October,  the  stag  is  hunted,  and  at  the  end 
of  the  latter  month,  hind  hunting  commences  and 


The  Stag  hound.  75 


continues  to  April,  and  as  far  as  a  hundred  stags  and 
hinds  have  been  killed  in  one  season. 

The  present  pack  dates  actually  from  1827 
(though  antiquarians  may  identify  it  with  that  at 
Simonsbath  two  hundred  and  thirty  years  earlier), 
and,  with  slight  exception,  the  Devon  and  Somer- 
set have  ever  since  shown  the  perfection  of 
sport. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  note  that  the  "  old  pack," 
which  had  been  bred  on  Exmoor,  was  sold  to  go  to 
Germany  in  181 1,  and  what  has  been  produced  from 
it,  with  no  doubt  suitable  crosses,  is  hunting  there 
still.  Although  the  staghunting  in  the  West  is 
carried  out  on  modern  lines,  .its  ancient  history  is 
not  forgotten.  The  houses  of  the  country  families, 
of  the  Aclands,  Fortescues,  Fellowes,  Bassets,  and 
many  others  are  hung  with  "heads"  dated  in  the 
last  century  ;  the  silver  buttons  with  the  hunt  device 
on  them  are  handed  down  from  generation  to 
generation,  and  those  worn  by  the  present  master, 
whose  grandfather  hunted  the  hounds  from  1780 
to  1786,  are  over  one  hundred  and  twenty  years 
old. 

In  some  other  parts  of  the  country,  stags  and 
hinds  are  hunted  indiscriminately  (the  Queen's  prefer 
haviers,  cut  at  four  years  old),  the  former  being 
deprived  of  their  antlers  in  order  that  they  cannot 


76  Modern  Dogs. 


injure  themselves  or  each  other  when  in  confinement, 
and  both  are  specially  fed  and  prepared  for  the 
chase.  They  are  seldom  hurt,  either  when  being 
hunted  or  when  taken,  and  the  same  animal  will 
afford  a  run  time  after  time. 

I  have  always  had  an  impression  that  our  ordinary 
modern  staghounds  seldom  go  with  the  fire  and 
dash  other  hounds  do  that  are  continually  blooded, 
but  this  may  be  fancy  or  prejudice  on  my  part. 
Ever;  now  and  then  some,  perhaps  well-meaning, 
persons,  who  are  totally  ignorant  of  sport,  its 
usages  and  value,  make  uncalled  for  attacks  upon 
stag  hunting  as  usually  conducted,  and  where 
the  animal  at  the  end  of  the  run  is  saved.  Their 
case  always  fails  miserably,  and  what  proof  of 
cruelty  they  seek  to  force  upon  the  public  is  un- 
reliable and  the  product  of  a  fertile  imagination. 

As  I  have  already  stated,  the  staghound,  or  buck- 
hound,  and  the  foxhound  are  identical,  though  the 
former  is  often  enough  confounded  with  the  Scotch 
deerhound,  a  dissimilar  animal  in  every  way.  The 
change  of  quarry  does  not  appear  to  have  made 
any  difference  in  the  character  and  disposition  of 
the  animal.  The  staghound  is  just  as  kindly  as 
the  foxhound,  he  can  gallop  as  fast,  and  is  said  to 
possess  as  good  a  nose ;  in  coat,  colour  and  for- 
mation, they  are  identical — and  hard,  thick  feet, 


The  Staghound.  77 

good  legs,  with  strong  loins  are  a  sine  qua  non  in 
both. 

The  staghound  does  not  undergo  the  operation  of 
having  his  ears  rounded.  He  can  boast  of  having 
taken  part  in  extraordinary  runs,  one  in  Essex, 
continuing  for  seventy  miles  before  the  deer  was 
killed.  But  this  must  have  been  nothing  to  one 
that  is  said  to  have  occurred  in  Scotland  and 
Cumberland,  sometime  in  the  year  1333  or  1334, 
when  Edward  Baliol,  King  of  Scotland,  went  to  hunt 
with  Robert  de  Clifford,  in  his  domain  at  Appleby 
and  Brougham.  It  is  said  that  a  single  hound 
chased  a  "hart  of  grease"  (an  eight  year  old 
stag)  from  near  Penrith  to  Red  Kirk,  in  Scotland, 
and  back  again,  a  distance  that  could  not  be  less 
than  eighty  miles,  even  by  the  straightest  road. 
The  stag,  in  attempting  to  regain  Whinfell  Park, 
from  whence  it  started,  just  managed  to  leap  the 
wall,  when  it  fell  dead,  the  noble  hound  also  falling 
lifeless,  on  the  other  side  the  fence. 

This  may  be  true  or  not,  possibly  not.  Some  early 
writers  said  the  dog  was  a  greyhound  that  took 
part  in  this  wonderful  run.  Others  have  said  it  was 
a  deerhound,  but  it  is  more  likely  to  have  been  an 
ordinary  hound  of  the  country,  answering  to  our 
present  staghound,  than  anything  else.  The  bones  of 
the  stag  were,  it  is  said,  placed  in  a  large  oak  tree 


7  8  Modern  Dogs. 


in  Whinfell  Park,  and  in  the  course  of  time  became 
engrafted  there. 

Thus  spoke  the  king  :  "  For  equal  praise 
This  hand  this  monument  shall  raise ! 
These  antlers  from  this  oak  shall  spread ; 
And  evermore  shall  here  be  said 
'  That  Hercules  killed  Hart  of  Grease, 
And  Hart  of  Grease  killed  Hercules.' " 

Here  they  remained  until  1648,  when  one  of  the 
branches  was  broken  off,  it  was  said,  by  certain 
soldiers  in  the  Scottish  army,  at  that  time  on  the 
"  war  path."  Ten  years  later  the  remainder  was 
taken  down  by  some  mischievous  persons  at  night 
(Lady  Ann  Clifford's  diary).  The  ancient  trunk  of 
this  tree  was  removed  from  where  it  stood,  on 
the  high  road  between  Penrith  and  Appleby,  during 
the  present  century. 

A  pretty  story  is  told  in  connection  with  Her 
Majesty's  buckhound  Rummager.  Some  years  ago, 
Frank  Goodall,  the  then  huntsman,  met  with  a  severe 
accident  in  the  hunting  field,  and  when  assistance 
was  to  be  rendered  as  he  lay  insensible  on  the 
ground,  Rummager  was  by  his  master's  side,  and  for 
a  long  time  would  allow  no  one  to  approach  him. 
On  the  story  being  related  to  Her  Majesty,  it  was 
ordered  that  poor  old  Rummager  should  become  a 
pensioner,  have  extra  quarters  and  comfort  bestowed 


The  Staghound.  79 


on  him,  and  so  live  out  his  natural  life.  His  progeny 
remain  in  the  kennels  at  Ascot,  among  the  pillars 
of  the  present  pack,  which  now  has  J.  G.  Harvey  as 
Royal  huntsman,  and  Lord  Ribblesdale  as  "  Master 
of  the  Royal  Buckhounds."  It  seems  rather  strange 
that  the  mastership  of  the  Royal  Hounds,  once 
hereditary,  is  now  a  "political"  appointment,  a 
Liberal  holding  the  office  when  that  party  is  in 
power  and  vice  versa.  The  emolument  connected 
therewith  is  ^1500  per  annum  for  the  master,  whilst 
the  salary  of  the  huntsman  is  only  one-sixth  of  that 
sum. 

In  the  above  I  have  dealt  more  particularly  with 
the  Devon  and  Somerset  Staghounds  and  Her 
Majesty's  Buckhounds,  they  being  considered 
the  leading  packs  of  the  kind  in  this  country. 
However,  in  Ireland  we  have  the  celebrated 
Ward  Union,  within  easy  distance  of  Dublin,  the 
kennels  being  at  Ashbourne,  Co.  Meath.  These 
hunt  three  days  a  week.  The  Co.  Down  and  the 
Roscommon  likewise  provide  sport  for  the  stag 
hunter  in  Ireland,  and  with  the  general  surroundings 
of  all  these  hounds  no  fault  can  be  found. 

In  England  Sir  H.  de  Rothschild's  may  be  men- 
tioned as  a  strong  pack  numbering  about  thirty 
couples  of  hounds,  and  they  are  kennelled  at  Ascott, 
near  Leighton,  in  Bedfordshire.  The  Enfield  Chase 


8o  Modern  Dogs. 


likewise  have  thirty  couples  of  entered  hounds,  and 
so  have  the  Surrey,  whose  country  is  round  about 
Redhill,  which,  being  pretty  handy  for  the  Lon- 
doner, usually  produces  larger  meets  of  riding  men 
than  some  of  the  neighbouring  farmers  like. 

There  is  a  small  pack  and  a  very  old  one  that 
still  hunts  the  New  Forest ;  and  a  capital  centre 
for  the  visitor  to  work  from  is  Lyndhurst  or  Brocken- 
hurst.  Mr.  F.  Lovell,  the  master,  is  out  two  days  a 
week  with  his  fifteen  couples  of  hounds,  and  many 
of  the  runs  he  gives,  especially  when  such  take 
place  in  the  roughest  country  of  the  hunt,  may 
remind  the  West  Countryman  of  one  of  the  hardest 
bursts  with  his  favourite  Devon  and  Somerset. 


CHAPTER     IV. 
THE    HARRIER. 

UNLESS  some  very  considerable  change  takes  place 
it  is  extremely  likely  that  the  harrier  will  not  survive 
very  many  generations,  at  any  rate  in  this  country. 
His  type  has  not  been  strictly  defined  for  years,  he 
has  varied  much  in  height,  and  has  lately  been 
crossed  with  the  foxhound  to  such  an  extent,  as 
to  further  endanger  his  extinction. 

Years  ago  much  hare  hunting  was  done  on  foot, 
and  hounds  were  bred  for  this  purpose,  to  find 
their  own  hare  by  questing  and  hunting  her  through 
all  her  windings  and  ringings,  with  a  care  that  the 
modern  foxhound-harrier,  with  his  dash  and  go, 
would  not  take  pains  to  bestow.  The  latter  is 
almost  as  fast  and  keen  as  the  true  foxhound ; 
he  has,  like  him,  to  be  fleet  enough  to  get  out 
of  the  way  of  careless  riders,  and  give  a  sharp 
and  merry  burst,  rather  than  a  careful  hunting  run. 
Most  hounds  now  kill  their  hare  in  from  half  an  hour 
to  an  hour,  and  no  wonder  that  they  can  do  so 

[VOL.  I.]  G 


82  Modern  Dogs. 


when  sometimes  they  have  a  turn  with  the  fox,  and 
perhaps  oftener  a  chase  with  the  "  carted  deer." 
The  latter  almost  a  necessity,  because  a  mistaken 
and  ill-judged  legislation  has  caused  hares  to  become 
very  scarce  in  some  districts,  where  a  few  years  ago 
they  were  plentiful. 

The  harrier  is  quite  as  old  a  hound  as  any  other. 
Caius  calls  him  Leverarius,  and  the  Book  of  St. 
Albans  mentions  the  hare  in  the  same  list  as  a  beast 
of  chase  as  the  fox,  the  deer,  and  the  wild  boar.  Still, 
perhaps,  pretty  much  as  with  most  harriers  to  day, 
those  of  Dame  Berners'  time  would  be  as  much  at 
home  with  the  timorous  hare  as  with  the  cunning 
fox  or  the  fleeter  red  deer.  Some  modern  writers 
have  gone  so  far  as  to  say  that  such  a  thing  as  a 
true  harrier,  one  without  any  dash  of  foxhound 
blood  in  him,  is  not  to  be  found.  Beckford  wrote 
of  the  harrier  as  a  cross-bred  hound,  and  his 
own  were  bred  between  the  large  slow  hunting 
southern  hound  and  the  beagle.  They  were  fast 
enough,  had  all  the  alacrity  desirable,  and  would 
hunt  the  coldest  scent.  These  attributes,  added  to 
their  plodding  perseverance,  gave  them  a  distinctive 
character,  which,  as  already  hinted,  has  well  nigh 
departed.  Still,  all  the  harriers  of  sixty  or  seventy 
years  ago  were  not  so  slow  and  careful  as  Beckford's 
undoubtedly  were,  for  there  were  complaints  that  in 


The  Harrier.  83 


1825,  the  Kirkham,  Lancashire,  hounds  were  too  fast 
for  the  hares  they  hunted.  These,  however,  were  big 
hounds,  and  not  unlike  the  Penistone  of  to-day. 

There  are  masters  of  harriers  whose  pride  is  still 
in  the  purity  of  their  strains,  though  maybe,  at  some 
time  or  other,  a  point  or  two  has  been  stretched  for 
the  infusion  of  new  blood  to  maintain  the  size  and 
standard  required.  Quite  recently,  letters  have 
appeared  in  the  Field  on  the  matter,  resulting  from 
certain  awards  at  dog  shows.  In  one  case,  Mr. 
Allan  Jefferys,  Hythe,  near  Southampton,  who  owns 
a  pack  of  black  and  tan  harriers,  which  originally 
came  from  Sir  Talbot  Constable,  complained  that 
he  was  beaten  by  half  bred  foxhounds.  Possibly 
this  was  so,  but  the  winners  were  neater  all  round, 
and  smarter  than  the  black  and  tans,  and  thus 
more  suitable  for  the  show  ring  and  the  bench. 

I  confess  myself  rather  disappointed  with  Mr. 
Jefferys'  black  and  tans,  as  they  were  not  so  good 
in  either  feet  or  ribs  as  I  expected  to  find  them. 
Sir  Talbot  Constable  began  to  breed  such  hounds 
as  these  about  thirty-five  years  ago,  by  crossing 
beagles  with  St.  Huberts,  and  then  breeding  in 
and  in.  This  being  so,  Mr.  Jefferys'  may  well 
find  the  puppies  difficult  to  rear,  as  he  says. they 
are.  He  is  endeavouring  to  perpetuate  and  harden 
the  strain  by  crossing  with  smooth  coated  Welsh 

G  2 


84  Modern  Dogs. 


harrier,  black,  or  black  and  tan  in  colour.  Mr. 
Jefferys  claims  for  his  hounds  that  they  are  one 
of  the  few  packs  of  harriers  without  any  admix- 
ture of  foxhound  blood,  but  what  they  lose  in  this 
respect  they  gain  in  another,  for  underneath  them 
there  lurks  some  of  the  bloodhound  nature,  and  I  am 
told  they  are  excellent  at  carefully  working  out  a 
cold  scent,  and  that  they  take  "rating"  badly.  How- 
ever, they  are  interesting  hounds,  evidently  about  i8-|- 
inches,  and  I  believe  that  they  received  quite  their  due 
when  in  the  ring  at  Peterborough  in  1891,  and  at 
Bath  the  following  year. 

The  Lancashire  chaps  have  always  been  very 
partial  to  harriers,  and  the  Holcombe  have  for  long 
been  a  noted  pack.  They  are  required  big  and 
active  in  the  district,  and  although  they  win  prizes 
as  harriers  I  consider  that  their  height,  22  inches, 
shoukl  quite  put  them  out  of  the  category  of  hare 
hounds.  The  Rossendale  Harriers  are  22  inches,  and 
claim  to  be  pure  harriers,  but,  like  other  Lancashire 
hounds,  they  are  big  ones.  Mr.  Sperling's  1 8-inch 
harriers,  that  hunt  from  Lamerton,  near  Tavistock, 
are  more  my  idea  of  what  a  harrier  should  be.  I 
remember,  both  at  Peterborough  and  Exeter  shows, 
seeing  a  few  couple  of  lovely  hounds  from  the 
Seavington  Hunt,  and  shown  by  Mr  Langdon. 
Rosebud  and  Rapture  especially  took  my  fancy — a 


The  Harrier.  85 


couple  of  lovely  (<  hare  pie  "  bitches,  with  character 
enough  for  anything,  without  any  lumber  about 
them,  and  minus  the  thick,  heavy  bone  of  the 
foxhound.  I  was  told  the  master  had  twenty 
couple  at  home  quite  as  good,  his  pack  being 
all  round  about  19^  inches  at  the  shoulder. 

Mr.  Webber  had  some  pretty  harriers  at  the  same 
Exeter  show,  at  which  hounds  formed  certainly  the 
feature.  I  need  scarcely  say  that  harriers  like  the 
Seavington  caught  the  judge's  eyes  at  Peterborough 
though  they  were  hardly  used  that  year  when  the 
Brookside  beat  them.  The  latter  is  one  of  the  oldest 
harrier  packs  in  the  country,  and  it  is  said  that  it 
has  hunted  round  about  Rottingdean,  near  Brighton, 
for  over  1 20  years.  The  present  master,  Mr.  Steyning 
Beard,  has  a  lot  of  hounds  that  it  would  be  difficult 
to  equal,  as  their  success  both  in  the  field  and  in 
the  ring  will  testify.  There  is  in  existence  a  painting 
of  a  pied  hare  that  was  killed  on  Lewes  Downs  by 
the  Brookside  harriers  in  1771. 

Two  or  three  packs  of  hounds,  running  to  not 
more  than  18  inches,  are  to  be  found  in  Wales, 
whilst  other  excellent  hounds  in  the  list  of  the 
Rural  Almanac  are  those  of  Colonel  Ridehalgh, 
which  hunt  round  about  Bowness  and  Winder- 
mere,  in  the  Lake  district.  Although,  compara- 
tively speaking,  small,  I  can  scarcely  call  them 


86  Modern  Dogs. 


pure  harriers,  though  useful  hounds  that  have 
to  hunt  and  find  for  themselves,  and  surmount  u  the 
dark  brow  of  the  mighty  Helvellyn  "  often  enough 
when  the  meet  lies  near  the  foot  of  the  mountain 
at  Wythburn.  Heavy  hounds  would  no  more  do  for 
hunting  the  hares  here  than  they  would  do  for 
killing  foxes.  And  with  those  little  hounds  of 
Colonel  Ridehalgh  the  runs  are  longer  and  actually 
more  interesting  than  they  usually  are  with  bigger 
and,  therefore,  speedier  hounds. 

There  are  something  like  one  hundred  and  ten 
packs  of  hounds  hunting  the  hare  in  England,  less 
than  half  a  score  in  Scotland,  and  about  twenty- 
five  in  Ireland.  The  standards  of  their  height  vary 
very  much  indeed,  from  the  23  inches  of  the  Eden- 
bridge  to  the  1 6  inches  of  the  Windermere  pack 
already  named.  Some  are  called  pure  harriers  that 
have  little  claim  to  the  name,  others  bear  a  variety 
of  appellations  which  signify  "  cross-bred."  But 
the  harrier  in  his  purity  is  difficult  to  obtain ;  he 
should  not  exceed  about  19  inches  in  height,  and, 
as  a  rule,  his  skull  is  broader  and  thicker  in  pro- 
portion to  the  width  of  the  muzzle  than  is  the  case 
with  the  foxhound.  The  harrier  is  oftener  coarser 
in  his  coat  than  the  foxhound,  which  may  be 
ascribed  to  crossing  with  a  rough  Welsh  hound  that 
I  believe  is  still  to  be  found  in  some  parts  of  the 


The  Harrier.  87 


principality.  He  has  not,  or  ought  not,  to  have, 
his  ears  rounded,  and  masters  are  not  nearly  so 
particular  about  their  markings  ;  in  fact,  blue- 
mottled  harriers,  with  a  dash  of  tan  in  them,  were 
often  enough  to  be  found,  and  considered  a  favourite 
colour  until  the  foxhound  cross  was  introduced. 
We  have  seen  that  show  judges  will  award  prizes  to 
black  and  tan  harriers,  but  foxhounds  of  that  colour 
would  soon  be  sent  to  the  right  about. 

Some  of  the  most  notable  harrier  packs  are  the 
Penistone,  that  are  not  "  harriers"  at  all,  old  Southern 
hounds,  said  to  be  without  foxhound  or  other  cross 
for  two  hundred  years.  Mr.  G.  Race,  of  Biggies- 
wade,  has  perhaps  shown  better  sport  with  his  harriers 
than  anyone  else  for  so  many  years,  he  at  the 
time  of  writing  having  had  them  for  over  half  a 
century ;  and  what  runs  he  has  enjoyed  himself 
and  given  to  others  during  that  period  are  now 
historical. 

The  Hon.  C.  Bampfylde  had  the  Aldenham  Piper 
and  Valiant  at  Peterborough  in  1891,  when  one  of  our 
best  hound  judges  described  the  first  named  as  about 
the  best  hound  he  ever  saw,  so  straight  in  front,  where 
they  often  fail,  Belvoir  tan  marked  and  generally  as 
"  handsome  as  paint/'  This  from  a  "  foxhound 
man  "  who  can  as  a  rule  see  no  hound  so  perfect  as 
his  own  fancy,  is  praise  indeed.  Mr.  J.  S.  Gibbon  ; 


88  Modern  Dogs. 


Mr.  E.  Barclay  (the  Boddington)  ;  the  Edenbridge, 
Kent,  about  120  years  old  ;  the  Craven,  hunting  from 
Gargrave,  in  Yorkshire,  and  from  which  pack  hounds 
were  sent  to  America  last  century  ;  the  Fox  Bush, 
the  old  pack  was  destroyed  on  account  of  rabies  in 
1880  ;  the  Holcombe,  perhaps  the  oldest  of  all ;  Mr. 
GreenfelPs,  Taplow  Court,  Bucks,  once  belonging 
to  H.R.H.  the  Prince  of  Wales,  are  packs  of 
harriers  of  undoubted  excellence.  As  already  stated, 
few  of  them  are  without  the  taint  of  "  cross." 
Perhaps  now  that  a  harrier  stud  book  has  been 
published,  and  the  first  volume  contains  particulars 
of  fifty-seven  packs,  the  old  pure  blood  will  be  sought 
after  more  than  at  present. 

Generally  speaking,  the  pure  harrier  should  have 
distinguishing  characteristics  of  his  own.  He  ought 
to  be  from  16  inches  to  19  inches,  and  no  more,  not 
thick  and  cumbersome  in  bone,  deep  in  chest,  and 
not  so  high  on  the  legs  in  proportion  to  his  height 
as  the  foxhound  ;  ears  unrounded  and  set  on  rather 
low,  head  thicker  in  the  skull,  and  tapering  more 
towards  the  muzzle  than  is  the  case  with  the  fox- 
hound ;  legs  and  feet  as  good  as  they  can  be  had, 
but  it  is  exceptional  to  find  the  former  perfectly 
straight  in  front,  and  so  the  pure  hounds  are  at  a  dis- 
advantage when  competing  against  the  "  absolutely 
straight  "  foxhound  cross.  Stern  carried  gaily,  loins 


The  Harrier.  89 


as  strong  as  possible  with  stifles  well  turned  and 
muscular.  The  true  harrier  is  not  such  a  level 
topped  hound  as  the  foxhound.  Colour  anything 
you  like  of  the  hound  shade,  although  the  "  blue 
pied,"  with  a  dash  of  tan  about  the  head  is  hand- 
somest; and  one  authority  goes  so  far  as  to  say  that 
he  never  saw  a  bad  hound  of  this  colour ;  coat  like 
a  foxhound's,  though  sometimes  it  is  longer.  I  have 
shown  that  some  authorities  admit  black  and  tan, 
and  who  shall  say  that  they  are  not  correct  ? 
I  should  apportion  the  points  as  follows  : 


Value. 

Head,  ears,  and  character  20 
Neck 5 


Value. 


Stern  and  hindquarters...     5 
Legs  and  feet  15 


Shoulders  and  chest 10          Size  and  symmetry 20 

Back  and  loins 10         Coat  and  colour  15 

45  55 

Grand  Total  100. 

It  is  not  very  often  that  classes  for  harriers  are 
provided  at  our  shows,  though  such  are  occasionally 
met  with  in  addition  to  those  alluded  to  elsewhere. 
Darlington,  that  lies  in  an  excellent  sporting  district, 
in  the  autumn  of  each  year  holds  a  great  exhibition 
of  horses  and  dogs,  has  had  some  excellent  groups 
of  harriers,  most  of  which  were  from  packs  hunted 
on  foot.  Many  good  runs  these  local  hounds  gave 


90  Modern  Dogs. 


in  Westmorland  and  in  Durham,  finding  their  hares 
in  a  rough  country,  and  without  assistance,  chasing 
and  killing  them,  sometimes  after  a  three  hours'  run. 
So  far  as  hunting  the  hare  on  foot  is  concerned, 
the  most  enjoyable  part,  to  my  mind,  was  when 
the  meet  took  place  at,  say,  eight  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  The  scent  or  line  of  a  hare  was  struck. 
This  the  hounds  would  slowly  work  out,  and  perhaps 
occupy  the  greater  part  of  an  hour  in  what  was 
called  the  quest.  Puss  was  in  fact  hunted  fairly  to 
her  "  form,"  or  "  seat,"  was  then  "  so-hoed,"  and, 
after  a  ringing  run,  which  all  enjoyed,  was  killed 
in  the  open  or  on  the  road.  Such  hunting  is  seldom 
seen  nowadays,  when  the  meet  is  at  1 1  o'clock. 
The  hare  is  roused  from  her  "  seat,"  and  if  the  fast 
hounds,  hurried  on  by  excited  horsemen,  do  not 
rush  into  her  straight  away,  the  run  seldom  lasts 
half-an-hour. 


CHAPTER   V. 
THE  BEAGLE. 

THIS  is  perhaps  the  only  variety  of  hound  that  has 
profited  by  the  institution  of  dog  shows.  He  has 
clone  so  because  he  is  small  and  affectionate,  pretty 
and  docile,  and  in  many  respects  admirably  suited  to 
be  a  "  pet  dog."  Unfortunately,  he  is  so  true  to  his 
instincts  of  hunting  the  rabbit,  and  even  the  hare, 
as  to  prove  rather  a  nuisance  than  otherwise  in 
country  places,  where  his  bell-like,  melodious  voice 
will  be  continually  heard  in  the  coverts  where  the 
little  hound  is  bustling  the  game  about,  much  to  the 
annoyance  of  the  head  keeper  and  his  under 
strappers. 

The  beagle,  said  to  be  the  "  brach  "  of  past  gene- 
rations, can  boast  of  ancient  lineage.  Perhaps  he 
was  one  of  our  original  British  dogs,  but,  as  an  old 
writer  very  truly  observes,  "  his  origin  is  lost  in  the 
mists  of  obscurity."  However,  he  came  from  under 
his  cloud  about  the  time  of  good  Queen  Bess,  who 
was  said  to  be  the  fortunate  possessor  of  a  pack  of 


92  Modern  Dogs. 


hounds  so  small  that  they  could  be  carried  in  a 
lady's  glove.  Well,  either  the  hounds  must  have 
been  far  smaller  than  the  least  of  our  toy  terriers  of 
to-day  (which  is  extremely  unlikely),  or  the  glove  of 
more  capacious  dimensions  than  a  u  fives  Dent  and 
Aldcroft  "  of  the  present  time  (which  is  extremely 
improbable),  or  the  story  an  exaggeration  (which  is 
perhaps  true).  So  there  is  only  one  conclusion  to 
be  arrived  at,  that  these  so-called  "  singing  beagles  " 
of  our  virgin  queen  were  somewhat  of  a  myth,  or 
that  one  of  them,  and  not  the  whole  pack,  could  be 
ensconced  in  my  lady's  gauntlet. 

Approaching  more  modern  times,  George  IV.  had 
a  pack  of  beagles  of  which  he  was  so  fond  that  one 
of  the  best  portraits  of  himself  was  taken  in  their 
company,  His  Royal  Highness  being  surrounded  by 
his  merry  little  pack,  and  most  typical  hounds  they 
are,  full  of  character,  and  almost  better  than  any  we 
know  at  the  present  day.  Colonel  Thornton  hunted 
with  them  on  Brighton  Downs,  and  expressed  himself 
surprised  with  the  pace  they  could  go,  and  found 
a  good  hunter  more  useful  than  a  pony  in  following 
them.  But  of  late  years  beagles  have  been,  and  still 
are,  mostly  used  when  hunting  is  done  on  foot.  A 
good  beagle  is  slow  but  sure ;  he  dwells  on  a  cold 
line  until  he  puzzles  it  out,  and,  throwing  his 
musically  smart  voice,  calls  the  remainder  of  his 


The  Beagle.  93 


fellows  to  him  and  away  they  dart,  crawling 
through  fences  or  topping  stone  walls,  on  the  scent 
of  poor  puss.  And  if  she  is  not  clever  her  life 
is  a  short  one.  Beagles  run  very  keenly,  but  are 
not  so  savage  on  the  line  as  a  foxhound,  and  we 
think  Beckford's  experience  of  them  is  not  quite  a 
usual  one. 

The  author  of  "  Thoughts  on  Hunting,"  having 
heard  much  of  the  excellence  of  a  certain  pack 
of  beagles,  sent  his  coachman  to  fetch  them,  in 
order  that  the  diminutive  hounds  might  be  given 
a  fair  trial.  The  coachman  was  evidently  not  the 
proper  person  to  have  the  charge  of  hounds,  and, 
in  bringing  them  along  the  road,  they  became 
terribly  riotous,  going  for  pigs,  sheep,  horses,  cattle, 
birds,  deer,  and  almost  everything  that  moved  in 
front  of  them.  However,  in  due  course  the  pack 
arrived  at  its  destination  with  the  loss  of  only  one 
hound ;  and,  on  being  asked  what  he  thought  of 
them,  the  coachman  replied  that  they  were  the 
"  best  hounds  he  ever  saw,  for  they  would  hunt 
everything."  At  the  close  of  last  century  Colonel 
Hardy  had  a  pack  of  beagles  that  were  taken  to  the 
meet  and  to  the  kennels  again,  when  possible,  in  a 
couple  of  hampers  strapped  across  the  back  of 
a  pony.  It  is  said  that  these  hounds,  kennelled  in  a 
barn  prior  to  hunting  next  day,  were  stolen  there- 


94  Modern  Dogs. 


from  ;   hampers,  horse,  and  all  disappearing,  nor  was 
their  whereabouts  ever  discovered. 

"  Stonehenge,"  in  "  Dogs  of  the  British  Isles/' 
gives  an  interesting  account  of  Mr.  Crane's  rabbit 
beagles,  a  Dorsetshire  pack,  which  all  round  has 
certainly  never  been  excelled  for  excellence  in  the 
field,  and  beauty  on  the  show  bench.  "  Idstone," 
the  writer  of  that  article,  says  :— 

He  has  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  qm.,  and  every  little  hound  is  absolutely  perfect.  I 
.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  had  a  capital  tongue,  and  plenty  of  it.  A 
bitch,  Lily,  had  the  most  beautiful  points.  She  is  nearly  all 
white,  as  her  name  implies.  Damper,  Dutchman,  Tyrant,  are 
also  all  of  them  beautiful  models.  The  measurement  of  Damper 
was:  Height,  Qin. ;  round  the  chest,  i6in.;  across  the  ears,  izin.; 
extreme  length,  2ft.  4in.  ;  eye  to  nose,  2-|in.  Mr.  Crane's 
standard  is  kept  up  with  great  difficulty.  He  has  reduced  the 
beagle  to  a  minimum.  Many  of  the  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 


The  Beagle.  95 


of  symmetry  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. 

The  above  was  written  nearly  forty  years  ago,  but 
Mr.  Crane  keeps  his  beagles  now  in  1892,  just  as 
he  did  when  "Idstone"  wrote  so  charmingly  of  them. 
Mr.  Crane  informs  me  that  latterly  he  has  had  great 
losses  in  his  puppies,  especially  about  two  years  ago. 
Then  distemper,  which  had  not  been  near  the  kennel 
for  a  long  time,  broke  out,  and  four  couples  of  old 
hounds  and  three  couples  of  young  ones  succumbed 
to  the  epidemic.  The  survivors  were  running  this 
season,  and  gave  excellent  sport  amongst  the  rabbits, 
which  they  hunt  zealously,  but  they  have  scarcely 
the  pace  to  run  down  a  hare.  They  were  often 
successful  on  the  benches  at  Birmingham,  one  of 
the  few  shows  where  classes  for  them  have  always 
been  provided.  Now  beagles  are  acknowledged  at 
Peterborough,  where,  during  the  past  year  or  two, 
some  pretty  examples  have  taken  away  the  prizes. 

Mr.  G.  H.  Nutt,  at  Pulborough,  Sussex,  has  an 
excellent  pack  of  these  little  hounds,  with  which  he 
wins  many  prizes.  In  work,  he  uses  them  in  the  place 
of  spaniels,  for  beating  the  thick  coverts,  and  driving 
"  bunny  "  to  the  gun.  Rather  a  risky  enterprise  for 
the  hounds,  with  careless  shooters  about,  but  pretty 


g6  Modern  Dogs. 


sport  is  afforded,  and  the  music  of  the  hound  will 
always  tell  you  in  which  direction  the  rabbit  is  coming. 
Fifteen  years  ago,  Mr.  Nutt  had  his  pack  at  one  of 
the  Kennel  Club's  Shows  at  the  Alexandra  Palace, 
and  much  to  the  delight  of  the  visitors,  ran  a  trail 
with  them  amongst  the  shrubs  of  the  Palace  grounds, 
the  late  Mr.  Edward  Sandall  taking  an  active  part 
therein. 

From  the  earliest  times  there  have  been  at  least 
three  varieties  of  the  beagle,  ordinary  smooth  coated, 
rough  or  wire  haired,  and  others  black  and  tan  in 
colour.  Richardson,  in  1851,  writes  of  a  Kerry 
beagle,  which,  he  says,  is  ua  fine,  tall,  dashing  hound, 
averaging  twenty-six  inches  in  height,  and  occasion- 
ally, individual  dogs  attain  to  twenty-eight  inches. 
He  has  deep  chops,  broad,  pendulous  ears,  and 
when  highly  bred  is  hardly  to  be  distinguished  from 
an  indifferent  bloodhound."  The  same  author  further 
says  they  are  used  to  hunt  the  deer,  and  that  there 
are  two  packs  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Killarney. 

I  have  made  enquiries  in  various  parts  of  Ireland, 
as  to  the  survival  of  the  Kerry  beagle  and  his  present 
whereabouts.  One  of  the  packs  alluded  to  by 
Richardson — that  of  Mr.  Herbert,  at  Muckross — was 
discontinued  as  long  ago  as  1847.  These  hounds 
were  twenty-six  inches  in  height,  most  of  them 
black  and  tan  in  colour,  some  of  them  all  tan.  The 


The  Beagle.  97 


other  pack  alluded  to  by  the  same  authority,  that  of 
Mr.  John  O'Connell,  at  Grenagh,  Killarney,  were 
dispersed  at  the  same  time,  which  was  during  the 
distressful  period  of  the  great  famine,  when  many 
of  the  Irish  gentry,  almost  ruined,  were  com- 
pelled, under  the  Encumbered  Estates  Act,  to  sell 
their  family  domains  at  an  enormous  sacrifice.  I 
could  name  more  than  one  instance  where  a  valuable 
estate  was  sold  for  five  years  purchase  !  The  late 
Mr.  O'Connell's  hounds,  were  likewise  black  and  tan. 
A  few  couples  of  these  hounds  were  taken  by  Mr. 
Maurice  O'Connell's  nephew  to  Mr.  John  O'Connell, 
who  kept  them  at  Lake  View,  increasing  his  pack  to 
about  twenty  couples.  In  1868  he,  however,  handed 
them  over  to  Mr.  Clement  Ryan,  of  Emly,  co. 
Tipperary,  who  now  preserves  the  only  pack  of 
Kerry  beagles  in  the  kingdom — not  many  years  ago 
they  were  the  most  popular  hounds  in  the  south  of 
Ireland. 

At  Darrinane  a  pack  was  kept  for  many  gene- 
rations ;  the  late  Mr.  Buller,  of  Waterville,  and  Mr. 
Chute,  of  Chute  Hall,  all  in  County  Kerry,  had 
small  lots  of  hounds.  I  have  had  kindly  forwarded 
to  me  a  description  of  this  hound  as  he  ought  to  be, 
and  it  was  compiled  by  Mr.  McNamara,  of  Killarney, 
who  has  made  a  special  study  of  the  variety. 

"Head. — Moderately  long  broad  skull,  oval  from 

[VOL.  I.]  H 


98  Modern  Dogs. 


eyes  to  poll,  about  same  length  from  nasal  indenture 
between  eyes  to  point  of  nose — should  slope  or 
slightly  arch  from  eyes  to  point  of  nose.  Forehead 
low,  eye-brows  strong  and  raised  somewhat,  cheeks 
not  full.  Eyes  large,  bright,  and  intelligent,  varying 
in  colour  from  bright  yellow  to  deep  buff,  and 
deeper  brownish  yellow.  Muzzle  long,  slightly 
arched  round,  and  full  under.  Nose  fine  in  texture, 
not  square,  but  slightly  tapering.  Nostrils  large. 
Upper  lips  hanging,  and  fuller  towards  the  corner 
of  the  mouth.  Teeth  level,  of  elegant  form,  and 
strong. 

"Ears. — Large,  pendulous,  falling  below  the  neck, 
and  set  on  low  on  the  side  of  the  head. 

i(  Bndy. — Muscular,  fairly  thick  set,  moderate 
length,  strong,  well  set  on  legs. 

"  Neck. — Slightly  arched,  thick,  nearly  level  with 
the  back  of  the  skull  at  the  point  of  joining.  Skin 
full  in  front,  and  dewlap  developed. 

"  Chest. — Deep,  not  broad  underneath.  Shoulders 
strong  and  broad  across  the  back,  which  is  moderate 
in  length,  and  strong. 

"  Loins. — Broad  and  muscular,  and  slightly  arched. 
Thighs  thick  and  slightly  curved. 

"  Tail. — Long  and  evenly  furnished  with  hair, 
thickest  at  the  root,  and  carried  curved  upwards 
from  the  loins. 


The  Beagle.  99 


"  Legs. — With  plenty  of  bone  and  muscle,  short, 
and  strong  ;  feet  round  and  close. 

"  Coat. — Hard,  close,  and  smooth. 

"  Colour. — Black  and  tan  ;  blue  mottled  and  tan  ; 
black,  tan,  and  white  ;  tan  and  white. 

"  Height. — 22  inches,  more  or  less,  which  should 
depend  upon  the  depth  of  the  body." 

I  have  dwelt  thus  long  on  this  hound  because,  so 
far  as  I  am  aware,  its  description  has  not  hitherto 
been  published,  and  because  there  is  a  likelihood  of 
this  fine  old  variety  becoming  as  extinct  as  the 
dodo,  and,  perhaps,  it  is  in  danger  of  being  forgotten 
altogether. 

Mr.  Ryan  writes  me  that  his  hounds  average 
about  24  inches,  are  smooth  coated,  black  and  tan, 
with  "  very  long  ears,  and  hanging  jowls,  but  have 
no  strain  of  the  bloodhound  in  them.  They  are 
remarkable  for  their  tongue,  which  is  rich  and 
wonderfully  sweet.  Their  noses  are  very  keen,  and 
in  work  they  are  true  and  persevering.  Not  so  fast 
as  the  foxhound,  they  possess  a  considerable  turn 
of  speed,  are  docile,  and  take  to  hunting  at  once." 

These  beagles  at  Emly  were  formerly  restricted 
to  hare  hunting,  but  with  the  increasing  scarcity  of 
that  quarry  the  master  has  had  to  fall  back  upon 
deer,  and  he  and  their  followers  have  been  very 
much  pleased  with  the  sport  they  have  afforded. 

H  2 


ioo  Modern  Dogs 


Mr.  Macnamara  further  says  that  their  cry  in  the 
chase  is  full,  sonorous,  and  musical ;  when  hunting 
the  head  is  thrown  upwards  frequently,  and  when 
this  is  so  they  are  in  full  cry.  When  on  trail  their 
note  is  of  prolonged  sweetness. 

I  take  it  that  these  "  beagles  "  are  pretty  much 
of  the  same  type,  excepting  in  colour,  as  the  purest 
of  our  English  harriers,  and,  although  their  size  is 
against  their  identity  with  the  common  beagles,  as 
they  are  known  as  such,  it  is  better  to  allude  to 
these  Kerry  hounds  under  this  head  than  another. 

More  attention  has  been  given  to  the  beagle  in 
the  South  of  England  than  elsewhere,  and  the 
county  of  Sussex  has  usually  been  noted  for  them. 
Indeed,  the  handsome  blue  mottled  specimens  were 
at  one  time  known  as  Sussex  beagles  ;  and  I 
fancy  that,  from  this  county,  first  sprang  the  variety 
with  a  wire-haired  coat,  not  unlike  a  miniature  otter 
hound  in  appearance.  Mr.  H.  P.  Cambridge,  of 
Bloxworth,  is  alluded  to  by  "  Stonehenge"  as 
having  a  pack  of  1 3-inch  beagles  for  hunting  the 
furze  country  in  his  locality,  in  which  there  were 
some  rough  hounds.  One  of  the  best  of  these, 
black,  tan,  and  white,  originally  came  from  near 
Cranbourne.  About  twenty-five  years  ago  I  saw 
a  peculiar  little  beagle,  some  12  inches  in  height, 
with  extraordinarily  long  ears,  characteristic  face, 


The  Beagle.  101 


but  rather  long  in  the  body.  Merry  was  wire- 
haired  and  sandy  in  colour,  not  unlike  a  pale 
coloured  Irish  terrier.  She  was  in  the  north  of 
England,  but  where  she  came  from  I  could  never 
make  out.  Her  first  public  appearance  was  on  the 
bench,  where  she  was  shown  by  her  owner,  a 
sporting  dealer  in  oil  cake,  who  had  been  a  great 
wrestler  in  his  day.  Mr.  W.  Lort,  the  judge,  was 
so  taken  with  the  little  hound  that  he  gave  her 
first  prize  in  the  "  variety  class."  She  had  a  lovely 
voice,  a  thorough  hound,  but  quite  unlike  any  beagle 
I  ever  saw  before  or  since. 

Perhaps  the  best  of  all  rabbit  beagles  was  the 
blue-mottled  "  Blue  Belle,"  shown  by  Mrs.  Reginald 
Mayhew  about  four  years  ago,  and  now  in  America. 
Here  was  about  as  perfect  a  little  creature  as  could 
be  imagined,  and  even  the  most  hypercritical  could 
only  say  she  was  a  little  weak  in  face.  Then  she 
had  such  character,  the  best  of  legs  and  feet,  so 
difficult  to  obtain  in  perfection  on  either  beagle 
or  harrier,  a  perfect  body,  loins,  back,  stern,  and 
ears  all  to  correspond.  Blue  Belle  was  pur- 
chased at  one  of  the  Sussex  exhibitions  when  a 
puppy  for  about  thirty  shillings. 

At  Brighton  and  Tunbridge  Wells  shows  the 
best  classes  have  been  seen  of  both  the  rough  and 
smooth  varieties  ;  but,  as  a  rule,  the  more  diminutive 


102  Modern  Dogs. 


hounds — say  those  of  about  ten  inches — have  not 
had  much  chance  of  competing  successfully  with 
others  three  or  four  inches  higher;  still  the  little  ones 
have  a  quaintness  of  beauty  that  is  not  seen  in  any 
other  dog,  and,  as  already  stated,  they  are  suitable 
as  companions,  excepting  when  they  are  afforded  an 
opportunity  of  going  out  "  rabbiting  "  on  their  own 
account. 

This  year,  in  1892,  a  joint  stud  book  of  packs  of 
beagles  has  been  published,  it  forming  part  of  the 
one  for  harriers  already  alluded  to.  The  first 
volume  contains  the  names  of  a  dozen  packs  only 
(there  are  over  double  that  number  in  existence), 
which  are  supposed  to  be  a  foundation  stock,  but 
I  am  afraid  that  some  of  the  entries  are  not  so 
pure  as  many  of  our  show  hounds,  which  are  not 
included ;  nor  are  Mr.  Crane's,  Mr.  Nutt's,  and 
Mr.  Ryan's,  the  latter  the  Kerry  beagles  already 
alluded  to.  To  form  a  good  and  reliable  stud 
book,  the  editors  ought  to  see  that  their  second 
volume  remedies,  as  far  as  possible,  the  omissions 
alluded  to. 

It  is  common  knowledge  that  masters  of  hounds 
abominate  dog  shows  ;  still  when  we  find  the  very 
best  of  a  variety  to  be  found  oftener  on  the  bench 
than  in  the  field,  animosity  against  exhibitions  must 
be  sunk.  Most  of  the  packs  entered  in  the  stud 


The  Beagle.  103 


book  are  big,  rather  large  hounds,  many  from  thirteen 
to  sixteen  inches,  and  the  oldest  pack  is  the  Royal 
Rock,  hunting  from  near  Birkenhead,  Cheshire, 
established  in  1845  ^Y  Colonel  Anstruther  Thompson, 
who  brought  them  out  of  Essex.  Sir  Marteine 
Lloyd,  with  the  kennel  at  Llandyssil,  South  Wales, 
has  had  the  hounds  in  his  family  since  1846,  and 
they  have  been  carefully  bred  from  true  strains. 
The  Cheshire  Beagle  Hunt  Club  have  some  hounds 
good  both  in  appearance  and  work,  and  their 
Graceful  and  Music  won  leading  honours  at  Peter- 
borough in  1891.  Christ  Church,  Oxford,  has 
beagles  of  its  own,  originally  established  in  1874, 
but  the  pack  experienced  vicissitudes,  especially  in 
1886,  when,  dumb  madness  breaking  out,  all  the 
hounds  were  destroyed.  The  then  Master,  Mr. 
F.  B.  Craven,  soon  got  twelve  couples  of  merry  little 
hounds  together,  and  the  establishment  is  now  as 
strong  as  ever.  The  Stockton  pack,  with  Mr. 
T.  H.  Faber,  Master,  includes  hounds  up  to  sixteen 
inches,  some  of  them  very  typical  specimens,  and 
evidently  pure  beagles,  but  others  appear  to  come 
pretty  nearly  the  modern  harrier  type.  Near  London, 
at  Surbiton,  Mr.  H.  V.  Walsh  masters  the  pack  that 
Mr.  R.  W.  Cobb  got  together  in  1882.  Since  that 
time,  when  it  hunted  only  on  a  Saturday,  it  has  been 
considerably  strengthened  by  the  present  Master, 


104  Modern  Dogs. 


who  purchased  the  pick  of  Mr.  Dubourg's  pack,  and 
others  from  the  Epsom  and  Ewell  Hunts,  since 
given  up. 

In  appearance  the  beagle  is  a  diminutive  harrier, 
with  equally  long  and  pendulous  ears,  not  so  level  in 
back  as  a  foxhound,  but  in  other  particulars  much 
like  him.  However,  the  best  beagle  colour  is 
certainly  the  "  blue  mottled,"  already  mentioned,  but 
in  addition  the  ordinary  hound  markings  are  good, 
and  black  and  tans,  not  of  the  Kerry  size,  are 
repeatedly  met  with,  and  are  quite  admissible.  The 
smooth  coated  hounds  are  usually  understood  to  be 
most  desirable,  but  the  rough,  or  wired  haired  hounds 
are  admired  by  many  persons,  and  in  all  respects  are 
equally  as  good  as  the  others.  In  hunting,  the 
beagle  is  a  merry,  keen,  hard  worker,  he  can 
make  casts  for  himself,  and  possesses  a  peculiarly 
bright,  clear,  and  silvery  voice.  The  smaller,  or 
rabbit  beagles,  are  especially  sweet  in  their  cry,  and 
no  doubt  on  this  account  obtained  the  name  of 
"  singing  beagles,"  by  which  title  they  were 
known  hundreds  of  years  ago.  In  height  there  is 
much  variety,  those  used  for  rabbits  varying  from 
nine  inches,  the  standard  of  Mr.  Crane's,  at  South- 
over,  up  to  say  twelve  inches,  the  height  that  Mr. 
Nutt  favours  at  Pulborough. 

The    pack    belonging    to    the  latter   is,   however, 


The  Beagle.  105 


mostly  used  for  beating  the  thick  coverts  when 
rabbit  shooting.  Others  vary  from  twelve  to  sixteen 
inches,  but  when  we  reach  the  latter  height,  there  is 
a  near  approach  to  the  harrier,  and  so  to  the  fox- 
hound ;  the  cross  with  the  latter  having  been  made 
with  the  idea  of  improving  the  legs  and  feet  of  the 
smaller  hound,  a  change  of  blood  that  naturally  has 
a  tendency  to  do  away  with  type. 

The  following  is  the  scale  of  points   I  should  give 

to  the  beagle  :— 

Value.  1  Value. 

General  appearance   20  Head  and  ears  15 

Loins,  back,  and  stern   ...     20  Legs  and  feet 20 

Chest  10  Coat  and  colour     15 

5°  5° 

Grand  Total  1OO. 

From  what  has  been  written  it  will  be  seen  that 
the  beagle,  in  size  and  character,  varies  more  than 
any  other  of  our  hounds,  and  may  be  found  in 
height  from  about  nine  inches  to  sixteen  inches. 
In  this  scale  I  do  not  include  the  Kerry  Beagle, 
which  runs  to  the  size  of  a  foxhound,  and  which, 
instead  of  hunting  the  rabbit  or  the  hare,  finds 
nobler  game  in  the  chase  of  the  stag,  which  we  are 
told  he  does  most  successfully. 

The  real  and  proper  work  of  the  beagle  is  to  hunt 
hares  and  even  rabbits,  and  such  charming  little 


io6  Modern  Dogs. 


hounds  as  some  of  those  already  alluded  to,  do 
this  work  wonderfully  well.  Any  man  of  ordinary 
pedestrian  powers  can  follow  them  from  start  to 
finish,  for  a  rabbit  does  not  as  a  rule  live  long  before 
hounds — and,  as  all  know,  will  go  to  ground  at  the 
earliest  opportunity.  The  hare,  too,  fails  to  go 
away  at  such  a  break  neck  pace  when  the  slower 
beagle  is  plodding  after  her,  as  she  succeeds  in 
doing  when  bullied  and  flustered  by  the  dashing 
harrier  with  a  lot  of  foxhound  blood  in  him. 

As  a  hound  the  beagle  deserves  to  be  cultivated, 
and,  from  the  list,  containing  twenty-six  packs,  that 
appears  in  the  "  Rural  Almanac,"  its  popularity  is 
certainly  not  on  the  wane  where  hunting  is  con- 
cerned any  more  than  it  is  in  the  show  ring. 


y 


CHAPTER    VI. 
THE   OTTER    HOUND. 

THERE  is  no  finer  type  of  the  canine  race  in  this 
country  than  the  otter  hound.  His  hardy,  character- 
istic expression,  shaggy  coat,  and  rough  wear  and 
tear  appearance,  have  always  reminded  me  of  that 
ancient  British  warrior  so  often  depicted  in  our 
boyish  story  books,  but  who,  perhaps,  with  his  coat 
of  skins,  his  shield,  and  hirsute  face,  was  the  inven- 
tion of  the  artist  rather  than  the  actual  inhabitant 
of  our  island. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  otter  hound  is  a 
cross  between  the  Welsh  harrier,  the  southern 
hound,  and  the  terrier.  Perhaps  he  may  be  so, 
but  more  likely  not,  for  a  good  well-grown  specimen 
has  more  coat  than  any  ordinary  terrier  or  the 
rough  Welsh  hound,  and  he  is  bigger  than  either, 
and  of  the  southern  hound  likewise.  My  own 
opinion  is  that  he  has  been  crossed  with  the  blood- 
hound at  some  not  very  remote  date.  The  black 
and  tan  colour  often  appears  in  some  strains,  and 


io8  Modern  Dogs. 


his  voice  in  many  cases  resembles  the  full  luscious 
tones  of  the  bloodhound  more  than  the  keener  ring 
of  the  foxhound.  Some  twenty  years  or  so  ago, 
Mr.  J.  C.  Carrick,  of  Carlisle,  was  desirous  of 
getting  a  new  cross  into  his  hounds,  and,  with 
that  intention,  obtained  a  hound — a  southern  hound 
it  was  called — from  the  Western  States  of  America. 
No  pedigree  could  be  obtained,  but  it  was  a 
particularly  handsome  animal,  and  more  like  the 
picture  of  the  southern  hound  in  Youatt's  book  on 
the  dog  than  anything  I  ever  saw.  Mr.  Carrick 
was  afraid  of  the  fresh  blood,  so  the  Virginian 
importation  did  good  duty  on  the  show  bench  in  the 
variety  classes  instead  of  demoralising  the  blood 
of  hounds  that  was  quite  as  pure  as  that  of  any 
other  variety  of  the  dog. 

I  forget  who  recommended  a  cross  between  a 
bulldog,  an  Irish  water  spaniel,  and  a  mastiff,  as 
the  most  likely  way  to  produce  otter  hounds. 
Certainly  an  ingenious  idea,  and  worthy  of  the 
writer,  who  thus  easily  got  out  of  a  difficulty 
which  more  learned  men  than  he  had  failed  to  solve. 
We  have  the  otter  hound,  let  that  suffice,  and  let  his 
valued  strain  be  perpetuated,  and  the  popular  masters 
of  our  packs  long  continue  to  give  the  best  of  all 
sport  to  those  somewhat  impecunious  individuals 
who  are  not  provided  with  the  means  to  keep  a  hunter 


The  Otter  Hound.  109 

or  two  to  gallop  after  foxhounds.  Forty  or  fifty 
years  ago  otter  hunting  appeared  to  be  on  the  wane. 
Perhaps  the  rising  generation  of  sportsmen  of  that 
era  became  discontented  with  the  nets  and  spears 
that  were  commonly  used  to  facilitate  the  kill.  Now 
these  cruel  appliances  are  all  abolished,  and  the  only 
resting-place  fit  to  contain  them  is  the  lumber  room 
or  the  museum  of  some  country  town.  Hounds  are 
so  bred  that  they  can,  with  a  minimum  amount 
of  assistance,  kill  their  otter  unaided,  and  specially 
excel  in  their  work  during  the  early  part  of  the  hunt, 
if  they  are  but  let  alone. 

Throw  off  on  the  river's  brink,  and  hounds  will 
soon  hit  the  line  of  an  otter,  if  one  has  been  about 
any  time  within  three  or  four  hours  before,  or 
may  be  they  will  speak  to  scent  even  older  than 
that.  The  olfactory  organs  possessed  by  the  otter 
hound  have  to  me  always  seemed  something  extra- 
ordinary. The  cold,  damp  stones  by  the  water's 
edge,  or  a  bunch  or  clump  of  grass  adjoining,  are 
not  the  places  where  scent  would  lie  well.  Still 
there  is  the  fact ;  a  hound  will  swim  off  to  a  rock 
in  mid-stream,  put  his  nose  to  the  ground,  sniff 
about  a  little,  and  if  the  otter  has  been  at  that  spot, 
even  for  only  half  a  minute,  that  hound  will  throw 
up  his  head  and,  in  a  solo  so  sweet  to  the  ears  of  a 
hunter,  let  all  know  that  he  is  on  the  line. 


i  TO  »  Modern  Dogs. 


And  it  was  "  Ragman  "  who  never  told  a  lie — can 
I  call  him  a  canine  George  Washington  without  dis- 
paragement to  America's  great  president?  I  have 
seen  foxhounds  well  entered  to  the  otter,  but  the 
rough  hounds  were  always  first  to  own  a  stale  drag. 
The  latter  are  so  much  more  staid  and  steady  when 
past  their  puppyhood ;  know  their  work  so  well, 
appear  to  enjoy  it  too,  and  take  to  hunting  their 
favoured  game  at  quite  an  early  age. 

It  is  told  of  the  Rev.  John  Russell,  the  great 
Devonshire  sportsman,  that,  desirous  of  having  a 
pack  of  hounds  to  hunt  the  otter,  he  endeavoured  to 
make  one.  He  said  he  followed  the  rivers  for  two 
seasons,  during  which  he  walked  upwards  of  three 
thousand  miles,  and  never  found  an  otter,  although  he 
says  "  he  must  have  passed  scores,  and  he  might  as 
well  have  searched  for  a  moose  deer."  No  doubt; 
but  Russell  had  foxhounds  that  had  been  entered 
to  fox.  Now,  with  even  a  lot  of  otterhound  puppies 
quite  unentered,  he  would  not  have  had  such  long 
and  fruitless  journeys;  they  would  have  soon  hunted 
something,  and  if  now  and  then  they  had  run  riot  on 
a  water  rat,  a  moor  hen,  or  a  rabbit,  they  would 
have  struck  the  scent  of  an  otter  before  very  long— 
i.e.,  if  such  game  were  plentiful  in  the  district. 

My  early  experience  of  otter  hunting  was  much 
sooner  consummated  than  that  of  the  Devonshire 


The  Otter  Hound.  *  1 1 1 

sportsman.  We  had  an  otter  hound  puppy,  quite 
unentered,  an  old  bitch,  dam  to  the  puppy,  and  a  few 
terriers.  The  second  time  out  we  struck  a  strong 
scent  by  the  edge  of  a  lovely  stream  in  our  north 
country.  Old  Rally,  who,  later  on,  very  often  failed 
to  speak,  even  on  a  strong  scent,  now  gave  tongue 
freely  ;  her  young  son  put  his  nose  to  the  ground, 
threw  up  his  head,  and  yelled  every  now  and  then, 
and  quite  as  often  fell  head  over  heels  into  the 
water ;  the  terriers  yelped  and  barked,  and  evidently 
thought  they  were  in  for  a  big  battue  at  rats. 

The  young  hound  settled  down  and  swam  across 
the  pool.  Higher,  Rally  marked  under  a  tree  root. 
An  angler  hard  by  prodded  his  landing-net  handle 
down  into  the  ground  ;  all  of  us  jumped  upon  the 
surface,  and  quietly  there  dived  out  a  huge  otter ! 
And  he  made  his  way  down  stream.  Then  we  had 
him  in  a  long  pool,  about  twenty  yards  wide,  nowhere 
more  than  five  feet  deep,  no  strong  hovers  on  either 
side  the  bank  ;  but  below  us  was  dangerous  ground. 
So  a  shallow  was  guarded  by  two  of  us,  with  our 
breeches  rolled  up  and  long  sticks  in  our  hands. 

Well,  we  hunted  our  otter  up  and  down  that  pool 
for  two  hours.  He  was  given  no  rest;  he  came 
quietly  to  a  corner  where  the  water  was  shallow ; 
Rally  and  her  big  puppy  were  there.  They 
saw  the  round  brown  head  and  bead-like  eyes,. 


ii2  Modern  Dogs. 


and  furiously  rushed  on  to  their  game.  What  a 
row  !  What  a  fight !  The  terriers  were  there  ;  all 
of  us  were  there.  Torn  jackets  and  torn  coats.  It 
was  a  wonder  that  during  the  melee  our  otter  did 
not  escape  and  we  ourselves  be  the  bitten  ones. 
How  it  all  came  about  none  of  us  will  know,  but  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  later,  three  lads,  a  man,  and 
a  fisherman,  were  sitting  in  a  green  meadow,  where 
wild  hyacinths  made  the  hedgerows  blue  and  the 
clover  was  imparting  fragrance  to  the  air.  They 
were  sitting  there  with  their  hounds  and  their 
terriers,  and  whilst  the  scratch  pack  rolled  and  dried 
themselves  amongst  the  earlier  summer  flowers,  we 
were  gazing  in  astonishment  at  an  otter  weighing 
25^1b. — one  that  we  had  killed  ourselves  with  the  aid 
of  our  two  hounds  and  terriers.  We  had  walked  three 
miles  to  perform  this  feat,  and,  need  I  say,  that  in 
less  than  two  years  from  that  time  that  locality  had 
as  good  a  pack  of  otter  hounds  as  man  need  desire. 
Our  Mentor  of  the  day  was  our  huntsman. 

Notwithstanding  this  experience  of  my  own, 
almost  all  old  hunters  say  that  many  years  careful 
work  are  required  to  make  a  pack  of  otter  hounds. 
Squire  Lomax,  of  Clitheroe,  some  quarter  of  a 
century  ago,  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his  entire 
pack  through  an  attack  of  dumb  madness.  Now 
his  were  perhaps  the  most  accomplished  lot  of 


The  Otter  Hound. 


otter  hounds  any  man  ever  possessed.  Each  hound 
was  perfect  in  itself,  and  the  pack  might  have 
found  and  killed  an  otter  without  the  slightest  assist- 
ance from  their  esteemed  master,  who  had  taken 
years  to  bring  them  to  that  state  of  perfection. 
"  You  will  soon  get  another  pack  together,  Mr. 
Lomax,"  said  a  friend.  "  No,"  was  the  reply,  "  my 
old  hounds  took  me  the  best  part  of  a  lifetime  to 
obtain,  and  should  I  recommence  again,  I  should  be 
an  old  man  and  past  hunting,  before  I  got  another 
lot  to  my  liking."  Mr.  Lomax  for  years  hunted  the 
Ribble,  Lune,  and  other  big  rivers  in  the  north. 

Mr.  Gallon,  of  Bishop  Auckland,  who  met  his  death 
whilst  otter  hunting  in  Scotland,  was  another  great 
authority  on  this  hound,  and  his  opinion  was  pretty 
much  the  same  as  that  of  Mr.  Lomax.  But  good 
sport  can  be  had  without  having  hounds  quite  so 
perfect  as  those  mentioned. 

I  am,  however,  getting  a  little  in  advance  of  my 
text,  and  something  must  be  said  of  the  earlier  days 
of  the  otter  hound.  King  John  is  said  to  have  had 
a  pack,  of  which  he  was  very  fond.  Although  thus 
early  otter  hunting  was  considered  royal  sport,  the 
otter  was  only  placed  in  the  third  class  of  the  beasts 
of  the  chase,  ranking  with  the  badger  and  the  wild 
cat — even  the  timid  hare  and  the  marten  taking  pre- 
cedence. However,  that  he  was  highly  valued,  even 

[VOL.  I.]  I 


1 14  Modern  Dogs. 


in  those  days,  for  the  amusement  afforded,  may  be 
inferred  from  the  fact  that  Edward  II.  (time  1307), 
had  as  part  of  his  household,  a  huntsman  and  sub- 
ordinates, to  look  after  his  otter  hounds.  Sometimes 
the  King's  otter  hunter  resided  in  the  hall,  and  was 
served  there  ;  on  other  occasions  he  had  his  own 
residence  and  lived  as  he  liked.  Anyhow,  he  had 
"  twelve  otter  dogges  "  in  his  care,  and  in  addition 
a  couple  of  greyhounds.  Then  there  were  "  two 
boys"  to  look  after  the  hounds  and  feed  them.  The 
master  of  the  otter  hounds  was,  as  the  times  went, 
fairly  well  rewarded  for  his  duties,  he  receiving  in 
addition  to  "  a  robe  in  cloth  yearly,  or  a  mark  in 
money"-  —the  latter  135.  4^. — and  an  extra  allowance 
of  four  shillings  and  eightpence  for  shoes,  twopence 
per  day  wages.  Each  of  the  so-called  "  boys " 
was  remunerated  at  the  rate  of  three  halfpence  per 
day.  The  latter  did  not  appear  to  have  any  per- 
quisites (tips  are  a  more  modern  institution),  but 
they  would  doubtless  reside  in  the  house  or  at  the 
kennels. 

It  would  have  been  interesting  to  know  as  a 
certainty  the  class  of  hounds  the  above  were,  but 
there  is  little  doubt  they  were  hard  in  coat  and 
rough  in  hair,  much  as  they  are  at  the  present  day. 
Sometime  later  the  otter  hound  appeared  to  become 
less  fashionable.  He  was  kept  by  the  "  tinkers," 


The  Otter  Hound.  115 

and  similar  class  of  roving  individuals,  on  the 
northern  borders.  There  were  a  few  in  Wales. 
Early  in  the  present  century  they  were  not  uncommon 
in  the  south  of  Scotland,  in  Devonshire  and  the 
west,  and  in  the  north  of  England.  Since,  the  otter 
hound  has  become  a  greater  favourite,  and  at  the 
present  time,,  during  the  season  which  may  be  said 
to  last  from  the  middle  of  April  to  the  end  of 
September,  some  eighteen  to  twenty  well  regulated 
packs  hunt  the  otter  in  various  parts  of  the  kingdom. 

In  a  few  cases,  usually  in  Devonshire,  foxhounds 
are  almost  entirely  used ;  elsewhere  the  packs 
are  composed  of  the  rough-haired  otter  hound, 
with  occasionally  a  couple  or  so  of  foxhounds  to 
assist  them.  Still,  each  variety  of  the  hound  should 
stick  to  that  game  for  which  nature  intended  him, 
the  foxhound  to  the  fox,  the  harrier  to  the  hare,  the 
otter  hound  to  the  otter.  The  latter  is  mostly 
followed  on  foot,  and  the  foxhound  is  too  quick  and 
fast,  though  many  like  him  because  of  his  dash. 
In  the  staidness  and  care  of  the  otter  hound  lie  his 
character,  and  he  will  give  better  sport  in  most  cases 
at  his  own  game  than  any  other  hound. 

Some  of  the  most  noted  packs  of  the  present  day 
are  those  of  the  late  Hon.  Geoffrey  Hill,  who  died 
in  1891,  but  whose  hounds,  known  as  the  Hawk- 
stone,  ultimately  passed  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  R. 

I    2 


n6  Modem  Dogs. 


Carnaby  Forster.  Mr.  Hill,  who  hunted  from 
Maesllwch  Castle,  in  Radnorshire,  had  the  pack 
from  his  brother,  Lord  Hill,  in  1869,  and  from 
that  time  to  the  day  of  his  death  had  improved 
it  immensely.  There  were  twenty-five  couple 
in  the  kennels,  all  good-looking,  handsome,  rough 
hounds,  perhaps  not  so  perfect  in  this  work  as 
those  of  Mr.  Lomax,  but  in  "  sortiness  "  they 
have  never  been  equalled.  They  were  well  cared 
for ;  the  members  of  the  hunt  had  a  handsome 
costume,  and  hounds  were  taken  to  and  fro  in  a  van 
made  for  the  purpose.  From  1870  to  1890  these 
hounds,  known  as  the  Hawkstone  pack,  killed  704 
otters,  no  fewer  than  sixty-two  being  accounted 
for  in  one  season,  the  best  on  record,  that  of  1881. 

But  if  a  pack  kills  from  a  dozen  to  two  dozen 
otters  during  the  four  or  five  months  they  hunt, 
a  bad  record  is  not  made,  for  sometimes  when 
the  waters  are  in  flood,  or  the  hay  crop  remains 
uncut,  hounds  may  not  be  out  for  a  week,  or 
even  a  longer  interval  may  intervene  between  one 
meet  and  another. 

The  Carlisle  hounds  are  another  noted  lot,  and, 
with  a  slight  interval,  during  which  Mr.  James 
Steel  was  the  master,  that  position  has  been 
occupied  by  Mr.  J.  C.  Carrick  for  over  a  quarter  of 
a  century.  For  some  time  Mr.  Carrick's  hounds 


The  Otter  Hound.  1 1 7 

were  as  invincible  on  the  show  bench  as  by  the  river. 
Then  "  the  Kendal  "  sprang  up  in  the  sister  county, 
and,  with  the  late  Mr.  Wilson  of  Dallam  Tower  as 
master,  Troughton  as  huntsman,  and  having  extra- 
ordinary success  in  breeding  young  hounds,  they  took 
all  before  them  in  the  ring.  Perhaps  some  of  their 
excellence  might  arise  from  the  fact  that  the  Hon. 
Geoffrey  Hill  and  Mr.  Wilson,  and  later  Mr.  Tatter- 
sail,  interchanged  services  of  their  best  stallion 
hounds. 

The  Kendal  Ragman  was  particularly  successful 
at  stud — no  one  ever  had  a  better  hound  at  work,  and 
he  lasted  eight  seasons.  He  was  a  black  and  tan, 
rather  short  in  coat  to  be  quite  right,  but  what  there 
was  had  an  extraordinary  texture,  so  hard  and  close 
and  crisp  that  I  have  seen  the  water  standing  in  drops 
thereon  quite  unable  to  penetrate  the  dense  covering. 
This  hound  it  was  I  saw  take  the  head  of  an  otter  right 
in  its  jaws  as  the  game  came  up  for  a  breather  close 
to  the  bank  upon  which  Ragman  was  standing. 
The  otter  was  very  nearly  finished  outright ;  it  would 
have  quite  killed  any  other  animal,  for  the  fangs  of 
the  hound  had  gone  deeply  through  the  bone  of  the 
skull,  perhaps  just  missing  what  might  have  been  a 
vital  part.  These  Kendal  hounds  were  sold  for 
something  over  ^200  to  Mr.  Carnaby  Forster, 
of  Tarporley,  Cheshire,  at  the  commencement  of 


1 8  Modem  Dogs. 


1891,  who  incorporated  them  with  the  Hawkstone 
already  alluded  to.  This  was,  perhaps,  the  cheapest 
pack  of  hounds  ever  sold ;  there  were  about  twelve 
couples,  with  some  terriers,  and  I  am  pretty  certain 
that,  placed  publicly  in  the  market,  ^"1000  would 
have  been  obtained  for  the  lot. 

Another  old  master  of  otter  hounds  was  Mr.  John 
Benson,  of  Cockermouth;  but  two  years  ago  his 
hounds  were  discontinued,  and  in  their  place  came  a 
subscription  pack,  of  which  Mr.  Harry  Clift,  who 
has  served  a  very  long  apprenticeship  to  the  sport, 
is  at  the  head.  Mr.  Collier,  down  Devonshire  way, 
has  hunted  the  otter  for  over  fifty  years,  and  Mr. 
Cheriton  and  Mr.  Calmady  are  in  the  west  likewise, 
but  they  appear  to  prefer  the  dash  and  go  of  the  fox- 
hound to  the  sedateness  and  care  of  the  pure  variety. 
Mr.  W.  C.  Yates  has  had  some  good  hounds  in  his 
time.  I  once  saw  the  latter — Mr.  T.  Wilkinson,  of 
Neasham  Abbey,  hunting  the  pack  during  an  off 
season,  when  he  had  not  one  of  his  own — kill  three 
otters  in  one  day,  in  Lancashire.  Mr  Yates  now 
mostly  hunts  in  Ireland.  But  the  Squire  of  Neasham 
was  soon  again  surrounded  by  his  favourite  hounds, 
and  still  hunts  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Durham,  and 
goes  into  Northumberland  occasionally.  In  Scot- 
land Captain  Clarke  Kennedy,  some  years  ago,  kept 
otter  hounds,  and  so  did  the  Duke  of  Athol  and  others. 


The  Otter  Hound.  119 

Of  more  recently  established  packs  the  Dumfries- 
shire ;  Mr.  R.  W.  Buckley's  (Wales),  The  Hon. 
C.  H.  Wynne's,  Captain  Dawson's  (Otley,  Yorks) 
and  Mr.  Cloete's  may  be  specially  mentioned,  and 
there  are  other  otter  hounds  hunting  in  Devon- 
shire, Somersetshire,  Hampshire,  Yorkshire,  Car- 
marthenshire, Merionethshire,  Brecknockshire,  in 
county  Wexford,  and  near  Dublin. 

The  dog  otter  hound  should  stand  about  26  inches 
at  shoulder,  the  bitch  about  24  inches.  The  best 
and  most  favourite  colours  are  the  blue  and  white, 
though  not  so  much  mottled  as  the  beagle,  and  a 
hard  looking  pepper  and  salt  colour.  Yellow  and 
fawn,  and  yellow  or  fawn  and  white  hounds  are  like- 
wise good  old  colours,  and,  as  I  have  said,  black  and 
tan  is  not  amiss,  with,  maybe,  white  on  the  breast 
and  feet,  but  black  tan  and  white  in  patches  is  not 
nice  on  an  otter  hound,  however  gaudy  it  may  be  on 
others  of  the  race.  I  have  also  seen  one  or  two 
almost  white  hounds,  but  never  one  of  the  latter 
with  the  correct  coat,  which  should  be  hard  and 
crisp  and  close,  as  water  and  weather  resisting  as 
possible,  and  not  too  long.  Often  the  long  coats 
incline  to  an  indication  of  silkiness  in  texture,  which, 
however,  is  preferable  to  a  soft,  woolly  jacket.  In 
build  an  otter  hound  should  be  like  a  foxhound, 
strong,  level,  and  well  put  together,  stern  carried 


120  Modern  Dogs. 


gaily,  feet  close  and  particularly  hard,  and  this  is 
even  more  desirable  than  in  a  foxhound,  as  being 
one  minute  in  the  water  and  another  on  the  hard 
rocks  and  stones  tries  the  pads  very  much.  A  big  foot 
is  likely  to  increase  the  pace  in  swimming.  The  head 
must  be  long,  jaws  strong  and  powerful,  eyes  giving 
a  certain  sedate  and  intellectual  appearance  ;  they 
sometimes  show  the  haw,  which  is  no  defect.  Ears 
long  and  pendulous,  close  set,  in  order  that  the 
water  may  be  kept  out  of  the  external  orifices. 
However,  what  an  otter  hound  ought  to  be  the 
illustration  preceding  this  article  will  best  inform 
the  reader  searching  after  information.  A  nice 
weight  for  a  dog  hound  is  65lb.,  and  for  a  bitch  55 

POINTS. 


Value. 

Coat  20 

Legs  and  feet    20 

Hind  quarters  and  stern   10 
Neck  and  chest  .    10 


60 


Value. 

Head  and  ears 20 

Back  and  loins i o 

Shoulders..,  =; 


Symmetry  and  colour 


40 


Grand  Total  100. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
THE    DEERHOUND. 

FAILING  any  further  information  on  the  subject 
than  we  at  present  possess,  it  will  always  be  a  moot 
point  whether  the  hounds  used  for  Queen  Elizabeth's 
delectation  at  Cowdray  Park,  in  1595,  that  "  pulled 
down  sixteen  bucks  in  a  laund,"  were  the  ordinary 
greyhounds  or  the  Scottish  deerhounds.  The  latter 
were  likely  enough  to  be  fashionable  animals  at  the 
close  of  the  sixteenth  century,  for  they  had  already 
been  described  by  Boece,  in  his  History  of  Scotland, 
published  in  1526;  and,  thirty-four  years  later, 
Gesner,  in  his  "  General  History  of  Quadrupeds," 
gives  an  illustration  of  three  Scottish  dogs,  one  of 
them  answering  to  our  modern  deerhound  in  general 
appearance.  The  drawing  for  this  was  supplied  by 
Henry  St.  Clair,  Dean  of  Glasgow  at  that  time, 
whose  family  kept  the  breed  for  very  many  years, 
an  interesting  story  in  connection  therewith  being 
told  on  another  page. 

Good  Queen  Bess  was  fond  of  her  dogs  and  the 


122  Modern  Dogs. 


sport  they  showed,  and  there  is  nothing  unreason- 
able in  supposing  that  those  provided  for  the 
purpose  above  mentioned  at  Cowdray  were  in 
reality  deerhounds.  However,  whether  my  supposi- 
tion be  correct  or  otherwise,  there  is  no  gainsaying 
the  fact  that  this  mention  in  the  Scottish  history 
is  the  earliest  I  have  met  with  where  the  deer- 
hound  is  actually  alluded  to. 

Later  on  he  became  popular  enough,  and  that  he 
was  highly  valued  by  the  clans  or  chieftains  of 
his  native  country  may  be  judged  from  the  follow- 
ing story  given  by  Raphael  Holinshead,  whose 
"Chronicles"  were  published  about  1577.  He 
says  that  many  of  the  Pictish  nobility  repaired  to 
Craithlint,  to  meet  the  King  of  Scots  to  hunt  and 
make  merry  with  him,  where  they  found  the  Scottish 
dogs  far  excelled  their  own  in  "fairness,  swiftness, 
and  hardness,  and  also  in  long  standing  up  and 
holding  out."  The  Scottish  lords  gave  their  guests 
both  dogs  and  bitches  of  their  best  strains ;  but 
they,  not  contented,  stole  one  belonging  to  the  king 
from  his  keeper;  and  this  the  most  esteemed  hound 
in  the  lot.  The  master  of  the  leash  being  informed 
of  the  robbery,  pursuit  was  taken  after  the  thievish 
Picts,  who,  being  overtaken,  refused  to  give  up  the 
royal  favourite,  and  in  the  end  slew  the  master  of  the 
leash  with  their  spears.  Then  the  Scots  mustered  a 


The  Deerhound.  123 


stronger  force,  including  those  who  had  been 
engaged  in  hunting,  and  they  fell  upon  the  Picts. 
A  terrible  struggle  took  place,  one  hundred  of  the 
Picts  were  slain  and  "  threescore  gentlemen  "  on  the 
other  side,  besides  a  great  number  of  commoners. 
The  latter,  poor  fellows,  not  being  deemed  worthy  of 
numeration  in  those  bloodthirsty  times,  and,  so  long 
as  the  hound  was  recovered,  little  thought  would  be 
given  to  the  dead  "  commoners  "  who  fought  for  its 
possession,  and,  it  is  stated,  few  of  them  ever  knew 
what  the  fight  had  been  about. 

Another  interesting  story  is  that  relating  to  the 
family  of  St.  Clair.  King  Robert  Bruce,  in  follow- 
ing the  chase  upon  the  Pentland  Hills,  had  often 
started  a  "  white  faunch  deer,"  which  always 
escaped  from  his  hounds.  He  asked  his  nobles 
if  any  of  them  possessed  dogs  that  they  thought 
might  prove  more  successful.  Naturally,  there  was  no 
one  there  so  bold  as  to  affirm  his  hounds  better  than 
those  of  the  sovereign,  until  Sir  William  St.  Clair 
came  forward.  He  would  wager  his  head  that  his 
two  favourite  hounds,  "  Help,"  and  "  Hold,"  would 
kill  the  deer  before  she  could  cross  the  March  burn. 
Bruce,  evidently  of  a  sporting  turn,  at  once  wagered 
the  Forest  of  Pentland  Moor,  to  the  head  of  the 
bold  Sir  William,  against  the  accomplishment  of 
the  feat.  The  deer  was  roused  by  the  slow,  or  drag 


124  Modern  Dogs. 


hounds,  and  St.  Clair,  in  a  suitable  place,  uncoupled 
his  favourites  in  sight  of  the  flying  deer.  St.  Clair 
followed  on  horseback,  and  as  the  deer  reached  the 
middle  of  the  brook,  he  in  despair,  believing  his 
wager  already  lost,  and  his  life  as  good  as  gone, 
leaped  from  his  horse.  At  this  critical  moment, 
"  Hold  "  stopped  her  quarry  in  the  brook,  and 
"  Help "  coming  up,  the  deer  was  turned,  and  in 
the  end  killed  within  the  stipulated  boundary.  The 
king,  not  far  behind,  was  soon  on  the  scene,  and 
embracing  his  subject,  "  bestowed  on  him  the  lands 
of  Kirton,  Logan  House,  Earncraig,  &c.,  in  free 
forestrie."  Scrope  says  the  tomb  of  this  Sir  William 
Clair,  on  which  he  appears  sculptured  in  armour, 
with  a  greyhound  (deerhound)  at  his  feet,  is  still  to 
be  seen  in  Rosslyn  Chapel. 

Thomson  Gray  in  his  "Dogs  of  Scotland  "  (1890), 
tells  us  that  the  earliest  mention  of  deerhounds 
appears  in  1528,  in  Pitcott's  History  of  that  country, 
wherein  it  is  stated  that  "  the  king  desired  all  gentle- 
men that  had  dogs  that  were  good,  to  bring  them  to 
hunt  in  the  said  boundaries,  which  most  of  the  noble- 
men of  the  Highlands  did,  such  as  the  Earls  of 
Huntley,  Argyle,  and  Athole,  who  brought  their 
deerhounds  with  them,  and  hunted  with  His  Majesty. 

However,  about  this  time,  and  for  many  years 
later,  a  common  but  erroneous  idea  prevailed,  that 


The  Deerhound.  12 


the  Irish  wolfhound  and  the  Scottish  deerhound, 
were  identical,  and  indeed,  that  the  latter  was  merely 
an  ordinary  greyhound,  with  a  rough,  hard  coat,  pro- 
duced by  beneficent  Nature  to  protect  a  delicate  dog 
against  the  rigours  of  a  northern  climate. 

About  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century  (1591),  we 
are  told  that  the  Earl  of  Mar  had  large  numbers  of 
these  deerhounds,  but  at  the  same  period  the  Duke 
of  Buckingham  had  great  difficulty  in  obtaining  Irish 
wolf  dogs,  a  few  couples  of  which,  he  wished  to 
present  to  ('  divers  princes  and  other  nobles."  So 
the  Irish  dog  was  even  then  becoming  extinct,  but 
the  Scottish  one,  though  rarer  later  on,  survives  to 
the  present  day,  and  is  now  more  popular  and 
numerous  than  at  any  previous  period  of  his  exis- 
tence. Still,  judging  from  what  Pennant,  writing  in 
1 769,  says,  the  deerhound  must,  about  his  time, 
have  been  in  danger  of  extinction,  for  he  says,  "  he 
saw  at  Gordon  Castle,  a  true  Highland  greyhound, 
which  has  become  very  scarce.  It  was  of  large  size, 
strong,  deep  chested,  and  covered  with  very  long 
and  rough  hair.  This  kind  was  in  great  vogue  in 
former  days,  and  used  in  vast  numbers  at  the 
magnificent  stag  chases  by  powerful  chieftains." 

One  or  two  authors  have  assumed  that  the 
modern  deerhound  is  a  cross  between  the  foxhound 
and  the  greyhound,  or  between  the  bloodhound  and 


i26  Modern  Dogs. 


the  greyhound,  but  this  I  consider  quite  incorrect,  nor 
in  my  researches  have  I  been  able  to  come  across 
anything  likely  to  sustain  such  a  statement.  If  the 
deerhound  is  to  be  found  in  greater  numbers  now 
than  previously,  it  is  only  because  more  attention  is 
paid  to  his  breeding,  and  because  the  many  strains 
that  a  hundred  years  and  more  ago  were  in  the  out 
of  the  way  places  of  the  Highlands  have,  by  better 
communication,  been  brought  within  the  radius  of 
canine  admirers.  Scrope,  in  his  "  Deer  Stalking," 
published  in  1838,  has  naturally  much  to  write  about 
the  deerhound.  He  it  is  recommends  the  fox- 
hound and  greyhound  cross,  and  says  that  the 
celebrated  sportsman  Glengarry  crossed  occasionally 
with  bloodhound,  still  Macneill  of  Colonsay,  who 
wrote  the  article  in  "  Days  of  Deerstalking,"  that 
deals  mostly  with  those  hounds,  confesses  that  there 
were  still  pure  deerhounds  to  be  found  when  he 
states  them  to  be  very  scarce  at  the  time  he  wrote. 
Maybe  they  were  scarce,  but  not  sufficiently  so  as 
to  induce  people  to  attempt  to  reproduce  them  by 
such  an  unhallowed  alliance. 

A  favourite  sporting  author  from  my  earliest  boy- 
hood days  has  been  Charles  St.  John,  who,  in  his 
"  Highland  Sports,"  writes  so  charmingly  and  naturally 
of  all  he  saw  and  shot  and  caught  during  his 
excursions.  He  wrote  but  eight  years  after  Scrope, 


The  Deerhound.  127 


still  he  says  that  the  breed  of  Deerhounds  which 
"  had  nearly  become  extinct,  or,  at  any  rate,  was  very 
rare  a  few  years  ago,  has  now  become  comparatively 
plentiful  in  all  the  Highland  districts,  owing  to  the 
increased  extent  of  the  preserved  forests  and  the 
trouble  taken  by  different  proprietors  and  masters  of 
mountain  shootings  who  have  collected  and  bred 
this  noble  race  of  dogs  regardless  of  expense  and 
difficulty."  Not  a  word  about  Macneill's  crosses  or  of 
those  of  Glengarry ;  and  I  am  happy  in  the  belief 
that  our  present  race  of  deerhounds  does  not  contain 
the  slightest  taint  of  bloodhound  or  foxhound  blood 
for  over  a  century.  If  it  did,  surely  the  black  and 
tan  colour  and  the  greyhound  markings  would  con- 
tinually be  appearing.  I  have  yet  to  see  a  black  and 
tan  deerhound,  or  one  similar  to  a  foxhound  in  hue. 

What  an  excellent  picture  St.  John  draws  of 
Malcolm:  u  as  fine  a  looking  lad,  of  thirty-five,  as 
ever  stepped  on  heather,"  and  of  his  two  hounds, 
Bran  and  Oscar,  whose  descriptions  tally  with  what 
I  shall  later  on  give  to  be  those  of  a  deerhound. 
There  were  no  bloodhound  and  foxhound  in  Bran  or 
Oscar,  and  well  might  such  handsome,  useful,  faithful 
creatures,  or  similar  ones,  be  worth  the  ^50  a-piece, 
they  would  have  brought  even  forty- five  years  ago. 

Since  St.  John  wrote  some  deer  forests  have  been 
broken  up  into  smaller  holdings,  and  to  this,  perhaps, 


128  Modern  Dogs. 


may  be  attributed  the  fact  that  "  coursing  deer" 
is  not  followed  so  much  as  in  his  time.  There 
are  still  some  forests  in  which  a  deerhound  may  be 
taken  out  to  assist  at  the  termination  of  a  stalk ;  but 
as  the  red  deer  is  now  mostly  killed  in  "  drives,"  a 
sort  of  battue  in  which  the  shooter  can  sit  at  ease 
until  the  deer  come  by,  to  be  shot  in  a  somewhat 
ignominious  manner,  the  deerhound  as  such  is  little 
used.  A  stalker  will  find  one  useful  at  times,  but 
even  he  is  supplied  with  such  a  perfect  rifle,  so 
admirably  sighted,  and  he  is  such  a  crack  shot,  that 
the  stag  seldom  requires  more  than  the  hard  bullet 
to  kill  him  almost  dead  upon  the  spot. 

About  three  years  ago,  the  Earl  of  Tankerville,  in 
a  series  of  articles  he  wrote  for  the  Field,  made 
allusion  to  the  deerhound.  He  said  some  that  he 
saw  "  were  beautiful,  swift,  and  powerful.  Some  are 
able  to  pull  down  a  stag  single  handed,  but  the 
bravest  always  gets  killed  in  the  end.  The  pure 
breed  have  keen  noses  as  well  as  speed,  and  will 
follow  the  slot  of  a  wounded  deer  perseveringly  if 
they  find  blood.  The  most  valued  are  not  neces- 
sarily the  most  savage,  for  the  latter  (the  reckless 
ones)  go  in  and  get  killed,  whilst  the  more  wary,  who 
have  taken  the  hint  after  a  pug  or  two,  are  equally 
enduring,  and  will  hold  their  bay  for  any  indefinite 
time,  which  is  a  merit  of  the  first  importance." 


The  Deerhound.  129 


Lord  Tankerville  continues,  that  he  was  informed 
of  a  remarkable  deerhound,  belonging  to  a  poacher  in 
Badenoch,  that  never  missed  a  deer.  In  due  course 
he  obtained  the  hound,  and  called  it  Bran.  Later 
on  it  saved  the  life  of  a  keeper  from  the  furious 
attack  of  one  of  the  wild  bulls  of  Chillingham.  After 
being  delivered  to  his  new  home,  Bran  was  placed  in 
the  kennel,  and  it  was  thought  that  the  pallisades  with 
which  it  was  surrounded  were  sufficiently  high  to 
prevent  any  dog  getting  over  them.  However,  Bran 
did  succeed  in  scaling  them,  and  Lord  Tankerville, 
having  paid  his  money  and  lost  his  dog,  was  con- 
siderably upset,  and  never  thought  of  seeing  the 
hound  again.  However,  in  a  few  days  the 
"  poacher"  brought  back  the  errant  Bran,  who 
had,  in  fact,  reached  his  old  home  before  his  master, 
who  was  considerably  astonished,  on  reaching  his 
cottage,  to  see  his  old  companion  rush  forward 
to  meet  him.  The  distance  between  Chillingham 
and  the  man's  cottage  was  about  seventy  miles, 
and,  to  take  the  shortest  route,  which  Bran  no 
doubt  did  or  he  would  have  caught  his  master  on 
the  road,  he  must  have  swum  Loch  Ericht. 

No  doubt  modern  dog  shows  have  done  much  to 
re-popularise  the  deerhound,  now  that  he  is  so 
seldom  used  for  that  purpose  for  which,  shall  I  say, 
nature  first  intended  him.  How  little  he  is  used  in 

[VOL.  I.]  K 


130  Modern  Dogs. 


deer  stalking  may  be  surmised  by  a  list  that  appears 
in  Mr.  Weston  Bell's  monograph  of  the  variety 
(1892).  Here  some  fifty-eight  forests  are  named, 
and  in  but  about  seven  of  them  is  the  deerhound 
kept.  The  collie  is  now  more  frequently  trained 
and  used  to  track  the  wounded  stag,  because  he 
works  more  slowly,  and  is  therefore  less  liable  to 
unduly  scare  and  alarm  the  deer.  From  the  earliest 
institution  of  dog  shows,  classes  have  been  pro- 
vided for  the  deerhound,  and  these  have  resulted  in  a 
number  of  excellent  animals  being  benched  of  a  uni- 
formity and  quality  that  our  excellent  friend  Charles 
St.  John  would  scarcely  have  thought  possible,  and 
Mr.  M'Neil  would  have  deemed  an  impossibility. 

There  is  no  handsomer  dog  than  the  deerhound — 
he  has  the  elegance  of  shape,  the  light  airy  appear- 
ance of  the  greyhound,  a  hard,  crisp,  and  picturesque 
jacket,  either  of  fawn  or  grey  brindle,  an  eye  as 
bright  as  that  of  the  gazelle,  but  loving,  still  sharp 
and  intelligent ;  and  a  good  specimen  has  not  a  bad 
feature  about  him.  His  disposition  is  of  the  best;  he 
is  sensible  and  kindly ;  and  friends  of  mine  to  whom 
I  gave  a  puppy,  on  its  death  refused  to  be  consoled 
by  any  other  dog  than  one  of  the  same  variety. 

"  It's  a  blooming  lurcher,"  is  the  yokel's  idea  of  a 
deerhound,  an  opinion  in  which  the  cockney  corner 
man  evidently  coincides.  Either  will  pass  a  rude 


The  Deerhound.  131 


remark  about  your  aristocratic  canine  companion. 
The  Scotchman  away  from  home,  be  he  out  at 
elbows,  or  otherwise,  pays  compliments  to  the  dog. 
If  his  shoes  are  down  at  the  heels  the  chances  are 
he  is  the  remains  of  a  chieftain  of  some  great  clan, 
and,  on  the  strength  of  your  possession  of  one  of  his 
native  quadrupeds,  will  seek  to  allay  his  thirst,  or 
penchant  for  Glenlivat,  at  your  expense.  Still,  I  do 
not  fancy  that  the  deerhound  is  quite  so  popular  as 
a  companion  over  the  border  as  he  is  on  this  side  the 
border.  Englishmen  have  paid  greater  attention  to 
his  breeding ;  the  honours  to  be  gained  at  shows 
make  it  worth  while  their  doing  so  ;  and,  being  more 
difficult  to  rear  than  most  other  dogs,  he  requires 
greater  care  in  bringing  up,  and,  if  not  allowed  con- 
tinual exercise,  will  become  crooked  on  his  fore  legs, 
and  out  at  the  elbows — ungainly  enough  in  little 
dogs,  but  a  terrible  eyesore  in  big  ones.  They  will 
not  rear  well  in  a  kennel. 

It  has  been  said  the  deerhound  is  uncertain  in  his 
temper  with  children  ;  in  some  cases  this  may  be  so, 
but  not  in  all.  Again,  it  has  been  stated  that  when 
a  puppy  he  will  chase  anything  that  moves  in  front 
of  him — sheep,  poultry,  &c.  What  puppy  will  not  ? 
All  young  dogs  are  alike  in  this  particular,  and  if  not 
carefully  watched  will,  like  your  favourite  little  boy 
or  girl,  be  for  ever  getting  into  mischief. 

K  2 


132  Modem  Dogs. 


Deerhounds,  like  all  other  dogs,  require  early 
training,  and  when  once  broken  off  sheep  and  other 
"  small  deer,"  are  as  safe  and  reliable  in  the  fields  as 
any  other  of  the  canine  race.  As  a  fact,  I  believe  that 
both  pointers  and  setters,  greyhounds,  and  even  the 
collie  himself,  is  as,  "fond  of  mutton  "  as  the  often 
maligned  dog  about  which  this  article  is  being  written. 
Many  dogs  have  been  spoiled  by  their  manners 
being  neglected  during  their  puppyhood ;  no  doubt 
others  will  be  so  in  the  future,  and  it  is  a  pity  that 
one  so  docile,  handsome,  sagacious,  and  aristocratic 
as  the  deerhound,  should  obtain  an  evil  name  through 
the  negligence  or  over-indulgence  of  its  owner. 

As  already  stated,  dog  shows  have  been  of  infinite 
advantage  in  raising  the  deerhound  to  its  present 
popularity,  though  prior  to  this  epoch,  what  Sir 
Walter  Scott  writes  of  his  Maida  and  other  favourite 
hounds,  with  Landseer's  fine  paintings,  had  made 
the  general  public  anxious  to  see  such  handsome 
dogs  in  the  flesh.  The  first  show  at  Birmingham, 
in  1860,  provided  two  classes  for  them,  but  there 
were  few  entries,  and  both  leading  prizes  were  taken 
by  Lieut. -Colonel  Inge,  of  Thorpe,  near  Tamworth, 
who,  at  that  time,  possessed  a  capital  strain  of  them. 
Later  on  the  numbers  increased,  and  in  1862  there 
were  ten  competitors  in  the  dog  class,  but  they  were 
a  mixed  lot,  though  the  winner,  called  Alder,  bred  by 


The  Deerhound.  133 


Sir  John  Macneil,  was  a  splendid  specimen,  which 
again  took  leading  honour  two  years  later.  The 
succeeding  show  had,  for  some  reason  or  other,  a 
capital  entry,  sixteen  in  the  one  class,  six  in  the 
other,  and  these  included  several  dogs  from  the 
Highlands,  one  of  the  latter,  called  Oscar,  now 
beating  Alder,  who  looked  old  and  worn,  and  was 
past  his  best. 

About  this  period  Lord  Henry  Bentinck  took  great 
pride  in  his  deerhounds,  and  kept  a  fine  kennel  of 
them.  Mr.  McKenzie,  Ross-shire  ;  Mr.  J.  Wright, 
Yeldersby  House,  Derby;  Mr.  Menzies,  Cherthill ; 
Mr.  Grant,  Glenmorriston  ;  Colonel  Campbell  of 
Monzie ;  Lord  Boswell ;  Mr.  W.  Gordon,  Guard- 
bridge,  Fifeshire ;  Lord  Bredalbane  ;  the  Duke  of 
Sutherland;  Mr.  Spencer  Lucy,  and  Dr.  Hadden, 
have  all  at  one  time  or  another  had  good  deer- 
hounds  in  their  kennels,  as  well  as  many  of  the  older 
Scottish  families. 

In  1871  we  find  a  Cameron  of  Lochiel  sending 
to  Curzon  Hall  and  taking  a  first  prize  with  Bruce. 
Sir  St.  George  Gore  was  a  frequent  exhibitor,  and  in 
1865  he  showed  a  deerhound  that  was  quite  smooth, 
a  big  coarse,  ugly  greyhound  in  appearance,  that  of 
course  did  not  take  a  prize.  Mr.  H.  C.  Musters, 
Captain  Graham,  of  Durnock,  and  a  few  others  who 
admired  the  fine  form  of  the  Scotch  dog,  were 


134  Modern  Dogs. 


exhibiting  about  1870.  The  following  year  had  the 
celebrated  Warrior,  that  won  so  many  prizes  up  and 
down  the  country,  mostly  in  variety  classes.  How- 
ever, prior  to  him  came  one  or  two  exceptionally 
good  dogs,  Mr  Beasley's  bitch  Countess  especially 
so  ;  nor  must  Mr.  Hickman's  excellent  bitch  Morna 
be  omitted,  for  he  was  not  only  good  to  look  at,  but 
could  boast  a  lineage  which  contained  some  of  the 
bluest  blood  of  the  day.  Following  a  few  years 
later  was  that  fine  old  dog  Bevis  (Mr.  Hood 
Wright's),  so  sober  and  sedate  that  in  his  declining 
years  he  took  to  the  stage,  and  appeared  with  great 
success  at  one  or  two  of  the  Sheffield  pantomimes 
at  Christmas. 

There  are  now,  at  least  a  dozen  shows  held 
annually,  at  which  classes  are  provided  for  this 
variety,  and  naturally  new  breeders  have  sprung 
up.  Mr.  E.  Weston  Bell,  of  Rossie,  Perthshire,  has 
got  together  a  kennel  containing  a  number  of 
splendid  deerhounds ;  and  Mr.  W.  H.  Singer,  of 
Frome,  Somerset ;  Mr.  Walter  Evans,  Birchfield, 
Birmingham;  Mr.  Rr.  H.  Wright,  Newton-le- Willows; 
Mr.  H.  P.  Parker,  Stourbridge  ;  Mr.  W.  Gibbons, 
Stratford-on-Avon ;  Mr.  A.  Maxwell,  Croft,  near 
Darlington ;  Major  Lewis,  Bath,  all  possess  deer- 
hounds  of  the  highest  merit.  Perhaps  the  best  of 
the  race,  at  the  time  I  write,  in  the  summer  of 


The  Deerhoand.  135 


1892,  are  Sir  Gavin,  Fingall  II.,  Earl  II.,  Ensign, 
Shepherd,  Swift,  Enterprise,  Royal  Lufra  (a  beautiful 
headed  bitch,  for  which  excellence  she  won  a  special 
prize  at  Bath  not  long  ago),  Rossie  Blue  Bell,  and 
there  are  many  others,  almost,  if  not  equally  good 
to  look  at  on  the  show  bench. 

The  deerhound,  in  colour,  should  be  either  brindled 
in  various  shades,  blue,  or  fawn;  white  is  detrimental, 
though  a  little  on  the  chest  or  feet  does  not  matter 
very  much.  Pure  white  dogs  are  occasionally  found, 
but  it  is  not  a  deerhound  colour,  any  more  than  it  is 
that  of  a  collie,  though  Mr.  Morton  Campbell,  jun., 
of  Stracathro,  near  Brechin,  has  a  white  hound 
of  considerable  beauty,  and  though  obtained  from 
the  Highlands,  its  pedigree  is  unknown.  I  prefer  the 
darker  shades  of  colour ;  the  darker  brindles  are 
very  attractive,  and  in  actual  work,  it  is  a  colour  that 
tones  well  with  the  surrounding  rocks  and  dark 
heather.  The  largest  and  heaviest  dogs  are  not  to 
be  recommended,  either  for  work  or  otherwise,  they 
cut  themselves  on  the  rocks,  and  are  not  nearly  so 
active  and  lithe  on  the  rough  ground  as  the  lighter 
and  smaller  specimens.  The  dog  should  not,  at  any 
rate,  be  more  than  about  thirty  inches  at  the 
shoulder,  the  bitch  from  one  to  two  inches  less. 
One  or  two  specimens  have  been  shown,  and  won 
prizes  too,  that  measured  up  to  thirty-two  inches, 


36  Modern  Dogs. 


and  even  an  inch  more,  and  it  is  said  that  Bran, 
figured  in  "Dogs  of  the  British  Isles,"  was  thirty- 
three  inches !  Such  are  too  big  for  work,  and 
nowadays  have  not  much  chance  of  winning  on  the 
show  bench.  The  following  heights  and  weights  of 
some  of  the  best  deerhounds  of  the  modern  standard 
may  be  interesting,  and  all  are  excellent  specimens 
in  every  way,  and  perhaps  equal  to  anything  that 
has  yet  been  seen.  Mr.  Walter  Evan's  Fingal  II., 
stands  2pf  inches  at  shoulder,  and  wreighs  87lb. ; 
his  Earl  II.,  28f  inches  and  8ilb. ;  Duke  of 
Brewood,  30^  inches,  weighs  881b. ;  and  his  bitch, 
Enterprise,  stands  29  inches,  and  weighs  85lb.,  a 
big  weight  for  a  bitch.  Mr.  W.  H.  Singer's  well- 
known  dog,  Swift,  is  79lb.  weight,  and  30  inches 
at  the  shoulder;  and  his  bitch,  She,  weighs  y2lb., 
and  stands  26^  inches. 

In  general  form  the  deerhound  should  be  like  a 
greyhound :  ears  similar,  loins  likewise,  legs  and  feet 
equally  good.  In  his  character  he  differs  from  the 
smooth  hound  considerably,  as  he  does  in  coat,  which 
is  hard,  crisp,  and  close,  not  too  long,  and  silkiness 
on  the  top  knot,  and  elsewhere,  is  not  desirable.  In 
running  he  carries  his  head  higher  than  a  grey- 
hound, nor  does  he  lay  himself  down  so  closely  to 
his  work ;  in  galloping,  he  appears  to  be  on  the  look 
out  for  contingencies,  and  does  not,  as  a  rule,  go  at 


The  Deerhound.  137 


his  greatest  pace,  unless  actually  required  to  do  so. 
He  hangs  back,  as  it  were — maybe  to  avoid  a 
stroke  from  the  stag,  or  to  look  out  for  the  proper 
place  to  seize ;  some  will  seize  one  part,  some 
another.  tl  Bran's  point  of  attack  was  always  at  the 
shoulder  or  fore  leg,  whilst  Oscar  had  a  habit  of 
biting  at  the  hind  leg,  above  the  hock,  frequently 
cutting  through  the  flesh  and  tendons  in  an  extra- 
ordinary manner,  and  tumbling  over  the  deer  very 
quickly,"  says  St.  John  in  his  "  Highland  Sports." 

Their  endurance  is  great,  their  scent  keen,  and 
Ronaldson  Macdonnel,  of  Glengarry,  instances  one 
•dog,  that,  held  in  a  leash,  followed  the  track  of 
a  wounded  stag,  in  unfavourable  rainy  weather, 
for  three  successive  days,  when  the  game  was  shot. 
The  story  goes,  that  this  stag  was  wounded  within 
three  miles  of  Invergarry  House,  and  was  traced 
that  night  to  the  Glenmoriston.  At  dusk,  in  the 
evening,  the  stalkers  placed  a  stone  on  each  side  of 
the  last  fresh  print  of  his  hoof,  and  another  over  it ; 
and  this  they  did  each  night  following.  On  the 
succeeding  morning  they  removed  the  upper  stone, 
when  the  dog  recovered  the  scent,  and  the  deer  was 
that  day  hunted  over  a  great  part  of  the  Glenmoriston 
ground.  On  the  third  day,  it  was  retraced  on  to 
Glengarry,  and  there  shot. 

When  hunting,  the  deerhound  runs   mute,   as  he 


138  Modern  Dogs. 


does  when  coursing,  but  when  the  stag  is  brought 
to  bay,  the  hound  opens,  and  by  his  "  baying/'  or 
barking,  attracts  his  master  to  the  spot,  where,  in 
some  pool,  with  a  steep  rock  at  his  back,  the 
noble  monarch  of  the  glen  in  vain  bids  defiance  to 
his  foes. 

In  puppyhood,  the  deerhound  is  delicate,  and 
difficult  to  rear,  that  scourge  known  as  distemper 
carrying  off  large  numbers.  This  is,  no  doubt,  owing 
to  continued  inbreeding,  but  with  our  increasing 
knowledge  of  canine  ailments,  the  mortality  is 
decreasing. 

During  1892,  a  club  for  looking  after  the 
welfare  of  the  deerhound  was  formed,  but  at  the 
time  I  write,  their  description  of  the  dog  has  not 
been  published.  They,  however,  have  decided  not 
to  give  any  numerical  list  of  points.  Failing  the 
club's  standard,  I  have  carefully  compiled  the 
following  description  : 

The  deerhound  is  an  elegantly  shaped,  graceful 
dog,  a  good  specimen  being  almost  perfect  in 
symmetry.  He  should  be  particularly  neat  and 
cleanly  cut  about  the  neck  and  shoulders,  perfectly 
straight  in  front,  stifles  well  turned  behind,  and 
generally  giving  the  appearance  of  speed  and  power, 
with  freedom  in  his  movements.  His  face  and  eyes 
are  pleasing  in  their  expression,  bright  in  their  intelli- 


The  DeerhouncL  139 


gence — a  perfect  deerhound  is  perhaps  about  the 
most  sensible  looking  of  all  our  dogs,  not  even 
excepting  the  collie. 

In  head  and  face  the  deerhound  is  not  unlike  a 
rather  rough-headed  greyhound,  perhaps  wider  in 
skull  and  stronger  in  jaw  and  nose,  and  the  shaggy 
brow  and  more  hairy  face  give  him  a  hardier  and 
less  polished  appearance.  The  head  should  have 
the  greatest  width  at  the  ears,  and  taper  gradually 
to  the  nose,  without  any  dip  between  the  eyes.  The 
jaws  should  be  level  and  very  powerful. 

The  eyes  ought  to  be  bright,  dark,  or  hazel, 
sparkling,  not  too  big,  but  just  big  enough  ;  beaming 
with  intelligence  and  good  nature,  and  from  which 
he  obtains,  in  a  great  degree,  his  charming  expres- 
sion. Light  coloured  eyes  are  condemned. 

Ears  small,  soft,  glossy,  free  from  long  hair,  and 
should  be  darker  coloured  than  the  rest  of  the  body. 
A  little  silky  hair  on  the  ears  is  often  seen  in  good 
specimens.  When  excited  the  ear  is  raised  high,  with- 
out quite  losing  the  fold,  not  quite  a  semi-prick  ear. 

Neck  long,  strong  and  muscular,  gracefully  poised, 
quite  as  long  as  that  of  the  greyhound ;  but  the 
"  mane,"  which  a  good  coated  dog  ought  to  have, 
makes  the  neck  look  short. 

The  chest  and  shoulders  are  important,  and  the 
former  must  be  deep,  but  not  wide  in  front;  ribs 


140  Modern  Dogs. 


fairly  well  sprung,  and  the  shoulders  neatly  and 
elegantly  laid,  for  if  too  upright  the  hound  is  sure 
to  be  slow. 

Back  and  loins  strong  and  very  powerful,  the 
latter  firm  and  hard ;  back  not  level,  but  rather 
arched  towards  the  loins,  for  the  same  reason  a  grey- 
hound is  similarly  shaped. 

Legs  and  feet :  The  former  must  be  straight  in 
front,  strong  and  muscular,  and  without  any  undue 
heaviness  near  the  shoulder  that  is  likely  to  give  an 
appearance  of  being  out  at  the  elbows.  Hind  legs 
particularly  well  muscled,  stifles  strong  and  neatly 
turned,  so  displaying  the  "  sickle  hocks."  Stiffness 
or  stiltiness  in  the  hind  quarters  ought  to  be  absolute 
disqualification,  for  a  deerhound  that  cannot  gallop, 
and  walks  like  a  dancing  master,  is  of  no  use 
whatever ;  feet  firm,  thick,  well  arched,  with  the 
toes  close  and  strong. 

The  coat  should  be  hard,  crisp  and  close,  without 
any  degree  of  softness  or  woolliness — the  latter  is  very 
bad.  One  inclined  to  be  curly  and  crisp  and  hard 
and  dense  is  to  be  preferred  to  a  perfectly  straight 
jacket  that  is  soft,  fine,  and  open.  Silkiness  or 
softness  of  the  hair  on  the  skull  is  to  be  guarded 
against,  though  it  repeatedly  appears ;  indeed,  most 
specimens  are  silkier  here  than  on  other  parts  of  the 
body.  There  should  be  a  hard  close  coat  down  the 


The  Deerhound.  14 


legs  in  accordance  with  the  quantity  carried  by  the 
dog  elsewhere,  though  nothing  approaching  feather. 
The  typical  deerhound  ought  to  have  a  fairly  coated 
head,  and  a  good,  moderately  long  and  hard  jacket 
all  over,  but  not  a  profuse  or  shaggy  one. 

Colour :  Dark  brindled,  fawn  brindled,  and  fawn 
are  the  best  colours  ;  white  deerhounds  are  some- 
times seen,  but  are  not  to  be  encouraged,  and  no 
doubt  the  brindles  in  their  varying  shades  are  the 
most  fashionable  and  the  best  colours.  Fawns  not 
too  red  and  fawns  of  a  lighter  shade  are  not  so 
frequently  met  with  ;  both  are  good,  and  in  the 
judging  ring  are  equal  to  the  brindles.  Blues 
or  slate  coloured  hounds  are  likewise  repeatedly  seen, 
though  not  so  common  now  as  some  years  ago, 
and  this  colour  is  quite  equal  to  either  the  fawns 
or  brindles.  A  little  wrhite  on  the  breast  or  on  the 
feet  is  not  detrimental,  but  a  deerhound  is  a  "  whole 
coloured "  dog,  and  patched  or  gaudily  marked 
puppies  ought  to  be  destroyed  when  born.  All  very 
light  coloured  dogs  should  have  black  points.  As 
to  puppies,  although  black  and  tan  is  not  allowable 
in  a  full  grown  dog,  Mr.  Hickman  tells  me  that  his 
well-known  grey-blue  bitch  Morna,  when  a  few  weeks 
old,  was  a  perfect  black  and  tan  or  black,  blue  and  tan, 
with  the  tan  spots  over  the  eyes,  but  when  her  coat 
changed  she  became  a  grey  or  blue-grizzle  in  colour. 


142 


Modern  Dogs. 


The  stern  is  carried  low  but  gracefully,  is  full  long 
in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the  dog,  and  should  not 
be  smooth,  but  covered  with  hair  according  to  the 
proportion  carried  by  the  dog  elsewhere.  Feathering 
here,  as  on  the  legs,  is  objectionable. 

General  Symmetry  is  an  important  consideration 
— by  it  is  to  be  understood  a  hound  of  perfect  pro- 
portion with  all  points  duly  balanced. 

Weight,  dogs  about  85lb.  to  ic>5lb.  ;  bitches, 
about  65lb.  to  8$\b. 


Value. 

Head  and  skull  15 

Eyes  and  ears 10 

Neck  and  chest  10 

Body,  including  loins     ...      10 
Thighs  and  hocks  12 

57 


Value. 

Legs  and  feet 10 

Coat    8 

Stern  5 

•  Colour    5 

General  symmetry 15 


43 


Grand   Total  100. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
THE  GREYHOUND. 

NOT  one  of  our  British  dogs  has  had  such  justice 
done  to  him  by  writers  on  canine  matters  as  the 
greyhound.  He  has  always  been  popular,  and,  being 
probably  the  oldest  of  his  race,  no  doubt  quite 
deserves  all  that  has  been  said  and  written  of  him. 
So  far  back  as  the  second  century  Arrian  gives  us  a 
long  and  painstaking  work  on  coursing,  which,  in 
1831  was  admirably  translated  from  the  original 
Greek  into  English  by  George  Dansey.  In  1853 
that  great  authority  on  the  greyhound,  "  Stone- 
henge,"  produced  his  excellent  and  reliable  work, 
and  I  fancy  the  latter  will  survive  as  the  best  of  all 
for  very  many  years  to  come. 

Whether,  in  the  first  instance,  our  earliest  dogs 
hunted  by  sight  or  scent  I  am  not  going  to  attempt  to 
decide  here.  Both  forms  of  "  venerie  "  may  have  been 
followed  at  the  same  period;  the  deer  and  the  hare 
hunted  by  sight,  the  wolf,  fox,  or  other  beast, 
by  scent.  The  earliest  coursers,  dating  back  to 


144  Modern  Dogs. 


what  may  be  called  the  uncivilised  period  of  our 
history,  were  assisted  by  nets,  and  then  by  bows 
and  arrows,  in  taking  the  game,  for  at  that  period 
there  were  few  cultivated  stretches  of  land  free  from 
forest  of  sufficient  extent  to  allow  the  long  courses 
preferred  at  the  present  day.  However  that  may  be, 
greyhounds  pretty  much  of  the  shape  and  form  they 
are  found  now  were  known  prior  to  King  Canute's 
time,  when  no  one  of  less  degree  than  a  "  gentle- 
man"— possibly  a  freeholder — was  permitted  to  keep 
greyhounds. 

In  the  British  Museum  there  is  a  fine  old  sculpture 
of  two  greyhounds  fondling  each  other,  and  this  was 
taken  from  the  ruins  of  Antoninus,  near  Rome.  In 
Dansey's  translation  of  Arrian  there  is  an  excellent 
engraving  of  this  beautiful  work,  and  other  sculptures 
of  even  an  earlier  period  are  to  be  found,  in  which 
the  greyhound  type  of  dog  is  predominant.  Confined, 
however,  to  the  "  gentleman,"  coursing  could  not 
become  very  popular,  especially  when  even  he  "  was 
not  allowed  to  take  his  greyhound  within  two  miles 
of  a  royal  forest  unless  two  of  its  toes  were  cut  off." 
Even  so  late  as  1853  each  greyhound  had  a  tax  to 
pay  of  22S.  each,  whilst  other  dogs,  may  be  of  equal 
value,  could  be  kept  at  a  charge  by  the  State  of 
from  155-.  ^d.  to  8s.  2d.  each. 

However,  still  keeping  to  old  times,  we  find  our 


The  Greyhound.  145 


old  sporting  sovereign  King  John,  receiving,  in 
1203,  '(  two  leashes  of  greyhounds,"  amongst  other 
valuables,  in  return  for  the  renewal  of  a  grant  to  a 
certain  right,  and  the  same  monarch  repeatedly  took 
greyhounds  in  lieu  of  money  where  fines  or  penalties 
had  been  incurred  and  forfeitures  to  the  Crown 
became  due.  Two  of  these  are  on  record,  one  being 
"  five  hundred  marks,  ten  horses,  and  ten  leashes  of 
greyhounds  ;  "  the  other  "  one  swift  running  horse 
and  six  greyhounds."  Thus  early,  we  read  of  a  brace 
(two)  and  a  leash  (three)  of  greyhounds,  when 
ordinary  hounds  were  known  in  "  couples."  It  has 
been  said,  though  there  is  no  proof  in  support  of  the 
assertion,  that  the  "  Isle  of  Dogs,"  some  four  miles 
from  the  city  of  London,  obtained  its  name  from  the 
fact  that  certain  of  our  monarchs  had  kennels  of 
greyhounds  and  other  dogs  there. 

In  the  times  of  the  earlier  King  Edward,  Kent  must 
have  had  some  notoriety  for  the  excellence  of  its 
greyhounds,  for,  according  to  Blount's  "  Ancient 
Tenures,"  the  landowners  in  the  manor  of  Setene 
(Sittingbourne)  were  compelled  to  lend  their  grey- 
hounds, when  the  King  went  to  Gascony  "  so  long 
as  a  pair  of  shoes  of  \d.  price  would  last." 

The  erudite  Froissart  tells  the  following  story  of 
Richard  II.  which,  maybe,  redounds  as  little  to  the 
credit  of  the  wretched  sovereign  as  to  the  dog ;  for 

[VOL.  I.]  L 


146  Modern  Dogs. 

the  one  proved  grossly  superstitious  and  the  other 
exhibited  a  degree  of  faithlessness  that  one  does  not 
expect  to  find  in  a  hound.  The  king  had  a  favourite 
greyhound  called  Mithe,  his  constant  attendant,  and 
so  attached  to  his  master  that  it  would  follow  no  one 
else.  One  day  Henry,  Duke  of  Lancaster  and  the 
king  were  talking  together,  when  suddenly  Mithe  left 
his  royal  master  and  commenced  to  fawn  upon  the 
duke,  whining  and  showing  such  pleasure  as  he  had 
never  before  done  to  a  stranger  or  even  to  a  guest. 
Lancaster  expressed  his  astonishment  at  the 
behaviour  of  the  greyhound,  but  the  king  said, 
<l  Cousin,  this  bodeth  great  good  for  you,  as  it  is 
an  evil  sign  for  me.  That  greyhound  acknow- 
ledgeth  you  here  this  day  as  King  of  England, 
as  ye  shall  be,  and  I  shall  be  deposed.  Mithe 
knows  this  naturally,  so  take  him  ;  he  will  follow 
you  and  forsake  me."  And  the  story  concludes  that 
ever  after  the  dog  forsook  the  weak  and  vacillating 
Richard  II.,  became  the  companion  of  his  "  cousin," 
and,  in  the  end,  affairs  turned  out  as  the  king  had 
prognosticated.  At  least,  so  our  English  history 
informs  us. 

There  appears  to  be  some  fatality  attending  these 
royal  attachments  to  the  greyhound  ;  for  we  have 
Charles  I.  with  one  as  a  companion.  "  Methinks," 
said  he  to  Sir  Philip  Warwick,  "  I  hear  my 


The  Greyhound.  147 


dog  scratching  at  the  door.  Let  in  Gipsy." 
Whereupon  Sir  Philip,  who  opened  the  door  and 
let  in  the  monarch's  favourite,  took  the  boldness  to 
say:  "Sir,  I  perceive  you  love  a  greyhound  better 
than  you  do  a  spaniel?  "  (C  Yes,"  replied  the  King, 
"  for  they  equally  love  their  masters,  and  yet  do  not 
flatter  them  so  much."  This  unfortunate  monarch 
met  his  death  on  the  scaffold. 

But  let  us  leave  these  troublous  times,  and  at 
once  enter  upon  that  epoch  in  the  history  of  the 
greyhound  when  he  was  used  much  in  the  same 
fashion  as  he  is  to-day.  In  Elizabeth's  reign  the 
first  rules  and  regulations  as  to  coursing  were  drawn 
up  at  the  instance  of  the  Duke  of  Norfolk,  and  they 
are  very  similar  to  those  of  the  present  day.  That 
dog  which  led  to  the  hare,  won,  if  no  other  points  were 
made ;  the  hare  had  to  have  twelve  score  yards  law ; 
two  wrenches  stood  for  one  turn ;  a  go-bye  was 
equal  to  two  turns.  If  a  dog  that  led  and  beat  his 
opponent  stood  still  in  the  field,  and  refused  to  go 
further,  he  lost  the  course  ;  if,  by  accident,  a  dog 
was  run  over  in  his  course,  the  trial  was  void,  and 
he  who  did  the  mischief  had  to  make  reparation. 
There  were  other  regulations  likewise,  but  this 
short  summary  will  show  how  closely  they  approach 
the  rules  in  force  at  the  present  time. 

In  1776,  the  Earl  of  Orford  established  the 

I,  2 


148  Modern  Hogs. 


Swaffham  (Norfolk)  Coursing  Club,  the  earliest  of  its 
kind,  and  contemporary  writers  tell  us  this  was  the 
turning  point  in  the  popularity  of  the  pastime.  In 
1798,  the  club  numbered  twenty-four  members,  there 
being  one  vacancy,  and  in  addition  there  were  a 
lady  patroness,  the  Marchioness  of  Townsend ; 
vice  patroness,  Countess  of  Cholmondeley ;  assistant 
vice  patroness,  Mrs.  Coke,  and  one  honorary  member, 
the  Earl  of  Montraith.  Following  Swaffham  in  1780 
the  Ashdown  Park  Meeting  was  established  by  Lord 
Craven,  Lord  Sefton,  and  Lord  Ashbrook,  and  this 
exists  at  the  present  time,  and  is  by  far  the  oldest 
established  coursing  meeting  we  possess.  The 
Altcar  Club,  established  in  1825,  and  the  Ridgway 
Club,  in  1828,  still  amongst  the  leading  meetings 
of  the  year,  are  well  supported,  and  appear  to  have 
a  long  and  useful  existence  in  front  of  them. 
Swaffham  was  resuscitated  on  more  than  one 
occasion,  and  in  1892  a  meeting  was  held  there. 
Other  old  fixtures  that  may  be  mentioned  are  Malton, 
in  1781;  Louth,  1806;  Newmarket,  1805;  Mid- 
lothian, 1811;  Ardrossan,  established  a  few  years 
later,  and,  although  there  is  no  specific  date  given, 
the  keeper  of  the  "  Stud  Book  "  believes  that  the 
Biggar  meeting  was  in  existence  prior  to  the  present 
century,  but,  like  many  other  of  the  early  gatherings, 
it  has  long  been  discontinued. 


The  Greyhound.  149 


Mention  has  already  been  made  of  Lord  Orford, 
a  nobleman  of  great  sporting  proclivities,  and  of 
unusual  eccentricities.  If  reliance  can  be  placed 
upon  the  "  Sportsman's  Cabinet,"  published  in  1803, 
and  I  believe  there  is  nothing  to  the  contrary,  it 
contains  some  particulars  of  greyhound  coursing  just 
prior  to  that  date  that  may  be  of  interest.  His  lord- 
ship's bitch  Czarina  is  said  to  have  won  forty-seven 
matches  without  being  beaten.  She  had  no  puppies 
until  about  thirteen  years  old,  when  she  gave  birth 
to  eight,  all  of  which  lived  and  coursed.  The  last 
match  that  Czarina  ran  took  place  when  her  owner, 
confined  to  the  house,  was  supposed  to  be  watched 
by  an  attendant.  However,  just  as  the  two  grey- 
hounds were  slipped,  Lord  Orford,  looking  wild,  as  he 
was,  and  ill,  came  on  to  the  field  riding  his  piebald 
pony,  and  no  one  could  restrain  him  from  his 
anxiety  to  view  the  course  and  gallop  after  the 
dogs  to  see  his  favourite  bitch  win,  which  she  did. 
The  trial  was  barely  over  when  Lord  Orford  fell 
from  his  pony,  and,  pitching  on  his  head,  expired 
almost  immediately. 

Afterwards  his  greyhounds  were  sold,  and  Czarina 
with  the  pick  of  the  kennel  purchased  by  Colonel 
Thornton,  at  prices  ranging  from  thirty  guineas 
to  fifty  guineas  apiece.  These  appear  to  be  pitiful 
sums  when  compared  with  the  850  guineas  Fullerton 


150  Modern  Dogs. 


produced  in  the  sale  ring  in  1888,  and,  though 
the  matches  run  by  Czarina  cannot  be  compared 
with  the  work  done  by  our  existent  crack,  both 
having,  comparatively  speaking,  a  similar  record,  the 
two  may  be  placed  side  by  side. 

Major  Topham's  pure  white  dog  Snowball,  up  to 
the  close  of  last  century,  was  said  to  be  the  best 
greyhound  yet  produced,  and  was  a  cross  between 
the  Norfolk  and  Yorkshire  strains,  each  equally 
fashionable  at  that  time.  Snowball  won  ten  pieces 
of  plate  and  forty  matches,  and  his  owner  accepted 
every  challenge  that  was  made  for  him  to  run, 
irrespective  of  the  kind  of  country,  rough  hills, 
abounding  with  fences,  or  otherwise.  Whether  the 
greyhounds  of  that  day  had  greater  staying  powers 
than  those  of  the  present  time,  or  were  not  so 
handy  with  their  teeth,  or  the  hares  were  stronger, 
we  know  not,  but  Snowball's  chief  performance  was 
in  a  course  "  extending  over  four  miles  without 
a  turn,  including  a  hill  half  a  mile  (sic)  in  height, 
twice  ascended."  He  is  said  to  have  run  this  trial 
with  his  sister,  whom  he  beat,  killing  the  hare  close 
to  Flexton.  A  dog  like  Master  McGrath  would  have 
saved  himself  such  a  long  trial  by  reason  of  his 
extraordinary  skill  with  his  teeth.  Now,  a  greyhound 
must  not  only  be  fast,  but  a  "  good  killer,"  to  prove 
of  extraordinary  merit.  Courses  of  four  miles,  "  up 


The  Greyhound. 


and  down  a  high  hill  twice,"  would  quite  preclude 
any  modern  greyhound  getting  to  the  end  of  a  stake, 
when  perhaps  he  might  have  four  or  five  courses  to 
run  before  being  returned  the  winner.  Major,  a 
brother  to  Snowball,  and  both  out  of  Czarina, 
already  mentioned,  was  said  to  be  the  faster  of  the 
two,  but  without  the  stamina  of  his  brother ;  still  he 
was  successful  in  his  matches,  which  at  that  time 
usually  took  the  place  of  our  modern  coursing 
meetings. 

The  latter  quickly  attained  the  position  they  hold 
at  the  present  day,  for  they  afforded  capital  sport  to 
the  million  at  a  minimum  cost  ;  they  were  the  means 
of  producing  first-class  dogs,  and  as  a  man  to  keep 
a  greyhound  need  not  of  necessity  be  a  "  gentleman," 
or  of  extraordinary  means,  public  coursing  obtained 
a  hold  on  the  public  second  only  to  those  gatherings 
which  took  place  on  the  racecourse.  Even  at  this 
time,  say  about  1850,  the  licence  to  keep  a  greyhound 
cost  more  than  it  did  for  any  other  dog,  viz.,  12$.  6d. 
This  was  an  arrangement  that  the  growing  liberality 
of  our  Government  soon  abolished,  and  after  various 
changes  a  greyhound  has  to  pay  but  the  >]s.  6d.  duty, 
just  the  same  as  though  he  were  a  mongrel  terrier. 
I  do  not  know  that  anyone  objects  to  this,  or  has 
hitherto  looked  upon  the  equalisation  of  the  dog 
licence  as  specially  dishonourable  to  those  of  the 


152  Modern  Dogs. 


canine  race  which  can  lay  claim  to  an  ancient 
lineage. 

Although  a  few  years  ago,  an  attempt  for  a 
change  was  made  by  certain  private  companies,  who 
gave  large  prizes,  and  arranged  stakes  for  which 
the  entry  fee  was  ^50,  and  of  whi:h  more  later  on, 
they  did  not  shake  the  popularity  of  our  great 
coursing  meeting,  that  known  as  the  Waterloo, 
and  run  over  the  flats  of  Altcar,  not  far  from 
Liverpool. 

No  doubt  this  Waterloo  gathering,  which  was 
established  in  1836,  and  has  been  continued  yearly 
ever  since,  is  the  most  popular  meeting  of  the 
kind  ever  held — the  chief  prize  is  now  valued  at 
^"500,  the  stake  being  made  up  of  an  entrance 
fee  of  sixty-four  subscribers  at  ^25  each.  A 
portion  of  the  money  goes  to  two  minor  stakes, 
the  "  Plate  "  and  the  "  Purse,"  competed  for  by  dogs 
beaten  in  the  two  early  rounds  of  the  Cup.  It  must 
be  stated,  however,  that  during  the  first  year  the 
Waterloo  Cup  was  an  eight-dog  stake;  in  1837 
sixteen  dogs  ran,  and  from  1838  to  1856  thirty- 
two  dogs  competed.  From  the  latter  date  to  now 
the  arrangements  have  been  as  they  are  at  present. 
Here,  as  a  rule,  the  best  dogs  in  England,  Ireland, 
and  Scotland  compete,  and  for  an  owner  of  grey- 
hounds to  win  "the  Cup"  is  an  honour  as  high  as 


The  Greyhound.  153 


that    achieved    by    a    racing    man    who    wins    "the 
Derby  '   —the  blue  ribbon  of  the  leash. 

From  time  to  time  all  the  celebrities,  and  many 
others  not  celebrities,  in  the  greyhound  world, 
have  run  at  Altcar,  so  kindly  and  liberally  provided' 
by  the  Earl  of  Sefton,  who,  by  so  doing,  must,  more 
than  any  other  man,  have  promoted  the  honest  sport 
of  greyhound  coursing. 

Going  back  not  many  years  there  are  met  with  such 
well-known  names  as  Cerito,  winner  of  the  Waterloo 
Cup  three  times  when  a  thirty-two  dog  stake ; 
Hughie  Graham,  Larriston,  Judge,  King  Lear, 
Captain  Spencer's  handsome  dog  Sunbeam,  Mr. 
Blackstock's  Maid  of  the  Mill,  Canaradzo,  Cardinal 
York,  Sea  Rock,  Roaring  Meg,  Chloe,  Mr.  G. 
Carruthers'  Meg,  Brigadier,  Lobelia,  Sea  Cove,  Bit 
of  Fashion,  Miss  Glendyne,  Greater  Scot,  Herschel, 
Mr.  Pilkington's  Burnaby ;  Bab  at  the  Bowster,  Pre- 
tender, Chameleon,  Muriel,  Peasant  Boy,  Gallant  Foe, 
with  Coomassie  (only  44ilb.  weight),  the  smallest 
greyhound  that  ever  won  the  "  Cup,"  and  she  did 
so  twice.  Of  course  there  were  other  great  grey- 
hounds, but  the  blood  of  those  above,  or  of  many  of 
them,  will  be  found  in  the  pedigrees  of  the  most 
successful  dogs  of  the  present  day. 

Following  such  good  ones  as  some  of  the  above, 
the  advent  of  Lord  Lurgan's  Master  McGrath,  as  a 


154  Modern  Dogs. 


puppy,  in  1868,  caused  a  great  sensation.  He  was  a 
rather  coarse  animal  in  appearance,  but  he  could 
gallop  faster  than  any  dog  he  ever  met,  and  was 
extremely  "  handy"  with  his  teeth,  i.e.,  he  usually 
struck  and  held  his  hare  after  the  first  wrench  or 
two.  Thus  he  invariably  made  his  courses  short, 
while  his  subsequent  opponents  were  consequently 
handicapped  by  longer  trials.  This  son  of  Dervock 
and  Lady  Sarah  ran  unchallenged  through  the  Cup 
that  year,  and  in  1869;  in  1870  he  was  beaten  by 
Lady  Lyons  (Mr  Trevor's,  but  running  in  Colonel 
Goodlake's  nomination).  The  following  year  he 
succeeded  in  leading  and  beating  every  dog  he 
came  against,  and  had  the  honour  of  winning  three 
Waterloo  Cups  out  of  four  times  trying — a  feat 
which  everyone  thought  would  never  be  equalled. 
McGrath  was  feted ;  he  was  taken  to  Windsor  and 
introduced  to  the  Queen,  money  would  not  buy  him, 
and  he  died  quietly  in  his  kennels,  in  Ireland,  at 
Brownlow  House,  near  Lurgan.  So  popular  were  the 
victories  of  the  great  Irish  dog  with  the  people 
generally,  that  it  was  said  that  the  advent  of  another 
Master  McGrath  would  do  more  to  suppress  sedition 
in  Ireland  than  any  Land  Act  a  Government  might 
offer.  This  celebrated  greyhound  was  black,  with  a 
few  white  marks  on  him ;  he  weighed  only  54lb., 
and,  as  already  stated,  was  considered  to  be  actually 


The  Greyhound. 


invincible  in  the  work  that  he  had  done,  winning  in 
public  thirty-six  courses  out  of  thirty-seven  in  which 
he  competed. 

But  there  was  the  Irish  dog's  equal,  indeed,  more 
than  his  equal,  to  come,  and  in  1888  Mr.  James 
Dent,  a  Northumberland  courser,  who  had  already 
proved  very  successful  with  his  kennel,  had  a  puppy 
by  Greentick — Bit  of  Fashion,  by  his  favourite 
Paris  by  Ptarmigan — Gallant  Foe ;  Paris  wras  of 
the  same  litter  as  Princess  Dagmar,  who  won  the 
Waterloo  Cup  in  1881.  This  puppy,  Fullerton,  he 
thought  exceptional  in  speed  and  cleverness,  but 
before  competing  in  the  Waterloo  Cup,  it  was  pur- 
chased by  Colonel  North,  at  that  time  entering 
heartily  into  the  sport  of  greyhound  coursing.  Eight 
hundred  and  fifty  guineas  was  the  sum  given  for  the 
puppy,  the  highest  price  ever  paid  for  a  greyhound 
in  public,  though  in  private  it  has  been  said  much 
higher  sums  have  been  obtained.  His  trials  were 
so  good  that  he  started  second  favourite  for  the 
Waterloo  Cup  in  1889,  and,  as  the  great  Irish  dog 
had  done  a  few  years  before,  fairly  spread-eagled  all 
comers,  and  ultimately  divided  with  his  kennel  com- 
panion Troughend.  In  1890  Fullerton  won  outright  ; 
he  did  likewise  in  1891,  and  being  kept  back  for  the 
following  season's  Waterloo,  notwithstanding  an 
indifferent  trial  that  he  had  run  in  public,  started 


156  Modern  Dogs. 


once  more  a  warm  favourite,  and  how  he  won  his 
fourth  great  victory  is  now  a  matter  of  history.  In 
all,  this  extraordinary  greyhound  ran  thirty-one 
courses  in  public  and  only  sustained  a  single  defeat, 
this  being  in  the  final  of  the  puppy  stakes  at 
Haydock  Park,  where,  after  being  hard  run,  he  was 
beaten  by  Greengage,  owned  by  Mr.  Gladstone. 
Fullerton,  a  brindled  dog,  with  a  little  white  on  him, 
scales  about  65lb.  weight  when  in  training,  and  he, 
with  Master  McGrath,  form  the  subject  of  the 
illustration  immediately  preceding  this  chapter.  I 
need  hardly  draw  attention  to  the  great  difference 
in  build  and  general  formation  of  the  two  best 
greyhounds  that  ever  ran. 

It  is  rather  difficult  to  compare  the  respective 
merits  of  these  two  great  greyhounds,  which  I  have 
mentioned  at  considerable  length  because  of  their 
unsurpassed  excellence.  The  Irish  dog  was  certainly 
the  better  killer;  maybe  not  quite  so  fast  as  the 
Northumbrian  dog,  who  in  his  last  Waterloo  also 
exhibited  determination  and  gameness  that  must 
stamp  him  in  that  particular  as  second  to  none.  As 
an  old  dog  Fullerton  did  not  go  quite  so  well  as  when 
in  his  prime,  but  he  was  as  keen  as  ever,  if  not  quite 
so  perfect  in  covering  his  game.  Of  this  dog  it 
may  be  mentioned  that  after  his  last  victory  in 
1892  he  was  placed  at  stud,  his  fee  being  forty 


The  Greyhound.  157 


guineas.  At  the  time  I  write  this,  not  one  of  the 
many  bitches  that  went  to  him  produced  a  puppy, 
and  so  he  was  put  into  training  again.  It  may  be 
mentioned  as  indicative  of  Fullerton's  world- wide 
reputation,  that  several  of  his  services  were  secured 
by  cablegram  for  American  bitches. 

There  was  another  extraordinary  dog,  or  rather 
bitch,  that  flourished  between  the  years  1867 — 1870, 
by  many  good  judges  considered  even  superior  to 
Lord  Lurgan's  great  dog;  but  she  was  not,  though 
her  courses  were  run  on  a  greater  variety  of  ground 
than  were  those  of  either  of  the  "  cracks"  already 
mentioned.  Both  were,  it  may  be  said,  "bottled" 
up  for  the  great  meetings.  But  Mr.  Blanchard's  red 
or  fawn  bitch  Bab  at  the  Bowster,  by  Boanerges- 
Mischief,  when  brought  out  she  in  reality  went  as 
well  at  Altcar  as  she  did  at  the  Scottish  National, 
where  she  won  the  Douglas  Cup  on  two  occasions. 
She  also  ran  second  for  the  Waterloo  Cup,1  won  the 
Great  Scarisbrick  Cup  twice,  and  during  the  three 
years  she  was  to  the  fore  won  sixty-two  courses  and 
lost  but  five.  "  Bab  "  was  a  neat,  handsome  animal, 
weight,  47lb.,  and  though  perhaps  not  quite  as 
speedy  as  Fullerton  and  Master  McGrath,  she 
was  quite  their  equal  in  cleverness,  and  well 
deserves  her  place  here,  for  no  other  greyhound 
ever  won  so  many  courses  in  public.  One  cele- 


5  3  Modern  Dogs. 


brated  performance  of  hers  may  be  noted.  This 
was  at  the  Brigg  meeting,  in  the  Elsham  Cup. 
Mr.  Blanchard's  bitch  had  a  terrific  course  when 
running  a  bye,  and  after  the  trial  had  ended  the 
hare  got  on  to  the  railway  line,  and  here  she 
was  run  along  the  hard  and  rough  "  permanent 
way  "  for  at  least  a  mile  before  puss  was  killed. 
Although  Bab  at  the  Bowster  was  much  exhausted 
when  taken  up,  she  divided  the  Cup  next  day. 
Some  of  these  Lincolnshire  hares  were  perfect 
demons,  and,  like  those  of  Ridgway  and  a  few  other 
places,  often  enough  ran  their  pursuers  to  a  stand- 
still. Much  different  from  those  at  our  "  inclosed 
meetings  "  ! 

It  will  be  seen  from  what  has  been  written  that 
not  one  of  this  leash  of  celebrated  greyhounds  was 
of  exceptional  size.  Colonel  North's  dog  is  the 
biggest  of  the  lot.  It  is  seldom  indeed  that  the 
over-sized  dog,  even  one  so  big  as  Fullerton,  is  good; 
he  may  be  fast  enough,  but,  as  a  rule,  is  awkward 
and  ungainly  when  next  the  hare,  and  cannot  turn 
in  such  little  room  as  the  smaller  dog,  who  nicks 
in,  keeps  close  on  the  scut  of  puss,  and  wins  the 
course.  Still,  here,  as  elsewhere,  a  good  big  one 
will  beat  an  equally  good  little  one,  the  difficulty 
being  to  find  a  good  big  one. 

About   twelve   years  ago,    inclosed    meetings  for 


The  Greyhound.  159 


greyhounds  were  inaugurated,  and  I  believe,  during 
the  time  the  most  important  ones  continued,  they 
seldom  flourished.  Considerable  harm  was  done  by 
them  to  the  sport  of  coursing.  They  were  gate- 
money  meetings,  run  in  inclosures,  with  hares  that 
might  have  been  turned  down  "  the  night  before 
the  race,"  for  anything  anyone  knew  to  the  contrary. 
Puss  was  sent  through  an  opening,  near  to  which  the 
slipper  stood,  he  let  her  get  away,  then  slipped 
his  dogs.  The  hare  had,  perhaps,  a  distance  of 
800  yards  to  go  before  she  reached  a  refuge,  into 
which  her  pursuers  could  not  enter.  Usually  she 
escaped  ;  before  doing  so  she  might  be  turned  a 
few  times,  but  a  very  fast  hare  could  reach  the 
covert  without  being  turned  or  wrenched  by  either 
dog.  A  thousand-pound  stake  was  to  be  won  at  one 
meeting,  at  Kempton  Park,  not  far  from  London. 
Big  prizes  were  also  provided  at  Haydock  Park  near 
Liverpool,  where  they  did  their  best  to  breed  their 
own  hares,  and  at  Gosforth,  near  Newcastle.  Not 
one  has  proved  pecuniarily  remunerative,  though  the 
system  survives  at  Haydock  and  at  two  or  three 
smaller  meetings.  They  are,  however,  not  en- 
couraged by  the  older  class  of  coursing  men,  who 
consider  them  too  much  like  the  rabbit  coursing 
with  terriers  and  whippets,  so  popular  in  the 
North  of  England,  and  affording  more  a  test 


160  Modern  Dogs. 


of  pace  than  of  the  actual  all-round  merits  of  a 
greyhound. 

The  pedigree  of  the  greyhound  has  for  many 
years  had  considerable  attention.  The  National 
Coursing  Club,  established  in  1858,  rules  all  matters 
appertaining  thereto ;  and  no  dog  can  win  a  prize 
at  any  coursing  meeting  that  has  not  been  duly 
registered  in  the  "  Greyhound  Stud  Book,"  which 
costs  a  few  shillings  only,  and  those  of  "  unknown 
pedigree"  cannot  compete  all. 

The  Council  of  the  Coursing  Club  is  decided  by 
election,  those  coursing  clubs  with  over  twenty  mem- 
bers having  the  privilege  of  sending  a  member  each. 
There  were  twenty-seven  such  bodies  in  1891. 
Although  a  well-known  coursing  authority,  named 
Thacker,  started  a  coursing  calendar  about  1840-1, 
the  present  calendar  was  not  commenced  until 
1857,  "  Stonehenge  "  being  its  first  editor,  and 
succeeding  him,  and  until  1891,  "Robin  Hood," 
Mr.  C.  M.  Browne,  "  occupied  the  chair."  At  his 
death  the  duty  devolved  upon  Mr.  B.  C.  Evelegh,  of 
the  Field,  writing  as  "  Allan-a-dale."  The  first  keeper 
of  the  "  Greyhound  Stud  Book,"  was  Mr.  D.  Brown, 
well  known  as  "  Maida,"  in  the  columns  of  Bell's 
Life  and  the  Field  for  many  years.  During  eleven 
years  Mr.  Brown  has  most  ably  conducted  the 
registration  affairs  of  the  National  Coursing  Club, 


The  Greyhound.  161 


and  his  retirement,  on  the  grounds  of  ill-health,  is  a 
distinct  loss  to  the  "  Stud  Book."  Mr.  W.  F. 
Lamonby,  also  on  the  coursing  staff  of  the  Field,  is, 
as  I  write,  keeper  of  the  "  Greyhound  Stud  Book." 
For  a  great  many  years  Mr.  Lamonby  has  been,  and 
still  is,  well  known  by  his  contributions  written  over 
the  name  of  <(  Skiddaw." 

The  last  publication  of  the  Coursing  Calendar 
contained  reports  and  particulars  of  fifty-nine 
meetings  for  the  season  1891-2.  From  this,  the 
extent  of  the  sport  may  be  judged,  though  some 
years  ago  its  popularity  appeared  to  be  seriously 
threatened  by  legislation  that  gave  a  tenant  the 
peculiar  privilege  to  kill  ground  game  on  the  land  he 
farmed,  irrespective  of  agreement  to  the  contrary  with 
the  landlord.  Though  hares  are  scarcer  than  they 
were,  still  the  sport  has  not,  in  reality,  suffered 
very  much,  nor,  with  the  support  it  receives  on  all 
hands,  is  it  likely  to  do  so  in  the  near  future. 
Still,  more  recent  legislation,  affording  hares  a 
certain  close  time  during  which  they  are  not  to  be 
sold,  may  be  the  means  of  reviving  some  meetings, 
that  had  already  become  defunct. 

The  greyhound  as  a  "  show  dog"  is  a  failure, 
rather  than  otherwise.  With  very  few  exceptions, 
the  best  animals  in  the  field  have  not  possessed  that 
beautiful  shape  and  elegance  of  contour  that  is 

[Vol.  i.j  M 


1 62  Modern  Dogs. 


attractive  in  the  ring.  Master  McGrath  was  as  ugly 
a  dog  to  look  at,  from  this  point  of  view,  as  could  be 
imagined  ;  Fullerton  is  better,  but  his  appearance  is 
by  no  means  taking.  Mr.  J.  H.  Salter  has  had  one 
or  two  good  dogs  in  the  field  that  could  win  on  the 
bench,  though  Mr.  T.  Ashton's  Jenny  Jones  is, 
perhaps,  the  most  notable  exception  to  the  general 
rule,  she  having  been  so  consistent  a  performer  as 
to  be  heavily  backed  for  the  Waterloo  Cup  of  1888, 
which,  however,  she  failed  to  win.  As  a  bench  bitch, 
now  in  1892,  she  is  about  as  good  as  anything  we 
have,  which  has  been  proved  under  many  good 
judges.  In  December  1891  Mr.  H.  T.  Clarke,  of 
Abingdon,  made  what  I  fancy  is  a  record,  for  his 
black  dog  Carhampton,  then  over  three  years  old, 
won  second  prize  at  Birmingham  show,  and  the 
following  week  ran  through  a  nine  dog  stake  at  the 
Cliffe  Coursing  Meeting.  A  most  unusual  occurrence, 
for  a  greyhound  in  condition  to  run  is  not  in  a  fit 
state  to  compete  successfully  on  the  show  bench. 

Bab  at  the  Bowster  was  handsome  enough  for 
exhibitions — very  much  of  the  stamp  of  Jenny  Jones 
in  fact — and  Lauderdale,  who  for  a  long  time,  when 
shown  by  Mr.  T.  Sharpies,  was  perfection  in  shape 
and  form,  and  a  fast  dog  too,  but  it  was  said, 
"  his  heart  was  in  the  wrong  place."  The  best 
show  of  greyhounds  is  usually  to  be  seen  at 


The  Greyhound.  163 


Darlington  at  the  end  of  July,  and  the  committee 
there  have  usually  a  "coursing"  man  to  judge  them. 

The  leading  kennels  of  greyhounds  in  this  country, 
at  the  present  time,  are  those  of  Mr.  L.  Pilkington, 
Widnes;  Colonel  North,  Eltham  ;  Mr.  G.  J. 
Alexander,  Ireland ;  Mr.  Swinburne,  Ireland ;  Mr. 
W.  H.  Smith,  Worcestershire  ;  Sir  W.  C.  Anstruther, 
Scotland;  Captain  Archdale,  Ireland;  Mr.  J.  Trevor, 
Lichfield;  Sir  T.  Brocklebank,  Lancashire;  Sir  R. 
Jardine,  Scotland;  Mr.  J.  H.  Salter,  Essex;  Mr. 
R.  F.  Gladstone,  Lancashire ;  Mr.  J.  Russel, 
Scotland;  Lord  Masham,  Yorkshire;  Mr.  R.  M. 
Douglas,  Ireland ;  Messrs.  Fawcett,  Lancashire ; 
Mr.  Harding  Cox,  Hampshire  ;  Mr.  C.  E.  Marfleet, 
Lincolnshire ;  Mr.  F.  Watson,  Ireland ;  Mr.  G. 
Barratt,  Norfolk;  Major  Holmes,  Essex;  Mr.  J. 
Quihampton,  Hants ;  The  Marquis  of  Anglesea ; 
Mr.  F.  E.  C.  Dobson,  Durham;  Mr.  T.  Jenkins, 
Carmarthen  ;  Messrs.  Smith,  Suffolk ;  Count  Stro- 
ganoff,  Kent;  Messrs.  Hale,  Suffolk;  Mr.  A.  J. 
Humphry,  Surrey ;  Mr.  W.  Ingram,  M.P.,  with  a 
number  of  others  whose  names  do  not  at  present 
occur  to  me. 

I  do  not  think  better  can  be  done  in  further 
description  of  the  greyhound,  than  to  adopt  "  Stone- 
henge's  "  points  and  descriptions,  making  only  a  few 
trifling  alterations  as  occasion  requires. 

M   2 


164  Modern  Dogs. 


The  head  should  be  fairly  large  between  the  ears, 
the  jaw  lean,  but  by  no  means  weak,  as,  if  it  were  so, 
he  would  not  be  able  to  hold  his  game,  and  there 
should  be  little  or  no  development  of  the  nasal 
sinuses ;  the  eye  full,  bright,  and  penetrating,  a 
good  eye  is  a  sine  qua  non ;  ears  small,  and  folding 
down  when  at  rest,  but  raised  in  semi-prick  fashion 
when  animated ;  teeth  strong  and  the  mouth  level 
(many  of  the  show  greyhounds  are  overshot,  which 
gives  the  dog  an  extra  long  and  smartly  cut  jaw)  ; 
neck  fairly  long  and  a  trifle  arched  rather  than 
otherwise. 

The  shoulders  must  be  well  placed,  as  oblique  as 
possible  ;  the  chest  fairly  deep,  and  as  wide  as  may 
be  consistent  with  speed.  A  "  narrow-fronted," 
shallow-chested  greyhound  is  no  use.  There  should 
be  good  length  from  the  elbow  to  the  knee, 
compared  with  that  from  the  knee  to  the  ground. 
Feet  hard  and  close,  not  so  round  and  cat-like  as  in 
the  foxhound,  and  with  the  toes  well  defined  or  well 
developed.  \ 

The  loins  strong  and  broad ;  back  powerful,  and, 
in  the  speediest  and  best  dogs,  slightly  arched. 

Hind  quarters  very  muscular ;  stifles  strong  and 
well  bent — a  straight  stifled  dog  cannot  gallop ; 
hind  legs  well  turned  and  shapely,  and,  as  in  all 
speedy  animals,  somewhat  long,  looking  by  their 


The  Greyhound.  165 


curve  even  longer  than  they  actually  are ;  the 
tail  is  generally  fine  and  nicely  curved,  but  some 
strains  carry  more  hair  than  others. 

Colours  vary — blacks,  brindles,  reds,  fawns,  blues, 
or  slates,  and  these  colours  mixed  with  white.  One 
hue  is  as  good  as  another,  though  white  is  con- 
sidered indicative  of  a  certain  amount  of  weakness — 
still  there  have  been  good  dogs  almost  pure  white, 
Snowball,  Scotland  Yet,  and  Canaradzo  to  wit. 

In  disposition  the  greyhound  is,  as  a  rule,  kindly 
and  amiable ;  dogs  in  high  training  are  apt  to 
be  unreliable,  and  during  exercise  may  fight  and 
seriously  injure  each  other. 

The  following  are  the  points  :— 


Value. 

Head  and  eyes   10 

Neck    15 

Chest  and  fore  quarters     20 
Loin  and  back  ribs 15 

60 


Value. 

Hindquarters    20 

Feet    15 

Tail     5 

Colour    ,  o 


40 


Grand  total,    100. 


The  points  of  the  course  are  as  follows  :— 
Speed:  which  shall  be  estimated  as  one,  two,  or 
three  points,  according  to  the  degree  of  superiority 
shown.  The  go-bye  :  Two  points,  or,  if  passed  in 
the  outer  circle,  three  points.  The  turn :  one 
point.  The  wrench:  half  a  point.  The  kill:  two 


1 66  Modern  Dogs. 


points,  or,  in  a  descending  scale,  in  proportion 
to  the  degree  of  merit  displayed  in  that  kill,  which 
may  be  of  no  value.  The  trip,  or  unsuccessful 
effort  to  kill,  or  where  a  greyhound  flecks  the 
hare  and  cannot  hold  her,  one  point.  There  are 
also  penalties  for  refusing  to  fence  ;  where  a  dog, 
from  his  own  defect,  refuses  to  follow  the  hare 
at  which  he  is  slipped  ;  and  where  he  stands  still. 

Of  course,  in  dealing  with  a  trial  between  two 
greyhounds,  very  much  rests  with  the  judge,  and 
there  is  no  doubt  that  the  two  judges  of  the 
generation  are  Mr.  G.  Warwick,  who  officiated  at 
Waterloo  for  thirteen  consecutive  years,  and  his 
successor,  Mr.  James  Hedley,  who,  since  Mr. 
Warwick's  retirement,  has  done  duty  at  the  same 
meeting  for  nineteen  years  without  a  break.  Almost 
as  much  depends  upon  the  slipper,  and  after  the 
celebrated  Tom  Raper,  who  was  par  excellence  for  a 
quarter  of  a  century,  T.  Wilkinson  and  T.  Bootiman 
are  the  leading  exponents  of  this  arduous  and 
difficult  department  of  greyhound  coursing. 


CHAPTER     IX. 

THE   WHIPPET. 

WITH,  I  believe  few  exceptions,  the  whippet  or  snap 
dog  has'  not  been  included  as  a  distinct  variety  in 
any  book  on  English  dogs.  Still,  it  is  now,  and  has 
been  for  some  time,  quite  a  breed  of  itself,  and 
amongst  the  colliers  and  other  working  men  in  the 
north  of  England,  including  Lancashire  and  York- 
shire, none  is  so  popular  or  provides  so  much 
amusement. 

Originally  the  "  whippet",  was  a  small  dog — a 
cross  between  the  Italian  greyhound  and  some 
terrier  or  other,  partaking  in  general  appearance 
more  of  the  greyhound  cross  than  of  the  terrier. 
Thus,  in  many  parts  of  the  north,  the  dog  is  still 
called  an  "  Hitalian,"  the  local  pronunciation  of 
the  name  of  that  country  from  which  it  is  supposed 
the  fragile  toy  dog  first  came.  He  is  likewise  known 
as  a  "running"  dog,  the  reason  for  which  will  be 
obvious. 

The   whippet   in   perfection    is  a   miniature  grey- 


1 68  Modern  Dogs. 


hound,  built  on  the  lines  of  a  Fullerton  or  of  a  Bab 
at  the  Bowster,  but  smaller  in  size.  It  is  kept 
specially  for  running  races  and  for  coursing  rabbits 
on  enclosed  grounds  arranged  for  the  purpose,  and 
for  which  it  undergoes  a  course  of  training  suitable 
to  the  circumstances.  Both  coursing  and  running 
matches  may  be  considered  the  popular  pastime 
amongst  a  very  large  class  in  the  mining  and  manu- 
facturing districts  northwards,  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Newcastle,  in  Durham,  Lancashire,  and  Yorkshire 
especially. 

Several  attempts  have  recently  been  made  to 
extend  the  popularisation  of  the  whippet,  especially 
so  far  as  its  running  powers  are  concerned.  The 
Kennel  Club  has,  for  the  first  time  this  year  (1892), 
given  it  an  entry  in  the  Stud  Book,  and  classes 
have  been  provided  for  it  at  several  south  country 
shows.  The  latter  had  repeatedly  appeared  in  the 
catalogues  at  Darlington  and  elsewhere  in  the  north, 
but  they  seldom  filled  satisfactorily,  and  as  a  "  bench 
dog"  I  need  scarcely  say  the  whippet  is  not  likely  to 
be  any  greater  success  than  the  greyhound.  The 
entries  made  in  the  Stud  Book  are  few,  and  most  of 
the  dogs  there  are  minus  a  leading  part  of  their 
history — namely,  their  pedigrees. 

Without  taking  any  pessimistic  view  of  the  ques- 
tion, I  must  confess  my  disbelief  in  the  success  of 


The  Whippet.  169 


any  scheme  to  make  the  whippet  a  popular  animal 
outside  the  society  in  which  it  is  now  received.  Its 
surroundings  have  not,  as  a  rule,  been  of  the  highest 
in  the  social  scale,  nor  have  the  rabbit  coursing 
matches  and  tests  of  speed  always  been  conducted 
by  its  owners  in  the  fairest  way  possible. 

Various  tricks  are  tried  by  the  unscrupulous  to 
prevent  an  opponent's  dog  winning,  and  a  trainer  or 
his  friend  has  to  be  a  sharp  man  in  his  line,  to  run 
successfully  the  gauntlet  of  all  that  is  placed  in  his 
way  during  a  match  for  money  where  such  dogs 
compete.  And  it  must  be  confessed  that,  not- 
withstanding the  fairness,  honesty,  and  firmness  of 
the  owners  of  the  enclosed  grounds  where  dog  races 
and  coursing  take  place,  and  of  the  umpires  and 
referees,  the  general  spirit  ot  the  sport  is  not  the 
most  wholesome  in  the  world.  Of  course,  these 
remarks  are  not  applicable  to  all  owners  of  whippets 
—many  of  whom  are  as  honest  and  good  sportsmen 
as  ever  owned  a  dog — but  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  the  popularity  of  the  variety  has  been  kept 
back  by  those  "  black  sheep  "  to  whom  allusion  is 
made. 

As  I  have  said,  the  whippet  ought  not  to  be  a  big 
dog,  weighing,  from  i2lb.  to  say,  about  25!^ 
when  in  training.  However,  some  of  them  are 
much  heavier  than  this,  and  many  of  the  so-called 


1 70  Modern  Dogs. 


champion  rabbit  coursers  reach  4olb.  in  weight 
or  even  more.  I  have  known  a  thoroughbred 
greyhound  take  part  in  one  of  the  big  handicaps  that 
are  held  during  the  season  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Manchester  and  elsewhere.  It  scarcely  remains 
for  me  to  say  that  these  bigger  dogs  are  the  direct 
cross  with  the  greyhound,  and  some  of  them  are 
built  on  such  lines  and  contain  so  much  greyhound 
blood,  as  to  be  scarcely  distinguishable  from  the 
original  article. 

Such  dogs  are  fast,  clever  with  their  teeth,  and 
oftener  than  not  run  straight  into  their  rabbit, 
"  holding "  it  without  a  turn,  the  one  that  does  so 
winning  the  trial,  irrespective  of  the  capacity  it 
shows  for  working,  turning,  or  making  the  points 
as  in  coursing  hares.  The  law  allowed  varies  from 
anything  between  30  and  70  yards,  and  directly  the 
rabbit  is  dropped  the  dogs  are  slipped,  the  latter 
being  done  by  a  skilful  man,  specially  appointed  for 
the  purpose.  Handicaps  are  made  according  to  the 
weight  or  height  of  the  dog ;  in  Newcastle-on-Tyne 
and  the  surrounding  districts,  the  latter  being  the 
custom — the  dog  being  measured  from  the  top  of 
the  shoulder  blade  to  the  pad  of  the  foot — whilst  in 
Lancashire  and  Yorkshire  handicap  by  weight  is 
preferred.  In  all  cases  a  dog  has  to  allow  a  bitch 
three  yards  start.  These  customs  or  rules  likewise 


The  Whippet.  171 


apply  to  dog  racing,  as  dealt  with  later  on,  In  some 
of  the  more  important  handicaps,  each  couple  of  dogs, 
as  they  are  drawn  together,  have  to  compete  the 
best  out  of  five  or  even  more  courses.  In  minor 
affairs,  one  rabbit  for  each  trial  is  made  to  suffice. 

Private  matches  between  two  dogs  are  frequently 
run,  and  such  often  enough  create  as  much  interest 
as  the  handicaps,  especially  when  two  "  cracks  " 
are  competing.  Here  the  conditions  may  vary  some- 
what, the  start  given  the  rabbit  bei  g  specially 
named,  and  the  number  of  courses  being  usually 
the  best  of  twenty-one,  or,  perhaps,  of  thirty-one,  a 
certain  time,  generally  five  minutes,  being  allowed 
between  each  trial. 

However,  if  the  whippet  is  to  become  generally 
popular,  it  will  not  be  by  means  of  an  ability  to  kill 
rabbits.  The  dog  racing  by  him  will  be  more  likely 
to  find  favour  with  the  public.  Those  who  are  not 
connected  with  the  sport  will  be  surprised  to  find 
the  hold  it  has  obtained  amongst  the  working  classes 
in  the  north.  There  are  repeatedly  from  one 
hundred  and  fifty  to  over  three  hundred  such  dogs 
entered  at  one  competition,  the  trial  heats  of  which, 
three  dogs  taking  part  in  each  heat,  being  run  as  a 
rule  one  Saturday,  the  finals  the  Saturday  following. 
This  day  is  a  half-holiday  with  the  miners  and  work- 
people, hence  its  selection,  but  other  meetings  are 


172  Modern  Dogs. 


held  on  the  recognised  Bank  holidays,  and  some- 
times on  Mondays. 

Dogs  of  all  sizes  compete  in  the  same  stake,  they 
being  handicapped  according  to  height  or  weight, 
if  unknown  ;  otherwise  according  to  their  perfor- 
mances, weight,  &c.,  of  course,  likewise  being  taken 
into  consideration.  The  most  useful  size  of  the 
whippet  is,  probably,  a  dog  scaling  about  2olb.  or 
so,  and  the  pace  such  an  one  can  go  for  a  com- 
paratively short  distance  is  extraordinary,  200  yards 
having  been  covered  in  12^  seconds.  It  is  generally 
considered  that  a  dog  about  I5lb.  is  the  speediest 
animal  in  proportion  to  its  weight. 

Before  these  dogs  have  attained  sufficient  pro- 
ficiency to  take  part  in  a  handicap  or  match,  they 
must  undergo  a  certain  tuition,  during  which  they 
come  to  run  at  their  greatest  speed.  All  prelimi- 
naries being  arranged,  the  dog  makes  an  appearance 
at  one  of  the  many  "  running  "  grounds.  Here  a 
course  is  laid  out  on  the  cinder  path,  the  distance 
usually  being  200  yards.  At  one  end  the  various 
handicaps  are  marked  out,  three  start  in  a  heat,  and 
each  dog,  as  in  ordinary  pedestrianism,  has  a  side 
allotted  to  it  by  draw  or  otherwise.  The  starter  is 
behind  the  dogs,  pistol  in  hand.  A  friend  of  the 
owner  holds  his  dog  on  the  mark,  the  owners  or 
trainers  run  in  front  of  their  dogs  up  the  course  calling 


The  Whippet.  173 


to  them,  and  dangling  something  attractive — a 
chicken's  or  a  pigeon's  wing,  perhaps,  or  a  piece  of 
rag ;  rabbits  or  live  stock  are  not  allowed.  These 
owners  or  trainers  having  reached  the  limit  of  the 
course,  the  pistol  is  fired,  the  dogs  are  slipped,  and 
at  their  full  pace  urge  on  to  the  goal  where  their 
trainer  awaits  them.  Near  there  the  judge  is  placed, 
who  quickly  and  promptly  pronounces  which  dog 
wins,  and  so  the  fun  goes  on.  The  rules  are 
stringent  to  a  degree,  as  all  rules  ought  to  be 
(subject  even  to  no  appeal  in  a  court  of  law),  and 
any  man  slipping  his  dog  before  the  pistol  is  fired 
is  disqualified,  not  only  for  that  heat,  but  for  the 
whole  stake.  The  sport  is  exciting  enough,  and  if 
it  does  not  attract  the  thousands  that  gather  to 
see  the  "  final  "  of  a  Sheffield  handicap,  the  atten- 
dance is  usually  quite  large  enough  to  be  pleasant. 
I  need  scarcely  say  that  the  training  of  these  running 
dogs  is  made  a  "  profession,"  a  skilled  man  obtaining 
good  pay  for  his  work. 

There  are  dogs  that  will  not  run  these  races  to 
the  best  of  their  ability,  some  preferring  to  have  a 
growl  or  fight  with  an  opponent ;  others,  more  kindly 
disposed,  seeking  to  romp  and  play.  To  guard 
against  such  canine  breach  of  discipline,  an  arrange- 
ment can  he  made  by  erecting  long  strips  of  canvas, 
and  between  each  strip  a  dog  runs,  thus  quite  out  of 


74  Modem  Dogs. 


sight  of  its  opponent,  until  the  judge  and  goal  are 
reached.  This  plan  is  frequently  adopted,  as  some 
of  the  very  best  dogs,  after  competing  repeatedly 
under  the  ordinary  system,  become  either  careless 
or  quarrelsome,  and  refuse  to  "  try,"  contenting 
themselves  by  running  alongside  an  antagonist,  and 
losing  the  race  by  a  head,  and  the  owner's  weekly 
wage  and  more  at  the  same  time. 

Some  time  ago,  Mr.  T.  Marples,  the  present  editor 
of  the  British  Fancier,  wrote  an  exhaustive  article 
on  coursing  and  running  by  whippets.  He  says 
that  "  at  times,  especially  in  winter,  when  snow 
has  to  be  cleared  from  the  ground  which  is  harder 
than  usual,  many  of  these  dogs  run  in  what  are 
called  '  stoppers  ' — leather  gloves  that  are  placed 
over  the  claws  of  the  fore  feet,  the  latter  being  apt 
to  be  injured  by  the  suddenness  with  which  the  dogs 
stop  at  the  end  of  the  race."  These  are,  of  course, 
only  required  where  the  racing  is  done  on  a  cinder- 
path,  and  would  be  quite  out  of  place  on  grass 
during  rabbit  coursing. 

As  to  handicapping,  the  same  writer  tells  us  that 
as  a  rule  a  dog  I5lb.  weight  is  taken  as  the  basis  of 
the  handicap,  and  he  is  given  or  takes  three  yards, 
according  to  size,  irrespective  of  the  allowance  for 
sex  alluded  to  earlier  on.  However,  when  the  dogs 
"reach  about  27lb.  in  weight,  they  are  pretty  much 


The  Whippet.  175 


equalised,  just  as  an  increase  is  given  to  small 
dogs  down  to  about  81b.  in  weight.  For  instance, 
a  dog  of  i5lb.  would  give  one  of  I4lb.  three  yards 
start;  but  one  of  I3lb.  would  receive  seven  yards 
from  the  i5lb.  dog,  and  in  all  likelihood  a  lolb.  dog 
would  receive  from  eighteen  to  twenty  yards  in  the 
two  hundred.  Then  in  turn  the  I5lb.  dog  would 
receive  three  yards  from  the  i61b.  animal,  and  from 
one  up  to  2olb.  the  i5lb.  dog  would  receive  ten  or 
twelve  yards  start,"  irrespective,  of  course,  of  penal- 
ties for  previous  successes.  Novices  are  usually 
given  an  advantage  of  about  2lb. 

The  above  seems  a  somewhat  complicated  arrange- 
ment, but  it  is  thoroughly  understood  by  the  handi- 
cappers. 

I  need  scarcely  say  that  these  whippets  when  in 
training  are  fed  on  the  best  food  that  can  be  pro- 
vided ;  they  are  kept  warm,  sleep  in  the  house  in  a 
cozy  corner,  and  are  muzzled  and  sheeted  when 
outside.  Their  owners  are  for  the  most  part  working 
men,  and  instances  are  not  isolated  where  their  wives 
and  children  have  gone  with  empty  stomachs,  whilst 
the  dogs  and  their  masters  regale  on  rump  steaks 
and  chump  chops. 

Perhaps  it  may  be  mentioned  that  during  the  past 
twenty  years  or  so  the  sport  with  "  running  dogs  " 
and  "  rabbit  coursers,"  as  conducted  in  the  north, 


176  Modern  Dogs. 


has  flourished  amazingly,  and  personally  I  regret 
that  it  has  done  so  to  the  detriment  of  the  more 
manly  pedestrian  exercises,  wrestling,  and  the  clever 
game  of  knur  and  spell. 

The  points  and  general  description  of  the  whippet 
are,  excepting  so  far  as  size  is  concerned,  identical 
with  those  of  the  greyhound  as  they  appear  on  a 
preceding  page,  though  occasionally  comparatively 
rough  coated  or  wire-haired  whippets  are  met  with. 
Such,  of  course,  show  breeding  back  to  the  wire 
haired  terrier,  or  perhaps  *  to  some  cross-bred 
<(  lurcher,"  a  few  of  which  are  still  kept  for  poaching 
purposes  in  various  parts  of  the  country.  Need  I 
mention  that  for  rabbit  coursing  staying  power  as 
well  as  pace  is  required  in  a  whippet,  whilst  for 
racing  speed  alone  is  the  desideratum. 


." 


J 


CHAPTER    X. 
THE    GREAT    DANE. 

HERE  is  a  dog,  not  an  English  animal,  but  one 
thoroughly  acclimatized  to  the  rigours  of  our  climate, 
and  fairly  naturalised.  Still,  it  seems  as  it  were  only 
the  other  day  (it  is  twenty-four  years  ago)  that  Mr. 
Walsh  refused  to  give  it  a  place  in  the  first  edition  of 
his  "  Dogs  of  the  British  Isles,"  which  Mr.  F. 
Adcock  then  requested  him  to  do. 

I  do  not  think  that  this  dog  (under  which  name, 
following  the  Great  Dane  Club's  good  example,  I 
include  boarhounds,  German  mastiffs,  and  tiger 
mastiffs)  has  made  great  progress  here.  Ten  years 
since  he  appeared  in  a  fair  way  to  become  a 
favourite.  The  ladies  took  him  up,  the  men 
patronised  him,  but  the  former  could  not  always 
keep  him  in  hand.  Handsome  and  symmetrical 
though  he  may  be,  he  had  always  a  temper  and 
disposition  of  his  own,  which  could  not  be  controlled 
when  he  became  excited.  Personally,  I  never  con- 
sidered the  Great  Dane  suitable  as  a  companion 

N 


78  Modern  Dogs. 


or  as  a  domestic  dog.  He  might  act  as  a  watch 
or  guard  tied  up  in  the  yard,  or,  may  be,  could 
be  utilised  in  hunting  big  game,  or  in  being  hunted 
by  it  in  return,  but  he  always  seemed  out  of  place 
following  a  lady  or  gentleman.  When  the  order  was 
in  force  in  London  and  elsewhere,  commanding  all 
dogs  to  be  muzzled  or  led  on  a  chain,  the  Great  Dane 
received  a  severe  blow.  Muzzling  amazed  him,  and 
made  him  savage,  the  restraint  of  chain  or  lead  was 
not  to  be  borne.  The  dog  pulled  ;  his  fair  mistress 
had  either  to  free  him  from  the  chain  or  be  over- 
powered. She  did  the  former,  and  her  unmanage- 
able pet  chevied  a  terrier  across  the  road,  and  the 
mischief  was  done. 

In  that  suburb  in  which  I  reside  the  Dane  was 
numerous  enough  before  the  rabies  scare  and  the 
muzzling  order.  He  could  not  be  confined  with 
safety,  so  he  had  to  be  got  rid  of,  and  where  once  a 
dozen  boarhounds  reigned  not  one  is  now  to  be 
seen.  This  is,  I  think,  an  advantage  few  owners  of 
dogs  find  fault  with,  for  he,  when  not  under  control, 
was  fond  of  fighting,  and  his  immense  strength  and 
power  gave  him  a  great  advantage  over  any  other 
dog.  Some  twenty  years  or  so  ago,  in  the  ring  at  a 
provincial  show  in  Lancashire,  Mr.  Adcock's  then 
celebrated  Great  Dane,  called  Satan,  got  at  logger- 
heads with  a  Newfoundland,  and  the  latter,  poor 


The  Great  Dane.  179 

thing,  was  shaken  like  a  rat,  and  would  soon  have 
ceased  to  live,  excepting  in  memory,  had  not  three 
strong,  stout  men  choked  off  the  immense  German 
dog. 

This  was  about  the  time  he  was  being  introduced 
to  this  country,  or  may  be,  rather,  re-introduced,  for 
I  am  one  who  believes  that  a  hundred  years  ago  there 
was  in  Ireland  a  Great  Dane,  not  a  wolfhound  proper, 
but  an  actual  Great  Dane,  just  as  he  is  known  to-day. 
Hence  the  confusion  that  has  arisen  between  the  two 
varieties.  From  old  paintings  and  old  writings  there 
is  no  difficulty  in  making  out  this  dog  to  be  as  old  as 
any  of  the  race  of  canines  that  we  possess,  but  as  he 
is  brought  forward  here  as  a  British  dog,  his  history 
before  he  became  such  would  be  out  of  place. 

Amongst  our  earliest  specimens  of  the  race,  Satan, 
already  named,  must  take  a  leading  place,  though 
his  temper  was  so  bad.  He  was  a  heavily  made, 
dark  coloured  dog,  with  a  strong  head  and  jaw,  that 
would  not  be  at  all  suitable  for  the  present  admirers 
of  the  variety.  However,  his  owner,  Mr.  F.  Adcock, 
was  an  enthusiast,  and  by  his  patronage  of  the  dog, 
and  his  subsequent  establishment  of  a  Great  Dane 
Club,  did  more  than  any  other  man  to  bring  the 
strain  permanently  before  the  British  public. 

It  was  not,  however,  until  1884,  that  special 
classes  were  provided  for  them  at  Birmingham  ; 

N    2 


i8o  Modern  Dogs. 


the  Kennel  Club  had  acknowledged  them  in  their 
stud  book  the  same  year.  However,  at  both  places 
he,  a  year  previously,  had  classes  given  him,  but  as 
a  "  boarhound,"  and  since,  with  his  name  changed 
to  "Great  Dane,"  "  boarhounds "  and  "German 
mastiffs  "  have  become  creatures  of  the  past. 

I  have  a  note  of  a  big  black  and  white  dog, 
shown  by  Sir  Roger  Palmer,  about  1863  or  1864, 
which  was  said  to  be  35  inches  at  the  shoulder, 
2oolb.  weight,  and  a  Great  Dane  !  I  never  saw  a 
dog  of  this  variety  approaching  this  size,  and  at  that 
time,  a  two  hundred  pound  weight  dog  had  not  been 
produced.  Satan  himself,  a  very  heavy  dog,  would 
not  be  more  than,  perhaps,  i5olb.  at  most. 

Coining  a  little  later,  we  find  that  in  June,  1885, 
a  dog  show,  devoted  entirely  to  Great  Danes,  was 
held  at  the  Ranelagh  Club  Grounds,  near  London. 
This  was  just  at  the  time  when  the  animal  was  reach- 
ing the  height  of  his  popularity  here,  and  a  noble 
show  the  sixty  hounds,  benched  under  the  lime  trees 
in  those  historic  grounds,  made.  Never  has  such  a 
collection  of  the  variety  been  seen  since  in  our  island, 
and,  need  I  say,  never  such  a  one  previously.  The 
great  fawn  dog,  Cedric  the  Saxo.i,  was  there,  perfect 
in  symmetry,  and  a  large  dog ;  carefully  measured, 
he  stood  33^  inches  at  the  shoulder.  With  Captain 
Graham,  I  took  the  heights  of  several  of  these  big 


The  Great  Dane.  181 

dogs  on  that  occasion,  and  it  was  extraordinary  how 
the  thirty-five  and  thirty-six  inch  animals  dwindled 
down,  some  of  them  nearly  half  a  foot  at  a  time. 

The  tallest  and  heaviest  dogs  we  made  a  careful 
note  of  were  Mr.  Reginald  Herbert's  dog  Leal,  who 
stood  33!  inches  at  the  shoulders,  and  weighed 
i82lb.  ;  M.  Riego's  brindled  dog,  Cid  Campeador, 
who  stood  exactly  33^-  inches,  and  his  weight  was 
1 75lb.  This  couple  were  the  tallest  dogs  of  their 
race  I  have  ever  known,  and  height  is  a  great  con- 
sideration in  the  breed,  the  club's  standard  being 
from  30  inches  to  35  inches  for  a  dog,  and  from 
28  inches  to  33  inches  for  a  bitch. 

It  would  appear  that,  within  the  last  eighty  years 
or  so,  considerable  improvement  must  have  been 
made  in  the  size  and  power  of  the  Great  Dane. 
Sydenham  Edwards,  who  wrote  of  him  in  1803,  said 
he  was  usually  about  twenty-eight  inches  in  height, 
though,  occasionally,  he  would  be  found  thirty-one 
inches.  The  same  writer  goes  on  to  describe  Him  : 
"Ears,  usually  cropped;  eyes,  in  some,  white,  in 
others  yellow,  or  half  white  or  yellow.  A  beautiful 
variety,  called  the  Harlequin  Dane,  has  a  finely 
marked  body,  with  large  or  small  spots  of  black,  grey, 
liver  colour,  or  sandy-red,  upon  a  white  ground.  .  .  . 
The  grand  figure,  bold,  muscular  action,  and  elegant 
carriage  of  the  Dane,  would  recommend  him  to 


1 82  Modern  Dogs. 


notice,  had  he  no  useful  properties;  and  thus  we  find 
him  honoured  in  adding  to  the  pomp  of  the  noble  or 
wealthy,  before  whose  carriage  he  trots  or  gallops  in 
a  fine  style ;  not  noisy,  but  of  approved  dignity, 
becoming  his  intrepid  character,  he  keeps  his 
stall  in  silence."  Edwards  further  says  this  dog 
must  be  muzzled,  to  prevent  him  attacking  his  own 
species. 

Contrary  to  the  above  statement  we  have  that  of 
Richardson,  who,  writing  about  1848,  says  the 
Great  Dane  is  a  dog  of  gigantic  stature,  standing 
from  thirty  to  thirty-two  inches  in  height  at  the 
shoulders,  or  even  more.  He  says  the  ears  are  short, 
and  drop  down  very  gracefully.  At  the  present 
time  they  are  big,  and  hang  down  in  a  fashion  so 
ungainly,  that  it  is  the  custom  to  crop  them,  an 
operation  that  maybe  best  performed  when  the  puppies 
are  about  three  weeks  old,  and  when  suckling  their 
dam.  One  large  breeder,  Mr.  E.  H.  Adcock,  has 
followed  this  custom  successfully,  and  the  wounds 
are  soon  healed  by  the  contact  of  a  mother's  tongue. 
Others  "  crop  "  their  puppies  when  three  or  four 
months  old,  some  still  later,  when  the  dog  is  more 
matured,  say  at  eight  or  nine  months,  but  at  that 
time  it  is  a  nasty  job,  and  a  terribly  unpleasant  one, 
to  him  who  takes  it  in  hand. 

Perhaps  it   is  the  custom  of    having  these   dogs 


The  Great  Dane.  183 

shorn  of  part  of  their  ears  that  has  led  to  their, 
comparatively  speaking,  non-popularisation,  for  it 
is  difficult  to  find  proficient  operators,  who  run 
the  risk  of  fine  or  imprisonment  if  the  cruelty 
they  perpetrate  is  brought  to  the  notice  of  the 
authorities. 

A  few  years  ago,  I  was  attending  one  of  the 
Crystal  Palace  dog  shows,  and  engaged  in  conversa- 
tion with  a  man,  well  known  as  a  skilful  performer 
on  the  ears  of  terriers  and  other  dogs.  Walking  past 
the  benches  where  the  Danes  were  chained,  we  were 
startled  by  a  terrible  growl  and  furious  lunge,  a 
huge  brindled  dog  springing  up  and  making  violent 
attempts  to  reach  the  man  to  whom  I  was  talking. 
Luckily  for  him  the  chain  and  collar  and  staple 
held.  I  never  saw  so  much  ferocity  depicted  on  the 
face  of  any  animal  whatever  as  there  was  on  the 
countenance  of  that  Great  Dane.  It  would  have 
been  bad  for  that  man  had  it  got  loose.  Need  it  be 
said,  we  soon  gave  it  a  wide  berth.  "  What  was  the 
meaning  of  that?"  said  I  to  the  fellow,  who  was,  in 
reality,  very  much  frightened  and  shaken  by  the 
occurrence.  "  Well,"  said  he,  "  I  know  the  dog,  he 
was  badly  'cropped,'  and  about  five  months  ago, 
Mr.  -  -  called  me  down  to  his  place  to  'perform' 
on  his  ears  again.  We  had  a  terrible  job  with  him, 
and  I  guess  the  dog  just  recognised  me,  and  wanted 


184  Modern  Dogs. 


to  have  his  revenge.  I  shall  have  nothing  more  to 
do  with  cropping  ( boarhounds '  again,"  continued  the 
whilom  operator,  "  nor  do  I  think  I  shall  go  near  his 
bench  ;  no,  not  if  I  knows  it !  " 

I  fancy  from  the  above,  and  other  experiences  that 
I  have  gained,  that  no  other  variety  of  dog 
possesses  the  same  strength  of  mind,  and  is  so  ready 
to  resent  a  supposed  injury  as  he.  It  is  dangerous  to 
thrash  some  of  them  ;  they  may  turn  on  you,  or  will 
surlily  growl ;  and  in  fighting  with  any  opponent  they 
are  not  always  able  to  discriminate  between  the 
hands  of  their  master  (who  may  be  interfering  in  the 
combat)  and  the  throat  of  an  opponent.  Still,  they 
are  faithful  and  intelligent,  and  many  of  them  are 
thoroughly  trustworthy  when  their  master  is  about— 
not  always  in  his  absence.  He  possesses  great  power 
and  activity,  and  is  usually  most  symmetrically  built. 
Sometimes  he  makes  a  good  water  dog,  at  others  he 
will  not  swim  a  yard. 

As  we  know  him  here  as  a  companion  and  a  guard 
only,  no  more  than  passing  allusion  need  be  made 
to  him  as  a  sporting  dog,  to  hunt  the  wild  boar  and 
chase  the  deer.  That  he  was  used  for  these  pur- 
poses long  before  he  came  to  be  a  house  dog  there 
is  no  manner  of  doubt,  for  his  portrait  can  be 
recognised  in  all  the  great  pictures  of  hunting 
scenes  that  took  place  in  the  Middle  Ages. 


The  Great  Dane.  185 

This  is  the  reason  I  place  him  in  the  group  of 
Sporting  Dogs. 

That  he  is  thoroughly  amenable  to  discipline  I 
found  some  few  years  ago,  in  1884,  during  a  visit  to 
the  Oxford  Music  Hall,  in  London.  Here  Mr.  Fred. 
Felix,  a  well-known  trainer,  had  a  group  of  performing 
dogs,  which  included  three  Great  Danes,  and  all  good 
specimens,  especially  the  best  trick  dog  in  the  lot,  who 
no  doubt  gloried  in  his  name  of  Grandmaster.  These 
dogs  went  through  a  variety  of  performances  in  an 
extraordinarily  kindly  and  willing  manner,  jumping 
through  hoops,  walking  on  their  hind  legs,  sitting  on 
chairs,  jumping  over  each  other's  backs,  with  all  the 
docility  and  more  of  the  freedom  than  the  poodle  would 
have  shown. 

Grandmaster  made  some  astounding  leaps,  and 
two  of  the  hounds  had  a  miniature  fight,  growling, 
seizing  each  other,  and  rolling  on  the  stage  as  they 
might  have  done  in  a  less  friendly  strife.  The 
latter  was  a  performance  I  have  not  since  seen 
attempted,  and  must  be  a  most  difficult  thing  for 
a  trainer  to  accomplish.  I  do  not  know  when  I 
was  better  pleased  with  a  troup  of  performing  dogs 
than  I  was  with  these  Great  Danes.  I  have  seen 
other  showmen  performing  with  them  in  a  cage 
of  lions,  and  similar  dogs  formed  a  portion  of 
"a  happy  family"  of  wild  beasts  that  a  year  or 


86  Modern  Dogs. 


two  ago  proved  a  great  attraction  at  the  Crystal 
Palace. 

As  special  attention  has  been  called  to  the  Great 
Dane  as  a  companion,  allusion  to  that  dog  belonging 
to  Prince  Bismarck  may  not  be  out  of  place ;  still 
Tyras,  the  dog,  was,  in  his  palmy  days,  not  a  very 
much  greater  favourite  than  his  master  came  to  be 
later  on.  Maybe,  the  happiness  of  two  countries 
was  on  at  least  one  occasion  placed  in  jeopardy  by 
the  action  of  the  German  Chancellor's  hound.  It 
has  been  said  that  a  somewhat  spirited  conversation 
was  proceeding  between  Bismarck  and  the  Russian 
Prime  Minister  Gortschakoff.  The  latter,  gesticu- 
lating rather  more  violently  than  usual,  led  Tyras, 
who  lay  reposing  on  the  rug,  to  suspect  an  attack 
on  his  master,  so,  springing  at  the  proud  Russian, 
he  brought  him  to  the  floor.  Apologies  were  profuse 
and  accepted.  Prince  Gortschakoff  was  not  bitten, 
only  frightened,  and  the  peace  of  Europe  remained 
undisturbed. 

A  writer  in  the  Kennel  Gazette  gives  the  following 
interesting  description  of  Prince  Bismarck's  favourite 
dog,  and  I  reproduce  it  here,  and  it  will  assist  my 
readers  in  arriving  at  the  character  and  disposition 
of  the  ordinary  Great  Dane : 

Of  all  the  dogs  that  have  a  place  in  history,  Tyras,  the  noted 
realm  dog  of  the  German  Chancellor,  is  the  only  one  whose  death 


The  Great  Dane.  187 

has  been  deemed  of  sufficient  interest  to  be  cabled  round  the 
world  as  an  event,  not  merely  of  European,  but  of  cosmopolitan 
interest.  Indeed,  the  record  of  Tyras  hardly  ended  with  his  life, 
for  the  cable  has  since  told  the  world  that  the  first  visitor  to  Prince 
Bismarck  on  his  recent  birthday  was  the  youthful  emperor,  who 
brought  as  a  present  another  dog,  of  the  type  of  the  lamented 
Tyras.  For  nearly  sixty  years  Prince  Bismarck  has  owned  speci- 
mens of  the  Great  Dane,  and  generally  has  had  one  or  more  of 
unusual  size.  His  first  hound,  acquired  while  living  with  his 
parents  at  Kniephof,  was  one  of  the  largest  ever  seen,  and  was  an 
object  of  awe  to  the  peasantry  of  the  district.  This  dog  afterward 
accompanied  his  young  master  to  the  college  at  Gottingen,  where 
he  speedily  made  his  mark.  Once  when  Bismarck  was  summoned 
to  appear  before  the  rector  for  throwing  an  empty  bottle  out  of 
his  window,  he  took  with  him  his  enormous  hound,  to  the  great 
dismay  of  the  reverend  dignitary,  who  promptly  took  refuge 
behind  a  high-backed  chair,  where  he  remained  until  the  hound 
had  been  sent  out  of  the  room.  Bismarck  was  fined  five  thalers  for 
bringing  this  "  terrific  beast "  into  the  rector's  sanctum,  in  addition 
to  the  punishment  meted  out  to  the  original  offence.  As  a  law 
student  and  official  at  Berlin,  during  his  travels  in  many 
lands,  throughout  his  diplomatic  career  at  Frankfort,  St.  Peters- 
burgh,  Paris,  and  elsewhere,  as  well  as  at  Varzin  andatFriedrichsruh, 
Bismarck  has  always  had  the  companionship  of  one  or  more 
of  his  favourite  dogs.  Probably  the  one  to  which  he  was  most 
attached  was  Sultan,  which  died  at  Varzin  in  1877.  Tyras,  who 
was  of  unusual  size,  and  of  the  slate  colour,  which  is  most  popular 
in  Germany,  was  then  quite  a  young  dog,  and  he  was  the  constant 
companion  of  his  illustrious  owner  till  the  time  of  his  death, 
sharing  his  walks,  his  rides,  his  business,  and  his  meals,  and 
keeping  guard  in  his  bedroom  at  night.  Owing  to  his  uncertain 
temper,  he  was  not  often  seen  in  the  streets  or  gardens  of  Berlin. 
He  was,  indeed,  regarded  more  as  belonging  to  the  "  Pomeranian 
Squire  "  side  of  the  Prince's  life  than  to  his  official  establishment. 
At  Varzin  or  Friedrichsruh,  however,  the  two  were  inseparable. 


1 88  Modern  Dogs. 


No  sooner  was  the  most  absolutely  necessary  business  of  the 
morning  dispatched,  than  the  Reichskanzler  sallied  off  with  the 
"  Reichshund  "  at  his  heels,  and  for  the  rest  of  the  day,  the  long 
light  coat,  and  the  battered  felt  hat  of  the  famous  statesman,  were 
not  greater  objects  of  interest  than  the  huge  dog  which  followed 
him  everywhere,  on  horseback  or  on  foot. 

At  the  present  time  the  best  Great  Danes  in 
England  are  owned  by  Mr.  Reginald  Herbert,  Mr. 
E.  W.  Adcock,  Mr.  M.  Riego,  Mr.  C.  D.  Baddeley, 
Mr.  R.  Coop,  Mr.  J.  E.  Wilbey,  Mr.  Adolph  Stolte, 
Mr.  R.  T.  Martin,  and  some  few  others.  He  is  not  in 
many  hands,  and,  although  the  entries  in  the  Kennel 
Club's  stud  book  keep  up  their  members  very  well, 
the  Great  Dane  Club  itself  has  but  twenty-seven 
members,  though  at  its  establishment,  in  1884, 
it  had  thirty-eight  members  on  its  books.  How- 
ever, now  there  is  a  ladies'  branch  in  connection 
therewith,  and  here  there  are  eleven  members 
additional. 

Perhaps  the  best  all-round  Great  Dane  we  have 
had  here  was  the  brindled  bitch  Vendetta,  first 
exhibited  by  Mr.  Reginald  Herbert,  and  sold  by  him 
to  Mr.  Craven  for  a  large  sum.  She  was  not  a  par- 
ticularly big  bitch,  though  perhaps  taller  and  heavier 
than  she  looked  by  reason  of  her  lovely  symmetry. 
She  stood  31^  inches  at  the  shoulder  and  weighed 
i/plb.  ;  but  in  general  form  and  correctness  of  type 
of  head,  without  lippiness  or  hound-like  appearance, 


The  Great  Dane.  189 


she  was  pretty  nearly  perfect.  Windle  Princess  (Mr. 
Coop's)  is  another  beautiful  bitch,  and  again  not 
a  very  big  one.  Mr.  Adcock's  Ivanhoe,  a  very  richly 
coloured  brindle  dog,  has  repeatedly  and  deservedly 
won  prizes  at  our  leading  shows.  Mr.  Wilbey's 
Hannibal  the  Great  is  thought  to  be  the  best  of  his 
year,  an  enormous  animal  of  immense  power,  but 
perhaps  a  little  heavier  and  too  mastiff-like  in 
head  to  quite  please  some  of  our  insular  prejudices. 
He  came  to  this  country  with  a  reputation  as  the 
best  of  his  race  in  the  land  of  his  birth,  which  was 
Germany.  This  dog  unfortunately  got  strangled  in 
his  kennel  in  August,  1892.  Other  good  dogs  are 
War  Cry,  Corsica,  Harlequin  Nero,  Bouchan,  Sea 
King,  Leal,  the  Baron  of  Danes,  Norseman,  Queen 
of  Saxony,  Uric,  Windle  Princess,  Gretchen,  Earl 
of  Warwick,  and  Windle  Queen. 

As  to  the  heights  and  weights  of  recent  winners, 
the  following  may,  perhaps,  not  be  without  interest : 
—Norseman  is  33  inches  at  the  shoulders,  weight, 
i55lb.  ;  Sea  King,  32^  inches,  weight,  i681b. ;  Leal, 
33f  inches,  weight,  i82lb.  ;  Young  Leal,  33^  inches, 
weight,  154-lb.  ;  Prince  Victor,  33  inches  and  i5olb. 
weight;  Cedric  the  Saxon,  33^  inches  and  i7olb. 
weight;  Baron  of  Danes,  33^  inches  and  I55lb. 
weight;  Ivanhoe,  33  inches  and  i681b.  weight; 
Dorothy,  30^  inches,  I25lb.  weight;  Challymead 


190  Modern  Dogs. 


Queen,  30^  inches  and  i25lb.  weight;  Corsica, 
31  inches  and  I4olb.  weight;  Ranee  29  inches, 
io5lb.  weight. 

The  following  description  of  the  Great  Dane 
is  issued  by  the  Club,  and,  further,  there  is  a  rule 
which  ought,  perhaps,  to  appear  in  the  standard  of 
points.  It  says  that  any  dog  or  bitch  with  a 
cankered  mouth,  a  joint  or  any  part  of  the  tail 
removed,  is  incapable  of  taking  a  prize ;  and  no 
Great  Dane  answering  to  this  description  shall  be 
exhibited  "for  competition"  by  any  member  of  the 
club. 

I  do  not  know  that  Danes  are  more  afflicted  with 
"  cankered  "  mouths  than  any  other  dog;  but,  with 
respect  to  the  "tails,"  cases  have  occurred  where  a 
dog  has  had  a  joint  or  two  amputated,  in  order  that 
the  appendage  did  not  curl  at  the  end.  The  sore  or 
bare  place  remaining  was  accounted  for  by  the 
hound  dashing  his  tail  against  the  kennel  walls  or 
benches,  a  habit  which  frequently  causes  trouble  to 
the  caudal  extremity  of  some  big  smooth-coated 
dogs. 

STANDARD  OF  POINTS. 

i .  General  Appearance. — The  Great  Dane  is  not 
so  heavy  or  massive  as  the  mastiff,  nor  should  he 
too  nearly  approach  the  greyhound  in  type.  Remark- 


The  Great  Dane.  191 

able  in  size,  and  very  muscular,  strongly  though 
elegantly  built,  movements  easy  and  graceful  ;  head 
and  neck  carried  high  ;  the  tail  carried  horizontally 
with  the  back,  or  slightly  upwards,  with  a  slight 
curl  at  the  extremity.  The  minimum  height  and 
weight  of  dogs  should  be  30  inches  and  I2olb.  ; 
of  bitches,  28  inches  and  loolb.  Anything  below 
this  shall  be  debarred  from  competition.  Points: 
General  appearance,  3 ;  Condition,  3 ;  Activity,  5  ; 
Height,  13. 

2.  Head. — Long,  the  frontal  bones  of  the  forehead 
very    slightly    raised,    and    very    little    indentation 
between  the  eyes.     Skull,  not  too  broad.     Muzzle, 
broad  and   strong,  and  blunt  at  the  point.     Cheek 
muscles,   well   developed.     Nose,  large,  bridge  well 
arched.     Lips   in  front  perpendicularly  blunted,  not 
hanging  too  much  over  the  sides,  though  with  well- 
defined  folds  at  the  angle  of  the  mouth.     The  lower 
jaw  slightly  projecting — about  a  sixteenth  of  an  inch. 
Eyes,  small  round,  with  sharp  expression  and  deeply 
set.     Ears,  very  small  and  greyhound-like  in  carriage, 
when  uncropped  ;  they  are,  however,  usually  cropped. 
Points,  15. 

3.  Neck. — Rather  long,  very  strong  and  muscular, 
well  arched,  without  dewlap,  or  loose  skin  about  the 
throat.     The  junction   of    head    and   neck    strongly 
pronounced.     Points,  5. 


1 92  Modern  Dogs. 


4.  Chest. — Not    too    broad,    and    very    deep    in 
brisket.     Points,  8. 

5.  Back. — Not  too  long  or  short;  loins  arched,  and 
falling  in  a  beautiful  line  to  the  insertion  of  the  tail. 
Points,  8. 

6.  Tail. — Reaching    to   the   hock,   strong   at    the 
root,  and  ending  fine  with  a  slight   curve.     When 
excited  it   becomes  more    curved,    but    in    no    case 
should  it  curve  over  the  back.      Points,  4. 

7.  Belly. — Well  drawn  up.      Points,  4. 

8.  Fore-quarters.     Shoulders,  set  sloping;  elbows 
well    under,    neither    turned    inwards    nor   outwards. 
Leg  :   Fore-arm,  muscular,  and  with  great  develop- 
ment   of    bone,    the    whole    leg    strong    and    quite 
straight.     Points,  10. 

9.  Hind-quarters. — Muscular  thighs,  and  second 
thigh    long    and    strong,  as   in   the   greyhound,   and 
hocks  well  let  down  and  turning  neither  in  nor  out. 
Points,  10. 

10.  Feet. — Large  and    round,   neither  turned    in- 
wards nor  outwards.     Toes,  well  arched  and  closed. 
Nails,  very  strong  and  curved.     Points,  8. 

11.  Hair. — Very    short,    hard    and    dense,    and 
not    much    longer    on    the    underpart    of    the    tail. 
Points,  4. 

Colour  and    Markings. — The  recognised  colours 
are  the  various  shades  of  grey  (commonly  termed 


The  Great  Dane  193 


"blue"),  red,  black,  or  pure  white,  or  white  with 
patches  of  the  before-mentioned  colours.  These 
colours  are  sometimes  accompanied  with  markings  of 
a  darker  tint  about  the  eyes  and  muzzle,  and  with  a 
line  of  the  same  tint  (called  a  "  trace  ")  along  the 
course  of  the  spine.  The  above  ground  colours  also 
appear  in  the  brindles,  and  are  also  the  ground 
colours  of  the  mottled  specimens.  In  the  whole- 
coloured  specimens,  the  china  or  wall  eye  but  rarely 
appears,  and  the  nose  more  or  less  approaches  black, 
according  to  the  prevailing  tint  of  the  dog,  and  the 
eyes  vary  in  colour  also.  The  mottled  specimens 
have  irregular  patches  or  "  clouds  "  upon  the  above- 
named  ground  colours  ;  in  some  instances  the  clouds 
or  markings  being  of  two  or  more  tints.  With  the 
mottled  specimens,  the  wall  or  china  eye  is  not 
uncommon,  and  the  nose  is  often  parti-coloured  or 
wholly  flesh-coloured. 

Faults. — Too  heavy  a  head,  too  highly  arched 
frontal  bone,  and  deep  "stop"  or  indentation  between 
the  eyes  ;  large  ears  and  hanging  flat  to  the  face ; 
short  neck ;  full  dewlap  ;  too  narrow  or  too  broad  a 
chest ;  sunken  or  hollow  or  quite  straight  back  ;  bent 
fore-legs;  overbent  fetlocks;  twisted  feet;  spreading 
toes;  too  heavy  and  much  bent,  or  too  highly  carried 
tail,  or  with  a  brush  underneath  ;  weak  hind- quarters 
and  a  general  want  of  muscle. 

[VOL.  I.]  O 


194 


Modern  Dogs. 


STANDARD  OF  POINTS. 


Value. 

General  appearance 3 

Condition 3 

Activity 5 

Head 15 

Neck 5 

Chest 8 

Back 8 

47 


Value. 

Belly i 4 

Tail  4 

Fore-quarters    10 

Hind-quarters  10 

Feet  8 

Coat 4 

Size  (Height) 13 


Grand  Total  100. 

Scale  of  Points  for  Height  divided  as  follows  : 
Dog  of  30  in.,  or  Bitch  of  28  in  .............     Points 


31  in- 

32  in- 

33  in- 

34  in. 

35  in- 


29  in 
3°  in 

31  in 

32  in 

33  in 


53 


CHAPTER  XI. 
THE    IRISH    WOLFHOUND. 

SOME  there  are  who  believe  that  this  historical 
hound  became  extinct  soon  after  the  last  wolf  was 
killed  in  Ireland,  which  happened  in  1710.  Others 
hold  the  opinion  that  it  never  became  extinct  at  all  ; 
but  survives  in  the  Scotch  deerhound,  with  which  they 
say  it  was  identical.  A  third  division  have  equally 
strong  opinions,  something  between  the  two,  which 
are  to  the  effect  that  so  recently  as  eighty  or 
ninety  years  ago  very  few  real  Irish  wolfhounds 
remained,  and  these  not  readily  traceable  back  to 
the  oldest  strains.  Others  advocate  the  smooth 
greyhound  as  the  true  article.  Then,  to  com- 
plicate matters  still  further,  the  Great  Dane  has 
become  mixed  up  in  the  controversy.  There  is  no 
doubt  that  at  one  time  or  another  this  big  dog  has 
passed  himself  off  to  the  believing  and  credulous 
inhabitants  of  the  Emerald  Isle  as  their  own  beloved 
native  dog,  and,  as  a  fact,  many  authorities  of 
the  past  generation  write  to  prove  that  the  Irish 

o  2 


196  Modern  Dogs. 


wolfhound  was,  if  not  a  Great  Dane,  a  smooth-coated 
creature  very  like  him  ;  and  additional  evidence  that 
such  was  the  case  is  to  be  found  in  the  following 
instance. 

Some  four  years  or  so  ago,  I  was  shown  by  the 
Earl  of  Antrim  a  life-sized  painting  of  an  enormous 
hound  which  had  been  in  his  family  for  about  a 
hundred  years.  Through  generations  this  had  been 
handed  down  as  a  true  Irish  wolfhound,  a  noble 
creature  that  had  saved  the  life  of  one  of  his  lord- 
ship's ancestors  under  peculiar  and  extraordinary 
circumstances,  so  the  faithful  creature  had  its  por- 
trait painted.  Now  this  dog  was  a  huge  southern 
hound  in  appearance,  marked  like  a  modern  fox- 
hound, with  long  pendulous  ears,  possibly  an  animal 
identical  with  the  matin  of  old  writers.  The  painting 
gave  the  idea  that  the  subject  had,  in  life,  stood 
about  thirty-four  inches  high  at  the  shoulders. 

It  was  but  natural,  when  I  introduced  this  interest- 
ing discovery  to  the  public  through  the  columns  of  the 
Field,  that  discussion  and  controversy  thereon  would 
arise,  and  such  was  the  case.  Little  new  material  as 
to  the  history  of  the  Irish  dog  was  elicited,  and  it 
was  to  be  regretted  that  Lord  Antrim  could  afford 
no  further  particulars  as  to  the  animal  to  which 
attention  was  first  drawn. 

One    might    have     expected    to    find    something 


The  Irish  Wolfhound.  197 

reliable  and  convincing  as  to  what  the  Irish  wolf- 
hound really  was  in  the  (i  Sportsman's  Cabinet," 
published  in  1803.  Here  we  have  an  excellent 
engraving  from  a  picture  by  Reinagle,  of  a  huge 
dog,  an  enormous  deerhound  in  fact,  the  identical 
creature  popular  reputation  stated  such  a  dog  to 
be.  Unfortunately  the  letterpress  describes  quite  a 
different  animal — more  of  the  Great  Dane  type  than 
of  the  deerhound.  And  so  the  authorities  who  wrote 
at  that  time  differed  quite  as  much  on  the  matter  as 
do  the  admirers  of  the  race  at  the  present  time. 

To  Captain  Graham,  of  Dursley,  in  Gloucester- 
shire, we  owe  considerable  gratitude  for  the  trouble 
he  has  taken  to  resuscitate  the  Irish  wolfhound. 
Enthusiast  though  he  be,  he  is  not  like  so  many 
other  enthusiasts,  led  away  to  say  things  he  cannot 
prove,  or,  indeed,  to  lay  claim  to  his  hounds  being 
descended  in  a  direct  line  from  those  animals  which 
may  have  or  may  not  have  killed  the  last  wolf 
near  Dingle  over  180  years  ago.  The  gallant 
gentleman  acknowledges  that  the  breed  in  its  original 
integrity  has  disappeared,  but  he  believed,  when  first 
writing  on  the  subject  twenty  years  ago,  that  so 
much  of  the  true  strain  remained  that,  with  the  aid  of 
the  modern  deerhound,  and  with  judicious  manage- 
ment, the  breed  in  its  "  pristine  grandeur"  could  be 
recovered. 


198  Modern  Dogs. 


The  difficulty,  to  my  mind,  would  be  to  exactly 
define  the  original  Irish  wolfhound.  The  popular 
idea — and  this  is  not  always  correct — was  of  a 
big  powerful  dog,  with  a  wire-haired  or  rough  coat, 
built  on  the  lines  of  a  deerhound,  but  altogether  a 
heavier  and  stronger  animal.  What  height  a  full- 
grown  specimen  should  be  there  is  a  diversity  of 
opinion.  Old  writers  have  said  he  was  as  big  as 
a  donkey;  others  that  he  stood  from  36  inches  to 
40  inches  at  the  shoulders.  In  the  museum  of  the 
Royal  Dublin  Society  there  are  two  skulls  of  wolf- 
hounds dug  out  of  barrows  by  the  late  Dr.  Wilde. 
The  dimensions  of  them  have  been  very  useful  to 
those  who  believed  in  the  bigness  of  the  wolf- 
hound. Unfortunately  for  the  side  of  the  latter, 
these  skulls,  when  carefully  measured  and  compared 
with  others  of  living  dogs,  deerhounds,  wolfhounds, 
and  greyhounds,  could  not  have  been  possessed 
by  animals  more  than  29  inches  high  at  the 
shoulders. 

However,  it  is  not  my  province  here  to  say  what 
kind  of  an  animal  the  historical  Irish  deerhound  was, 
whether  there  were  two,  three,  or  four  varieties,  or 
whether  any  dog  that  would  tackle  and  hunt  a  wolf 
was,  from  the  moment  he  did  so,  called  a  wolf- 
hound. This  would  only  be  similar  to  what  occurs 
in  our  own  days ;  for  have  we  not  the  ordinary  fox- 


The  Irish  Wolfhound.  199 

hound  called  a  staghound  or  a   buckhound  when  he 
is  entered  to  hunt  the  deer  ? 

Mr.  G.  W.  Hickman,  of  Birmingham,  has  written 
most  exhaustively  and  carefully  on  the  subject  on 
one  side;  so  have  Mr.  H.  Richardson,  Captain 
Graham,  Mr.  R.  D.  O'Brien,  Limerick,  and  others 
on  another  side.  I  have  to  deal  with  "  modern 
dogs,"  and  so  the  wolfhound,  as  he  is  now  resus- 
citated, must  be  described  by  me.  There  is  no 
doubt  that  by  careful  crossing  between  certain  dogs 
obtained  from  Ireland  about  1841  with  the  deer- 
hound  and  the  Great  Dane,  an  animal  of  a  certain 
distinctive  type  has  been  obtained,  which,  in  its 
turn,  breeds  perhaps  quite  as  truly,  up  to  a  certain 
standard,  as  most  other  canine  varieties.  Captain 
Graham,  who  must  be  said  to  be  the  chief  supporter  of 
the  modern  variety,  says  that  his  own  strain  u  he  can 
trace  back  to  those  had  by  Richardson  in  1841-42, 
though  not  beyond  1862  from  father  to  son.  He 
says  the  breed  had  been  kept  up  by  Mr.  Baker,  of 
Badylohm  Castle,  and  Sir  John  Power,  of  Kilfane, 
from  1840  to  1865,  or  thereabouts.  He  further  says 
that  on  good  grounds  it  was  believed  that  "  these  dogs 
were  descended  from  Hamilton  Rowan's,  so  called, 
last  of  his  race,  Bran  by  name,  a  fine  dark  grey,  rough 
hound  that  was  his  constant  companion."  Captain 
Graham  had  a  grandson  of  Kilfane  Oscar,  a  dog 


200  Modern  Dogs. 


he  obtained  from  Sir  Ralph  Payne-Galwey,  and  from 
this  he  traces  the  purity  of  the  blood  as  far  back  as 
it  will  go.  He  advocated  a  cross  with  the  Great 
Dane  and  deerhound,  and  latterly,  on  the  populari- 
sation of  the  Borzoi  or  Russian  wolfhound,  has 
suggested  a  third  cross  with  that  variety. 

He,  at  the  time  I  write,  has  a  litter  of  eleven 
puppies  by  the  Borzoi,  Korotai,  from  his  wolfhound 
bitch  Banshee,  but  whether  such  a  cross  is  desirable 
is  an  open  question,  and  the  Irish  wolfhound  would, 
I  fancy,  have  found  greater  favour  with  the  public 
had  the  original  Great  Dane  and  deerhound  blood 
not  been  departed  from. 

Some  of  the  Irish  wolfhounds  seen  at  modern 
exhibitions  are  extremely  fine  animals,  docile  and 
quiet  as  they  recline  on  their  benches,  and  by  no 
means  quarrelsome,  evidently  quite  contented  with 
their  lot.  Indeed,  they  possess  an  excellent  reputa- 
tion as  companions,  especially  such  as  are  not  the 
first  cross  between  the  two  modern  varieties  already 
alluded  to. 

Never  having  been  the  fortunate  possessor  of  any 
Irish  wolfhounds,  and  being  desirous  of  obtaining 
the  best  information  about  them  as  companions, 
I  wrote  to  a  friend  who  at  times  had  kept  two 
or  three  of  them,  and  who  would  gladly  give  me 
his  opinion.  That  friend  says  the  Irish  wolfhound  is 


The  Irish   Wolfhound.  201 

very  good  with  children,  is  the  best  domestic  pet 
of  any  big  dog,  and  none  more  useful  in  a  quiet 
country  place.  He  never  had  a  case  of  anyone 
being  bitten  by  his  Irish  dogs,  though,  from  their 
size  and  appearance,  they  are  a  great  deterrent 
to  bad  characters  and  the  tramping  fraternity 
generally.  Some  of  the  strains  that  contain  the  Great 
Dane  first  cross  are  not  quite  of  the  same  disposi- 
tion as  the  others,  being  not  nearly  so  dignified 
in  their  demeanour,  and  inclined  to  steal  whenever  an 
opportunity  is  afforded  them  so  to  do.  They  are 
exuberantly  affectionate,  seldom  at  rest  a  moment, 
but  still  not  quarrelsome.  The  finer  strains  are 
generally  more  lethargic,  stately,  and  sedate;  strong 
in  their  attachments  to  an  individual,  and  extremely 
quiet  and  good-tempered  with  other  dogs ;  the 
latter  often  approaching  to  softness.  Still,  when 
roused  and  angry,  they  can  give  a  good  account  of 
themselves,  and  punish  their  enemy  severely.  In 
no  degree  are  they  so  quarrelsome  as  many  of  the 
deerhounds  of  the  present  day. 

This  is  not  a  bad  character  at  all  for  a  dog  that 
is  to  be  made  an  every-day  companion  either  in 
town  or  country;  and  certainly,  so  far  as  I  have 
studied  and  noticed  the  variety,  I  must  agree  with 
the  excellent  testimonial  the  Irish  wolfhound  receives 
from  one  who  has  kept  him  for  half  a  generation. 


202  Modern  Dogs. 


This  dog  has  been  recommended  as  likely  to  be 
useful  with  "  big  game,"  not  elephants  and  hip- 
popotami, but  with  wolves,  hyenas,  and  such  inferior 
animals  as  are  to  be  found  in  South  Africa  and 
other  great  hunting  countries.  Whether  they 
would  do  so  well  as  either  the  pure  Dane  or  the 
deerhound  is  an  open  question.  They  are  not  suffi- 
ciently smart  and  active  to  cope  successfully  with 
powerful  beasts  of  prey,  though  perhaps,  if  brought 
up  to  the  work  and  at  an  early  age  trained  to  hunt, 
they  would  be  able  to  do  as  well  as  any  other  breed 
of  dog.  But  it  is  folly  for  a  young  fellow  to  obtain 
a  hound  of  any  of  these  varieties — Great  Dane, 
deerhound,  or  Irish  wolfhound — from  some  of  the 
show  kennels,  rush  him  over  to  the  Cape,  on  into  the 
interior  of  Africa,  and  expect  him  to  take  as  kindly 
to  hunt  u  the  king  of  the  forest"  or  the  leopard 
as  he  would  to  accepting  a  biscuit  from  the  hand 
of  some  fair  mistress.  An  Irish  wolfhound  requires 
to  be  properly  entered  to  game  just  as  carefully  as 
Ho  the  pointer,  setter,  and  retriever ;  and  generations 
passed  in  kennels  or  in  the  drawing-room  have  no 
tendency  to  improve  him  as  a  destroyer  of  wild 
animals  when  they  come  in  his  way. 

A  modern  Irish  wolfhound  is  in  appearance  just  a 
big  and  rather  coarse  deerhound,  and,  previous  to 
giving  his  description  as  drawn  up  by  the  Wolfhound 


The  Irish  Wolfhound.  203 

Club,  the  following  statistics  of  the  height  and  weight 
of  some  of  the  best  specimens  will  perhaps  not  be 
without  interest  : — Captain  Graham's  Brian,  figured 
in  "  Dogs  of  the  British  Isles,"  stood  30^  inches  at 
the  shoulder  and  weighed  I281b. ;  Dhulart  was 
31  inches  at  the  shoulder  and  I261b.  weight;  Bam- 
tree,  29!  inches  and  i o  i  Ib.  weight ;  Mask,  30^  inches, 
and  io61b.  weight  ;  Tara,  29  inches  and  about 
roolb. ;  Fintragh,  29!  inches  and  iiolb.  weight. 
Colonel  Gamier  showed  a  particularly  fine  young 
dog  at  the  Kennel  Club's  Show  at  Islington  in  1888, 
which  unfortunately  died  soon  after  the  exhibition. 
The  hound,  called  Merlin,  stood  33  inches  at 
the  shoulders,  and,  though  unfurnished,  scaled 
i5olb.  He  was  fawn  in  colour,  and  undoubtedly 
the  finest  specimen  of  the  race  I  have  seen  or  has 
yet  appeared  at  any  of  our  shows. 

It  is  rather  unfortunate  that  so  fine  a  dog  has 
not  attracted  popular  fancy.  Had  it  done  so,  there 
would  have  been  as  much  a  run  on  the  Irish  wolf- 
hound as  there  has  been  on  other  and  perhaps  less 
deserving  varieties.  The  club  to  look  after  its  interests 
is  fairly  successful,  but  there  is  a  sad  lack  of  enterprise 
amongst  the  general  public.  Even  the  natives  of 
the  Emerald  Isle  themselves  have  refused  to  answer 
the  call,  and,  as  a  rule,  the  prizes  at  Dublin  for  the 
national  breed  of  dogs  are  swept  away  by  the  Saxon 


204  Modern  Dogs. 


invader.  Their  terrier  they  patronise,  but  neglect 
the  wolfhound  and  the  Kerry  beagle.  Had  it  not 
been  for  an  Englishman,  Captain  Graham,  this 
canine  relic  of  a  mighty  race  might  even  now  be 
extinct.  To  prevent  its  becoming  so,  earnest 
admirers  of  the  dog,  such  as  he  with  Colonel  Gamier, 
Mr.  Hood  Wright,  Newton-le-Willows ;  the  Rev. 
H.  L.  O'Brien,  Limerick;  Mr.  Bailey,  Mr.  F.  D. 
George,  Cheltenham  ;  Mr.  G.  E.  Crisp,  Mr.  Playford, 
Ipswich  ;  Mr.  S.  R.  Heap,  West  Derby ;  and  some 
few  others,  do  their  best,  and  usually  possess  some 
few  specimens  of  the  article  as  genuine  as  it 
can  be  obtained.  Most  of  the  bigger  shows 
provide  classes  for  Irish  wolfhounds,  but  the  com- 
petition therein  is  never  strong,  and  the  chief  prizes 
are  usually  taken  by  one  or  other  of  the  gentlemen 
to  whom  allusion  has  been  made.  A  dog  has  either 
to  save  a  life  or  to  take  one,  before  he  can  ensure 
any  amount  of  popularity,  and  the  Irish  wolfhound 
has  not  yet  done  either  in  his  modern  form. 

The  following  is  the  description  of  the  variety  as 
drawn  up  by  the  Club  : 

i.  General  appearance. — The  Irish  wolfhound 
should  not  be  quite  so  heavy  or  massive  as  the 
Great  Dane,  but  more  so  than  the  deerhound,  which 
in  general  type  he  should  otherwise  resemble.  Of 
great  size  and  commanding  appearance,  very  mus- 


The  Irish  Wolfhound.  205 

cular,  strongly  though  gracefully  built ;  movements 
easy  and  active  ;  head  and  neck  carried  high  ;  the 
tail  carried  with  an  upward  sweep  with  a  slight  curve 
towards  the  extremity.  The  minimum  height  and 
weight  of  dogs  should  be  31  in.  and  i2olb.  ;  of 
bitches  28in.  and  9olb.  Anything  below  this  should 
be  debarred  from  competition.  Great  size,  including 
height  at  shoulder  and  proportionate  length  of  body, 
is  the  desideratum  to  be  aimed  at,  and  it  is  desired 
to  firmly  establish  a  race  that  shall  average  from 
32in.  to  34-in.  in  dogs,  showing  the  requisite  power, 
activity,  courage,  and  symmetry. 

2.  Head. — Long,  the  frontal  bones  of  the  forehead 
very  slightly  raised,  and  very  little  indentation  between 
the  eyes.     Skull,  not  too  broad.     Muzzle,  long  and 
moderately  pointed.      Ears,  small  and  greyhound-like 
in  carriage. 

3.  Neck. — Rather  long,  very  strong  and  muscular, 
well  arched,  without  dewlap  or  loose  skin  about  the 
throat. 

4.  Chest. — Very  deep.     Breast,  wide. 

5.  Back. — Rather     long      than     short.        Loins, 
arched. 

6.  Tail. — Long  and  slightly  curved,  of  moderate 
thickness,  and  well  covered  with  hair. 

7.  Belly. — Well  drawn  up. 

8.  Fore-quarters. — Shoulders,     muscular,     giving 


206  Modern  Dogs. 


breadth  of  chest,  set  sloping.  Elbows,  well  under, 
neither  turned  inwrards  nor  outwards.  Leg. — Fore- 
arm muscular,  and  the  whole  leg  strong  and  quite 
straight. 

9.  Hind-quarters. — Muscular  thighs,  and  second 
thigh    long    and   strong  as   in   the   greyhound,   and 
hocks  well  let  down  and  turning  neither  in  nor  out. 

10.  Feet. — Moderately    large  and   round,   neither 
turned  inwards  nor  outwards.     Toes  well  arched  and 
closed.     Nails,  very  strong  and  curved. 

11.  Hair. — Rough  and   hard  on   body,  legs,  and 
head ;  especially  wiry  and  long  over  eyes  and  under 
jaw. 

1 2.  Colour  and  mar  kings. — The  recognised  colours 
are  grey,  brindle,  red,  black,  pure  white,  fawn,  or  any 
colour  that  appears  in  the  deerhound. 

13.  Faults. — Too  light  or  heavy  a  head,  too  highly 
arched  frontal  bone;  large  ears  and  hanging  flat  to 
the  face;  short  neck;  full  dewlap;  too  narrow  or  too 
broad  a  chest;   sunken  or  hollow  or   quite  straight 
back;    bent    fore-legs;    overbent    fetlocks;    twisted 
feet;   spreading  toes;  too  curly  a  tail;  weak   hind- 
quarters and  a  general  want  of  muscle;  too  short  in 
body. 


CHAPTER  XII. 
THE   BORZOI  OR    RUSSIAN    WOLFHOUND. 

THERE  is  no  dog  of  modern  times  that  has  so 
rapidly  attained  a  certain  degree  of  popularity  as 
that  which  is  named  at  the  head  of  this  chapter. 
Three  years  ago  it  was  comparatively  unknown  in 
England ;  now  all  well-regulated  and  comprehensive 
dog  shows  give  a  class  or  classes  for  him,  which  are 
usually  well  filled,  and  cause  quite  as  much  interest 
as  those  of  our  own  varieties.  Indeed,  the  Borzoi  is 
a  noble  hound,  powerful  and  muscular  in  appearance> 
still  possessing  a  pleasant  and  sweet  expression,  that 
tells  how  kindly  his  nature  is.  He  is  one  of  the 
aristocratic  varieties  of  the  canine  race,  and  the 
British  public  is  to  be  congratulated  on  its  discern- 
ment in  annexing  him  from  the  Russian  kennels, 
where,  too,  his  reputation  is  of  the  highest. 

In  the  early  days  of  our  dog  shows  Borzois,, 
then  known  as  Siberian  and  Russian  wolfhounds, 
and  by  other  names,  too,  occasionally  appeared  on 
the  benches.  Most  of  them  were  exactly  similar  in 


208  Modern  Dogs. 


type  to  those  we  see  now,  and  no  doubt  have  a 
common  origin  with  the  ordinary  Eastern  or  Cir- 
cassian greyhound,  occasionally  met  with  in  this 
country.  But  the  latter  were  usually  smaller  and  less 
powerful  than  their  Russian  relative.  According  to 
the  "  Kennel  Club  Stud  Book"  a  class  for  "  Russian 
deerhounds  "  was  provided  at  the  National  dog  show 
held  at  the  Crystal  Palace  in  1871.  This  was  not 
the  case,  but  a  foreign  variety  class  was  composed 
almost  entirely  of  Russian  hounds,  and  one  of  them, 
Mr.  S.  G.  Holland's  Tom  won  the  first  prize.  Lady 
Emily  Peel  and  Mr.  Macdona  were  exhibitors  at  the 
same  show. 

It  will  be  more  than  twenty-five  years  since  the 
Czar  of  Russia  presented  the  Prince  of  Wales  with 
a  couple  of  his  favourite  hounds,  Molodetz  and 
Owdalzka.  These  his  Royal  Highness  exhibited 
on  more  than  one  occasion,  and  bred  from  them 
likewise.  Mr.  Cumming  Macdona  had  one  of  the 
puppies,  his  Czar  being  a  particularly  handsome 
specimen.  Then  Mr.  Taprell  Holland,  in  1872, 
showed  an  excellent  hound  in  the  variety  class  at 
Birmingham,  for  which  he  obtained  a  prize.  Even 
before  this,  specimens  of  the  Borzoi  (then  called 
Siberian  Wolfhounds)  were  met  with  on  the 
benches  at  Curzon  Hall.  In  1867,  Mr.  J.  Wright, 
of  Derby,  had  one  called  Nijni;  and  three  years 


The  Borzoi  or  Russian  Wolfhound.        209 

later  the  same  exhibitor  benched  an  excellent 
example  of  the  race  in  Cossack,  a  grandson  of 
Molodetz,  already  mentioned  as  having  belonged 
to  the  Prince  of  Wales,  and  being  from  the  Imperial 
kennels.  Perhaps  the  earliest  appearance  of  all  on 
the  bench  was  in  1863,  when  the  then  Duchess 
of  Manchester  showed  a  very  big  dog  of  the  variety 
at  Islington,  and  bred  by  Prince  William  of  Prussia. 
I  have  the  authority  of  Captain  G.  A.  Graham  for 
stating  that  this  hound  was  31  inches  at  the 
shoulders,  quite  equal  in  size,  as  he  was  in 
power,  to  some  of  the  best  specimens  now  on  our 
shores. 

Thus,  after  all,  this  fine  race  of  dog  is  not  quite 
such  a  modern  institution  in  our  country  as  would 
be  imagined,  though  the  earlier  strains,  I  fancy, 
must  have  been  lost,  possibly  on  account  of  the 
inter-breeding  consequent  on  an  inability  to  obtain 
a  change  of  blood.  Communication  between  the 
eastern  and  western  divisions  of  Europe  is  much 
more  rapid  and  easier  of  accomplishment  than  in  the 
early  days  of  dog  shows. 

Advancing  a  few  years,  Lady  Charles  Kerr  occa- 
sionally sent  some  of  these  Russian  hounds  to  the 
exhibitions,  but  most  of  them  were  small  and  some- 
what light  and  weedy — far  from  such  powerful 
animals  as  the  best  that  are  with  us  to-day,  and 

[VOL.  I.]  p 


210  Modern  Dogs. 


even  they  in  height  do  not  reach  that  of  the  late 
Duchess  of  Manchester,  and  already  alluded  to. 
Of  course,  long  before  this,  the  dog,  in  all  his 
prime  and  power,  was  to  be  found  in  most  kennels 
of  the  Russian  nobles.  Some  of  them  had  strains 
of  their  own,  treasured  in  their  families  for  years. 
Such  were  mostly  used  for  wolf-hunting,  some- 
times for  the  fox  and  deer,  and  bred  with  sufficient 
strength  and  speed  to  cope  with  the  wolf- 
not,  indeed,  to  worry  him  and  kill  him,  but,  as 
a  rule,  to  seize  and  hold  him  until  the  hunters 
came  up. 

In  1 884  a  couple  of  Borzoi,  which  even  then  we  only 
knew  as  Russian  wolfhounds,  were  performing  on  a 
music-hall  stage  in  London,  in  company  with  a  leash 
of  Great  Danes.  The  latter  were,  however,  the 
cleverer  "  canine  artistes,"  though  the  former  the 
handsomer  and  more  popular  animals.  I  fancy 
their  disposition  is  too  sedate  to  make  them 
eminent  on  the  boards,  something  like  that  of 
the  St.  Bernard  or  ordinary  Highland  deerhound, 
neither  of  which  we  have  yet  seen  attempting  to 
emulate  the  deeds  of  trained  poodles  and  terriers 
in  turning  somersaults  and  going  backwards  up  a 
ladder. 

A  correspondent,  writing  to  the  Field  in  1887, 
gives  the  following  description  of  the  Borzoi,  and  it 


The  Borzoi  or  Russian  Wolfhound.        2 1 1 

is  so  applicable  to  him  at  the  present  time  as  to  be 
worth  reproducing  here.      He  says  this 

Is  one  of  the  noblest  of  all  dogs,  and  in  Russia  he  is  con- 
sidered the  very  noblest,  and  valued  accordingly.  Like  all  things 
noble  that  are  genuine,  he  is  rare ;  and,  like  many  other  highly- 
bred  creatures,  the  genuine  Borzoi  is,  from  in-breeding,  becoming 
rarer  every  year.  By  crossing,  however,  with  the  deerhound  and 
other  suitable  breeds,  the  race  will  no  doubt  be  kept  alive  with 
stained  lineage. 

From  the  earliest  times,  the  great  families  of  Russia  have 
bred  the  Borzoi  jealously  against  each  other  for  the  purpose 
of  wolfhunting,  but  there  are  now  few  really  good  kennels  of  the 
breed.  There  are,  I  believe,  various  kinds  of  Borzois — the 
smooth,  the  short-tailed,  &c. — but  by  far  the  handsomest,  and 
the  only  one  of  which  I  have  personal  knowledge,  is  the  rough- 
haired,  long-tailed  strain.  Of  these  I  have  seen  but  very  few 
good  specimens  in  England,  and  in  fact  have  seen  prizes  given  at 
shows  to  very  inferior  specimens  entered  in  the  foreign  class 
under  this  name.  The  true  Borzoi  is  shaped  like  a  Scotch  deer- 
hound,  but  is  a  much  more  powerful  dog.  In  height  he  should 
be  from  26in.  to  32in.,  with  limbs  showing  great  strength,  com- 
bined with  terrific  speed  power.  Indeed,  their  speed  is  greater 
than  that  of  an  English  greyhound.  This  quality  is  clearly  shown 
by  the  long  drooping  quarters,  hocks  well  let  down  close  to  the 
ground,  and  arched  loins  of  such  power  and  breadth  as  to  give 
the  dog  almost  a  hunched  appearance.  The  coat  is  silky,  with  a 
splendid  frill  round  the  neck,  well-feathered  legs,  and  a  tail 
beautifully  fringed  on  the  under  side.  The  carriage  of  the  tail  is 
peculiar,  as  it  is  almost  tucked  between  the  hind  legs,  so  straight 
down  does  it  hang  until  at  the  end  it  curls  slightly  outwards  with  a 
graceful  sweep  ;  but  this,  like  the  bang  tail  of  the  thoroughbred 
racehorse,  adds  to  the  beauty  of  the  quarters.  The  depth  of  these 
dogs  through  the  heart  is  quite  extraordinary,  giving  them,  with 
their  enormous  strength  of  loin,  a  very  powerful  appearance,  and 

P    2 


212  Modern  Dogs. 


it  seems  strange  that  they  do  not  possess  more  staying  powers 
than  they  are  generally  accredited  with.  The  head  is  very 
beautiful,  being  nearly  smooth,  and  with  immense  length  and 
strength  of  jaws,  armed  with  teeth  which  make  one  feel  glad 
to  meet  the  Borzoi  as  a  friend.  The  eyes  are  bright  and  wild,  and 
have  the  peculiarity  of  varying  in  colour  with  the  colour  of  the 
dog.  Thus,  a  white  dog  marked,  with  lemon  eyes ;  a  mouse- 
coloured,  eyes  of  the  same  tinge,  and  so  on. 

The  favourite  colour  of  all,  and  by  far  the  rarest  for  these  dogs, 
is  pure  white,  but  this  is  seldom  met  with.  The  usual  colour 
is  white,  marked  with  fawn,  lemon,  red,  or  grey  more  or  less 
mixed.  Perhaps  the  prettiest  features  of  all  in  the  Borzoi  are  its 
ears,  which  are  very  small,  fringed  with  delicate  silky  hair,  and 
should  be  pricked  with  a  half  fall-over  like  a  good  colley's.  In 
his  movements  he  much  resembles  a  wild  animal,  and  has  quite 
the  slouching  walk  and  long  sling  trot  which  is  a  characteristic  of 
his  born  enemy,  the  wolf.  Yet  to  see  a  Borzoi  trot  out  with  his 
long  swinging  action,  and  then  just  break  into  a  canter,  has 
always  reminded  me  of  a  two-year-old  cantering  down  to  the  post. 
The  muscles  on  the  quarters,  thighs,  and  arms  should  be  well 
developed,  as  these  dogs  are  intended,  and  in  fact  used,  to  course 
the  wild  wolf.  Strong  must  be  the  muscles,  long  the  teeth, 
and  indomitable  the  pluck  of  the  Borzoi,  who  has  to  encounter 
single-handed  the  wild  wolf  in  his  own  haunts.  No  doubt  the 
Borzoi,  on  such  occasions,  remembers  the  well-known  fact  that  the 
favourite  meat  of  the  wolf  is  dog,  and  acts  accordingly.  It  is 
usual,  however,  to  employ  two  Borzois  to  course  a  wolf,  and  it  is 
only  the  best  specimens  that  can  be  trusted  to  account  for  one 
single-handed. 

Perhaps,  before  going  more  fully  into  the  Borzoi 
as  a  British  dog,  the  following  extract  from  an  article 
by  Mr.  F.  Lowe,  who  two  years  ago  spent  some 
time  in  Russia,  will  give  an  idea  of  the  extent  of 


The  Borzoi  or  Russian  Wolfhound.        213 

the    kennels    of   the  Borzoi    hounds,  and    the  value 
placed  upon  them  in  their  native  country.     He  says  : 

In  the  south  of  Russia,  from  which  I  have  just  returned,  I  had 
the  good  fortune  to  be  the  guest  of  a  keen  and  well-known 
sportsman  Mr.  Kalmoutzky,  who,  since  coming  into  the  inheritance 
of  a  magnificent  property  of  something  like  twenty  square  miles, 
has  built  kennels  which  I  should  say  are  not  surpassed  in  any 
country — being  very  large  in  size,  and  as  near  to  perfection  in 
detail  as  can  well  be  imagined.  The  lodging  houses,  numbering 
three,  are  benched  on  two  sides,  and  at  each  end  there  is  a  room 
for  a  man ;  three  kennelmen  being  allowed  for  each  kennel,  two 
of  them  on  duty  night  and  day.  This  gives  nine  kennelmen  to 
the  kennels  and,  with  five  other  officials,  the  number  of  men 
employed  on  it  are  fourteen.  It  is  necessary  to  have  men  in 
attendance  at  all  times,  as  the  wolfhounds  are  very  quarrelsome, 
and  terrible  fighters.  Each  kennel  has  a  large  yard  of  more  than 
three  quarters  of  an  acre.  In  addition  to  the  above  there  are 
commodious  kennels  for  puppies  (and  these  buildings  are 
heated  with  hot  air),  cooking  houses,  and  a  hospital.  There  is 
telephone  communication  from  all  the  kennels  to  Mr.  Kalmoutzky's 
house,  and  he  expects  everything  to  be  in  readiness  for  a  hunt  in 
ten  minutes  from  the  time  he  sends  his  orders. 

In  the  kennels  above  described  can  be  seen  perhaps  the  finest 
pack  of  wolfhounds  in  the  world,  numbering  twenty-two  couples. 
They  form  a  magnificent  collection,  their  owner  having  spared  no 
expense  in  getting  the  best  to  be  found  in  Russia,  and  of  the  oldest 
blood.  Some  of  them  have  cost  ^"300  each;  and  the  estimated 
worth  of  the  pack  is  considerably  over  ^5000. 

A  perfect  wolfhound  must  run  up  to  a  wolf,  collar  him  by  the 
neck  just  under  the  ear,  and,  with  the  two  animals  rolling  over, 
the  hound  must  never  lose  his  hold,  or  the  wolf  would  turn  round 
and  snap  him  through  the  leg.  Three  of  these  hounds  hold  the 
biggest  wolf  powerless ;  so  that  the  men  can  dismount  from  their 
horses  and  muzzle  the  wolf  to  take  him  alive. 


214  Modern  Dogs. 


The  biggest  Scotch  deerhounds  have  been  tried,  but  found 
wanting;  they  will  not  hold  long  enough.  And  to  show  how 
tenacious  is  the  grip  of  the  Russian  hounds,  they  are  sometimes 
suffocated  by  the  very  effort  of  holding.  Some  of  them  stand 
32111.  at  the  shoulder,  are  enormously  deep  through  the  girth,  and 
their  length  and  power  of  jaw  are  something  remarkable.  They 
have  a  roach  back,  very  long,  muscular  quarters,  and  capital  legs 
and  feet.  In  coat  they  are  very  profuse,  of  a  soft,  silky  texture, 
but  somewhat  open. 

I  took  the  journey  to  Russia  with  eleven  couples  of  foxhounds, 
as  additions  for  Mr.  Kalmoutzky's  pack.  I  had  cases  made  to 
hold  two  hounds,  so  that  I  had  eleven  of  these  big  packages,  which 
went  as  my  personal  luggage,  the  weight  being  a  ton  and  a  quarter. 
It  took  me  exactly  seven  days  to  get  to  my  destination,  from 
Dover  via  Paris,  Vienna,  and  Jassy ;  and  I  was  met  in  right  regal 
state,  as  there  was  a  carriage  and  four  for  myself,  another  for 
Mr.  Kalmoutzky's  steward,  and  five  waggons,  each  drawn  by  four 
horses,  for  the  hounds,  with  seven  chasseurs  to  take  charge  of 
them. 

We  had  nearly  forty  miles  to  drive ;  and  the  hardy  little  Russian 
horses  did  this  at  a  hard  gallop,  over  plains,  with  no  roads,  and 
there  were  no  changes.  We  were  just  under  four  hours  doing  this 
wild  journey ;  and  my  good  friend  and  host,  who  did  not  expect 
me  to  arrive  so  early,  had  gone  out  on  a  wolf-seeking  expedition  ; 
but  on  his  return,  the  first  thing,  after  a  most  hearty  welcome,  was 
to  inspect  the  kennel,  with  which  I  was,  of  course,  greatly  de- 
lighted. He  would  not  show  me  the  wolfhounds  at  this  moment, 
as  that  inspection  was  reserved  until  after  dinner,  when  they  were 
all  brought  into  his  study,  one  by  one,  and  their  exploits  separately 
recorded.  Noble  looking  fellows  they  are ;  and  by  their  immense 
size  and  powerful  frames,  in  much  the  same  formation  as  our 
English  greyhound,  they  are  admirably  adapted  to  course  big 
game.  They  look  quiet,  but  the  least  movement  excites  them  ;  and  in 
leading  them  even  through  the  hall,  from  the  study,  there  was  very 
nearly  a  battle  royal  or  two.  The  Russian  chasseurs,  though,  beat 


The  Borzoi  or  Russian   Wolfhound.        215 


any  men  I  have  ever  seen  in  handling  a  hound  ;  and  their  influence, 
apparently  all  by  kindness,  is  extraordinary.  I  noticed  that  even 
the  puppies  at  play  made  for  the  same  spot  in  trying  to  pull  each 
other  down — namely,  by  the  side  of  the  neck  under  the  ear ;  and 
this  mode  of  attack  seems  instinctively  born  in  them.  -  The  wolf's 
running  is  perfectly  straight,  and  if  he  attacks  it  is  straight  ahead ; 
he  will  only  turn  if  caught  in  a  manner  to  do  so ;  and  a  dog  laying 
hold  of  him  over  the  back  or  hind  quarters  would  be  terribly 
punished.  The  clever  wolfhound  never  gets  hurt,  no  matter 
whether  he  or  the  wolf  attacks  first;  and  some  singular  trials  of 
this  sort  have  taken  place. 

Recently  a  very  big  wolf,  that  had  been  captured  with  much 
difficulty,  was  matched  against  any  two  hounds  in  Russia.  The 
challenge  was  accepted,  and  the  wolf  placed  in  a  huge  box  in  an 
open  space.  The  moment  the  trap  was  pulled  the  wolf  stood  and 
faced  the  spectators ;  on  the  hounds  being  slipped  on  him  he 
attacked  them;  but  they  avoided  his  rush,  and  pinned  him  so 
cleverly  that  the  wolf  was  muzzled  and  carried  off  without  the 
least  difficulty ;  whereupon  an  enormous  price  was  paid  for  one  of 
the  hounds. 

The  Russian  style  of  hunting  would  not  meet  all  our  English 
views  of  sport ;  but  there  is  doubtless  a  deal  of  excitement  about 
it.  Mr.  Kalmoutzky's  domain  is  entirely  on  a  plain,  with  scarcely 
any  woodlands  at  all.  It  is  all  like  a  big  sea  of  grass,  the  going 
being  as  good  as  on  Newmarket  Heath,  with  here  and  there 
the  land  turned  up  in  cultivation,  but  looking  much  like  patches  in 
the  vast  expanse ;  so  also  did  the  reed  beds  of  300  or  400 
acres  each,  and  these  are  the  coverts  for  the  wolves  and  foxes. 
These  reed  beds  are  mostly  eight  or  nine  miles  apart,  so  English 
foxhunters  could  see  what  a  gallop  could  be  had  here ;  better  than 
Dartmoor  or  Exmoor,  as  the  turf  is  perfect,  no  rough  ground,  and 
the  hills  little  more  than  undulations. 

Special  hunts  would  have  been  arranged  on  my  behalf,  but, 
alas !  like  our  own  frozen-out  sportsmen,  I  had  to  be  disappointed, 
as  frost  and  snow  interfered.  However,  one  morning  I  was  given 


216  Modern  Dogs. 


an  insight  into  wolf  coursing,  by  one  that  had  been  previously 
captured  being  let  loose  on  the  snow.  First  a  very  noted  hound 
was  slipped,  to  show  how  one  could  perform  single-handed.  The 
start  given  to  the  wolf  was  about  200  yards,  and  in  about  600 
yards  the  hound  had  got  up,  and  in  the  next  instant  had  taken 
hold  by  the  neck,  and  both  seemed  to  turn  head  over  heels 
in  a  mass.  The  next  course  two  hounds  were  slipped,  and  these 
ran  up  to  the  wolf  one  on  each  side,  catching  him  almost  at  the 
same  moment ;  the  foe  was  then  powerless,  and  seemed  to  be  as 
easily  muzzled  as  a  collie  dog. 

I  remarked  to  my  host  that  I  did  not  think  the  hounds  seemed 
to  go  quite  as  fast  as  our  greyhounds,  and  he  replied,  "  No,  they 
do  not.  We  have  tried  them,  and  the  greyhound  is  the  faster; 
but  none  of  your  breeds  have  the  hold  of  our  hounds." 

The  plan  of  a  regular  hunt  was  fully  described  to  me.  It  is 
decided  to  draw  a  reed  bed,  and  very  quietly  a  mounted  chasseur 
with  three  wolfhounds  is  stationed  on  some  vantage  ground  near. 
Other  points  are  guarded  in  the  same  manner,  and  then  the  head 
huntsman  rides  into  the  covert  with  a  pack  of  foxhounds.  The 
oldest  wolves  will  break  covert  at  almost  the  first  cheer  given  to 
hounds ;  but  the  younger  ones  want  a  lot  of  rattling.  However, 
the  keen  eyes  of  the  men  and  hounds  soon  detect  wolves  stealing 
away ;  the  three  hounds  are  then  slipped,  a  gallop  begins,  and 
generally,  in  the  course  of  a  mile  or  less,  the  wolf  is  bowled  over. 
The  chasseur  then  dismounts,  cleverly  gets  astride  the  wolf, 
and  collars  him  by  the  ears,  the  hounds  still  holding  on  like  grim 
death.  Another  chasseur  rides  up,  slips  a  muzzle  on  the  wolf, 
which  is  then  hauled  on  to  one  of  the  horses,  tightly  strapped  to 
the  Mexican  sort  of  saddle,  and  taken  off  to  a  waggon  in  waiting 
near.  Foxes  are  similarly  coursed  and  killed  with  foxhounds,  the 
latter  being  stopped  at  the  edge  of  the  covert. 

Following  Mr.  Lowe's  article,  some  correspondence 
ensued,  and  Colonel  Wellesley  forwarded  an  interest- 
ing communication  he  had  received  from  Prince 


The  Borzoi  or  Russian  Wolfhound.        217 


Obolensky  on  the  subject.  His  Royal  Highness, 
who  has  a  famous  strain  of  Borzoi  of  his  own, 
and  may  be  taken  as  a  leading  authority  on  the 
breed,  says  : 

The  dogs  that  have  been  catalogued  at  various  shows  in  England 
for  the  last  three  years  are  pure  Borzois,  and  have  come  originally 
from  the  best  kennels  in  Russia.  For  instance,  Krilutt,  Pagooba, 
Sobol,  Zloeem,  and  others  were  not  ordinary  working  hounds,  but 
dogs  that  were  admired  in  their  native  country,  both  on  the  show 
bench  and  in  the  field.  Pdgooba,  for  example,  who  is  of  excep- 
tional size  for  a  bitch,  has  several  times  pinned  wolves  single- 
handed. 

The  English  traveller  mentions  the  size — viz.,  32in. — of  the 
dogs  he  saw  as  tremendous.  There  are  exceptional  cases  where 
the  Borzoi  has  stood  very  near  that  height.  At  the  dog  show  in 
Moscow  this  year  a  dog  called  Pilai  measured  31  Jin.,  or  80 
centimetres;  but  the  average  height  is  from  28in.  to  2^'m.  It 
often  proves  to  be  the  case,  however,  that,  for  working  purposes, 
the  smaller  dog  shows  itself  to  excel  in  speed,  pluck,  and  tenacity. 

For  wolf  hunting  I  personally  prefer  the  English  greyhound, 
acclimatised  here  (i.e.,  born  in  Russia  from  English  parents);  but 
I  am  also  a  great  admirer  of  the  Russian  rough-coated  Borzoi.  I 
may  claim  to  know  something  about  the  latter,  because  for  many 
years  I  have  bred  and  hunted  them,  and  my  dogs  are  the  lineal 
descendants  of  those  bred  by  my  grandfather,  General  Bibikoff, 
who  was  himself  renowned  for  his  sporting  proclivities,  and  for  the 
excellence  of  his  breed  of  dogs.  So  valued  is  that  strain  now, 
that  it  can  be  found  in  most  of  the  best  kennels  in  Russia. 

In  addition  to  sport  with  Borzois  obtained  in  the 
above  manner,  occasional  meetings  are  held  where 
hares  are  coursed  ;  and  "bagged  "  or  rather  "caged" 


218  Modern  Dogs. 


wolves  treated  in  a  similar  manner.  Judging, 
however,  from  what  I  have  been  told  of  such  gather- 
ings, the  sport  is  by  no  means  desirable  or  of  a  high 
class,  so  need  not  be  further  alluded  to  here. 

It  is  but  natural  that  with  the  popularisation  of  a 
new  variety  of  dog,  some  discussion  should  take  place 
thereon.  In  the  present  instance,  an  attempt  was 
made  upon  the  name  of  the  hound,  but  as  the  word 
Borzoi  had  obtained  general  acceptance,  was  easy 
to  pronounce,  and  not  too  long  to  puzzle  even  a 
child,  the  "  raid  "  failed.  It  is  now  adopted  by  the 
Kennel  Club,  by  the  chief  Russian  authorities,  and  no 
doubt  that  hound  once  known  as  the  Russian  wolf- 
hound will  now  remain  the  Borzoi  to  the  end  of  his 
days.  On  this  matter,  Prince  Obolensky  says : 
"  I  am  glad  to  see  English  sporting  papers  adopting 
the  Russian  name  for  this  breed,  for  the  word  itself 
(Borzoi  mas.,  Borzaizfem  .)  means  '  swift  and  hot- 
tempered;'  and  though  poets  sometimes  apply  the 
expression  to  a  high-spirited  steed,  it  is,  with  this 
exception,  always  applied  to  greyhounds  only;  for 
this  reason  the  English  greyhound  is  called,  in 
Russia,  '  Angliskaia  Borzaia,'  or  English  Borzoi." 

Some  little  time  before  the  above  was  published, 
Lieutenant  G.  Tamooski,  writing  from  Merv,  proposed 
the  term  "  Psovi,"  which  means  literally  "  thick 
coated,"  as  a  fit  name  for  the  dog  as  it  is  known  in 


The  Borzoi  or  Russian  Wolfhound.        219 

this  country,  because  he  says  "  Borzoi  "  means  any 
coursing  hound  whatever. 

The  Duchess  of  Newcastle,  Colonel  and  the  Hon. 
Mrs.  Wellesley,  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Welling- 
ton, Mrs.  Morrison,  of  near  Salisbury  ;  Lady  Innes 
Kerr,  and  Mr.  A.  H.  Blees  have  of  late  given 
particular  attention  to  the  Borzoi,  and  they,  with 
Mr.  K.  Muir,  an  English  resident  in  Moscow, 
who  brought  over  with  him,  during  a  recent  visit,  a 
couple  of  excellent  hounds,  have  had  specimens 
perhaps  as  good  as  can  be  found  in  any  Russian 
kennel.  Their  best  specimens  are  much  stronger,  and 
more  powerful  than  most  of  those  seen  at  our  earlier 
shows.  Mrs.  Wellesley's  Krilutt  is  measured  to  be 
3oin.  at  the  shoulders,  and  pretty  nearly  loolb. 
in  weight,  and  Mr.  Muir's  Korotai  is  half  an  inch 
taller,  and  about  i  lolb.  in  weight.  Both  are 
Russian  born,  and  have  proved  their  ability  to 
win  prizes  at  St.  Petersburg  and  Moscow,  as  well 
as  in  our  own  country.  Like  the  rest  of  their  race, 
they  are  "  thick  coated  dogs  "  —the  smoother  ones 
are  not  liked  in  this  country — not  so  hard  in  their 
hair  as  the  English  deerhound,  but  the  jacket  is 
closer,  and,  if  not  so  straight,  is  perhaps  the  more 
weather-resisting  of  the  two.  As  the  Russians 
themselves  say  that  the  two  kinds  of  coat,  thick  and 
comparatively  smooth,  appear  in  puppies  of  the  same 


220  Modern  Dogs. 


litter,  there  is  no  other  conclusion  to  arrive  at,  that 
they  are  one  and  the  same  variety.  At  any  rate, 
they  are  allowed  to  be  so  in  this  the  land  of 
their  adoption. 

Considerable  interest  was  taken  in  the  extra- 
ordinary collection  of  this  hound  that  appeared  at  the 
Agricultural  Hall,  Islington,  in  February,  1892. 
Here,  many  classes  had  been  provided,  the  result 
being  an  entry  of  about  fifty.  These  included  a  splendid 
team  from  the  "  Imperial  Kennels,"  most  of  which 
belonged  to  the  Grand  Duke  Nicholas.  However, 
three  were  actually  the  property  of  the  Czar,  including 
a  beautiful  bitch  called  Lasca,  and  a  couple  of  dogs, 
Oudar  and  Blitsay.  Oudar  was  a  particularly  fine 
hound,  and  though  in  bad  condition,  consequent  on 
his  long  journey  from  St.  Petersburg,  he  stood  well 
with  the  best  of  our  previously  imported  dogs,  and  in 
the  end  gained  second  honours  in  perhaps  as  good 
an  open  class  as  was  ever  seen  anywhere.  He  stood 
3o^in.  at  the  shoulders,  and  scaled  about  ic»5lb. 

Most  of  these  Russian  dogs  were  sold,  some  of 
them  for  high  prices,  Oudar  realising  ^200,  and  the 
bitch  already  named  as  much.  The  Lord  Mayor  of 
London  was  presented  with  a  handsome  specimen, 
and  most  of  these  Imperial  dogs  were  sold.  Their 
caretaker  had  instructions  to  sell  the  lot,  but  none 
for  less  than  £20  apiece.  The  strains  in  this 


The  Borzoi  or  Russian   Wolfhound.        22 


country  must  be  improved  by  these  importations, 
and  any  fears  as  to  degeneracy  from  inter-breeding 
may  be  set  at  rest.  Another  big  dog  of  the  race  is 
Colonel  Wellesley's  Damon,  3ofin.  at  the  shoulders, 
and  about  i  lolb.  in  weight,  but  when  we  saw  him  he 
did  not  quite  equal  in  symmetry  and  general  exceU 
lence  such  dogs  as  Krilutt,  Oudar,  Korotai,  and  may 
be  another  dog,  imported  by  Mr.  Summerson,  of 
Darlington,  called  Koat,  afterward  H'Vat. 

To  dwell  a  little  more  upon  the  very  best  speci- 
mens seen  in  England  during  the  past  year  or  so— 
Krilutt  and  Korotai,  with  Oudar  and  Ooslad,  cer- 
tainly bear  the  palm.  The  latter,  a  fawn  hound,  is 
rather  smaller  than  the  others,  but  on  one  occasion, 
at  least,  he  has  beaten  Korotai,  a  decision  with 
which  I  do  not  agree ;  for  if  Ooslad  is  a  little  finer 
in  the  head,  his  opponent  beats  him  in  coat,  colour, 
power,  size,  and  in  all  other  particulars.  Korotai 
is  a  white  dog  with  slight  blue  markings.  It  is  said 
that  when  in  Russia  he  has  run  down  and  over- 
powered a  wolf.  His  strain  is  of  the  best  and  most 
valued,  and  I  certainly  liked  him  the  best  of  any  of 
his  race  I  had  seen  until  Oudar  came  on  to  the 
scene.  However,  at  the  show  already  alluded  to, 
the  latter  was  not  in  good  condition,  and  suffered 
defeat ;  Korotai  winning  chief  honours  in  an  extra- 
ordinary fine  lot  of  dogs.  Krilutt  had  been  in  the 


222  Modern  Dogs. 


challenge  class,  and  Oudar  was  first  in  a  division  for 
novices,  and  noAV  he  will  be  well  cared  for  in  the 
kennels  of  The  Duchess  of  Newcastle  at  Clumber. 
He  went  into  her  Grace's  possession  for,  I  believe, 
^"200,  and  is  a  portion  of  one  of  the  finest  collections 
of  the  Russian  wolfhound  ever  brought  together  in 
this  country.  At  the  time  of  writing  there  are  over 
fifty  specimens  of  the  variety  kennelled  at  Clumber 
—including  several  especially  fine  dogs  and  bitches. 
Mr.  Summerson's  dog  Koat,  now  known  as  Mr. 
W.  E.  Allcock's  H'Vat,  is  another  good  specimen. 
Argos  (Mr.  O.  H.  Blees's),  a  black  and  tan  in 
colour,  is  also  a  very  nice  hound,  excepting  so 
far  as  the  colour  goes,  which  is  not  good.  The 
owner  of  the  last  named  Borzoi,  who  is  a  Russian, 
has  repeatedly  been  an  exhibitor  in  this  country,  and 
at  the  Kennel  Club's  show,  in  1891,  he  took  first, 
second,  and  third  prizes  in  dogs,  but  was  not  so 
successful  in  bitches,  where  Mr.  F.  Lowe  won,  with 
a  powerful  and  excellent  specimen  he  had  brought 
with  him  from  Russia,  and  called  Roussalka.  She 
would,  no  doubt,  have  been  useful  here,  but,  un- 
fortunately, died  soon  after  the  show.  Colonel 
Wellesley's  bitch,  Pagooba,  and  Mr.  K.  Muir's  dog, 
Pwlai,  are  both  hounds  of  a  very  high  class,  the 
latter  darker  in  colour,  and  built  "  on  less  gallopping 
lines  "  than  his  kennel  companion,  Korotai. 


The  Borzoi  or  Russian  Wolfhound.        223 

Of  these  very  excellent  specimens,  Colonel 
Wellesley  must  have  the  honour  of  being  first  in 
the  field  with  Krilutt,  who  made  an  early  appearance 
—and  a  most  successful  one  it  was — at  the  Kennel 
Club  show,  when  held  at  the  Alexandra  Palace  in 
1889 — the  year  of  the  bloodhound  trials.  Krilutt 
had  come  with  a  great  reputation  as  the  winner 
of  a  silver  medal  at  Moscow,  and  quite  bore  out 
all  the  good  words  that  had  been  said  of  him. 
Exquisite  in  coat  and  colour — the  latter  white  with 
light  markings  of  pale  fawn — he  stood  taller  than 
any  other  dog  in  his  class,  and  up  to  this  period  and 
for  some  time  after  was  certainly  the  best  Borzoi  I 
had  seen.  Since,  two  or  three  have  appeared  that 
are,  I  believe,  quite  his  equals.  Whether  it  is  worth 
while  mentioning  a  dog  named  Zloeem,  which,  a 
year  later,  had  been  purchased  in  Russia  by  an 
American  gentleman,  Mr.  Paul  Hacke,  is  an  open 
question.  However,  it  was  said  that  Zloeem  could 
lower  the  colours  of  Krilutt  and  all  other  opponents, 
and  at  Brighton  and  the  Crystal  Palace  was  pro- 
duced for  the  purpose  of  doing  so.  How  com- 
pletely he  failed  is  now  a  matter  of  history — a 
second-rate  dog  only  when  at  his  very  best. 

Mr.  Freeman  Lloyd  has  had  a  good  dog  or  two, 
smaller  perhaps  than  the  cracks ;  but  his  Whirlwind 
will  always  be  a  typical  specimen,  and  if  not  quite  so 


224  Modern  Dogs. 


tall  as  Zloeem,  a  better  animal  all  round ;  as  is 
another  hound,  Molodyets,  which  was  purchased 
for  comparatively  little  money  a  couple  of  years  ago 
by  the  Rev.  G.  C.  Dicker. 

It  might  be  well  to  mention  that  considerable 
risk  is  run  by  the  loss  of  these  dogs  immediately 
after  their  arrival  in  this  country.  To  my  personal 
knowledge,  three  or  four  deaths  have  so  taken 
place.  No  doubt  the  changes  of  food,  in  their 
manner  of  living,  and  in  other  surroundings, 
bring  on  a  complication  of  disorders  not  unlike 
ordinary  distemper.  That  handsome  bitch,  Rous- 
salka,  brought  over  by  Mr.  F.  Lowe,  died  soon  after 
it  left  his  kennels — it  cost  its  new  owner  ^100; 
and  Mr.  Muir's  Korotai  had  a  narrow  escape, 
lying  at  death's  door  for  several  days.  Being  a 
dog  of  strong,  hardy  constitution,  and  well  nursed, 
he  contrived  to  pull  through. 

The  usual  colours  of  the  Borzoi  are  white  with 
markings  of  fawn  in  varying  shades,  of  blue  or 
slate,  sometimes  of  black  and  tan.  The  latter  is 
not  considered  good,  nor  are  the  whole  colours 
which  are  occasionally  seen — fawn  and  black  and 
tan.  Some  of  the  white  dogs  are  occasionally 
patched  with  pale  brindle,  which,  however,  is 
not  so  well  defined  in  its  bars  or  shades  as  that 
colour  is  found  on  our  greyhounds  and  bull 


The  Borzoi  or  Russian  Wolfhound.        225 


dogs.  Many  persons  object  to  the  brindle  or 
tiger-coloured  marks,  and  Colonel  Tchebeshoff,  one 
of  the  great  authorities  on  the  breed,  disqualifies 
black,  and  black  and  tan,  and  white  with  black 
spots,  as  indicating  descent  from  English  or 
Oriental  greyhounds.  Still,  against  this  opinion 
there  is  a  famous  picture,  in  the  possession  of 
the  Czar,  of  four  Borzois  chasing  a  wolf.  At  least 
one  of  these  animals  gives  the  appearance  of 
being  black  and  tan,  with  an  almost  white  face, 
very  broad  white  collar  and  chest,  white  stern  and 
hindquarters. 

The  size  of  the  Borzoi  and  his  coat  will  have 
been  surmised  from  what  has  already  been  written. 
His  general  appearance  will  be  seen  from  the 
illustration.  As  a  companionable  dog  he  is  highly 
spoken  of,  but,  like  all  other  dogs,  he  must  be 
brought  up  for  the  purpose  for  which  he  is 
intended.  In  many  of  the  Russian  kennels  he  is 
kept  for  hunting  a  savage  animal  (by  a  few  only  to 
be  used  for  fox  and  hare)  and  to  do  so  successfully 
must  be  savage  himself.  Those  which  have  been 
reared  in  this  manner,  and  not  had  the  benefit  of 
civilising  home  influences,  are  not  to  be  trusted  any 
more  than  would  one  of  our  own  foxhounds.  But, 
as  I  have  said,  properly  brought  up  and  educated, 
he  will  be  found  as  companionable  as  the  best— 

[VOL.  I.]  Q  ' 


226  Modern  Dogs. 


no  fonder  of  fighting  than  the  deerhound,  faithful 
as  the  collie,  and  as  handsome  and  picturesque 
as  either.  His  naturalisation  with  us  is  accom- 
plished, and  I  can  see  no  reason  whatever  why 
he  is  any  more  likely  to  be  eliminated  from  "  Modern 
Dogs  "  than  the  St.  Bernard.  He  will  be  used  here 
as  a  purely  fancy  variety;  there  are  no  wolves  for 
him  to  kill,  hares  and  rabbits  are  out  of  his  line,  and 
deer  must  be  left  for  the  big  foxhound  and  the  High- 
land deerhound  to  tackle. 

I  have  written  of  the  Borzoi  as  we  know  him 
here,  and  as  he  will  in  the  future  be  known,  taking 
no  account  of  the  various  strains  said  to  be  in  the 
Czar's  dominions. 

During  1892  a  specialist  club  was  formed  to  look 
after  the  interests  of  the  Borzoi  in  this  country,  but 
up  to  the  time  of  writing  this,  no  description  of  its 
favourite  dog  has  been  issued  by  the  members.  In 
the  absence  of  such  a  compilation  I  think  it  best 
to  give  the  description  drawn  up  in  1889  by  the 
"  Russian  Imperial  Society  for  the  encouragement 
of  Sport,"  and  which  was  first  published  in  the 
Stock  Keeper.  This  is  as  follows  : 

"  Head. — Generally  lean  throughout,  with  flat 
narrow  skull,  leading  over  a  hardly  perceptible  stop 
to  a  long  snout.  The  head,  from  forehead  to  end  of 
nose,  should  be  so  fine  and  lean  that  the  shape  and 


The  Borzoi  or  Russian  Wolfhound.       227 

direction  of  the  bones  and  principal  veins  can  be 
easily  seen. 

"  Nose.— Black. 

"  Eyes. — Dark,  expressive,  oblong,  almond  shaped. 

11  Ears. — Small,  not  quite  round  at  the  tips,  not 
leathery,  set  on  high,  and  with  the  tips  when  thrown 
back  almost  touching  behind  the  occiput. 

"  Neck. — Not  swan-like,  though  not  short  nor 
rising  straight  up  from  the  withers. 

"  Shoulders. — Clean. 

"  Chest. — Somewhat  narrow,  but  not  hollow. 

"  Back. — Rather  bony,  and  free  from  any  cavity 
in  the  spinal  chord  (as,  for  example,  is  often  seen 
in  English  Greyhounds),  with  a  well  marked  arch 
in  the  male,  but  level  and  broad  in  the  female. 

"  Loins. — Broad  and  drooping. 

"  Ribs. — On  no  account  round  like  a  barrel,  but 
flat  like  a  fish,  deep,  reaching  to  the  elbow,  and 
even  lower. 

11  Groin. — In  the  male  short,  in  the  female 
roomy. 

''Forelegs. — Lean  and  straight.  Seen  from  the 
front  they  should  be  narrow,  and  from  the  side  broad 
at  the  shoulder  and  narrowing  gradually  down  to  the 
foot. 

u  Hind  Legs. — Should  be  the  least  thing  under 
the  body  when  standing  still,  not  straight,  and 

Q  2 


228  Modern  Dogs. 


the  stifle  only  slightly  bent,  and  the  hind  legs 
not  too  far  apart  from  one  another.  Free  from 
dew  claws. 

"  Muscles. — Those  of  the  hindquarters,  shoulders, 
and  chest  should  be  long  and  not  convex. 

"  Pasterns. — Short. 

"  Feet. — Long  toes,  closely  joined  together,  short 
and  strong  nails,  and  the  animal  should  stand  more 
on  the  nails  than  on  the  heel. 

"  Coat. — Soft,  long,  silky,  and  wavy,  and  in  places 
somewhat  curly.  The  feet  should  be  covered  with 
fur  like  a  hare. 

"  Tail. — Long  and  sickle-shaped. 

"  The  male  should  in  general  be  shorter  in  body 
than  the  female.  It  should  be  possible  to  place 
the  male  in  a  square,  so  that  the  withers,  toes 
of  forefeet,  and  heels  of  hind  legs  should  be  placed 
within  the  limits  of  the  four  lines  forming  it." 

In  Russia,  although  judging  dogs  by  points  is 
in  vogue,  the  procedure  connected  therewith  is 
arranged  on  different  lines  to  that  followed  in  this 
country.  For  instance,  forty-five  is  taken  as  the 
complement  indicating  perfection,  and  each  point  of 
the  dog  is  given  five,  no  particular  one  having  a 
greater  number  allowed  than  another.  However,  to 
modify  this  the  various  points  are  placed  in  order  of 
precedence,  according  to  the  Russian  standard,  they 


The  Borzoi  or  Russian  Wolfhound.        229 

being  as   follows  :   Hind   legs,   forelegs,    ribs,   back, 
general  symmetry,  muzzle,  eyes,  ears,  tail. 

As  previously  stated,  the  above  is  given  as  the 
standard  of  the  Borzoi,  adopted  by  the  leading 
authorities  in  its  native  country.  Here  we  should 
note  the  head  particularly,  and  no  one  will  deny  that 
the  correct  formation  and  expression  of  the  head  and 
face  of  a  dog  ought  to  be  of  greater  value  than  the 
carriage  and  size  of  its  ears  ;  nor  can  we  see  why 
the  shape  of  the  back  of  the  dog  should  differ  from 
that  of  the  bitch.  Again,  we  in  this  country  will 
never  agree  to  allow  flat  ribs  like  "  those  of  a  fish." 
There  is  no  reason  why  the  ribs  should  not  be  as 
round  and  well  sprung  as  are  those  of  a  greyhound. 
xVothing  is  said  about  the  colour  of  the  Borzoi. 
This  ought  to  be  white,  with  blue,  grey,  or  fawn 
markings  of  different  shades,  the  latter  sometimes 
deep  orange  coloured,  approaching  red.  Pale 
brindled  marks  on  the  white  ground  are  often  found, 
and  are  not  objectionable,  and  fawn  dogs  with 
or  without  black  muzzles  are  not  unusual.  Whole 
colours  are  unsatisfactory.  Some  leading  authorities 
would  disqualify  black  and  tan  and  black  hounds, 
and  severely  handicap  others  marked  with  these 
colours  on  the  white  ground.  Certainly  the  lighter 
marked  animals  are  the  handsomest  and  the  most 
admired  in  this  country,  though,  as  stated  earlier  on, 


230  Modern  Dogs. 


one  or  two   heavily  coloured   dogs    of   great    merit 
have  been  shown  in  this  country. 

According   to    our    English    notion    of    awarding 
points  I  should  make  those  of  the  Borzoi  as  follows : 


Value. 

Head  and  muzzle   15 

Eyes  and  ears 10 

Neck  and  chest  10 

Back  and  loins    15 

Ribs 5 

55 


Value. 

Thighs  and  hocks 10 

Legs  and  feet    10 

Stern  5 

Coat 5 

General  symmetry 15 


45 


Grand   Total    100. 


The  height  for  a  dog  should  be  from  28  inches  to 
3 1  inches  at  the  shoulder  ;  a  bitch  about  two  inches 
smaller.  Weight,  a  dog,  from  75lb.  to  loolb. ;  a 
bitch,  from  6olb.  to  75lb. 

I  do  not  know  that  measurements  are,  as  a  rule, 
any  great  guide  in  determining  excellence,  still  the 
following  figures  relating  to  the  Hon.  Mrs.  Wellesley's 
well  known  Krilutt,  and  published  in  the  Dog  Owner's 
Annual  for  1892,  will  give  some  idea  as  to  what 
a  perfect  Borzoi  ought  to  be  when  analysed 
statistically  in  inches  :  "  Length  of  head,  1 1^  inches; 
from  occiput  to  between  shoulders,  11^;  between 
shoulders  to  between  hips,  23  ;  between  hips  to  set 
on  of  tail,  6| ;  length  of  tail,  21  inches  ;  total  length, 
73^  inches.  Height  at  shoulders,  30^  inches  ;  girth 


The  Borzoi  or  Russian  Wolfhound.        231 

of  chest,  33  ;  of  narrowest  part  of  "  tuck-up,"  22  ; 
girth  above  stifle  bend,  13  ;  round  stifle,  n-|;  round 
hock  joint,  6\  ;  below  that  joint,  \\ ;  round  elbow 
joint,  8J;  above  that  joint,  8f ;  girth,  midway 
between  elbow  and  pastern,  6\\  round  neck,  17; 
girth  of  head  round  occiput,  16^;  girth  between 
occiput  and  eyes,  16^  ;  girth  round  the  eyes,  i3f ; 
and  girth  of  the  muzzle  between  eyes  and  nose, 
9  inches.  Weight  about  981b. 

As  to  the  above,  Captain  Graham  tells  me  he 
measured  Krilutt  carefully  on  more  than  one  occa- 
sion, but  could  not  make  him  more  than  29!  inches 
at  the  shoulders,  and  I  have  made  his  full  height 
bare  30  inches. 

It  may  be  said  that  I  have  not  entered  with 
sufficient  fulness  into  the  history  of  the  Borzoi,  as  he 
is  known  in  Russia,  and  given  the  names  of  the 
various  strains  some  writers  claim  there  are  in  his 
native  country.  We  are,  however,  contented  with 
the  animal  as  we  have  him  here,  and  to  tell  his 
admirers  that  there  is  a  strain  of  the  hound,  known 
as  the  Tchistopsovoy  Borzoi,  another  as  the  Psovoy 
Borzoi,  that  the  Courland  Borzoi  is  extinct,  and 
other  such  matter,  would  be  a  little  too  confusing. 
And  really  so  much  has  appeared  about  this  dog  since 
his  popularisation  in  this  country  that  is  of  doubtful 
truth,  care  ought  to  be  taken  in  what  is  reproduced. 


232  Modern  Dogs. 


One  recent  writer  tells  us  that,  even  so  far  back 
as  1800,  certain  Borzoi  of  the  Courland  strain  were 
sold  for  from  7000  to  10,000  roubles  a  piece,  which, 
in  our  money,  cannot  be  computed  at  less  than  from 
iooo/.  to  15007.  a  head  !  No  wonder  that  so  valu- 
able a  hound  has  become  extinct  (on  the  principle 
that  the  best  always  die),  and  it  is  interesting  to  learn 
that,  at  a  time  when  we  in  England  were  giving  5o/. 
each  or  little  more  for  our  verv  best  hounds,  more 
than  twenty  times  that  sum  was  being  paid  in 
Russia  for  similar  quadrupeds. 

Still  the  Borzoi  always  did  flourish  in  the 
dominions  of  the  Czar,  and  at  the  present  time  the 
Imperial  kennels  at  St.  Petersburg  contain  sixty-two 
full-grown  Borzois  and  an  entry  of  forty-five  puppies. 
There  are  fourteen  men  kept  to  look  after  and  to 
train  them  to  their  proper  work,  and  the  nature  of 
this  I  have  already  stated.  Whatever  may  be  urged 
to  the  contrary,  it  must  further  be  said  that,  in  pace 
and  general  excellence  for  hare  coursing  purposes, 
this  Russian  hound  is  far  behind  our  own  good 
greyhound. 


I 


CHAPTER    XIII. 
THE  POINTER. 

ALTHOUGH  the  Pointer  is  of  comparatively  recent 
introduction  into  this  country — comparatively  along- 
side his  fellow  worker  the  setter — no  animal  is 
more  popular  with  the  shooter.  Originally  said 
to  come  from  Spain,  a  country  to  which  we  are 
indebted  for  other  dogs,  Sydenham  Edwards,  writing 
in  1805,  says  it  was  first  introduced  by  a  merchant 
trading  with  Portugal,  at  a  very  modern  period,  and 
was  then  used  by  an  old  <l  reduced  baron,"  named 
Bechill,  who  lived  in  Norfolk,  and  "  who  could  shoot 
flying."  The  same  writer  eulogises  this  Spanish 
pointer,  and  so  good  a  dog  was  he,  and  required  so 
little  training  that  there  was  quite  a  chance  of  his 
putting  the  nose  of  the  "  setting  spaniel  "  out 
of  joint  altogether.  "  Shooting  flying  "  came  into 
vogue  about  the  year  1 730  ;  and  this  may  be  taken 
to  be  about  the  date  of  the  introduction  of  the 
pointer  into  England. 

Probably,  France  had  pointers   before  this  time. 


234  Modern  Dogs. 


One  of  our  modern  writers  falls  into  a  curious  error 
with  regard  to  a  picture  by  Francis  Desportes.  The 
artist  depicts  two  dogs,  which  the  author  says  are 
examples  of  the  "  early  foxhound  and  pointer  cross 
in  France,"  of  the  date  about  1701.  As  a  fact,  the 
picture  is  a  portrait  of  two  favourite  hounds  from  the 
pack  of  Louis  XV.,  Pompee  and  Floressant,  and  was- 
painted  in  1 739.  There  is  no  mistaking  the  hound 
character  of  these  dogs,  and  they  display  no  trace, 
so  far  as  I  can  make  out,  of  any  pointer  appearance 
whatever.  The  pheasant  and  two  other  birds  in  the 
background  are  merely  accessories  to  the  picture, 
and  are  not  put  there  to  indicate  that  the  dogs 
below  them  are  of  a  game  finding  variety.  Howeverr 
there  is  extant  another  drawing  by  the  same  artist, 
of  a  pointer  and  two  setters,  with  partridges  in  front 
of  them,  the  smooth-coated  dog  being  quite  of 
modern  type,  but  with  his  stern  shortened. 

By  the  means  of  that  fine  old  picture,  "  The 
Spanish  Pointer,"  by  Stubbs,  and  which  was  engraved 
by  Woollett  in  1 768,  we  know  what  kind  of  a  dog 
it  was :  liver  and  white  in  colour,  heavily  and 
massively  made,  big  of  head,  double  nosed,  strong 
loined,  shortened  stern ;  a  cumbrous  dog,  steady 
enough,  no  doubt,  but  as  unlike  our  modern  pointer 
as  a  Suffolk  punch  is  unlike  a  thoroughbred  race- 
horse. To  one  of  the  London  dog  shows,  I  think  it 


The  Pointer.  235 


was  in  1891,  Mr.  Walter  Gilbey,  of  Norfolk,  sent  up 
a  brace  of  Spanish  pointers.  These  were  short, 
thick  set,  small  dogs,  fawn,  rather  than  lemon 
and  white  in  colour,  doubled  nosed,  with  short 
stumpy  heads — very  ugly  animals  indeed,  and,  how- 
ever staunch  and  steady  they  might  be  on  game, 
they  would  certainly  be  sadly  deficient  in  pace, 
and  of  no  use  in  competition  against  the  high  rangers 
we  at  present  own.  Nor  could  these  Spanish  pointers 
of  Mr.  Gilbey's  compare  with  the  one  Stubbs 
had,  over  a  hundred  years  before,  given  us  upon 
canvas.  As  a  fact,  they  were  short  and  thick  enough 
in  head,  and  sufficiently  heavy  in  under-jaw,  to 
give  indications  of  a  bulldog  cross.  Still,  they 
were  pure  bred  animals  so  far  as  they  went. 

Good  as  the  old  Spanish  pointer  had  been,  our 
English  sportsmen  required  something  better.  The 
old  strain  tired  much,  and  became  slow  at  the 
end  of  a  day's  heavy  work ;  and  indeed,  it  lacked 
perseverance  generally.  So,  it  was  said,  a  cross 
was  resorted  to.  History  tells  us  this  was  found 
with  the  foxhound,  and  that  the  celebrated  Colonel 
Thornton,  of  Yorkshire,  was  the  first  man  to 
bring  the  improved  dog  prominently  to  the  notice 
of  the  public.  This  might  be  so  or  not,  we  fancy 
not ;  for,  about  the  same  period,  pointers,  far  removed 
from  the  imported  Spanish  dog  in  appearance,  were 


236  Modern  Dogs. 


not  at  all  uncommon  in  England,  and  they  could  easily 
have  been  brought  over  from  France.  In  any  case, 
if  the  gallant  Colonel  was  not  actually  the  maker  of 
the  modern  English  pointer,  he  had  the  credit  of 
being  so,  and,  sportsman  as  he  was,  contrived 
to  get  big  prices  for  some  of  his  dogs,  and 
obtain  a  reputation  for  them  as  being  the  best  in 
England. 

It  was  said  that  two  bred  by  him,  Pluto  and  Juno, 
remained  on  point  during  the  whole  of  the  time 
Sidney  Gilpin,  the  animal  painter,  was  taking  a 
sketch  for  their  portraits,  and  this  occupied  about 
an  hour  and  a  quarter.  This  was  not,  however,  a 
sufficiently  extraordinary  feat  for  his  dogs,  one  of 
which,  the  gallant  Colonel  stated,  had  stood  on  point 
for  five  hours  at  a  stretch,  and  was  even  then  loth  to 
move  in  and  spring  the  game  !  Such  a  story  as  the 
latter  does  not  require  much  further  exaggeration  to 
suggest  others,  like  that  dog  frozen  to  death  whilst 
on  point ;  or  its  cousin,  where  a  sportsman  lost  his 
dog  (it  was  not  on  an  Irish  mountain),  and  on 
going  over  the  same  ground  twelve  months  later 
found  the  skeleton  of  his  old  favourite  still  standing 
with  one  foot  raised  and  on  point,  whilst  six 
yards  away  lay  the  bones  of  two  brace  and  a  half 
of  partridges,  the  feathers  of  the  birds  having 
long  before  been  blown  to  the  four  winds  of  the 


The  Pointer.  237 

heavens.  Surely,  then,  there  are  grounds  for  the 
truth  of  the  north  country  expression,  "  Shutters  is 
leears,"  although  this  may  be  qualified  by  the  usual 
addendum  "  but  fishers,  by  gum  !  " 

The  jovial  colonel  is  said  to  have  had  an  Eclipse 
of  pointers  in  his  dog  called  Dash,  which  was  the 
produce  of  a  foxhound  and  a  Spanish  pointer. 
Dash  could  beat  all  other  dogs,  he  never  omitted  to 
find  birds  in  front  of  him,  and  his  extraordinary 
intuition  enabled  him  to  do  this  without  quartering 
his  ground  as  other  dogs  did.  Moreover,  Dash  was 
as  steady  and  staunch  behind  in  backing  other  dogs 
as  needs  be.  We  are  not  told  how  so  extraordinary 
an  animal  could  so  far  be  outstripped  by  some  sorry 
quarterer  of  his  ground  as  to  be  in  so  backward 
a  position  as  to  have  to  back.  The  fact  of  the 
matter  is,  that  these  extraordinarily  fast  dogs  are 
never  good  backers  because  they  have  not  the 
opportunity  of  being  made  so ;  and  they  can 
scarcely  be  perfection  as  such  naturally  and  with- 
out some  training.  Dash  sustained  his  reputation 
to  the  end,  for  he  was  sold  by  his  breeder  to  Sir 
Richard  Symons  for  champagne  and  burgundy  to 
the  value  of  £160,  a  hogshead  of  claret,  "  an  elegant 
gun,"  and  another  dog.  There  was  a  proviso  that 
should  accident  befal  this  canine  wonder  he  must  be 
returned  to  his  former  owner  for  fifty  guineas.  This 


230  Modem  Dogs. 


was  brought  about  by  the  unfortunate  Dash  breaking 
one  of  his  legs. 

At  the  close  of  the  past  century,  and  about  the 
beginning  of  the  present  one,  the  pointers  were  pretty 
similar  in  colour  to  what  they  are  now — brown,  or 
liver  and  white,  lemon  and  orange,  and  white ;  some 
heavily  flecked  or  ticked  with  these  colours  on  a 
white  ground,  others  black ;  and  no  doubt  there 
would  be  pure  browns  or  livers,  as  there  are  occa- 
sionally now,  though  we  do  not  read  of  them. 
Sometimes  we  see  pointers  with  white  ticks  or 
flecks  on  a  brown  ground,  and  they,  though  odd, 
are  by  no  means  unsightly.  About  ninety  years 
ago  the  Earl  of  Lauderdale  had  a  strain  of  very 
small  pointers  that  would  be  little  more  than  3olb. 
in  weight  ;  they  bore  a  reputation  for  excelling 
in  their  work,  but  were  generally  considered  too 
diminutive  to  be  so  useful  as  the  bigger  dogs  as 
we  have  them  now.  They  were,  however,  a  novelty, 
and  were  likely  enough  introduced  from  France, 
where,  about  that  time,  a  small  and  lightly  made 
pointer  was  quite  common. 

Earlier  than  this  the  Duke  of  Kingston  owned  a 
celebrated  strain  of  black  pointers ;  but  they,  not  being 
so  easy  to  see  when  in  work  as  a  white  dog  or  one 
nearly  white,  the  colour  never  became  popular. 
Still  a  superstition  remains  to  this  day,  in  some 


The  Pointer.  239 


parts  of  the  country,  that  the  black  pointers  are  the 
best  to  kill  game  over,  "  because  such  have  the 
better  noses  and  the  more  stamina,  and  birds  lie 
better  to  a  black  dog  than  to  a  white  one."  The 
latter  idea  prevails  in  a  somewhat  similar  way  as 
to  wild  animals — foxes,  otters,  &c. — bolting  better 
to  a  white  terrier  than  to  a  coloured  one ;  but 
whether  there  is  anything  in  such  a  statement  we 
cannot  give  an  opinion,  though  our  experience  is 
by  no  means  a  small  one  in  the  matter  of  foxes  and 
otters. 

Before  entering  on  to  the  show  period  of  the 
pointer  and  the  introduction  of  field  trial  competi- 
tions, he  was,  no  doubt,  more  used  to  the  gun  than 
he  has  been  since.  Shooting  surroundings  have  been 
much  changed  during  the  past  thirty  or  forty  years. 
Battues  and  artificial  breeding  of  game  have  been 
introduced  on  a  large  scale ;  improved  agricul- 
ture and  general  cultivation  have  further  altered 
matters ;  so  have  the  close  cropping  of  the  land, 
the  use  of  machines  for  mowing  and  reaping,  and 
increased  drainage.  Under  the  old  system  the 
stubbles  remained  as  high  as  a  pair  of  shooting 
boots,  the  after  grass  required  dogs  to  work  it,  rents 
were  lower,  and  the  farmer  could  afford  to  have  a 
"  rushy  pasture "  or  two  on  his  land,  which,  being 
ill-drained,  grew  coarse  "  bent  "  grass,  that  afforded 


240  Modern  Dogs. 


lovely  shelter  for  the  birds.  I  am  writing  of  inland 
shooting  now,  and  not  of  the  moors.  One  thing 
with  another  and  the  old  system  is  changed.  On 
some  of  the  best  partridge  land  in  England,  and  so 
in  the  world,  birds  are  not  usually  killed  over  dogs  ; 
they  are  either  walked  up  by  the  shooters  moving 
on  in  a  row,  or  driven  where  the  sportsmen  take 
their  stands  or  their  seats  and  wait  until  accumu- 
lated coveys  of  partridges  fly  within  gunshot. 

Still,  the  old  style  is  the  best,  and  nothing  prettier 
in  the  way  of  sport  is  there  than  walking  behind  a 
brace  of  well-trained  pointers,  either  through  turnips 
or  over  rough  land,  and  killing  your  birds  as  your 
dogs  find  them,  first  one  dog  and  then  the  other, 
quartering  right  and  left,  crossing  correctly,  and 
backing  as  occasion  requires.  To  kill  driven  birds 
may  require  a  smart  shot,  to  kill  them  when  walking 
in  a  line  may  require  nerve  and  steadiness  ;  but  to 
kill  them  over  dogs,  you  acquire  some  knowledge  of 
the  habits  of  the  game  you  are  after,  and,  moreover, 
are  proud  in  the  possession  of  a  brace  of  animals 
which,  without  prejudice,  you  may  believe  to  be  the 
best  in  the  universe. 

All  things  in  this  world  pretty  much  find  their 
level ;  may  be,  had  such  not  been  the  case,  the  race 
of  the  pointer  would  have  died  out  when  he  came  to 
be  so  little  used,  through  what  some  are  pleased  to 


The  Pointer.  241 


call  "  modern  improvements  in  the  way  of  sport." 
But  the  introduction  of  dog  shows  gave  him  a  fillip,  and 
the  establishment  of  field  trials  raised  his  social  status 
higher  than  ever.  When  the  great  Daniel  Lambert, 
great  in  more  ways  than  in  obesity,  had  a  noted 
strain  of  black  pointers  about  1840,  he  was  contented 
to  give  a  puppy  away  to  a  friend,  or  to  sell  one  for  a 
matter  of  five  pounds  or  even  less,  and  little  more 
could  he  obtain  for  a  fully  grown  dog.  No  one 
disputed  the  excellence  of  his  kennel,  yet,  at  its 
disposal  on  his  death,  six  brace  and  a  half  of  pointers 
realised  but  256  guineas,  the  highest  figure,  46 
guineas,  being  obtained  for  lot  13,  a  dog  called  Bang, 
and  said  to  be  very  good  in  the  field.  Swap  and 
Snake,  unbroken,  from  one  of  Webbe  Edge's  bitches 
called  Bloom,  who  had  been  sold  for  80  guineas  at  the 
Edge  sale,  realised  25  guineas  each.  The  three  latter 
not  at  all  bad  prices,  when  the  period  and  other 
matters  are  taken  into  consideration. 

Even  so  long  ago  as  this,  the  Earl  of  Derby,  at 
Knowsley,  had,  and  was  obtaining,  a  kennel  of  good 
pointers ;  at  Edenhall,  in  Cumberland,  the  Mus- 
graves  had  some  excellent  dogs ;  so  had  Lord 
Mexborough,  the  late  Marquis  of  Westminster,  Lord 
Lichfield,  Lord  Henry  Bentinck,  Sir  E.  Antrobus, 
and  last,  but  by  no  means  least,  Mr.  Webbe  Edge,  of 
Stretley  Hall,  Nottingham. 

[VOL.  I.]  R 


242  Modern  Dogs. 


Some  of  the  oldest  of  our  modern  kennels  have 
their  foundation  from  the  stock  purchased  at  the  Edge 
sale  in  1845,  and  Mr.  Thomas  Statter,  of  Stand  Hall, 
near  Manchester,  whose  death  occurred  so  recently 
as  in  1891,  was  there,  and  bought  a  brace  of  dogs 
that  did  him  great  good  in  the  future.  The  late 
Prince  Consort  was  likewise  a  purchaser  at  the  same 
sale,  and  so  were  the  Duke  of  Portland,  who  bought 
Rake,  and  others ;  and  Mr.  George  Moore,  of 
Appleby,  Lincolnshire,  who,  for  a  time,  had  a 
kennel  of  pointers  as  good  as  any  man  in  the 
country  possessed.  Then,  just  prior  to  this  period, 
Mr.  Osbaldeston  and  Mr.  Meynell,  so  great 
with  foxhounds,  had  spent  considerable  time  and 
expense  in  improving  the  pointer,  but  it  may  be  said 
that  their  blood,  with  that  of  the  Squire  of  Thorn- 
ville  Royal,  all  lapsed  into  the  Knowsley  and  the 
Edge  strains,  and  from  these  to  others,  such  as  the 
few  dogs  that  Lang,  the  Cockspur  Street  gunmaker, 
sold  for  such  high  prices,  Mr.  Comberbach's,  and 
Mr.  Statham's,  of  Derby. 

The  Edge  strain  appears  to  have  been  pretty  well 
distinct  from  the  others,  and  has  proved  of  infinite 
benefit  to  the  admirers  of  the  pointer  who  followed 
him.  His  were  medium-sized  but  particularly 
elegantly  moulded  dogs,  dark  liver  and  white  in 
colour,  with  more  than  a  tendency  to  a  golden  or 


The  Pointer.  243 


bronze  shading  on  the  cheeks.  They  carried  their 
heads  well  in  the  field,  and  in  work  were  quite  equal 
to  what  they  were  in  appearance. 

More  modern  kennels  were  those  of  Sir  R.  Garth, 
Q.C.,  and  Mr.  J.  H.  Whitehouse,  Ipsley  Court, 
Redditch ;  and  the  latter  must  be  taken  as  the 
connecting  link  between  the  present  generation  and 
the  past  one. 

Mr.  W.  Brailsford  informs  me  that,  between  1830 
and  1840  or  so,  the  best  pointers  were  certainly  to 
be  found  in  the  Midlands.  In  addition  to  the 
kennels  already  named  Mr.  Cell,  Hopton  Hall, 
Wirksworth,  had  a  choice  lot  of  dogs.  Mr.  Statham, 
of  Derby,  alluded  to  before,  owned  some  good  look- 
ing, double-nosed  dogs  of  the  Spanish  type ;  and 
perhaps  his  other  pointers  contained  more  crosses 
with  those  from  Mr.  Moore,  of  Appleby  Hall,  than  any 
other  kind.  The  double-nosed  strain  soon  died  out. 

Mr.  Martin,  at  the  Laxton  kennels,  had  mostly 
black  and  white  dogs,  still  there  were  some  lemon 
and  white  amongst  them.  Mr.  Edge  had  given  his 
sole  attention  to  the  liver  and  white,  and  no  doubt 
to  him  their  popularity  at  the  present  day  is  attri- 
butable. Lord  Chesterfield,  at  Gedling,  whose 
kennel  was  under  the  charge  of  the  father  of  my 
informant,  also  had  some  black  and  whites  of  great 
excellence. 

R  2 


244  Modern  Dogs. 


Mr.  Brailsford  further  says  that  two  of  the  best 
dogs  in  the  Edge  kennels  in  1841—2  were  Rake  and 
Romp,  but  the  latter,  having  tan  shadings  on  his 
liver-marked  cheeks,  was  not  much  used  for  breeding 
purposes.  Thus,  even  so  far  back  as  half  a  century 
ago,  a  purely  fancy  point  was  not  sneered  at  by  even 
the  greatest  of  breeders.  The  Edge  strain  was  in 
the  first  instance  obtained  by  judicious  crossing  with 
dogs  and  bitches  obtained  from  Captain  White,  Mr. 
Hurts,  of  Alderwasley,  Mr.  Mundy,  Mr.  G.  Moore,  Mr. 
Statham,  Sir  R.  Goodrich,  and  others.  All  colours 
but  liver  and  white  were  rigorously  excluded,  and  the 
leading  feature  of  the  Edge  strain  lay  in  its  general 
uniformity.  The  best  specimens  only  were  saved ; 
the  kennels  were  never  overcrowded,  and  no  more 
dogs  than  could  be  used  and  properly  trained  for 
the  owner's  own  requirements  were  kept.  The  latter 
an  excellent  arrangement  that  does  not,  however, 
find  favour  now ;  and  I  fancy  that  already  the  market 
is  well  nigh  glutted  with  pointers  and  setters,  as 
recent  sales  at  Aldridge's  prove. 

Mr.  Garth's  dogs  were  disposed  of  by  auction 
at  the  Lillie  Bridge  running  grounds  in  June,  1874, 
when  eight  brace  of  pointers  realised  490  guineas. 
It  may  be  noted  that  the  plums  of  this  sale  were 
obtained  by  Mr.  R.  J.  Lloyd  Price,  of  Rhiwlas,  and 
by  Mr.  G.  Pilkington,  of  Widnes ;  and  no  doubt  the 


The  Pointer.  245 


celebrity  both  these  kennels  obtained  later  on,  was, 
in  a  great  degree,  owing  to  the  discriminating  pur- 
chases made  at  Mr.  Garth's.  Mr.  Price  took  away 
four  brace  and  Mr.  Pilkington  one  brace,  the  latter 
giving  67  guineas  and  55  guineas  respectively  for 
Major,  by  Drake — Mite,  and  for  Doll  by  Major- 
Jill.  Mr.  Price's  lots  cost  him  more  money,  and 
£150  for  the  grand  pointer  Drake,  then  seven  years 
old,  was  the  highest  figure  the  Welsh  squire  gave, 
and  it  was  a  high  one  for  so  old  a  dog. 

The  Earl  of  Sefton  sold  his  pointers  the  same 
week,  but  the  prices  realised  were  not  noteworthy. 

The  first  Field  Trial  meeting  ever  held  took  place 
over  Sir  S.  Whitbread's  Bedfordshire  estate  at 
Southall,  April,  1866,  and  at  which  "  Idstone  "  and 
Mr.  John  Walker,  of  Halifax,  were  the  judges — both, 
unfortunately,  deceased.  The  day  was  by  no  means 
favourable  for  good  work,  being  hot  and  windless ; 
notwithstanding  this,  judging  from  the  points  awarded 
to  the  dogs,  many  of  them  were  of  the  highest  class. 
Two  of  them,  Mr.  R.  Garth's  Jill  and  Mr.  Fleming's 
Dandy,  made  the  highest  number  of  points  possible ; 
and  Mr.  Brockton's  Bounce,  Mr.  Whitehouse's 
Hamlet,  and  Mr.  J.  A.  Handy's  Moll  had  90  points 
given  them  out  of  a  possible  hundred.  Whilst 
alluding  to  the  maximum  of  points  obtained  in  a 
working  trial  by  a  pointer  it  would  be  an  omission 


246  Modern  Dogs. 


not  to  mention  Mr.  Lloyd  Price's  handsome  bitch 
Belle,  who  at  the  Vaynol  trials  in  1872  made  the 
perfect  score  of  100,  though  in  the  champion  plate 
she  was  beaten  by  Mr.  Llewellin's  setter  Countess. 

Our  modern  winners  do  not  appear  to  have  quite 
reached  these  high  figures,  and,  as  a  comparison, 
I  will  give  the  following  figures  awarded  at  the 
Pointer  Club  Trials,  that  took  place  over  Lord 
Kenyon's  estate  near  Wrexham  in  1889.  Here 
the  maximum  points  were  100,  and  Mr.  F. 
Lowe's  Belle  des  Bordes  was  given  98;  Mr.  Heywood 
Lonsdale's  Crab,  96;  Mr.  C.  H.  Beck's  Quits  Baby, 
94 ;  and  Mr.  Lloyd  Price's  Miss  Sixpence  88,  these 
running  in  the  all-aged  stake.  The  puppies  did  not 
do  so  well,  and  the  maximums  reached  were  66  and  57 
by  Mr.  Beck's  Pax  of  Upton  and  his  Quail  of  Upton, 
and  62  by  the  late  Mr.  T.  Statter's  Toil.  This  was 
the  last  occasion  in  this  country  upon  which  a  field 
trial  was  judged  by  points. 

The  disparity  in  the  above  numerals,  we  should 
say,  lies  more  in  the  method  and  in  the  opinion  of 
the  judges  rather  than  in  the  fact  that  the  modern 
pointer  is  inferior  in  his  work  to  that  of  a  quarter  of 
a  century  ago.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  nowadays  the 
work  got  out  of  the  properly  trained  dogs  should  be 
of  a  far  higher  class  than  was  formerly  the  case,  for 
the  largest  owners  of  field  trial  dogs  have  special 


The  Pointer.  247 


men  to  look  after  and  train  them,  breaking  them  in 
the  first  instance  for  public  work  alone,  though  after 
their  advent  as  puppies  they  are  well  able  to  do 
their  duty  amongst  the  grouse  in  Scotland. 

So  successful  was  the  initial  Field  Trial  meeting 
that  others  followed,  and  so  they  have  been  continued, 
and  exist  at  the  present  day.  Some  writers  have 
endeavoured  to  make  a  distinction  between  the  work 
done  by  the  liver  and  white  dogs  and  by  the  lemon 
and  whites,  one  advocating  the  one  colour  and  others 
the  other.  But  let  me  say  colour  has  nothing  what- 
ever to  do  with  the  work  of  a  dog.  Both  have 
originally  come  from  the  same  strains,  and,  given 
equal  opportunities,  will  be  equally  good.  My  field 
trial  and  shooting  experiences  over  dogs  have  been 
long  continued  without  any  material  cessation, 
and  during  this  period  I  have  seen  good  and  bad 
of  all  colours,  excepting,  perhaps,  I  have  never  seen 
a  really  good  field  trial  performer  a  whole  brown. 
Blacks  I  have  seen,  and  black  and  whites  too,  good 
enough  for  anyone,  and  there  are  fresh  in  my  mind 
Mr.  W.  Arkwright's  ugly  black  dog  Tap,  that  per- 
formed so  well  at  the  meetings  in  1892,  his  dam 
was,  however,  a  lemon  and  white  bitch.  Another, 
called  Nigger,  that  Mr.  Herbert  Brown  had  two 
or  three  years  ago,  which  came  from  a  strain 
Mr.  J.  H.  Salter  had  in  his  kennels,  and  valued 


248  Modern  Dogs. 


highly.  Perhaps  the  fastest  pointer  I  ever  saw  was 
Colonel  Cotes'  lemon  and  white  Carlo,  which  gave 
old  Roberts,  his  trainer,  so  much  trouble  to  keep 
within  working  distance. 

Of  some  of  the  chief  dogs  at  the  earlier  trials, 
"  Stonehenge,"  in  his  "  Dogs  of  the  British  Isles," 
says  : 

Among  the  liver  and  whites  the  celebrated  Drake,  bred  by 
Sir  R.  Garth,  and  sold  by  him  for  ^"150  in  his  seventh  season  to 
Mr.  R.  J.  Lloyd  Price,  of  Bala,  was  an  example  of  speed  and 
endurance.  This  dog  was  in  his  day  the  fastest  and  most 
wonderful  animal  that  ever  quartered  a  field,  and  his  race  up  to  a 
brace  of  birds  at  Shrewsbury  in  the  field  trials  of  1868,  when  the 
ground  was  so  dry  as  to  cause  a  cloud  of  dust  to  rise  on  his 
dropping  to  their  scent,  was  a  sight  which  will  probably  never  be 
seen  again.  He  was  truly  a  phenomenon  among  pointers.  His 
extraordinary  pace  compelled  his  dropping  in  this  way,  for  other- 
wise he  could  not  have  stopped  himself  in  time,  but  when  he  had 
lost  more  of  his  pace  he  began  frequently  to  stand  up. 

A  very  beautiful  and  racing  bitch  was  Mr.  Lloyd  Price's  Belle, 
bred  by  Lord  H.  Bentinck,  and  bought  by  Mr.  Price  for  £10 
after  winning  a  third  prize  at  Manchester.  She  was  at  first  fearfully 
headstrong,  and  chased  hares  for  many  weeks  persistently,  being 
far  beyond  her  puppyhood  and  unbroken ;  but  the  perseverance 
of  a  young,  and  till  then  unknown,  breaker,  Anstey,  overcame 
these  defects,  and  being  tried  in  private  to  be  good,  she  was 
entered  at  Vaynol  field  trials  in  1872,  when  she  won  the  prize  for 
braces,  and  also  that  for  bitches,  being  left  in  to  contest  the 
disputed  point  of  priority  in  the  two  breeds  with  Mr.  Whitehouse's 
Priam  against  Mr.  Llewellyn's  Countess  and  Nellie,  both  setters. 
In  this  trial  she  succumbed  to  Countess,  but  turned  the  tables 
on  her  at  Bala  in  1873.  Being  possessed  of  this  beautiful  and 


The  Pointer.  249 


excellent  bitch,  Mr.  Lloyd  Price  naturally  desired  to  match  her, 
and  so  Drake,  as  already  mentioned,  was  purchased.  Previously, 
however,  Drake  had  got  several  dogs  of  high  class,  including 
Viscount  Downe;s  Bang,  Drake  II.,  and  Mars ;  but,  considering 
the  run  he  had  at  the  stud,  his  stock  could  not  be  said  to  have 
come  out  as  well  as  might  be  expected  in  public,  though  in 
private  their  character  was  well  maintained.  Crossed  with  Belle, 
a  litter  considerably  above  the  average  was  obtained,  including 
Mallard  and  Beau,  but  none  coming  up  to  the  form  of  either  sire 
or  dam,  and  not  equal  to  Eos,  who  was  subsequently  from  her  by 
Mr.  Wm.  Statter's  Major.  Mr.  Statter  had  also  bred  Dick, 
successful  at  Bala  and  Ipswich,  from  a  daughter  of  Drake  by 
his  Major,-  who  was  descended  from  the  good  old-fashioned 
strains  of  Lord  Derby,  Mr.  Antrobus,  and  Mr.  Edge.  Major 
was  a  fast,  resolute  dog,  and  ranged  in  beautiful  style,  but  he 
behaved  very  badly  at  Bala  in  1867  (his  only  public  appearance), 
having  just  returned  from  the  moors,  and  not  owning  the  partridge 
scent,  as  is  often  the  case  with  even  the  steadiest  grouse  dogs.  It 
should  be  remembered  that  in  these  days  fast  pace  is  demanded 
far  more  than  in  those  when  pointers  were  used  in  the  south  for 
beating  high  stubbles  in  fields  of  20  acres  or  less,  and  when  the 
heavy  breeds  of  Mr.  Edge,  Lord  Derby,  and  Mr.  Antrobus  were 
able  to  do  all  that  was  desired,  delicacy  of  nose  and  steadiness, 
both  before  and  behind,  being  the  chief  essentials  required.  By 
careful  selection,  and  some  luck,  Sir  R.  Garth  was  able  to  breed 
Drake,  and  Lord  H.  Bentinck  also  obtained  Belle,  while  Mr. 
Statter  has  been  little  behind  them  with  his  Major,  Dick,  and  Rex. 
In  the  south  Mr.  S.  Price  has  produced  his  Bang,  Mike,  and 
Wagg,  the  first  not  quite  up  to  the  pace  of  the  above  dogs,  but 
closely  approaching  it.  He  is  descended  from  Brockton's  Bounce, 
one  of  the  old  heavy  sort,  who,  however,  showed  fair  pace  at 
Southill,  in  1865,  but  crossed  with  the  lemon  and  white  strain 
of  Mr.  Whitehouse,  which  I  must  now  proceed  to  describe.  Mr. 
Lloyd  Price  added  Wagg  to  his  kennel  for  stud  purposes,  and  in 
the  year  1877  obtained  a  very  fast  and  clever  puppy  from  Devon- 


250  Modern  Dogs. 


shire,  viz.,  Bow  Bells,  by  Bang  out  of  Leech's  Belle ;  Mr.  White- 
house's  Rapid  is  another  Devonshire-bred  dog  of  recent  celebrity, 
being  by  Clang  out  of  Romp. 

Up  to  the  time  of  the  institution  of  dog  shows,  the  lemon  and 
whites  were  little  valued  in  comparison  with  the  liver  and  whites ; 
but  Mr.  H.  Gilbert's  Bob  and  Major  (the  latter  sold  to  Mr.  Smith, 
of  Tettenhall,  on  Mr.  Gilbert's  death  in  1862),  brought  the  lemon 
and  whites  into  notice  on  show  bench ;  while  a  son  of  Bob. 
Mr.  Whitehouse's  Hamlet,  already  alluded  to,  took  90  points  out 
of  a  possible  100  at  the  Bedford  trials.  Mr.  Whitehouse's  Hamlet 
also  took  several  prizes  on  the  show  bench,  and  his  stock  have 
quite  superseded  that  of  Major,  which,  handsome  as  they  are 
admitted  to  be,  have  not  shown  much  capacity  for  the  work 
demanded  from  them  in  the  field.  Mr.  Whitehouse  has  bred 
from  this  dog  Priam,  Rap,  Joke,  Flirt,  and  Nina,  all  winners ; 
besides  Macgregor,  who  is  by  Sancho  out  of  a  grand-daughter  of 
Hamlet.  From  these  successes  in  the  twofold  direction  of  beauty 
and  goodness  in  the  field,  Hamlet  was  in  high  fashion  until  the 
appearance  of  Sir  R.  Garth's  Drake,  since  which  the  contest 
between  the  stock  of  those  two  dogs  has  been  maintained  with 
varying  results,  there  being  little  difference  in  the  number  of  wins 
between  Viscount  Downe's  Bang  II.,  Mars,  Grace  II.,  and 
Drake  II.,  together  with  Mr.  Lloyd  Price's  Mallard  and  Beau,  and 
Mr.  Statters  Dick ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  Mr.  Whitehouse's 
Priam,  Rap,  Pax,  Nora,  and  Blanche.  Besides  these  may  be 
mentioned  Mr.  Brackenbury's  Romp  and  her  produce  by  Chang, 
Mr.  Whitehouses  Rapid,  and  Mr.  Fairhead's  Romp. 

I  have  made  this  quotation  as  some  proof  of  what  I 
had  written  as  to  there  being  nothing  in  the  colour  of 
a  pointer  that  would  indicate  either  pace,  staunchness, 
or  stamina,  and  Mr.  Whitehouse,  by  sticking  con- 
sistently to  the  orange  or  lemon  and  whites,  has 
convinced  most  people  that  the  dogs  of  this  colour 


The  Pointer.  251 


are  as  hardy  as  those  of  any  other.  Priam  and  Rap 
of  his  never  had  their  superiors,  and  though  Mr. 
Whitehouse  does  not  give  so  much  time  to  his 
pointers  as  formerly,  he  has  been  the  means  of 
popularising  the  "lemons  and  whites"  in  such  a 
fashion  that  they  are  not  likely  to  die  out.  North- 
wards, the  county  of  Durham  seems  to  have 
obtained  a  strong  strain  of  this  colour,  and  at  the 
Darlington  shows,  held  annually  at  the  end  of  July, 
a  capital  display  of  them  is  usually  seen,  indeed, 
nearly  all  the  shooting  men  in  that  locality  have  had 
at  one  time  or  another,  and  still  have,  lemon  and 
white  pointers  in  their  kennels. 

There  was  that  good  dog  Don  IX.,  and  several 
others  with  which  Mr.  Ridley  (Ferryhill,  Durham), 
was  so  successful.  The  Peases,  too,  had  them,  and 
this  kennel  included  some  of  the  smartest  small-sized 
dogs  I  ever  saw.  The  dam  of  the  writer's  old  bitch, 
Miss  Prim,  who  did  a  good  deal  of  winning  in  her 
time,  and  was  as  good  as  anything  else  in  the  field, 
was  from  the  Durham  side — a  remarkably  handsome 
bitch,  spoiled  by  being  wide  in  front,  but  this  was 
due  to  the  accident  of  bad  rearing,  and  was  not 
constitutional.  The  late  Mr.  G.  Maw,  of  Bishop 
Auckland,  had  an  extra  good  lemon  and  white  in 
Peg,  fast  and  good,  and  who  was,  unfortunately,  run 
over  and  killed  by  a  train  earlier  on  that  fatal  day 


252  Modern  Dogs. 


when  her  owner  received  injuries  that  resulted  in  his 
death. 

The  peculiar  character  of  the  pointer  may  be 
proved  by  the  example  of  this  bitch,  and  there  is 
no  doubt  that,  when  roused,  the  pointer  is  far  more 
determined  than  the  setter,  and  can  better  hold  his 
own  in  fight  than  the  longer-coated  dog.  When 
Peg  was  quite  a  puppy,  it  was  her  misfortune  to  be 
run  over  by  one  of  those  cyclists  who  in  their  road 
races  become  such  a  nuisance,  and  so  bring  discredit 
upon  a  useful  and  healthy  pastime.  The  bitch  was 
not  much  hurt,  but  she  bore  bicycles  a  grudge  ever 
after,  and  unless  her  owner  had  her  hard  at  his  heels 
when  a  "  machine "  approached,  Peg  went  for  it 
with  a  vengeance,  and  never  failed  to  upset  the 
luckless  rider,  often  to  his  injury,  and,  on  more  than 
one  occasion,  to  the  cost  of  Mr.  Maw.  It  was 
strange  that  this  bitch,  so  well  trained  and  broken 
on  game,  staunch  and  obedient  to  perfection,  should 
be  quite  oblivious  to,  and  heedless  of,  her  owner's 
whistle  and  voice  when  the  ring  of  the  cycle  bell  was 
heard,  or  the  machine  itself  loomed  in  the  distance. 

Whilst  on  these  lemon  and  white  or  orange  and 
white  pointers,  it  may  be  as  well  to  mention  another 
strain,  though  this  was  more  successful  on  the  bench 
than  in  the  field.  This  belonged  to  Mr.  C.  W. 
Brierley,  then  living  near  Manchester,  but  who  now 


The  Pointer.  253 


has  left  his  favourite  dogs  for  the  newer  love  of 
"  pedigree"  shorthorns.  Then  into  the  teens  of  years 
ago,  Mr.  C.  H.  Mason,  Yorkshire,  was  showing  and 
winning  with  a  number  of  good  dogs,  but  when 
he  went  to  the  United  States,  where  he  is  now 
one  of  the  leading  authorities  on  canine  matters, 
his  kennels  were  dispersed. 

Of  late  years  Devonshire  has  become  the  favourite 
county  in  England  for  its  strains  of  pointers,  most 
of  which  are  liver  and  white  in  colour,  though 
occasionally  those  of  the  lemon  and  white  crop  up. 
As  to  these  Devonshire  pointers,  a  well-known  west 
country  sportsman  kindly  contributes  the  following : 

No  other  country  can  lay  claim  to  older  pointer  blood  than  that 
which  is  found  in  Devonshire.  If  we  carefully  go  through  the 
pedigrees  of  the  field  trial  performers  and  bench  winners  of  the 
present  day,  whether  in  our  own  country  or  in  America,  we  shall 
almost  invariably  find  that  those  which  take  premier  honours  can 
trace  back  to  the  old  Devon  sort.  Long  before  dog  shows  and 
field  trials  became  fashionable  Devon  pointers  were  distinguished 
for  their  high  quality,  for  their  total  freedom  from  anything 
approaching  the  hound  cross,  and  for  their  natural  working 
characteristics,  such  as  staunchness  on  point,  range,  and  readiness 
to  back. 

Probably  the  variety  of  work  which  this  county  affords  has 
something  to  do  with  the  stoutness  and  symmetry  which  were  always 
reckoned  essential  to  good  breeding  by  our  old  sportsmen.  Steep 
hills,  often  covered  with  stone  and  rock,  and  deep  and  holding 
moorland,  render  muscle  and  lifting  power,  good  legs  and  feet, 
a  necessity,  consequently  we  find  these  points  kept  in  the 
foreground,  and  handed  down  to  us  almost  as  heirlooms  of 


254  Modern  Dogs. 


the  breed.  Would  that  the  same  care  and  judgment  had 
been  taken  with  the  brisk  little  Devon  spaniel,  whose  qualities 
were  as  denned  and  distinct  as  those  of  the  pointer,  but  whose 
symmetry  of  late  years  has  been  sacrificed  to  fashion,  which  has 
rendered  him  less  able  to  work  thick  covert  and  thorny  hedgerow. 

Whether  dog  shows  are  in  any  way  responsible  for  the  deterio- 
ration of  this  useful  breed,  it  is  not  my  intention  to  inquire ;  I  will, 
however,  confidently  assert  that  to  dog  shows  and  field  trials 
we  owe  much  of  the  all-round  improvement  so  perceptible 
in  the  'breed  of  pointers  generally,  and  those  of  Devonshire  in 
particular.  The  opportunities  which  these  meetings  afford  of 
discussing  the  merits  and  characteristics  of  the  different  strains,  is 
of  incalculable  value  to  breeders,  and  frequently  lead  to  the 
interchange  of  blood,  which  above  all  else  is  so  necessary  for  the 
keeping  up  of  stamina  and  keen  working  qualities. 

One  of  our  earlier  Devon  breeders,  who  recognised  the  wisdom 
of  an  infusion  of  fresh  blood,  was  Mr.  W.  Francis,  of  Exeter — a 
thorough  sportsman,  whose  kennels  were  never  without  the  right 
sort  for  hard  work — his  frequent  companion  in  the  field  was  the 
late  Mr.  Samuel  Price,  of  Bow.  It  is  hardly  to  be  wondered  at 
that  two  such  enthusiasts  working  together,  were  successful  in 
maintaining  the  reputation  of  their  kennels.  At  that  time  dog 
shows  were  in  their  infancy ;  however,  that  good  authority  the 
Rev.  T.  Pearce  ("  Idstone  "),  while  on  a  visit  to  Devonshire,  had 
spoken  so  highly  of  the  working  characteristics  and  general  good 
qualities  of  the  liver  and  white  Bounce — a  well-known  prize 
winner,  owned  by  Mr.  Brockton,  of  Farndon — that  Mr.  Francis 
and  Mr.  Price  quickly  decided  on  breeding  from  him.  For  this 
purpose  they  selected  one  of  their  best  bitches,  named  Belle, 
whose  dam  Dido  was  bred  near  Newton  Abbot,  and  was  by 
Sancho,  whose  sire,  Mentor,  came  from  South  Molton.  This  union 
of  Francis's  Belle  with  Brockton's  Bounce  gave  us  the  sensa- 
tional litter — Sancho,  the  black  and  white  Chang,  the  bitch  Vesta, 
and  Random.  So  grand  a  team  quickly  gained  for  themselves 
a  reputation  on  the  bench,  and  we  find  Sancho  and  Chang 


The  Pointer.  255 


amongst  the  prize  winners  at  Birmingham  and  other  important 
shows  of  that  period,  while  Vesta,  judged  by  "  Idstone,"  at  Barn- 
staple  and  other  local  shows,  usually  won  with  ease. 

As  a  matter  of  course,  their  blood  was  greatly  sought  after, 
especially  by  neighbouring  kennels,  and  wherever  it  found  its  way 
it  proved  successful.  For  example,  Sancho,  bred  to  his  niece 
Sappho,  produced  that  nearly  perfect  specimen  of  a  pointer  Wagg, 
which  was  so  successfully  shown  by  Mr.  R.  J.  Lloyd  Price,  of 
Bala,  and,  bred  to  the  late  Mr.  R.  P.  Leach's  Fan — whose 
ancestors  were  from  the  North  of  Devon — produced  Leach's 
Belle,  probably  the  most  successful  brood  bitch  of  that 
day.  Amongst  her  numerous  offspring  were  the  Champions 
Bang  II.  and  Bow  Bells,  Bonus  Sancho,  Merry  Bells,  Belle  of  the 
Ball,  and  Grant's  Maggie,  all  of  which  were  sired  by  Price's  Bang. 
We  shall  find  Chang  best  represented  by  his  union  with  Romp, 
a  small,  compactly  made  bitch,  owned  by  the  late  Mr.  Bracken- 
bury,  of  Exeter ;  her  performances  in  the  field  were  of  the  highest 
order,  and  her  excellence  as  a  worker  was  transmitted  to  her 
progeny.  From  these  Mr.  J.  H.  Salter's  well  known  black  and 
whites,  alluded  to  later  on,  are  descended. 

Besides  being  the  dam  of  Mr.  Sam  Price's  world-renowned 
Bang,  Vesta's  name  is  brought  down  to  us  through  her  daughter 
Sappho,  dam  of  Wagg,  already  named,  and  Pearl,  dam  of  Mr. 
E.  C.  Norrish's  lemon  and  white  Beryl,  a  famous  bench  winner  at 
Birmingham  and  elsewhere,  from  whom  again  spring  Mr. 
Norrish's  Revel  III.  and  his  Saddleback,  that  quite  recently  were 
almost  invincible  in  the  show  way.  For  size,  substance,  and 
quality  combined,  Vesta  would  doubtless  compare  favourably  with 
any  bitch  of  the  present  day,  and  it  has  always  appeared  to  me  a 
regretful  circumstance  that  Mr.  Price  allowed  her  to  leave  this 
country  at  so  early  a  period  in  her  career.  From  her  the  most 
conspicuous  representatives  of  the  Bow  kennels  are  descended, 
amongst  them  being  the  above-mentioned  Bang,  who,  with  his 
son  Mike,  won  for  Mr.  Price  the  Cloverly  Stakes  at  Shrewsbury 
three  years  in  succession ;  Belle  of  Bow,  Lad  of  Bow,  Lass  of 


256  Modern  Dogs. 


Bow,  Mealy,  Bang's  Boy,  and  Climax.  The  two  latter  were  his 
favourites  in  the  field,  and  it  will  be  remembered  that  he  had  the 
brace  actually  in  his  hands  at  the  time  of  his  lamentably  sudden 
death,  the  evening  before  the  ist  September,  1887. 

Random,  the  last  of  the  team  named  above,  mated  with  Mr. 
Huggins's  Juno,  gave  us  the  typical  Don  Juan,  sire  of  the  well- 
known  champions  Ponto  and  Fan,  from  which  Mr.  Beck's 
celebrated  Naso  of  Upton  is  descended  on  his  dam's  side,  and  of 
Fursdon  Juno,  dam  of  Graphic,  another  of  Mr.  Norrish's  well- 
known  dogs,  and  now  in  America.  It  is  unnecessary  here  to  follow 
the  successful  careers  of  Devon  bred  pointers  in  other  countries, 
their  good  deeds  would  fill  a  volume. 

Returning  again  to  the  progeny  of  Old  Bang  and  Leach's  Belle, 
Mr.  Bulled,  of  Witheridge,  was  fortunate  in  securing  one  of 
these,  viz.,  Belle  of  the  Ball.  Not  only  did  she  bring  his  name  to 
the  fore  as  a  prize  winner,  but  she  enabled  him  to  hold  his  own 
in  the  strongest  competition.  One  of  the  earliest  of  her  progeny 
was  Sambo  the  Devil,  who  from  the  time  of  his  debut  at  Margate 
in  1879,  scored  prize  after  prize,  which  quickly  ran  him  into 
champion  honours.  Amongst  other  good  ones  which  the 
Witheridge  kennel  bred  from  Belle  of  the  Ball  was  the  field-trial 
performer,  Lass  of  Devon,  who  was  by  Mr.  Stranger's  Don  of 
Devon,  and  Devon  Noble.  More  recently  Mr.  Bulled  has  been 
successfully  breeding  from  the  Village  Star,  a  daughter  of  Devon 
Jack — Bell  Bona,  litter  sister  to  Bonus  Sancho.  From  her  came 
his  present  day  field  trial  and  bench  winners  Devonshire  Nero, 
Devonshire  Sail,  and  Devonshire  Lady. 

However,  the  most  successful  of  all  Devonshire  kennels, 
especially  on  the  show  bench,  is  that  of  Mr.  E.  C.  Norrish,  of 
Gays,  Sandford,  near  Crediton.  Nor  has  Mr.  Norrish  restricted 
himself  to  the  ordinary  dogs  of  the  ring,  he  having  latterly  made 
entries  at  the  Field  Trials,  where  dogs  broken  by  himself  have,  as 
a  rule,  performed  fairly,  though  not  quite  so  successfully  as  might 
be  wished.  There  is  no  doubt  that  for  some  years  back  the 
Sandford  pointers  have  obtained  great  celebrity  and  been  pre- 


The  Pointer.  257 


eminent  almost  in  sustaining  the  prestige  of  the  West  country  strain. 
Such  good  animals  as  Graphic,  Saddleback,  Vesper,  Saddleback  II., 
Revel,  Beryl,  without  others  that  could  be  named,  and  equally  first 
class,  are  quite  sufficient  to  gain  a  reputation  for  any  kennel. 

Other  noted  Devonshire  pointers  are  those  of  Mr.  Lloyd-Lloyd, 
of  Totnes,  who,  as  far  back  as  1875,  I  fin(l  exhibiting  a  bitch 
named  Adele.  From  her,  by  Mr.  Sam  Price's  Old  Bang,  he  bred 
Hebe,  who,  in  turn,  being  put  to  Lord  Downe's  Bang  II.  pro- 
duced the  field  trial  winners  Fatima,  Elias,  and  Hero,  whose 
excellence  cannot  be  gainsaid.  Hebe's  next  litter,  with  Mr.  W. 
Lort's  Naso  as  their  sire,  included  the  good  looking  brace  Totnes 
and  Daphne,  and  the  former,  in  alliance  with  Mr.  J.  Fletcher's 
Young  Ponto,  produced  Nan,  who,  when  the  property  of  Mr.  C.  H. 
Beck,  was  the  dam  of  Naso  of  Upton,  by  many  persons  con- 
sidered to  be  one  of  the  very  best  pointers  ever  bred,  at  any  rate, 
so  far  as  beauty  was  concerned. 

To  Daphne  Mr.  Lloyd  owes  much  of  his  early  reputation  as  a 
successful  breeder.  Her  career  on  the  bench  was  brilliant.  Shown 
always  in  the  pink  of  condition,  only  bitches  of  extra  merit  could 
compete  with  her,  moreover  she  transmitted  to  her  progeny  many 
of  her  most  taking  qualities,  and  some  of  the  best  in  the  Totnes 
kennels  at  the  present  day  are  directly  descended  from  her.  By 
her  union  with  Mr.  Norrish's  great  dog  Graphic,  she  produced 
Zasme,  Zero,  and  Zeus.  The  latter  was  a  frequent  winner 
at  some  of  our  principal  shows,  and,  by  mating  him  back 
to  Old  Hebe,  Mr.  Lloyd  bred  the  remarkably  handsome 
brace  of  bitches  lima  and  Lady  Jane.  Many  connoisseurs  con- 
sidered Lady  Jane  the  best  of  the  two.  She  was,  however,  some 
years  since,  sold  to  a  gentleman  in  Russia,  and  we  have  thus  lost 
sight  of  her.  lima  is  with  us  still,  and  has,  during  the  present 
year,  bred  a  good  litter  by  Mr.  Raper's  Naso  of  Strasburg — a 
descendant  of  Price's  old  champion  Bang.  Another  good  litter 
which  Mr.  Lloyd  bred  from  Daphne  was  that  by  Mr.  Wroth's 
Don,  the  best  of  which  were  the  well-known  Totnes  Parody  and 
the  lemon  and  white  Totnes  Onyx. 

[VOL.  I.]  S 


258  Modern  Dogs. 


That  strain,  of  which  Wroth's  Don  is  a  representative,  deserves 
a  passing  notice.  His  dam,  Mr.  Andrew's  Sappho,  came  directly 
from  the  Croxteth  kennels,  and  was  by  Lord  Sefton's  Sam — 
his  Flirt,  while  his  sire,  Mr.  Norrish's  Old  Bob,  was  equally  well 
bred,  being  by  Mr.  Whitehouse's  renowned  Hamlet — Pearl, 
Hamlet's  granddaughter. 

Mr.  Norrish's  Donald,  Revel,  and  Digby  were  all  of  the  same 
family  as  Wroth's  Don.  Donald,  it  will  be  remembered,  won  at 
Birmingham  in  the  small  sized  dog  class  in  1879.  After  scoring  a 
few  more  prizes,  he  went  to  America,  where  he  continued  his 
successful  career,  and  his  blood  was  sought  after  by  some  of  the 
most  prominent  breeders  of  that  country.  Revel  ran  well  at  the 
Kennel  Club  Field  Trials  at  Blandford,  and  also  won  on  the 
bench,  but  unfortunately  died  when  young  in  Mr.  Arkwright's 
kennels.  Digby  proved  himself  sire  of  Lady  Digby,  from  whom 
sprang  Count  de  Beauffort's  Master  Dan,  a  large-sized  dog,  whose 
debut  at  the  Alexandra  Palace,  where  he  won  first  prize,  caused 
quite  a  flutter.  One  other  representative  of  this  family  I  must  not 
be  forgetting,  namely,  Mr.  Leach's  Mina  Juno,  a  daughter  of 
Wroth's  Don — Fursdon  Juno.  From  Mina  Juno  came  Mr. 
Norrish's  Sandford  Vesper  and  Saddleback  Secundus,  both  by 
Saddleback. 

A  familiar  name  amongst  pointer  breeders  at  the  present  day  is 
that  of  Mr..  R.  Stawell  Bryan,  of  South  Molton.  Coming  out 
first  as  a  successful  poultry  exhibitor,  principally  in  the  game  and 
Azeel  classes,  it  was  not  a  very  big  jump  from  poultry  to  pointers  ; 
and  all  the  more  easy  as  he  had  been  a  thorough  sportsman  from 
his  boyhood,  and  knew  practically  what  a  pointer's  work  should 
be.  Possessing  a  good  strain  to  start  with,  he  has  consistently 
bred  for  size,  substance,  and  working  characteristics.  Well  do  I 
remember  Beta  some  ten  years  ago,  when  she  was  on  a  stud  visit 
to  Mr.  Leach's  grand  old  Bang  II.  One  of  the  offspring  of  this 
union  was  Molton  Broom,  who  can  surely  claim  to  be  the  very 
corner  stone  of  Mr.  Bryan's  kennels.  Her  litter  brother,  Molton 
Baron,  was  also  extra  good,  his  best  progeny  at  the  present  day 


The  Pointer.  259 


being  Mr.  Bulled's  Devonshire  Nero,  already  mentioned,  Molton 
Byrsa,  and  Banker.  The  latter  was  good  enough  to  win  at 
Barn  Elms,  the  Crystal  Palace,  and  other  large  shows.  Beta's 
pedigree  traces  back  on  her  dam's  side  to  Mr.  Whitehouse's  blood, 
while  her  sire  was  a  brother  to  Mr.  Stranger's  well-known  Don  of 
Devon.  Probably  no  pointer  bitch  of  the  present  day  has  been 
more  successful  than  Molton  Broom,  whose  chief  progeny,  by 
Saddleback,  are  Molton  Banner,  Molton  Brake,  Molton  Bronte, 
Sandford  Bang,  Sandford  Quince,  Sandford  Revel,  Beau  o'  the 
Border,  and  Heather  Graphic,  all  of  which  have  gained  their 
laurels  in  high  class  company.  Molton  Broom  also  bred  well  to 
Mr.  Lloyd's  Totnes  Milo,  a  son  of  Zero — Zoe,  and  produced 
the  stoutly-made  Bracken,  from  whom  again  sprang  Sandford 
Graphic,  sire  of  Mr  Norrish's  Graphic  Secundus,  who  was 
first  in  the  open  and  first  in  the  Novice  Class  at  the  Kennel 
Club  Show  last  July,  but  unfortunately  succumbed  to  distemper 
shortly  after. 

It  would  be  by  no  means  difficult  to  find  other  kennels  of 
pointers  in  our  county.  Mr.  Scratton,  of  Ogwell,  always  has 
some  good  dogs,  as  also  have  Mr.  Cross,  of  South  Molton,  Mr. 
Pring,  of  Exeter,  and  Mr.  Elias  Bishop,  of  Ogwell.  Mr.  C.  Ford, 
of  Stoke  Cannon,  deserves  especial  notice,  as  being  the  breeder  of 
this  year's  (1892)  leading  field  trial  performer,  Blanche  of  Bromfield, 
winner  at  the  Shrewsbury,  Pointer  Club,  and  Irish  Trials.  This 
bitch  is  by  Mr.  Ford's  Okhay  Mars,  out  of  his  Okhay  Juno,  a 
litter  brother  and  sister,  by  his  Mars — Belle,  bred  by  Mr.  Norrish, 
out  of  old  Fursdon  Juno,  champion  Graphic's  dam,  while  Mars 
was  by  Bacchus  out  of  Norrish's  Pearl,  litter  sister  to  Price's  Bang. 

Devonshire  pointer  breeders  must  be  congratulated  on  the 
success  which  has  attended  their  efforts  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  so 
many  good  dogs  have  left  that  county  for  other  parts  of  the  world. 
Devonshire  is  essentially  a  breeding  corner,  favoured  by  climate, 
winter  puppies  can  easily  be  reared,  and  as  nearly  as  possible 
brought  to  perfection.  Fortunately,  too,  the  driving  of  partridges 
is  almost  unknown  in  the  west,  and,  so  long  as  the  pointer  is  used 

S    2 


260  Modern  Dogs. 


as  a  sporting  dog,  he  will  undoubtedly  hold  his  own,  but  directly 
his  hunting  instincts  are  allowed  to  rust,  and  he  is  only  kept  for 
the  show  bench,  his  best  days  are  numbered. 

Of  course,  in  addition  to  these  Devonshire  dogs, 
equally  good  pointers  are  to  be  found  in  various 
kennels  in  different  parts  of  Great  Britain.  For 
instance,  at  Rhiwlas,  near  Bala,  in  North  Wales, 
Mr.  R.  J.  Lloyd  Price  possesses  dogs  that  are  equal 
to  the  best  of  them,  some  of  which  have  already 
been  alluded  to.  For  many  years  past,  the  Rhiwlas 
kennels  have  been  well  represented  at  the  field  trials, 
running  as  a  rule  consistently,  and  with  success. 
Drafts  are  sold  annually  at  Aldridge's,  in  St.  Martin's 
Lane,  and  bring  excellent  prices.  At  his  last  sale,  in 
June,  1892,  the  bitch  Saule,  that  had  won  at  field 
trials,  realised  80  guineas,  and  others  brought  up  to 
36  guineas  each. 

So  far  as  these  important  sales  are  concerned, 
they  have  of  late  been  looked  forward  to  with  great 
interest,  as  they  enable  those  who  have  shootings, 
and  do  not  keep  dogs  all  the  year  round,  to  fill  their 
kennels  with  either  pointers,  setters,  spaniels,  and 
retrievers  that  have  been  well  broken.  At  Mr. 
Pilkington's  sale,  in  June,  1884,  four  and  a  half  brace 
of  puppies  sold  for  418  guineas;  Lymm,  by  Lake, 
realising  no  guineas;  Peace,  60  guineas ;  Pardon, 
56  guineas;  Lincoln,  57  guineas;  others,  smaller 


The  Pointer.  261 


sums.  At  the  same  auction  the  old  dogs  sold  almost 
as  well,  Dingle  bringing  63  guineas ;  Lilac  and 
Lake,  61  guineas  each  ;  Moffatt,  55  guineas  ;  and 
Druid,  46  guineas. 

All  the  dogs  offered  by  auction  do  not  realise  the 
good  figures  one  would  expect,  and  it  was  almost 
sad  to  see  the  kennel  of  the  late  Mr.  T.  Statter 
dispersed  one  Friday  afternoon  in  June,  1892,  for 
almost  an  old  song — seven  brace  of  pointers,  as 
good  as  man  could  produce,  and  upon  which  their 
late  owner  had  spent  much  money  and  much  thought, 
realising  only  143  guineas.  His  setters  brought 
even  a  lower  average. 

Another  celebrated  kennel  of  pointers  is  to  be 
found  near  Whitchurch,  Salop,  and  owned  by  Mr. 
Heywood  Lonsdale,  of  Ightfield  Hall.  The  Ightfield 
pointers  have,  during  the  past  few  years,  been  more 
successful  than  any  others  in  field  trial  work  at  the 
English  trials.  But  this  has  not  satisfied  their 
owner,  for,  in  1890,  a  team  of  his  was  sent  over 
to  America  for  field  competition  there.  Notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  the  English  dogs  had  never 
had  an  opportunity  of  hunting  quail,  the  game 
bird  of  America,  as  the  partridge  is  here,  they 
soon  took  a  liking  to  their  new  quarry,  and  ac- 
quitted themselves  most  satisfactorily,  the  liver  and 
white  bitch,  Deuce,  taking  the  highest  honours, 


262  Modern  Dogs. 


as    she    had    done   in  this    country    before  and  has 
done  since. 

Also  in  Shropshire,  there  is  another  valued  kennel 
of  pointers  kept  by  Colonel  Cotes,  at  Pitsford,  and  in 
work  they  are  just  as  good  as  any  others.  It  may  be 
stated  that  the  majority  of  these  field  trial  dogs  are, 
as  a  rule,  rather  higher  on  the  leg,  and  generally 
built  in  more  racing  lines,  or  not  so  cobbily  and 
heavily  made  as  the  pointers  we  see  winning  on  the 
show  bench.  As  a  rule,  they  are  good-looking 
enough  for  anything,  and  dogs  like  Ightfield  Dick, 
and  Ightfield  Deuce,  both  shown  at  the  Kennel  Club 
Show,  in  June,  1892,  are  particularly  smart,  in  this 
respect,  the  first  named  especially. 

The  Rev.  W.  J.  Richardson,  in  Oxfordshire,  and 
his  neighbour,  the  Rev.  J.  Pooley,  in  the  same 
county,  ought  likewise  to  be  mentioned  as  owners  of 
pointers  of  undoubted  excellence,  Mr.  Richardson 
having  been  especially  successful  with  dogs  of  his 
breeding,  both  in  the  field  and  on  the  bench  ;  his 
dogs  are  usually  of  the  small  or  medium  sized  strains, 
and  excelling  in  quality.  Then,  in  Northumberland, 
the  Rev.  W.  Shield  has  another  useful  kennel  of  dogs 
that  can  do  good  field  work  as  well  as  appear  to 
advantage  in  the  ring.  In  Kent,  Mr.  F.  Warde  has 
another  useful  strain  ;  so  have  Mr.  F.  C.  Lowe,  Sir 
T.  B.  Lennard,  Mr.  J.  H.  Salter,  Mr.  W.  Arkwright, 


The  Pointer.  263 


Mr.  R.  Chapman,  Glenboig,  Mr.  James  Bishop,  who, 
with  many  others  in  various  parts  of  the  country, 
have  made  a  name  for  themselves  as  the  owners  of 
pointers  of  more  than  usual  excellence.  Mr.  Barclay 
Field,  who  died  in  the  early  winter  of  1892,  also 
possessed  a  lot  of  dogs  that  had  done  good  work  at 
Field  Trials. 

Near  Macclesfield,  in  Cheshire,  Mr.  C.  H.  Beck, 
at  Upton  Priory,  has  perhaps  bred  as  good  pointers 
as  anyone  during  the  present  generation.  His 
Rapid  Ben,  Busy  Ben,  Quail  of  Upton,  Quits  Baby 
were  equally  good  in  looks  and  work,  and  Naso  of 
Upton,  so  successful  on  the  bench,  has  already  been 
mentioned. 

Perhaps  no  one  has  had  a  more  successful  lot  of 
pointers,  so  far  as  field  trial  work  is  concerned,  with 
the  slight  addition  of  good  looks,  than  Mr.  J.  H. 
Salter,  of  Tolleshunt  d'Arcy,  Kelvedon,  Essex. 
Some  of  his  very  best  dogs  have  been  black  or  black 
and  white,  and,  in  one  or  two  cases,  brown,  or  liver 
and  white  ticked,  oddly  marked,  almost,  approach- 
ing "  roan "  in  appearance.  They  were  originally 
descended  from  Mike  and  Romp,  the  latter  being 
by  Francis's  Chang  out  of  Brackenbridge's  Romp ; 
Mike  by  Price's  Bang — Miller's  Sella,  and  moreover 
they  went  back  to  Brockton's  Bounce  and  White- 
house's  Hamlet.  There  never  was  better  blood 


264  Modern  Dogs. 


than  this,  and,  judiciously  used,  Mr.  Salter  has 
produced  therefrom  some  of  the  fastest  dogs  of  the 
present  day.  He  had  given  Mr.  Samuel  Price,  of 
Bow,  Devonshire,  a  long  price  for  Mike  in  1876, 
and  perhaps  this  dog,  with  his  sire  Bang,  were  as 
good  a  brace  of  pointers  as  ever  ran,  and  Romp 
was  not  far  behind  them. 

One  who  has  often  shot  over  both  Mike  and 
Romp  said  there  was  nothing  between  the  two, 
excepting  that  when  any  particularly  brilliant  piece 
of  work  came  to  be  done  it  was  the  bitch  that  did  it. 
Mr.  Salter  believes  that  the  excellence  of  the  strain 
arose  from  the  dam's  side  rather  than  that  of  the 
dog,  and,  from  what  I  have  seen  of  Bang  and 
Romp's  progeny  in  other  kennels,  I  believe  this 
supposition  to  be  quite  correct. 

At  our  English  field  trials  the  Mike-Romp  strains 
have  won,  in  the  United  States  likewise ;  and  there 
is  no  reason  to  doubt  that  the  most  valuable  kennel 
of  pointers  in  the  States  at  the  present  time  is  that 
of  Mr.  Dexter.  Such  dogs  as  his  Rip- Rap,  Maid  of 
Kent,  and  one  or  two  others,  one  would  very  much 
like  to  see  competing  in  this  country,  for,  from  the 
reports  in  the  American  Press,  their  work,  and 
especially  that  of  Rip- Rap,  must  be  well-nigh 
perfect. 

Romp,  a  black  and   white   mottled   bitch,  ran  at 


The  Pointer.  265 


Horseheath  and  other  meetings  in  1876-7,  and  she, 
no  doubt,  got  her  colour  from  Francis's  strain, 
which  were,  as  a  rule,  black  and  white.  Mr.  Salter 
speaks  in  the  highest  terms  of  them,  of  their 
great  sense,  speed,  nose,  and  endurance.  He  says 
they  are  difficult  to  break  because  the  "  ordinary 
breaker  will  not  give  them  credit  for  knowing  more 
than  he  does ;  hence  the  whip  comes  in,  a  thing 
they  never  want  and  never  forget."  Mr.  Herbert 
Brown  has  perhaps  been  most  successful  in  training 
these  pointers.  "  He  never  flogged,  and  patience 
and  careful  study  told  him  that,  when  he  and  they 
disagreed  in  opinion,  the  dogs  were  almost  always 
right  and  he  wrong." 

I  have  repeatedly  seen  this  strain  of  dogs  perform 
at  our  English  Field  Trials,  and  at  times  their  work 
could  not  be  surpassed.  The  dogs  had  pace,  nose, 
and  knowledge — the  latter  often  caused  their  down- 
fall. However,  no  pointer  kennel  of  the  limited 
dimensions  of  Mr.  Salter  has  ever  produced  such 
excellent  performers  as  Romp,  Mike,  Romp's  Baby, 
Monitor,  Mainspring  (a  great  winner  in  America), 
Malt,  Hops,  Shandygaff,  and  some  others  have 
proved  themselves  to  be. 

Malt's  visit  to  old  Priam  (then  Sir  T.  B.  Len- 
nard's)  was  most  successful,  for  it  produced, 
amongst  others,  Osborne  Ale  and  Stout  that  ran 


266  Modern  Dogs. 


respectively  first  and  third  in  the  Field  Derby  in 
1885,  and  she  herself  had  won  at  Stratford-on-Avon 
the  year  before.  *  To  Naso  of  Upton  she  bred 
Shandygaff  and  others.  Some  other  crosses  did 
not  appear  to  "nick"  so  well,  and  since  then  she 
has  failed  to  breed.  It  is  a  great  pity  that  this 
same  strain  had  not  been  kept  in  more  than  one 
kennel.  It  would  have  allowed  some  in-breeding, 
and  I  am  afraid  that,  in  the  long  run,  it  may  be  lost. 

The  dog  Mike,  from  1874  to  1876,  won  nine 
prizes  at  field  trials,  six  of  them  firsts,  the  remaining 
three  he  divided  with  other  dogs.  During  the  same 
period  he  was  successful  on  the  show  bench,  com- 
mencing with  a  second  at  the  Alexandra  Palace 
in  1875,  and  a  first  at  the  Crystal  Palace  next  year. 
Mike  died  in  1884,  leaving  behind  him  a  reputation 
as  one  of  the  hardiest  and  best  pointers  that  ever 
ran,  and  I  am  not  aware  that  any  other  pointer  has 
approached  his  record,  both  in  the  field  and  on  the 
bench. 

Somewhat  at  random,  I  have  mentioned  these 
names  in  order  to  show  that  the  pointer,  in  all  its 
excellence,  is  a  common  commodity,  although  a 
valuable  one  with  us.  His  pedigree  is  rigorously 
kept  in  the  stud  books,  and  his  performances  in  the 
spring  are  studiously  repeated  in  the  columns  of  the 
Field,  and  to  give  the  names  of  all  the  best  dogs 


The  Pointer.  267 


that  have  appeared  during  the  past  twenty  years 
would  be  but  repetition,  and  a  difficult  thing  to 
accomplish  satisfactorily.  Prince  Solms,  at  Braun- 
fels,  in  Prussia,  has,  at  one  time  or  another,  had 
English  pointers  equal  to  the  best  that  have  remained 
in  this  country,  and  the  writer  will  never  forget  the 
excellent  work  his  brace,  Naso  of  Kippen  and  Jilt  of 
Braunfels,  did  on  the  dry  fallow  field  near  Shrewsbury 
in  1885,  at  a  time  when  every  one  had  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  there  was  no  scent. 

Since  the  establishment  of  the  Pointer  Club,  in 
1887,  a  special  Field  Trial  Meeting  has  been  held 
by  its  managers,  and  at  the  same  time  special  prizes 
have  been  offered  by  the  Club  for  competition  at  the 
principal  shows.  This  support,  has,  without  doubt, 
proved  of  considerable  advantage  to  the  pointer, 
and,  for  the  present,  there  is  little  likelihood  of  its 
popularity  waning. 

As  a  sporting  dog,  the  pointer  can  work  as  hard 
and  as  long  as  a  setter ;  on  account  of  his  smooth 
coat,  he  does  this  in  hot  weather  better  than  any 
other  dog,  and  is  not  so  soon  knocked  up,  through 
want  of  water,  as  the  setter  is.  There  is  no  reason 
to  compare  the  varied  excellencies  of  the  two  varieties, 
for  here  it  may  be  said  "  Jack  is  as  good  as  his 
master."  One  day,  one  may  do  the  best  work; 
another  day,  the  others  may  excel ;  both  are 


268  Modern  Dogs. 


sufficiently  perfect  in  their  way  for  modern  require- 
ments, and  there  is,  in  reality,  no  ostensible  reason 
for  the  preference  of  the  one  over  the  other,  ex- 
cepting, as  I  have  stated,  where  a  scarcity  of  water 
is  concerned.  In  fact,  they  are  equal ;  with  similar 
surroundings  and  in  similar  health  there  is  nothing 
to  choose -between  the  two,  nor  is  there  in  staunchness. 
It  has  been  said  that  the  setter  is  less  steady,  more 
difficult  to  command,  and  not  so  easy  to  break  as 
the  pointer.  Such  is  not  so. 

There  are  strains  of  both  that  are  equally  wild  and 
headstrong,  and,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  such,  when 
once  brought  under  command,  produce  the  most 
successsful  dogs  as  field  trial  winners ;  and,  when 
birds  are  scarce,  and  the  extent  of  land  to  be  worked 
over  very  extensive,  they  are  the  best  dogs  in  the 
field  for  practical  work.  In  a  wet  stormy  country, 
where  the  climate  is  cold  and  chilly,  the  going 
rough  and  covert  thick,  the  ordinary  pointer  may  be 
at  a  discount,  and  he  has  been  found  to  be  so  in 
some  parts  of  Scotland,  the  Highlands  and  else- 
where ;  but,  excepting  where  the  circumstances  and 
surroundings  are  exceptional,  our  modern  pointer  will 
do  all  that  is  required  of  him  ;  work  a  long  day,  and 
come  up  the  following  one  ready  to  do  another,  and  to 
assist  his  master  to  fill  the  game  bag. 

I  consider  the  usual  light  colour  of  the  pointer  is  to 


The  Pointer.  269 


the  advantage  of  the  shooter,  who  can  much  more 
easily  distinguish  his  dog  against  the  dark  outline  of 
heather  and  bracken,  when  being  used  on  the  moors, 
and  the  idea  that  the  birds  better  see  a  white 
coloured  dog,  and  therefore  do  not  lie  so  well  to  him, 
is  altogether  fallacious.  All  who  have  shot  over  the 
wide  expanses  of  Scottish  moors  or  Irish  mountains 
with  wide  ranging  dogs  doing  the  work,  will  agree 
with  me  that  the  dark  colour  of  many  of  the  setters 
requires  so  much  strain  on  the  eyes  to  discern 
them  at  even  comparatively  short  distances,  as  to 
decidedly  interfere  with  the  average  of  the  shooter. 

Before  entering  at  length  into  his  description  it 
may  be  as  well  to  state  that  the  classes  at  the 
more  important  shows  are  arranged  to  meet  his 
different  sizes,  for  the  pointer  varies  in  this  respect 
more  than  any  other  sporting  dog.  Such  classifica- 
tion is  usually  for  "  large-sized  "  dogs  55lb.  weight 
and  over,  and  bitches  5olb.  weight  and  over;  the 
u  small  size  "  including  dogs  under  55lb.  weight,  and 
bitches  under  5olb.  in  weight. 

The  pointer  is  an  elegantly  shaped  dog,  smooth  in 
coat,  which,  though  close  and  weather-resisting, 
ought  not  to  be  hard  and  coarse.  In  some  strains 
there  is  a  tendency  to  be  rather  coarse  in  the  stern, 
which  in  reality  is  no  detriment,  though  smooth  and 
fine  caudal  appendages  are  fashionable.  The  latter 


270  Modern  Dogs. 


is  so  much  the  case,  that  it  is  not  unusual  to  find  it 
trimmed  by  singeing  or  other  means,  until  it  resembles 
that  of  a  bull  terrier.  Not  long  ago  one  of  the  prize 
pointers  at  Birmingham  was  so  very  much  "  done  " 
that  disqualification  ought  to  have  resulted.  The 
stern  is  nicely  set  on  from  the  back,  carried  straight 
out,  with  a  downward  tendency  rather  than  otherwise. 
A  hound  carried  stern  is  a  great  detriment.  In  work 
it  is  dashed  from  side  to  side  until  the  animal  obtains 
"  a  point "  when  all  the  muscles  are  rigid. 

The  head  should  be  fairly  long  and  broad  at  the 
skull,  and  at  the  muzzle  without  any  undue  tapering  ; 
where  the  latter  occurs  a  snipy  appearance  is  given 
that  is  not  at  all  correct.  The  development  at  the 
occiput  should  be  nicely  defined,  but  not  too  much 
so ;  there  may  be  more  stop  than  in  the  setter,  and 
the  head  is  generally  rather  shorter  and  broader  than 
in  the  latter  variety.  Ears  soft  and  hanging  grace- 
fully ;  although  set  on  moderately  low,  not  so  low  as 
in  the  hound,  nor  should  they  fold,  rather  lying  close 
to  the  cheeks.  The  nose  broad,  nostrils  wide,  and 
such  as  will  give  the  impression  of  being  particularly 
useful  in  finding  game  by  scent.  In  lemon  and 
white,  orange  and  white,  and  in  light  coloured  speci- 
mens generally,  the  nose  should  be  of  a  so-called 
"  flesh  colour";  in  dark  coloured  specimens  black 
noses  are  desirable.  However,  a  dark  brown  or  a 


The  Pointer.  271 


liver  coloured  nose  is  often  seen,  and  when  in  unison 
with  the  body  markings  of  the  dog  is  not  objection- 
able. Eyes,  pleasant  in  expression,  dark  in  colour ; 
pale  lemon  or  "  yellow  gooseberry "  coloured  eyes 
are  on  the  increase,  and  such  are  objectionable, 
ugly,  and  ought  to  be  a  severe  handicap  on  the  dog 
possessing  them.  They  are  certainly  not  a  sign  of 
amiability.  The  lips  should  be  square,  and  very 
slightly  pendulous,  or  rather,  less  tight  than  those  of 
a  terrier.  Neck  well  placed  and  free  from  throatiness 
in  any  part  of  it.  As  in  all  dogs  good  sloping 
shoulders  are  desirable.  Chest  deep,  powerful,  and 
ribs  nicely  sprung  behind  and  carried  so  to  the  loins, 
which  ought  to  be  strong  and  muscular.  Stifles 
well  turned  and  powerful,  and  generally  the  muscular 
development  in  the  hind  quarters  must  be  great,  for 
the  work  a  pointer  has  to  do  is  arduous. 

The  fore  legs  and  feet  are  important  for  a  similar 
reason.  The  former  strong,  without  being  too 
massive  and  cumbersome ;  elbows  fairly  well  let 
down,  but  not  turned  out,  neither  ought  they  to  be 
turned  inwards,  for  when  the  latter  is  the  case  the 
dog  is  likely  to  be  flat  ribbed  and  have  his  fore  legs 
set  too  closely  together,  like  many  of  the  modern 
fox  terriers.  The  legs  ought  to  be  well  set  on,  and  if 
carried  too  far  back  are  objectionable,  as  a  chicken- 
breasted  appearance  is  given  ;  and  a  dog  so  made 


272  Modern  Dogs. 


cannot  gallop.  As  to  the  feet,  the  Pointer  Club  has 
adopted  "  Stonehenge's  "  description,  with  which  I 
quite  agree.  This  is  as  follows  :  "  Breeders  have 
long  disputed  the  comparatively  good  qualities  of 
the  round  cat-like  foot,  and  the  long  one,  resembling 
that  of  the  hare.  In  the  pointer  my  own  opinion  is 
in  favour  of  the  cat-foot,  with  the  toes  well  arched 
and  close  together.  This  is  the  desideratum  of  the 
M.F.H.,  and  I  think  stands  work  better  than  the 
hare-foot,  in  which  the  toes  are  not  arched  but  still 
lie  close  together.  In  the  setter  the  greater  amount 
of  hair  to  a  certain  extent  condones  the  inherent 
weakness  of  the  hare-foot ;  but  in  the  pointer  no 
such  superiority  can  be  claimed.  The  main  point, 
however,  is  the  closeness  of  the  pads  combined  with 
thickness  of  the  horny  covering."  So  far  as  hare 
feet  are  concerned,  an  ordinary  foot  of  this  descrip- 
tion would  be  severely  handicapped  by  modern 
judges  who  persist  in  a  hard  close  thick  foot,  which 
in  reality  is  squarer  and  more  angular  than  a  round 
foot,  but  equally  thick — even  thicker. 

Shape  and  symmetry  are  something  in  every 
animal,  especially  in  short  coated  dogs.  In  colour, 
whether  the  pointer  be  liver  or  white  or  lemon  or 
white,  it  makes  little  difference.  Once  the  lemon 
and  orange  and  whites  were  fashionable,  now  the 
liver  and  whites  appear  to  be  the  more  popular ; 


The  Pointer.  273 


the  paler  lemon  with  a  tendency  towards  whiteness 
is  not  good  nor  nice.  Black  and  white  pointers  are 
handsome,  and,  possibly,  were  some  breeders  to  intro- 
duce three  or  four  perfect  specimens  on  the  show 
bench  they  might  put  the  noses  of  the  liver  and 
whites  out  of  joint.  Liver  and  white  heavily  ticked 
is  not  a  bad  colour,  but,  as  it  nearly  approaches  whole 
colours,  liver  and  black — because  they  are  less  easy  to 
distinguish  whilst  being  worked  than  the  others — is 
not  to  be  recommended,  and  in  the  ring  ought  to  be 
handicapped  accordingly.  The  best  colours  are  liver 
and  white,  orange  and  white,  lemon  and  white  and 
black  and  white,  having  the  precedence  as  written. 
I  should  allot  the  points  of  the  pointer  as  follows: — 

Value.  Value. 


Skull     

10 

Legs,  elbows,  and  hocks 

10 

Muzzle             

10 

Feet    

10 

Ears  eyes  and  lips 

10 

Stern    

c 

Neck 

c 

Symmetry  and   quality 

1C 

Shoulders  and  chest  
Back,  quarters,  and  stifles 

10 
10 

55 

Colour  and  coat  

s 
45 

Grand  Total  100. 

Perhaps  I  might  be  deemed  guilty  of  a  serious 
omission  were  I  to  overlook  the  fact  that  American 
and  foreign  admirers  of  the  pointer  have  been  more 
successful  in  producing  good  animals  from  stock 

[vol.  1.1  T 


274  Modern  Dogs. 


obtained  from  us,  than  has  been  the  case  with  others 
similarly  situated,  who  have  sought  to  breed  St. 
Bernards,  Setters,  Spaniels,  and  any  other  variety  of 
dog  in  perfection ;  and  more  money  has  been  spent 
on  any  of  them  than  on  the  pointer. 

South  Carolina  produced  a  Beaufort,  whose 
excellence  as  a  show  dog  has  never  been  gainsaid, 
and  for  whom  that  good  judge,  Mr.  C.  H.  Mason, 
of  New  York,  paid  a  very  large  sum  of  money. 
Count  de  Beauffort  sent  from  Belgium  Master 
Dan,  who  beat  our  cracks  at  the  Kennel  Club 
Show  in  1889;  Mr.  G.  Raper  had  Naso  of  Strasburg 
from  Germany,  a  dog  that,  when  in  his  prime, 
must  at  any  rate  have  been  as  good  as  the  best; 
and  other  foreign  bred  pointers  have  on  several 
occasions  more  than  held  their  own  at  our  usual 
field  trial  meetings.  Nor  does  this  short  list  by 
any  means  exhaust  the  names  of  the  good  dogs  of 
the  variety  produced  outside  the  British  Isles. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 
THE    SETTER. 

THE  setter  has  been  called  by  his  many  admirers 
the  handsomest  of  all  varieties  of  our  English  sport- 
ing dogs,  and  whether  he  be  rich  red  in  colour,  like 
the  Irish  strain ;  glossy  black  and  tan,  as  the 
Gordon  ;  or  gaudily  blue  and  white,  or  orange  and 
white,  as  in  the  English  race,  there  is  no  more  beau- 
tiful dog  seen  in  our  fields  or  on  the  show  bench. 
Other  canine  varieties  are  bigger,  some,  of  course, 
are  more  diminutive ;  in  temper  he  is  excelled  by 
none,  and,  so  long  as  his  kindly  countenance  is  not 
disfigured  by  light  yellow  eyes  and  a  heavy  cumbrous 
dewlap,  nothing  in  the  way  of  live-stock  can  be 
handsomer  than  he.  His  intelligence  and  utility  in 
the  field  and  on  the  moor  no  one  will  gainsay ;  so 
there  is  little  wonder  that  his  popularity  has  gradually 
but  surely  increased  during  the  past  quarter  of  a 
century. 

There  was  a  time  when  the  setter  was  unknown  in 
this  country  by  his  present   name,  and  this  cannot 


276  Modern  Dogs. 


have  been  at  a  far  distant  date.  His  old  cognomen 
of  spaniel  still  attaches  to  him  in  certain  country 
districts  remote  from  the  railway,  and  in  which 
old  customs  and  old  names  die  hard.  Two  years 
ago,  whilst  on  a  visit  to  Ireland,  I  repeatedly  heard 
the  modern  setter  dubbed  a  spaniel,  and  early  in 
the  present  century  the  same  dog  was  quite  as 
often  called  a  spaniel  as  not.  "  Kunopaedia,  a 
practical  essay  on  breaking  and  training  the  English 
spaniel  and  pointer,"  by  the  late  William  Dobson,  of 
Eden  Hall,  Cumberland,  was  published  in  1814,  and 
in  this,  one  of  the  earliest  works  of  its  kind  specially 
devoted  to  breaking  sporting  dogs,  the  word  spaniel 
must  be  read  to  mean  setter.  The  instructions  given 
throughout  the  work  are  those  likely  to  be  useful  in 
training  a  dog  to  stand,  point,  and  do  his  work 
according  to  the  modern  idea  of  excellence  in  his 
line. 

A  history  of  the  setter  should,  of  course,  commence 
at  the  very  earliest  portion  of  his  career,  but  old 
writers  are  particularly  silent  on  the  point,  even  more 
so  than  when  they  have  attempted  to  trace  the  rise 
and  advent  of  other  dogs,  those  used  in  the  field  for 
hunting,  those  trained  to  guard  the  flocks  and 
the  household,  or  others  used  as  companions,  as 
lap-dogs,  for  fancy  and  amusement  alone. 

In  Great  Britain  the  domestic  dog  has  for  hundreds 


The  Setter.  277 


of  years  been  held  in  high  estimation  as  a  useful 
addition  to  the  sporting  equipage.  From  time 
immemorial  almost  has  he  been  utilised  for  the  pur- 
pose of  hunting  wild  animals,  both  by  scent  and 
sight,  but  when  a  variety  of  his  kind  was  first  trained 
to  "  set,"  "  couch,"  or  stand  the  smell  of  game,  do 
so  without  going  sufficiently  near  to  alarm  and 
disturb  it,  and  so  afford  the  sportsman  accompanied 
by  such  a  dog  an  opportunity  of  killing  such  game 
with  an  arrow  from  his  bow  or  taking  it  in  his  net, 
history  is  not  very  explicit.  H.  D.  Richardson, 
who,  about  forty  years  ago,  wrote  several  little  hand- 
books on  country  matters,  including  one  about  dogs, 
says  that  the  spaniel  was  first  broken  to  sat 
partridges  and  other  feathered  game  as  an  assistant 
to  the  net  by  Dudley,  Duke  of  Northumberland,  in  the 
year  1335.  Whether  this  date  be  correct  or  not  I 
cannot  say,  for  the  author  does  not  say  where  he 
obtained  his  information.  However,  other  writers, 
and  perhaps  more  reliable  ones,  including  Delabere 
Elaine  (1840),  say  that  "Robert  Dudley,  Duke  of 
Northumberland,  as  early  as  1555,  is  said  to  have 
trained  a  setter  to  the  net ;  and  that  other  authorities 
of  antecedent  dates  notice  the  sitter,  or  setter,  as  a 
dog  used  for  sporting  purposes.  It  must  not,  there- 
fore, be  concluded  that  the  application  of  him  by 
Dudley  was  his  advent,  although  he  might  not  until 


278  Modern  Dogs. 


then  have  been  employed  as  "  sitting  or  crouching 
to  the  game  he  found." 

That  the  spaniel  was  well  known  earlier  than 
the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century,  and  dogs  of  a 
certain  kind  were  used  for  finding  birds,  under 
somewhat  similar  conditions  as  are  observed  to-day, 
long  prior  to  the  introduction  of  firearms,  there  is  no 
doubt  whatever. 

First  of  all,  such  dogs  as  spaniels  were  trained 
to  find  birds  at  which  the  falconer  flew  his  hawks. 
Strutt,  in  his  "  Sports  and  Pastimes,"  quotes  from  a 
fourteenth  century  manuscript,  in  the  reign  of 
Edward  III.,  father  of  the  Black  Prince.  This  old 
writer,  and  interesting  antiquarian,  says  the  spaniel 
was  of  use  in  hawking,  "hys  crafte  is  for  the  perdrich, 
or  partridge,  and  the  quaile  ;  and  when  taught  to 
couche  he  is  very  serviceable  to  those  who  take 
these  birds  with  nets."  This  is  the  earliest  allusion 
I  can  find  to  trained  dogs  so  nearly  approaching  in 
their  work  the  broken  setter  and  pointer  of  modern 
times. 

The  spaniel  must  have  been  a  steady,  highly- 
trained  dog  even  then,  and  this  taking  of  game  by 
nets  is,  in  some  localities,  unhappily,  still  practised 
by  the  poacher,  especially  at  night  time,  when  a 
lighted  lantern  is  fixed  on  the  dog's  back.  The  blaze 
enables  the  poacher  to  see  his  dog,  which,  stand- 


The  Setter.  279 


ing  and  drawing  up  to  his  game,  when  sufficiently 
close,  comes  to  a  full  stop,  and  a  net  is  drawn  or 
cast  over  birds  and  dogs  alike.  Five  hundred  years 
ago  there  was  some  excuse  for  taking  game  by  means 
of  nets,  but  with  modern  firearms,  breach-loading 
guns  so  quickly  loaded  and  emptied,  the  net  ought 
to  have  disappeared  entirely.  Still,  its  use  is  now 
confined  entirely  to  some  few  ill-conditioned,  grasping 
hill  farmers,  or  the  more  sporting-like  poacher. 

There  is  an  engraving  (of  the  early  part  of  the 
fourteenth  century)  still  preserved  in  the  Royal 
Library  which  depicts  two  ladies  and  one  attendant 
hawking.  Here  are  two  spaniels  of  that  day,  odd 
looking  creatures  enough,  with  pendulous  ears  and 
long  hound-like  tails,  evidently  in  the  act  of  going 
carefully  up  to  some  game  or  other,  and  the  attitude 
of  the  huntresses,  with  their  hands  raised  and  care- 
fully poised,  gives  the  idea  that  they  are  steadying 
their  dogs  with  their  ancient  equivalent  of  "  So  ho! 
careful,  good  dogs !  "  The  girl  carrying  her  hawk 
on  her  hand  is  drawing  the  attention  of  her  bird  to 
the  action  of  the  dogs. 

An  earlier  MS.  than  this  is  illustrated  by  the  figure 
of  an  archer  in  the  act  of  shooting  a  bird  on  the 
wing.  This  is  from  the  Saxon  of  about  the  eighth 
century  ;  the  sportsman  here  is  not  accompanied 
by  a  dog  of  any  kind  ;  but  this  would  scarcely  be 


280  Modern  Dogs. 


evidence  that  a  dog  of  some  kind  was  not  used  as 
an  assistant  by  the  bird  shooter,  even  at  that  early 
date.  Such  an  animal,  too,  would  be  the  original  of 
our  present  race  of  setters  though  bearing  scarcely 
any  resemblance  to  our  modern  productions. 

Naturally  for  information  about  the  setter  one  will 
turn  to  the  earliest  book  on  English  dogs,  and  this 
was  written  in  Latin  as  far  back  as  1570,  by  the 
often  quoted  Johannes  Caius,  a  Doctor  of  Physic  of 
the  University  of  Cambridge.  This  valuable  and 
interesting  treatise  was,  six  years  later,  translated  into 
English  by  Abraham  Fleming,  and  published  by 
Richard  Johnes,  who  sold  the  book  "  over  against 
St.  Sepulchre's  Church  without  Newgate,"  and  no 
doubt  it  told  all  that  was  known  about  dogs  at  that 
time.  Still,  lovers  of  the  canine  race  might  to  their 
advantage  have  had  a  more  profuse  chronicler,  for, 
though  fairly  complete  as  far  as  it  goes,  there  must 
have  been  more  to  write  about  dogs,  even  in  the 
sixteenth  century,  than  Caius  put  on  paper.  How- 
ever, what  there  is  we  give,  the  quotations  being 
made  from  the  reprint  published  by  L.  U.  Gill,  at 
170,  Strand,  London. 

The  first  author  of  a  book  on  English  dogs  says : 

Such  dogs  as  serve  for  fowling  are  to  be  accounted  of  a  gentle 
kind,  and  there  be  two  sorts :  the  first  findeth  the  game  on  the 
land,  the  other  findeth  the  game  on  the  water.  Such  as  delight 


The  Setter.  281 


on  the  land  play  their  parts  either  by  swiftness  of  foot,  or  by  often 
questing,  to  search  out  and  to  spying  the  bird  for  further  hope  of 
advantage,  or  else  by  some  secret  sign  or  privy  token  betray  the 
place  where  they  fall. 

The  first  kind  of  such  serve  the  hawk,  the  second  the  net  or 
train.  The  first  kind  have  no  particular  names  assigned  them, 
save  only  that  they  be  denominated  after  the  bird  which  by  natural 
appointment  he  is  allotted  to  take.  Thus,  some  be  called  dogs  for 
the  falcon,  some  for  the  pheasant,  some  for  the  partridge,  and  such 
like. 

The  common  sort  of  people  call  them  by  one  general  word, 
namely,  "  spaniells,"  as  though  these  kind  of  dogs  came  originally 
and  first  out  of  Spain.  The  most  part  of  their  skins  are  white,  and 
if  they  be  marked  with  any  spots,  they  are  commonly  red  and  some- 
what great,  the  hairs  not  growing  with  such  thickness  but  that  the 
mixture  may  be  easily  perceived.  Others  be  reddish  or  blackish, 
but  of  that  sort  there  are  but  few.  There  is  also  at  this  day  a  new 
kind  of  dog  brought  out  of  France  (for  we  Englishmen  are  marvel- 
lous greedy,  gaping  gluttons  after  novelties,  and  covetous  cor- 
morants of  things  that  be  seldom,  rare,  strange,  and  hard  to  get) 
and  they  be  speckled  all  over  with  white  and  black,  which  mingled 
colours  incline  to  a  marble  blue,  which  beautifyeth  their  skin  and 
affordeth  a  seemly  show  of  comeliness.  These  are  called  French 
dogs,  as  is  above  declared  already. 

The  dog  called  the  Setter,  in  Latin  Index. — Another  sort  of  dog 
there  be  serviceable  for  fowling,  making  no  noise  either  with  foot 
or  tongue  whilst  they  follow  the  game.  These  attend  diligently 
upon  their  masters,  and  frame  their  conditions  to  such  becks, 
motions,  and  gestures  as  it  shall  please  him  to  exhibit  and  make, 
either  going  forward,  drawing  backward,  inclining  right  hand  or 
yielding  to  the  left.  In  making  mention  of  fowl  my  meaning  here 
is  of  partridge  and  quail.  When  he  hath  found  the  bird  he 
keepeth  sure  and  fast  silence,  and  stayeth  his  steps  and  will  proceed 
no  further,  and  with  close,  covert,  watching  eye,  layeth  his  belly  to 
the  ground  and  so  creepeth  forward  like  a  worm.  When  he 


282  Modern  Dogs. 


approacheth  near  to  the  place  where  the  bird  is,  he  lays  down,  and 
with  a  mark  of  his  paws  betrayeth  the  place  of  the  bird's  last  abode, 
whereby  it  is  supposed  that  this  kind  of  dog  is  called  Index — 
setter,  being,  indeed,  a  name  both  consonant  and  agreeable  with 
his  quality. 

Caius  then  proceeds  to  tell  how  the  fowler  ensnares 
the  birds  in  his  net,  and  he  does  not  look  upon  the 
performance  as  very  extraordinary,  for  such  a  dog 
is  a  "  household  servant,  brought  up  at  home, 
with  offals  and  the  trenchers  and  fragments  of 
victuals  ;  "  and  a  hare,  "  a  wild  and  skippert  beast, 
has  been  trained  to  dance  a  measure,  play  upon  a 
tabbaret,  and  nip  and  punch  a  dog  with  her  teeth 
and  claws."  This  performing  hare  Dr.  Caius  saw 
in  the  year  1564. 

There  is  no  mention  of  shooting  birds  over 
such  dogs,  but  in  a  later  chapter,  when  writing 
of  the  water  spaniel,  our  author  alludes  to  him 
as  useful  in  bringing  back  the  boults  and  arrows 
that  have  missed  their  mark  [game],  and  also  such 
water  fowl  as  be  stung  to  death  by  any  venomous 
worm. 

Although  Caius  uses  the  word  index  or  setter 
in  application  to  a  dog  used  in  a  manner  very  similar 
to  that  in  which  he  performs  his  duty  in  the  present 
day,  his  tone  of  writing  conveys  the  idea  that  such 
a  dog  was  not  generally  known  at  that  time.  Still 


The  Setter.  283 


there  were  certainly  setters  in  the  sixteenth  century, 
and  I  very  much  regret  Caius  did  not  give  us  a 
picture  of  one  "  crawling  along  the  ground  like  a 


worm." 


As  he  did  not,  a  search  elsewhere  must  be  made 
for  an  illustration,  and  this  I  found,  and  bearing 
an  earlier  date  than  the  year  when  Caius  first 
wrote  his  little  book.  In  the  summer  of  1891  an 
exhibition  of  "  Sport  illustrated  by  Art,"  was  held 
in  the  Grosvenor  Gallery,  London,  and  here  were 
hung  a  large  number  of  most  valuable  subjects  of 
the  painter's  art.  To  me  not  one  was  nearly  so 
interesting  as  a  canvas  upon  which  was  painted  one 
of  the  many  delineations  of  the  patron  saint  of 
hunting,  St.  Hubert,  by  Albrecht  Diirer,  the  great 
painter,  who  died  in  1528.  In  one  corner  of  the 
picture  was  a  black  tan  and  white  setter,  extra- 
ordinary in  its  resemblance  to  many  of  the  modern 
stamp.  Indeed,  so  great  was  the  likeness  that  one 
was  tempted  to  look  and  re-look  at  the  picture  until 
the  wonder  was  aroused  where  the  painter  obtained 
his  model  from  which  he  made  the  sketch,  or 
whether  this  modern  setter  on  an  ancient  canvas 
was  an  emanation  from  his  own  brain.  The  head, 
coat,  ears,  character,  and  colour  of  the  dog  were 
all  there,  a  typical  specimen  of  the  modern  English 
setter  in  black,  white,  and  tan — a  dog  similar  in  all 


284  Modern  Dogs. 


other  respects,  but  higher  on  the  leg  and  not  so 
massive  and  inclined  to  the  spaniel  type  as  that 
excellent  tri-colour  dog  shown  by  Mr.  J.  B. 
Cockerton,  and  winning  recently  under  the  name 
of  Royal  Rap. 

Albrecht  Diirer  was  a  Flemish  painter.  Had  he 
been  from  Spain,  I  might  have  taken  his  production 
as  some  sort  of  evidence  that  our  spaniel  or  setter 
did  originally  come  from  Spain.  All  authorities  say 
so,  but  produce  no  proof  of  the  fact.  The  country 
of  bull-fights  appear  to  have  been  generally  a  happy 
hunting-ground  for  the  discovery  of  valued  strains 
of  the  dog,  for,  it  has  been  said,  the  bulldog  had  its 
origin  there.  One  great  English  admirer  of  the 
latter  actually  took  a  journey  into  Spain  for  the 
purpose  of  bringing  back  new  blood  of  pure  bulldog 
race,  with  which  to  cross  and  improve  what  he  con- 
sidered the  degenerating  bulldog  of  Great  Britain! 
John  Bull  allowing  his  fidus  Achates  to  degenerate  ! 
What  an  idea  !  I  may  say  en  passant  that  the  big, 
vulgar  Spanish  dog,  with  his  ears  shorn  off,  that 
was  imported,  did  not  improve  our  native  breed,  nor 
has  our  British  bulldog  degenerated  in  the  least. 
Even  now,  as  in  the  day  of  Johannes  Caius,  we 
like  something  foreign  in  the  form  of  dog  flesh,  and 
to  Spain  have  we  likewise  flown  fora  coarse  pointer; 
to.  France  for  poodles  ;  to  Holland  for  pugs  ;  and  to 


The  Setter.  285 


the  north  of  Europe  and  China  for  ladies'  pets  and 
toy  dogs. 

Before  leaving  the  subject  of  old  painters  and 
setters,  allusion  must  be  made  to  a  picture  by 
Alexander  Desportes,  a  French  artist  of  great  skill,, 
to  whom  allusion  has  previously  been  made. 

He  was  expressly  employed  at  the  court  of  Louis 
XIV.  as  historiographer  of  the  chase,  a  position 
which  his  abilities  enabled  him  to  fulfil  much  to  the 
satisfaction  of  his  royal  master.  The  painting  in 
question  is  one  of  dogs  and  partridges.  There  are 
three  of  the  former,  two  of  them  evidently  setters 
and  one  of  them  pointing  a  covey,  with  one  foot 
forward,  is  very  much  like  the  dog  painted  by 
Diirer,  and  already  mentioned — namely,  a  black,  tan, 
and  white  ticked  animal,  of  quite  the  modern  setter 
type.  Another  dog,  on  the  point,  is  black  and 
white,  and  a  setter ;  whilst  the  third,  also  black 
and  white,  might  be  a  cross  between  pointer  and 
setter.  Anyhow,  it  is  much  smoother  in  coat  than 
either  of  its  companions.  I  think  little  more 
evidence  than  the  above  pictures  of  great  artists, 
need  be  given  to  convince  those  who  may  be 
interested  in  the  matter  and  still  doubtful,  that  the 
setter  is  not  quite  so  modern  a  creature  as  some 
writers  would  have  us  suppose.  At  any  rate,  we 
have  here  proof  that  a  dog  remarkably  similar,  if  not 


286  Modern  Dogs. 


actually  identical,  with  our  modern  English  setter, 
was.  known  as  early  as  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth 
centuries. 

There  are  many  other  paintings  of  sporting 
scenes  and  accessories  that  include  dogs  of  some 
kind  or  other ;  but  the  writer  has  not  met  with  any 
so  old  as  those  already  alluded  to  where  the  artist 
has  so  nearly  delineated  the  English  setter  of  the 
present  day. 

Aldrovandus,  who  died  in  1607,  had  written  an 
immense  work  on  Natural  History,  a  portion  of  which 
was  published  posthumously.  Amongst  other  sub- 
jects, he  wrote  about  dogs,  but,  his  history  being  in 
Latin,  and  somewhat  scarce,  a  reference  thereto  has 
not  always  been  attainable.  He  illustrates  two  varieties 
of  what  are  called  the  Spanish  dog,  and  one  of  them 
is  described  as  having  "  pendulous  ears,  chest  and 
belly  white,  with  black  spots,  the  rest  of  the  body 
black."  The  engraving  accompanying  this  descrip- 
is  an  odd-looking  creature,  one  that  might  by 
courtesy  be  considered  a  bad  spaniel.  The  stern  is 
setter-like  in  length,  but  carried  gaily  over  the  back. 
The  ears  are  very  long,  set  high  on  the  head,  and 
there  is  a  fair  amount  of  feather  and  coat  both  on 
them,  on  the  body,  and  on  the  legs.  Aldrovan- 
dus's  second  specimen  is  a  rather  bigger  dog  than 
the  other,  and  the  colour  might  be  black  and  white. 


The  Setter.  287 


Here  the  ears  are  not  so  long,  and  generally  this 
illustration  is  more  of  the  setter  than  the  one  first 
named. 

Strangely  enough,  this  great  historian,  who  bore  a 
reputation  for  extreme  reliability,  gives  us  a  third 
sporting  dog  of  somewhat  similar  variety.  This  he 
describes  as  "  a  spotted  dog  used  for  taking  quail." 
It  has  evidently  had  its  tail  amputated,  or  may- 
be it  is  a  natural  " bob- tail"  some  people  are  so  fond 
of  telling  us  about.  In  any  case,  whether  the  curtail- 
ment was  natural  or  artificial,  here  is  a  bob-tailed 
dog,  spotted  almost  as  much  as  a  Dalmatian  or 
coach  dog,  in  the  act  of  flushing  a  bird.  Unfortu- 
nately, Ulysses  Aldrovandus  does  not  tell  us  much 
about  these  dogs,  but  it  is  interesting  to  mention 
them  here  as  early  specimens  of  the  dog  from 
Spain,  from  whence  it  is  said  our  modern  races  of 
setters  and  spaniels  are  derived.  But  when  they 
came  from  that  peninsula,  or  who  introduced  them 
eastward  throughout  most  countries,  there  is  nothing 
to  show. 

Then  Conrad  Gesner,  whom  dear  old  Izaak  Walton 
was  so  fond  of  quoting,  tells  us  something  about 
dogs,  but  not  much.  Born  at  Zurich  in  1516,  he 
died  of  the  plague  in  1565,  and  between  these  two 
dates  he  wrote  his  chief  work,  "  Historiae  Animalium," 

volume    that  obtained  for  him  the  name  of  the 


288  Modern  Dogs. 


Pliny  of  Germany.  Gesner  says  there  were  two 
sorts  of  dogs  that  follow  their  masters,  who  use 
a  small  firearm  (minor  bombarda)  for  the  purpose  of 
taking  fowl.  He,  however,  only  alludes  to  them 
as  bringing  birds  to  their  masters ;  but  naturally 
education  in  the  art  of  retrieving  would  follow 
that  of  finding  the  birds.  So  there  is  little  doubt 
that  these  sixteenth  century  dogs  that  Gesner 
wrote  about,  not  only  found  the  game,  but  brought 
it  to  their  masters  when  shot,  just  as  a  well-trained 
dog  of  the  present  would  do. 

Firearms  and  gunpowder  had  been  introduced  long 
prior  to  this,  and,  although  the  earliest  firearms  were 
big  cumbrous  weapons  that  had  to  be  fired  from  a 
rest,  tubes  for  firing  gunpowder  from  the  shoulder 
were  introduced  into  England  about  1440.  From 
this  date  until  approaching  the  middle  of  the  follow- 
ing century  appears  an  extraordinarily  long  period  for 
the  development  of  the  firearm  from  an  implement  of 
warfare  to  one  for  sporting  purposes.  We  must  not, 
however,  forget  that  in  these  early  days  of  firearms, 
the  wounds  caused  by  them  were  almost  always  fatal, 
possibly  not  so  much  on  account  of  the  nature  of  the 
wound,  but  because  the  surgical  treatment  at  that 
time  \vas  of  an  unskilful  character.  Such  being  the 
case,  those  whose  pleasure  it  was  to  kill  birds  or  other 
creatures  would  not  care  to  do  so  with  either  a 


The  Setter.  289 


"  minor  bombarda  "  or  a  "  scorpion  "  —the  latter  a 
name  given  to  the  first  shoulder  firearm  used  in  this 
country — for  the  flesh  would  be  considered  more 
or  less  contaminated  by  the  influence  of  the  missile 
used,  so  rendered  less  fitted  for  the  cook  in  the 
kitchen  to  dress  up  for  her  noble  master's  repast. 

This  appears  to  me  a  reasonable  conjecture  for  the 
slow  progress  made  at  this  time  in  the  popularisation 
of  the  firearm  as  an  implement  for  the  sportsman. 
Besides,  the  latter  would  be  the  more  proficient  with 
the  bow,  for  the  "  scorpion  "  was  but  a  sorry  article 
with  which  to  take  aim,  and  the  priming  of  the 
guns  was  something  of  a  job  to  do.  There  were  no 
flints  then,  and  percussion  caps  had  not  even  been 
thought  of.  As  a  fact,  so  recently  as  the  end  of  the 
eighteenth  century — viz.,  in  1792,  a  match  was  made 
and  shot  at  Parton  Green,  in  Cumberland,  in  which 
the  merits  of  a  musket,  a  brown  Bess,  were  tested  at 
a  mark  against  a  bow  and  arrow.  The  latter  came 
out  victorious  in  the  contest,  scoring  sixteen  hits  out 
of  twenty  shots  at  100  yards  to  twelve  hits  made 
by  the  supposed  to  be  deadlier  firearm.  Looking 
back  upon  a  match  of  this  kind,  one  cannot  help 
forming  an  opinion  that  the  result  was  not  because 
the  bow  and  arrow  were  superior  to  the  old  brown 
Bess,  but  was  solely  owing  to  the  lack  of  skill 
possessed  by  the  handler  of  the  musket. 

[VOL.  I.]  U 


290  Modern  Dogs. 


When  the  prejudices  against  the  new  weapon 
had  worn  themselves  out,  no  doubt  its  popularity 
increased  apace.  The  Game  Laws  on  the  conti- 
nent being  less  stringent  than  in  England  in  1555,  it 
became  necessary  to  have  some  legislation  whereby 
the  use  of  firearms  should  be  restricted.  Then  we 
have  the  Elector  of  Saxony  at  that  time  issuing  an 
order  prohibiting  the  use  of  them  excepting  under 
certain  conditions,  and  this  because  "  the  carrying 
of  firearms  had  become  so  general  in  our  dominions, 
that  not  only  travellers  but  shepherds  and  peasants 
used  them."  Shot  of  some  kind  was  used  at  that 
time,  but  not  the  well  regulated  pellets  that  came  in 
somewhat  later,  and  are  used  e\en  to-day.  In 
Mecklenberg  in  1562  a  Government  regulation  pro- 
hibited the  use  "  of  hail  shot  entirely  and  absolutely," 
so  no  doubt  many  birds  in  the  duchy  at  that  time 
would  have  a  considerable  respite.  The  dogs,  too, 
would  require  to  be  somewhat  steadier,  for  they  must 
remain  standing  and  quiet  during  the  time  their 
masters  are  taking  aim  at  the  quail  or  partridge, 
or  the  more  timid  hare. 

Some  time  after  this  James  I.  was  reigning  in 
England,  and  no  doubt  he  with  "  his  shuffling  trot 
and  his  jerkin  "  would  be  giving  some  attention  to 
the  dogs  of  the  field,  for  was  he  not  one  of  our  most 
sporting  kings?  though  he  did  not  love  the  weed 


The  Setter.  291 


tobacco.  His  Majesty  took  his  dogs  out  with  him 
on  his  favourite  hawking  expeditions,  and  they 
couched  to  and  flushed  the  game  at  which  the 
peregrine  falcon  and  the  goshawk  were  flown.  One 
would  have  expected  to  find  something  relating  to 
dogs  of  the  field  in  the  King's  "  Book  of  Sports,"  but 
the  pastimes  mentioned  therein  do  not  include  game 
shooting,  nor  was  it  likely  that  his  Majesty  would 
deem  an  amusement  of  this  kind  fitted  for  the 
Sabbath  day. 

The  early  writers  on  sport,  the  "  Stonehenges"  of 
the  seventeenth  century,  all  allude  in  pretty  much 
the  same  terms  to  the  setter,  and  Gervase  Markham, 
in  his  chief  work  with  the  odd  title  "  Hunger's  Pre- 
vention, or  the  Art  of  Fowling"  (1655)  describes 
what  a  "  Setting  dog"  should  be  to  be  perfect  in  the 
eyes  of  the  sportsman  of  his  time.  Markham  says  : 

A  setting  dogge  is  a  certaine  lusty  land  spannell  taught  by  nature 
to  hunt  the  partridges  before  and  more  than  any  other  chase  what- 
soever, and  that  with  all  eagernesse  and  fiercenesse,  running  the 
fields  over  so  lustily  and  busily  as  if  there  were  no  limit  in  his 
desire  and  furie ;  yet  so  qualified  and  tempered  with  art  and 
obedience,  that  when  he  is  in  the  greatest  and  eagerest  pursute, 
and  seems  to  be  most  wilde  and  frantike,  that  even  thus  one  hem  or 
sound  of  his  master's  voyce  makes  him  presently  stand,  gaze 
about  him,  and  looke  in  his  master's  face,  taking  all  directions 
from  it  whether  to  precede,  stand  still,  or  retire.  Nay,  even  when 
he  has  come  to  the  very  place  where  his  prey  is,  and  hath,  as  it 
were,  his  nose  over  it,  so  that  it  seems  he  may  take  it  up  at  his  own 
pleasure,  yet  is  his  temperance  and  obedience  so  made  and  framed 

U    2 


292  Modern  Dogs. 


by  arte  that  presently,  even  on  a  sudden,  he  either  stands  still  or 
falles  down  flatte  upon  his  bellie,  without  daring  once  to  open  his 
mouth,  or  make  any  noise  or  motion  at  all,  till  that  his  master 
come  unto  him  and  thus  proceedes  in  all  things  according  to  his 
directions  and  commandments. 

This  extract  is  somewhat  interesting,  if  a  little 
complicated,  and  without  any  further  reference  to 
the  "  has  beens  "  of  the  setter,  we  must  break  into 
what  he  is  in  more  modern  days,  when  he  is  divided 
into  three  divisions — the  English,  Irish,  and  Gordon 
or  black  and  tan  varieties,  and  the  former  will  have 
the  preference. 

Until  well  into  the  present  century  the  setter  was 
not  so  commonly  used  as  an  adjunct  to  the  gun  as 
the  pointer,  and  even  the  writer  of  the  article  in  the 
"  Sportsman's  Cabinet  "  said  that  at  that  time  (1803) 
it  was  oftener  used  for  the  purpose  of  finding  par- 
tridges to  be  taken  with  nets  than  otherwise.  It 
had  been  trained  to  drop  on  point,  and  thus  more 
readily  was  the  net  dragged  over  him  and  he  and  the 
birds  encircled  in  its  meshes.  But  he  was  highly 
valued  as  a  sporting  dog  long  before  this,  and 
there  is  extant  a  copy  of  a  bond,  dated  October  yth, 
1685,  which  carefully  specifies  the  particulars  of  a 
contract  for  training  a  dog.  This  is  as  follows  : 

Ribberford,  Oct.  7,  1685. 

I,  John  Harris,  of  Welldon,  in  the  parish  of  Hartlebury,  in  the 
county  of  Worcester,  yeoman,  for  and  in  consideration  of  two 


The  Setter.  293 


shillings  of  lawful  English  money,  this  day  received  of  Henry 
Herbert,  of  Ribberford,  in  the  same  county,  Esq.,  and  of  thirty 
shillings  more  of  like  money,  I  have  promised  to  be  hereafter  paid 
me,  do  hereby  covenant  and  promise  to  and  with  the  said  Henry 
Herbert,  his  exhors.  and  admors.,  that  I  will  from  the  day  of  the 
date  hereof  until  the  first  day  of  March  next,  well  and  sufficiently 
maintain  and  keep  a  spanill  bitch  named  Quand  this  day 
delivered  into  my  custody  by  the  said  Henry  Herbert,  and 
will,  before  the  said  first  day  of  March  next,  fully  and  effectively 
train  up  and  teach  the  said  bitch  to  sitt  partrages,  pheasants,  and 
other  game,  as  well  and  exactly  as  the  best  sitting  dogges  usually 
sitt  the  same.  And  the  same  bitch,  so  trained  and  taught,  shall 
and  will  deliver  to  the  said  Henry  Herbert,  or  whom  he  shall 
appoint  to  receive  her  at  her  home  at  Ribberford  aforesaid,  on 
the  first  day  of  March  next.  And  if  at  any  time  after  the 
said  bitch  shall,  for  want  of  use  and  practice,  or  orwise.,  forget 
to  sett  game  as  aforesaid,  I  will  at  my  cost  and  charges  maynetayne 
her  for  a  month  or  longer,  as  often  as  need  shall  require,  to 
trayne  up  and  teach  her  to  sett  game  as  aforesaid,  and  shall 
and  will  fully  and  effectually  teach  her  to  sett  game  as  well 
and  exactly  as  is  above  mentoyned. 

JOHN  HARRIS,  x  his  mark. 

The  above  is,  doubtless,  one  of  the  earliest 
records  to  be  found  for  training  a  sporting  dog, 
and  as  such  is  worth  reproduction  here,  especially  as 
it  evidently  applies  to  the  setter  of  that  time,  then 
known  as  the  spaniel. 

The  varieties,  as  we  have  them  now,  came  to  be 
separated  from  each  other  much  later,  but  they  all, 
some  time  or  another,  must  have  been  descended 
from  the  smaller  and  shorter  legged  dogs — the 
spaniels.  I  consider  it  unfortunate  that  there  is  so 


294  Modern  Dogs. 


little  information  extant  as  to  the  early  history  of 
the  setter.  What  there  is  I  have  endeavoured  to 
compress  into  suitable  shape  and  form,  and, 
perhaps,  from  the  three  following  chapters,  those 
readers  who  are  interested  in  the  subject  will  be 
able  to  obtain  some  idea  as  to  the  period  when  the 
ordinary  setter  came  to  be  divided  into  the  three 
distinct  races,  as  he  is  found  at  the  present  day,  and 
of  which  I  should  say  that  the  black-and-tan  is  the 
youngest  variety  of  all. 


296  Modern  Dogs. 


reality,  had  his  first  setter  from  Mr.  Laverack 
himself. 

It  appears  that  some  forty  years  or  more  ago, 
the  author  of  "  The  Setter"  was  in  the  habit  of 
going  into  the  neighbourhood  of  Mr.  Cockerton's 
residence  to  shoot  during  September,  and  he  left 
behind  him,  with  the  uncle  of  the  latter,  one  or  two 
setters,  from  which  the  present  breed  has,  with 
the  aid  of  slight  infusions  of  other  strains,  been  con- 
tinued with  extraordinary  success.  Thus  they  are 
more  or  less  inter-bred,  and  resist  very  much  the 
introduction  of  new  blood.  This,  Mr.  Cockerton  has 
repeatedly  found  to  be  the  case,  he  having  on  several 
occasions  introduced  a  new  strain  by  the  purchase 
of  a  stud  dog.  In  no  instance  has  the  progeny 
answered  expectations.  They  were  destroyed,  and 
their  sire  came  to  a  similar  end.  Latterly  he  has 
tried  a  well-known  field  trial  winner,  Dr.  Wood's 
Fred,  of  great  excellence  in  the  field,  and  by  no 
means  indifferent  in  appearance.  How  the  result 
has  turned  out  it  is  yet  too  early  to  tell. 

However,  to  the  origin  of  the  "  Laveracks."  We 
are  told  that  Mr.  Laverack  first  obtained  his  strain 
from  the  Rev.  A.  Harrison,  who  resided  near  Carlisle, 
and  he  informs  us  in  his  book,  published  in  1872 
when  he  was  seventy-three  years  of  age,  that  he  had 
been  breeding  setters  for  fifty  years.  His  first  fancy 


The  English  Setter.  297 

for  them  must  have  been  well  on  to  seventy  years 
ago.  At  that  time,  and  for  long  after,  the  pedigrees 
of  dogs  were  of  little  value,  and,  so  long  as  the  strain 
was  good  for  work,  and  not  bad  to  look  at,  people  did 
not  care  a  jot  what  the  blood  was.  Mr.  Laverack, 
however,  had  found  that  he  could,  by  a  few  genera- 
tions of  judicious  crossing,  breed  setters  more  true 
to  type  than  others  had  done. 

He  was  a  sportsman,  spent  most  of  his  time  in 
shooting  and  in  sub-letting  shootings,  travelled 
much  in  Scotland  and  the  North  of  England,  and  so 
became  acquainted  with  the  various  strains  of  setters 
then  extant.  Two  or  three  years  before  his  death 
the  present  writer  repeatedly  met  Mr.  Laverack,  and 
a  mutual  admiration  of  the  dog  led  to  a  considerable 
interchange  of  ideas  on  the  subject,  and  on  setters 
in  particular.  Although  he  would  never  acknowledge 
any  cross  from  the  original  Old  Moll  and  Ponto, 
which  he  had  obtained  from  Mr.  Harrison  in  1825,  I 
am  not  quite  certain  such  was  not  tried.  There 
were  strains  in  the  North  of  England  that  he  valued 
highly,  and  which,  no  doubt,  he  would  find  useful 
for  the  purpose  of  putting  vigour  and  size  into  his 
puppies,  for  it  is  a  little  against  nature  to  produce  in 
so  short  a  time  such  good  dogs  as  he  owned  by 
breeding  from  brothers  and  sisters,  as  he  did  with 
Dash  I.  and  Belle — the  one  a  black  and  white,  the 


298  Modern  Dogs. 


other  an  orange  and  white.  However,  the  pedigrees 
of  Dash  II.  and  Moll  III. — the  latter  black,  white,  and 
tan,  both  great,  great  grandchildren  of  the  original 
brace — are  fully  set  out  in  his  book,  and,  of  course, 
cannot  be  gainsaid.  It  is,  however,  strange  that  the 
black,  tan,  and  whites,  and  the  liver  and  whites,  of 
the  same  "  pure  "  strains  did  not  come  out  until  the 
later  generations,  nor,  until  actually  pressed  upon 
the  point,. did  he  acknowledge  that  a  liver  and  white 
puppy  was  the  genuine  article. 

His  friend  Rothwell,  who  had  the  use  of  the 
bes't  Laveracks  for  breeding  purposes,  wrote  him 
that  one  of  his  puppies  was  liver  and  white.  To 
this  a  reply  came  to  the  effect  that  it  was  all 
right,  and  that  the  colour  came  back  from  a 
strain  of  the  "  Edmond  Castle"  breed,  Cumberland, 
which  he  had  introduced  about  thirty  years  before  ! 
Rather  a  peculiar  period  for  a  cross  to  remain  in 
abeyance  before  it  came  out,  and  which  no  scientist 
would  believe  possible.  It  is  extremely  likely  that, 
up  to  a  comparatively  late  date,  Mr.  Laverack 
crossed  with  the  Cumberland  and  Northumberland 
dogs,  most  of  which  were  liver  and  white  ;  and  so 
we  have  that  colour  in  the  setter  to  this  day,  and 
there  it  will  remain.  Fifteen  years  or  more  ago  I 
saw  several  of  these  liver  and  white  dogs  that  had 
more  than  a  tendency  to  the  top  knot,  which  was  a 


The  English  Setter.  299 

prevailing  feature  with  the  Naworth  Castle  strain, 
and  in  another  which  Major  Cowen  keeps  at  Blaydon 
Burn,  near  Newcastle-on-Tyne. 

Whatever  crosses  may  have  been  used  by  Mr. 
Laverack,  or  by  his  friends,  there  is  no  doubt  that 
such  proved  extremely  useful,  and  have  been  the 
means  of  fully  establishing  the  strain  on  a  sound 
and  substantial  basis.  In  his  own  kennel,  towards 
the  close  of  his  career,  Mr.  Laverack  was  not 
fortunate  in  rearing  his  puppies,  and  at  the  time 
of  his  death  there  were  but  five  setters  in  his  actual 
possession.  These  were  Blue  Prince,  Blue  Rock, 
Cora  (lemon  and  white),  Blue  Belle,  and  Nellie  or 
Blue  Cora.  The  two  latter  were  own  sisters,  and 
Mr.  Laverack's  housekeeper  sold  Prince,  Belle,  and 
another  to  Mr.  T.  B.  Bowers  for  about  ioo/.  The 
remaining  brace  ultimately  went  to  Mr.  J.  R.  Robin- 
son, of  Sunderland,  who  held  a  sort  of  partnership 
with  the  late  Mr.  Laverack,  and  had  laid  claim  to 
the  whole  of  the  kennel  ;  but  the  three  dogs  Mr. 
Bowers  bought  were  sold  even  before  poor 
Laverack  was  laid  in  his  grave  near  the  quiet  little 
church  at  Ash,  not  far  from  Whitchurch.  The 
Kennel  Club  Stud  Books  tell  us  how  the  blood  of 
these  setters  has  been  disseminated  since  that  time. 

Mr.  Laverack  claimed  for  his  dogs  excellence 
all  round  in  the  field,  and  unusual  stamina ;  indeed, 


300  Modern  Dogs. 


he  talked  to  me  of  working  them  ten,  twelve,  and 
fourteen  hours  a  day  for  a  fortnight.  That  they  were 
good  dogs  goes  without  saying  ;  but  "  Stonehenge  " 
did  not  care  about  their  work  in  the  early  days  of 
Field  Trials,  for  he  said  they  had  not  good  noses, 
carried  their  heads  low,  and  were  lacking  that  fine 
tail  action  that  he  so  much  valued  either  in  pointer 
or  setter. 

As  a  show  dog,  Mr.  Laverack's  Dash  II.,  better 
known,  perhaps,  as  old  Blue  Dash,  was  a  typical 
specimen;  and,  about  1869  to  1872,  was  about  the 
best  setter  appearing  on  the  bench.  He  had  size, 
bone,  coat,  and  general  symmetry  to  commend  him, 
though  his  shoulders  were  rather  upright  and  his  neck 
not  quite  of  the  best,  and  his  appearance  would 
certainly  have  been  smarter  had  he  been  cleaner 
cut  under  the  throat.  He  was  good  enough  to 
win  at  Birmingham,  the  Crystal  Palace,  and 
elsewhere,  and  in  looks  was  far  the  best  dog 
that  I  ever  saw  in  his  owner's  possession.  Another 
beautiful  setter  of  Laverack's  early  strain  was 
Mr.  Dickon's  Belle,  and,  it  was  said,  both  excellent 
in  the  field  as  well  as  in  the  show  ring.  So  far 
as  field  trial  dogs  are  concerned,  Mr.  Laverack 
mentions  Mr.  Garth's  Daisy  and  Mr.  Purcell 
Llewellin's  Countess  as  the  best  ;  but,  although 
both  were  fast,  very  fast,  the  one  had  but  a  mode- 


The  English  Setter.  301 

rate  nose  and  the  other  was  said  to  be  somewhat 
addicted  to  false  pointing.  Both  were  alluded  to  in 
the  reports  of  the  trials  where  they  competed  as 
faults,  which  Mr.  J.  H.  Walsh  considered  to  arise 
from  in-breeding. 

Allusion  must  be  made  to  Mr.  Llewellin's  Dan, 
Novel,  Bondhu,  Dash  III.,  Count  Wind'em  ;  Mr. 
Field's  Bruce,  and  Lord  Downe's  Sam,  who  also 
went  into  the  Llewellin  kennels  ;  Armstrong's  Old 
Kate  was  extremely  useful  as  a  brood  bitch  to  that 
family  of  skilled  dog  trainers  ;  to  Mr.  S.  E.  Shirley's 
Rock,  who,  when  tried,  and  subsequently  perhaps, 
won  more  bench  prizes  than  any  other  setter;  to 
Mr.  Barclay  Field's  Duke,  a  great  field  trial  winner 
in  1866  and  1867;  to  Mr.  T.  B.  Bowers'  Frank, 
the  handsomest  orange  and  white  setter  of  that 
time;  to  Mr.  Armstrong's  Dash,  sold  to  Mr.  Brewis. 
Mr.  G.  Lowes's  Tarn  o'  Shanter  ;  Mr.  Cunnington's 
Sir  Alister;  and  many  other  celebrities  in  their  day 
might  likewise  be  mentioned. 

Some  of  these  improved  Laveracks  are  not  now 
so  successful  at  the  field  trial  meetings  as  they 
ought  to  be ;  but  whether  this  arises  rather  from 
the  lack  of  opportunity  or  from  other  causes  it 
is  difficult  to  say.  As  a  fact,  those  persons  who 
own  the  handsome  dogs,  mostly  of  the  Laverack 
strain,  that  win  on  the  show  bench,  do  not,  as 


302  Modern  Dogs. 


a  rule,  train  them  for  field  trial  work.  This  has 
been  noticed  to  such  an  extent  as  to  draw  forth 
the  remark  that  the  field  trial  dog  and  the  show 
dog  are  two  distinct  articles.  I  am  of  opinion 
that  the  absence  of  the  show  dog  from  the  public 
field  arises  from  the  fact  that  he  has  not  been 
afforded  training  opportunities,  and  is  not  from 
natural  unfitness.  Of  course,  there  are  good  and 
bad  dogs  of  all  strains,  and  it  is  not  every  dog,  even 
from  the  best  of  parents  that  ever  wrorked  at  a  trial, 
that  will  come  forward  creditably  in  a  similar 
position,  and  I  am  fully  certain  that,  did  Mr. 
Cockerton,  already  alluded  to,  enter  his  dogs  for 
field  trial  work  as  Mr.  Llewellin  and  others  do 
their's,  the  former  would  give  quite  as  good  an 
account  of  themselves  as  the  others. 

Monk  of  Furness,  one  of  show  strain  and  a  bench 
champion,  was  as  good  a  dog  in  the  field  as  ever  ran, 
and  at  times,  says  Nicholson,  had  done  better  work 
than  any  other  of  his  kennel.  He  performed  credit- 
ably at  the  National  Trials,  though  it  was  not 
one  of  his  best  days.  He,  however,  was  the  sire 
to  Mr.  Nicholson's  Master  Sam,  Mr.  F.  Lowe's 
little  bitch,  Nun  of  Kippen,  and  Mr.  T.  Lauder's 
Sweep  the  Green,  whose  public  work  was  quite  as 
good  as  any  one  need  wish  to  see ;  and  a  bitch 
that  Mr.  Cockerton  has  now— one  of  the  very  best 


The  English  Setter.  303 

of  her  day  in  appearance,  Cash  in  Hand — can 
gallop  almost  as  fast  as  a  greyhound,  possesses 
a  fine  nose  and  good  natural  hunting  capabilities. 
If  ever  I  saw  a  dog  likely  to  do  well  at  field  trials 
when  properly  trained  Cash  was  that  one.  Monk 
of  Furness  was  sold  to  go  to  Canada  for  2307. 

Few  of  these  show  dogs  are,  as  I  have  hinted,  put 
into  proper  hands  to  bring  out  their  working  powers, 
hence,  what  may  be  called,  the  cross-bred  dogs  do 
best.  Of  these,  the  liver  and  whites  appear  to  excel 
all  others,  especially  some  of  those  that  had  Baron 
Doveridge  for  sire.  He  was  bred  by  Lord  Water- 
park,  was  by  Fred  V.  from  Rue  by  Drake — Rival ; 
Fred,  by  Blue  Prince — Dicken's  Belle;  thus  com- 
bining two  distinct  strains. 

These  are  by  no  means  handsome  dogs,  but  they 
never  appear  to  tire,  have  good  noses,  and  are 
always  on  the  look  out  for  game.  Mr.  Lonsdale's 
Woodhill  Bruce  and  his  sister  Woodhill  Beta  I  have 
seen  run  trials  that  could  not  well  have  been  beaten  ; 
and  both  Mr.  F.  Lowe  and  Mr.  F.  Warde  have  had 
liver  and  white  dogs  of  the  same  strains  that  did 
excellent  work,  Trip  of  Kippen  not  only  running 
well  as  a  puppy,  but  when  an  old  dog  it  took 
some  luck  and  a  better  animal  to  beat  him.  These 
dogs  are,  however,  difficult  to  train,  for  as  puppies 
they  are  very  fast  and  terribly  wild  and  head- 


304  Modern  Dogs. 


strong.  When  once  finished  it  is  not  easy  to  find 
their  superiors. 

At  the  National  Trials  in  1892  Colonel  Cotes 
ran  a  puppy  called  Dash,  which  was  the  result  of 
the  first  cross  between  a  Gordon  Setter  of  Lord 
Cawdor's  strain  and  an  English  setter.  It  per- 
formed very  well,  indeed  ;  so  well,  in  fact,  as  to  win 
the  stake,  and  make  one  believe  that  a  combination 
of  the  strains  would  lead  to  working  animals  that 
would  probably  have  no  superior.  This  one  had  a 
fine  nose,  carried  his  head  well,  quartered  his  ground 
beautifully,  and  appeared  to  be  persevering  through- 
out, his  natural  qualities  being  good  ;  and  I  take  it 
that  in  the  latter  most  important  attributes  u  Stone- 
henge  "  considered  the  early  Laveracks  deficient.  I 
do  not  think  those  that  I  have  seen  run  from  Mr. 
Llewellin's  kennels  of  recent  years  are  to  be  found 
fault  with  either  as  regards  their  pace  or  other 
capabilities.  I  think  it  was  in  1889  that  a  nine 
months'  old  puppy  of  Mr.  Llewellin's  was  entered 
at  the  National  Trials,  when  he  ran  over  a  rough 
fallow,  and  by  no  means  a  level  one  either,  in  such 
a  perfect,  natural  style,  and  at  such  a  pace  that  I 
with  others  thought  the  stake  at  his  mercy.  How- 
ever some  trivial  fault  later  on  put  him  out  of  court. 

Some  years  before  this  there  was  a  much  lauded 
setter  called  Ranger,  whose  pace  and  nose  were 


The  English  Setter.  305 

such  as  to  make  him  almost  invincible.  Unfor- 
tunately, I  never  saw  him  run,  and  have  heard  so 
many  different  opinions  as  to  his  merits  that  I 
can  say  very  little  upon  the  subject.  He  was  an 
uncertain  dog,  but,  this  notwithstanding,  he  must 
be  included  with  the  dogs  of  his  time — such  as 
Count  Wind'em,  Phantom,  Drake,  Dash  II.,  Belle; 
with  Countess  and  Nellie,  who,  at  the  Vaynol  trials, 
in  1872,  ran  so  well  as  a  brace  that  they  were  given 
by  the  judges  the  full  hundred  points — as  near  the 
head  of  his  race,  and  it  has  been  said  of  him 
that  when  in  the  humour  he  was  "  as  steady  and 
dependable  as  a  steam  locomotive."  During 
Ranger's  career  from  1873  to  1877  he  won  seven 
stakes  and  special  prizes,  and,  if  at  times  his  work 
was  not  quite  perfect,  he,  in  the  opinion  of  the 
judges,  usually  made  up  for  some  little  delinquency 
by  finding  and  standing  birds  in  an  extraordinary 
and  brilliant  manner.  Ranger  was  a  plain-looking 
—indeed,  an  ugly  little  dog,  white  with  black  and 
slight  tan  marks.  He  was  bred  by  Mr.  Macdona 
from  his  Judy  by  Paul  Hackett's  Rake — Calver's 
Countess;  his  sire  being  Quince  II.  by  Jones' 
Quince  I. — Lort's  Dip. 

An  interesting  trial  would,  no  doubt,  have  been 
fought  could  he  have  been  brought  against  Dr. 
Wood's  lemon  and  white  Fred,  who  proved  himself 

[VOL.  I.]  X 


306  Modem  Dogs. 


one  of  the  best  field  trial  dogs  of  more  recent 
years.  Unfortunately,  he  had  not  a  long  reign, 
flourishing,  as  our  history  would  say,  between  1891- 
92,  both  dates  inclusive.  Bred  by  Mr.  T.  Webber, 
of  Falmouth,  in  August,  1886,  Fred  was  by  Prince 
W.— Moll  W.  ;  Prince  by  Sam  IV.— Moll  III.  ;  Sam 
by  Young  Rollick — Nell ;  but  Fred's  dam  does  not 
appear  in  the  stud  books.  He  was  a  lemon  and 
white  ticked  dog,  well  made  and  symmetrical,  but 
scarcely  up  to  high-class  show  form  in  appearance, 
his  head  being  more  characteristic  of  the  Irish 
rather  than  of  the  English  setter.  Fred  made  his 
mark  as  a  Field  Trial  dog,  and  perhaps  on  all  points 
had  never  many  superiors ;  although,  on  his  first 
appearance  in  1890,  he  was  put  out  of  the  aged 
competition  at  the  National  Trials  because  he  failed 
to  back,  and  Mr.  Llewellin's  Satin  Bondhu  won  the 
stake.  The  latter,  if  not  quite  so  fast  as  Fred,  had 
shown  a  better  nose  by  finding  birds  the  scent  of  which 
Dr.  Wood's  dog  failed  to  hit,  though  the  latter  was  well 
in  front  at  the  time.  As  is  the  case  with  almost  all 
fast  dogs,  this  failing  to  back  was,  at  any  rate  in  the 
early  portion  of  his  career,  Fred's  chief  defect. 
He  won  four  stakes  outright,  the  special  cup  on 
two  occasions,  once  he  was  placed  third  only,  when 
without  injustice  he  should  have  been  second,  and 
on  two  other  occasions  he  owed  defeat  to  his 


The  English  Setter  307 

unwillingness  to  back  a  point  made  by  his  op- 
ponent. Fred,  who  had  alwrays  been  a  delicate 
dog,  died  during  the  summer  of  1892. 

Most  of  the  best  bench  setters  of  modern  times 
have  come  from  the  Ravensbarrow  kennels  of  Mr. 
Cockerton,  who  has  had  them  for  some  forty  years, 
though  he  did  not  commence  showing,  excepting  at 
a  local  gathering,  until  about  1881,  since  which  time 
he  has  taken  pretty  much  all  before  him,  especially 
in  the  bitch  classes  at  Birmingham.  His  best  dogs 
have  been  Sir  Simon,  Madame  Rachel,  Cash  in 
Hand,  Belle  of  Furness,  Monk  of  Furness,  and  there 
are  more  whose  names  do  not  occur  to  me.  Mr. 
John  Shorthose,  of  Newcastle,  has  winning  dogs  of 
much  the  same  strain ;  so  have  Mr.  G.^  Cartmel, 
Kendal;  Mr.  G.  E.  Pridmore,  Coleshill ;  Mr.  T. 
Steadman,  Merionethshire  ;  Mr.  G.  Potter,  Carlisle, 
Mr.  Robertshaw,  Lancashire,  and  others. 

Mr.  W>  Hartley,  Kendal,  has  had  good  dogs  of 
this  blood,  Mr.  W.  H.  B.  Cockerton's  Lune  Belle 
and  the  writer's  Richmond  being  the  best  of  his,  and 
he  who  breeds  such  a  brace  in  a  lifetime  cannot  be 
considered  at  all  unlucky.  At  Birmingham,  in  1892, 
after  wiming  in  their  respective  classes,  they  were 
placed  first  and  third  in  competition  for  special 
prizes  awarded  to  the  best  setters  of  all  varieties. 

The  best  colours  for  these  "improved  Laveracks" 

X    2 


308  Modern  Dogs. 


are  blue  or  black  and  white  ticked  (or  blue  beltons, 
as  they  are  called,  taking  this  name  from  a  village  in 
Northumberland),  orange  and  white  ticked,  lemon 
and  white  ticked,  and  liver  and  white  ticked.  The 
orange,  lemon,  and  liver  or  brown,  are  found  in  various 
shades,  but  the  lighter  ones  are  the  most  desirable. 

Allusion  has  already  been  made  to  the  setters 
bred  by  Mr.  Purcell-Llewellin,  and  by  many  persons, 
both  in  this  country  and  America,  known  as  the 
"Llewellin"  Setter.  Whether  the  strain  has  by  its 
characteristics  merited  a  distinguishing  title  of  its 
own  is  a  question  upon  which  opinions  are  divided, 
but,  as  to  the  excellence  of  the  breed  in  work,  and 
many  of  them  in  appearance,  there  cannot  be  two 
opinions.  .  In  the  field  and  on  the  moors  they  hold 
their  own  anywhere  ;  but  of  late  years,  with  a  single 
exception,  Mr.  Llewellin's  dogs  have  not  bee  i  shown. 

The  following  interesting  description  of  the 
Llewellin  setter  with  which  I  have  been  favoured 
will,  I  believe,  form  a  valuable  contribution  on  a 
subject  with  which  the  admirers  of  the  strain  are  not 
well  acquainted  : 

"  This  is  a  strain  of  English  setter,  formed  by  its 
owner,  Mr.  R.  LI.  Purcell-Llewellin,  of  Dorrington, 
near  Shrewsbury.  The  late  Mr  Laverack,  in  his 
book  *  The  Setter,'  describes  him  as  one  '  who  has 
endeavoured,  and  is  still  endeavouring,  by  sparing 


The  English  Setter.  309 

neither  expense  nor  trouble,  to  bring  to  perfection 
the  setter,'  and  has  for  over  thirty  years  experi- 
mented largely  in  breeding  and  crossing  strains  of 
setters.  In  due  course  he  succeeded  in  producing 
the  remarkable  family  of  setters  which  now  bears 
his  name. 

u  Mr.  Llewellin  many  years  ago  kept  black  and 
tan  setters ;  though  he  did  not  in  those  days 
exhibit.  These  dogs,  however,  although  he  spent 
much  time  and  pains  over  their  breeding,  fell 
short  of  the  ideal  in  his  mind  of  the  highest  type  of 
sportsman's  dog,  and,  having  moors  in  Scotland,  and 
shootings  in  England  and  Wales,  to  test  his  ideas 
on,  he,  rightly  or  wrongly,  was  fully  persuaded  in  his 
own  mind  that  it  was  hopeless  to  spend  more  time 
over  the  black  and  tans  ;  and,  after  full  considera- 
tion, he  finally  discarded  them.  This  conclusion 
was  not  come  to  without  long  trial  and  experiment 
of  all  the  best  strains  of  the  day,  having,  besides  the 
well  known  sorts,  many  of  a  kind  not  generally 
known,  such  as  those  of  Mr.  Hall,  master  of  the 
Holderness,  and,  above  all,  those  of  his  intimate 
friend  'Sixty-one'  (the  Rev.  Hely  Hutchinson), 
which  were  bred  and  used  long  before  the  days  of 
dog  shows  for  work  in  the  Lews,  where  '  Sixty-one ' 
for  many  years  held  some  70,000  acres  of  moors. 
Mr.  Llewellin  had  his  own  reasons  for  discarding 


310  Modern  Dogs. 


black  and  tans  after  experience  of  them  for  several 
years. 

"  He  next  tested  the  Irish  setter,  and  in  experi- 
menting with  this  breed  he  followed  on  the  same 
lines  as  in  the  case  of  their  forerunners,  the  black 
and  tans,  i.e.,  sparing  no  expense  and  trouble  to  get 
at  the  best  possible  specimens,  and  to  try  as  many 
of  the  leading  strains  as  possible.  We  find  him 
therefore  purchasing  for  ^150  the  famous  '  Plunket' 
from  Mr.  Macdona,  and  dogs  from  the  breed  of  the 
Knight  of  Kerry,  from  Colonel  Whyte,  of  Sligo, 
from  those  of  Cecil  Moore,  Colonel  Hutchinson,  Mr. 
Jephson,  and  several  others.  With  these  he  bred, 
and  some  of  the  produce  he  exhibited,  and  his  Kite, 
Samson,  Knowing,  Carrie,  and  Marvel,  were  excel- 
lent specimens  of  the  Irish  setter,  winning  him 
prizes  on  the  show  bench  ;  whilst  Kite,  Marvel,  and 
Samson,  were  successful  in  field  competition. 

"  Nevertheless,  after  long  trial,  Mr.  Llewellin 
reluctantly  confessed  that,  though  superior  to  the 
black  and  tans,  there  were  certain  peculiarities  in 
the  Irish  setter  which  he  wished  to  see  modified. 
Hereupon  he  commenced  a  long  course  of  blending 
and  crossing  of  these  breeds  with  others.  The 
result  of  one  of  these  experiments  was  a  handsome 
bitch,  called  Flame,  a  show  winner,  and  for  reasons 
which  Mr.  Llewellin  deemed  sufficient,  he  sold  her. 


The  English  Setter.  3 1 1 

The  blood  of  this  bitch  is  still  to  be  found  in 
many  of  our  leading  bench  winners  at  the  present 
time. 

"  With  all  these  crosses,  however,  Mr.  Llewellin 
failed  to  satisfy  his  aspirations  for  a  perfect  working 
setter.  Handsome  many  of  them  were,  but  he 
desired  to  develop  certain  peculiar  field  styles  and 
methods  of  hunting  in  them,  and  which,  as  yet, 
neither  the  comparatively  pure  breeds  alluded  to,  nor 
the  crosses,  had  shown  themselves  possessed  of. 

"  Mr.  Laverack's  breed  was  just  about  that  time 
at  its  zenith,  and,  attracting  Mr.  Llewellin's  atten- 
tion, he  hoped  that  at  last  he  might  obtain,  in  the 
so-called  '  pure  Laveracks,'  what  he  had  been 
seeking.  He  therefore,  at  a  high  price,  secured 
the  choicest  Laverack  blood,  i.e.,  that  of  Dash — 
Moll,  and  Dash — Lill.  By  this  means  Mr.  Llewellin 
had  succeeded  so  far  in  gaining  all  he  desired, 
owning,  as  he  now  did,  the  beautiful  Countess,  and 
her  half  sister  Nellie,  and  later  on,  Mr.  Garth's  Daisy, 
three  of  the  most  famous  Laveracks  in  the  field  that 
ever  lived.  He  also  owned  Prince,  brother  to  Nellie, 
a  very  handsome  blue  belton  dog  and  a  great  show 
winner  for  his  enterprising  owner,  who,  moreover, 
owned  Lill  and  Rock,  the  latter  afterwards  drafted 
by  him  and  known  as  Lort's  Jock.  Mr.  Llewellin 
bred  several  pure  Laveracks,  amongst  which  were 


312  Modern  Dogs. 


the  handsome  bitches  Phantom,  Puzzle,  Princess, 
all  great  show  winners. 

"  Now,  although  Mr.  Llewellin  thus  had  the  best 
possible  opportunities  and  means  of  estimating  the 
Laverack  breed,  he  finally  came  to  the  conclusion 
that,  however  handsome  at  that  time  they  were,  and 
in  the  case  of  Countess,  Nellie,  and  Daisy,  good  in 
some  respects  in  the  field,  yet  that,  on  the  average, 
the  pure  Laveracks  had  too  many  unsatisfactory  and 
inconvenient  peculiarities  of  mind,  habit,  and  instinct, 
to  fit  them  for  attaining  his  ideal.  This  discovery 
set  Mr.  Llewellin  once  again  on  the  track  of  experi- 
ment, and,  this  time,  with  far  more  satisfaction  to 
himself  than  anything  he  had  previously  experienced. 
The  result  was  the  breed  of  dogs  which  bears  his 
name,  and  which  has  scored  its  mark  so  deeply  in 
setter  history.  Mr.  Teasdale  Buckell,  the  gentle- 
man who  handled  so  many  of  his  winners  at  field 
trials  in  former  years,  materially  assisted  in  showing 
this  variety  to  the  world. 

"The  particular  strain  which  is  known  as  the 
'  Llewellin  '  setter  is,  therefore,  a  blend  of  the  pure 
Dash — Moll  and  Dash — Lill  Laverack,  with  blood 
represented  by  Sir  Vincent  Corbet's  Old  Slut,  and 
with  that  of  the  late  Mr.  Statter's  Rhcebe,  as  shown 
chiefly  in  Dick,  Dan,  Dora,  Daisy,  Ruby,  &c.,  but, 
whilst  those  for  the  most  part  were  somewhat  coarse, 


The  English  Setter.  313 

withal  powerful  workmanlike  dogs,  the  Llewellin 
combination  has  retained  the  size,  bone,  and  power, 
and  added  improvement  in  shape  and  make,  so  that 
the  tendency  towards  coarseness,  slackness  of  loin, 
and  want  of  refinement,  has  been  improved  away, 
and  the  characteristic  of  the  Llewellin  is  size  with 
quality.  That  they  possess  quality  and  beauty  of 
appearance  their  show  bench  achievements  have 
proved,  whilst  at  the  same  time  their  field  trial 
record  as  a  setter  kennel  has  never  been  approached. 

"  In  the  days  when  the  feeling  for  show  bench 
honours  was  keener  in  Mr.  Llewellin,  his  kennel  had 
only  to  put  in  an  appearance  at  a  show  to  take 
nearly  all  the  prizes.  For  years  this  was  the  case  at 
the  two  great  gatherings,  Birmingham  and  London, 
the  only  places  were  they  were  exhibited. 

"The  sight  presented  by  the  setter  benches  in 
1884,  tne  first  year  that  the  Birmingham  authorities 
offered  special  prizes  for  field  trial  winners,  is  well 
remembered  by  sportsmen.  On  that  occasion  Mr. 
Llewellin  entered  twelve  field  trial  winners,  viz., 
Count  Wind'em,  Dashing  Bondhu,  Dashing  Duke, 
Sable  Bondhu,  Novel,  Dashing  Beauty,  Dashing 
Ditto,  Countess  Bear,  Countess  Moll,  Countess 
Rose,  Nora,  and  Norna.  Although  there  were  some 
absentees,  the  team  made  a  show  of  setters  in  itself, 
representing  field  as  well  as  show  champions — Count 


314  Modern  Dogs. 


Wind'em,  a  field  trial  and  also  bench  show  champion, 
for  whom  Mr.  Llewellin  had  been  offered,  and  refused, 
^750  and  £  1 200 ;  Novel,  equally  a  champion  winner 
in  the  field  and  bench  shows  ;  and  that  beautiful  bitch 
Countess  Bear,  winner  of  the  first  field  trial  c  Derby/ 
besides  other  field  trials,  and  several  show  prizes, 
both  here  and  in  America.  Countess  Rose  was 
also  a  bench  winner,  and  with  Novel,  winner  of  the 
Brace  Stakes  at  the  National  Field  Trials,  on 
which  occasion  that  well  known  judge,  the  late  Sir 
Vincent  Corbet,  declared  them  the  best  brace  he 
had  ever  seen.  For  these  two  bitches  Mr.  Llewellin 
was  offered  on  the  spot  £1000.  This  same  Bir- 
mingham team  ikewise  included  three  winners  of 
the  field  trial  '  Derby,'  Countess  Bear,  already 
alluded  to ;  Sable  Bondhu,  and  Dashing  Ditto  ; 
also  Norna,  Nora,  and  Dashing  Beauty,  all  gainers 
of  first  prizes  at  field  trials  ;  besides  Dashing 
Bondhu,  winner  of  more  field  trial  prizes  than  any 
dog,  pointer,  or  setter,  that  ever  ran,  according  to 
the  field  trial  records  in  the  Kennel  Stud  Book. 

"  The  peculiarity  of  this  kennel  is  that  the  same 
dogs  unite  in  themselves,  in  a  measure  no  others 
have  done,  first  class  show,  as  well  as  field  trial 
quality.  There  are  owners  who  have  dogs  with 
which  they  win  on  the  bench  but  not  in  the  field. 
Others,  again,  there  are,  which  perform  in  the  field 


The  English  Setter.  315 

but  would  take  a  low  place  at  a  show.  The 
Llewellin  dogs,  on  the  contrary,  have  proved  them- 
selves capable  bench  show  champions ;  yet  the 
doings  of  the  self-same  dogs  at  field  trials  would 
alone  have  been  sufficient  to  place  them  at  the 
head  of  the  list,  even  if  they  had  possessed  no 
other  qualification. 

"  Mr.  Llewellin  has  never,  at  any  time,  cared 
to  keep  so  large  a  kennel  as  some  other  setter 
breeders,  nor  does  he  rear  many  during  the  year, 
a  fact,  which  should  not  be  lost  sight  of  when  the 
large  proportion  of  show  and  field  trial  prizes  which 
have  fallen  to  his  setters  is  considered. 

"The  'blue  ribbon'  of  field  trials  is  held  to  be 
the  '  Braces  Stakes,'  and,  next  in  estimation  is 
the  field  trial  '  Derby,'  the  latter  being  a  Kennel 
Club  event,  and  the  former  that  of  the  National 
Society.  Mr.  Llewellin's  setters  have  won  the 
'  Braces  Stakes '  twelve  times,  and  the  '  Derby  '  four 
times,  whilst  running  second  for  those  events  on 
additional  occasions.  The  '  Derby  '  was  won  three 
years  in  succession  by  his  dogs  Sable  Bondhu, 
Dashing  ditto,  and  Dashing  Clinker.  On  the 
occasion  when  Sable  won  in  1882,  three  other 
puppies  from  the  same  kennel  ran,  and  the  four 
were  placed  equal,  though  the  owner  preferred 
that  Sable  Bondhu  should  have  the  honour,  and 


316  Modern  Dogs. 


so  she  was  selected  to  run  against  the  wi  ning 
pointer  puppy  for  the  championship,  which,  as  indi- 
cated above,  she  won.  When  Clinker  won  in  1883 
something  of  the  'same  happened,  as  he,  with  his 
kennel  companion  Duke  Phoenix,  had  beaten  all  the 
other  puppies,  and  Clinker  was  given  the  honour  of 
running  against  the  best  pointer  puppy,  which  he 
beat,  and  so  won  the  great  prize. 

11  Mr.  Llewellin  has  not  been  a  competitor  at  the 
Kennel  Club  Trials  since  1883,  he  not  approving  of 
the  action  of  that  body  in  certain  matters  appertain- 
ing to  sporting  dogs. 

"  It  should  be  noted  that  several  leading  American 
sportsmen  imported  some  of  his  dogs  several  years 
ago,  and  that  their  workmanlike  qualities  and  suit- 
ability to  the  peculiarities  of  American  field  sport 
brought  them  rapidly  into  favour,  both  in  the  States 
and  Canada.  The  place  they  hold  both  at  bench 
showrs  and  field  trials  in  that  country  is  quite  as 
prominent  as  it  has  been  in  the  one  of  their  origin, 
It  is  a  question,  however,  whether  the  breed  as  it 
is  now7  preserved  in  America  is  in  all  respects  up  to 
its  original  standard. 

"  It  is  interesting  to  state  that  Mr.  Llewellin  has 
never  departed  from  the  lines  of  blood  with  w^hich  he 
began  to  form  his  breed  nearly  twenty  years  ago. 
No  outside  cross  of  any  sort  or  kind  has  been 


The  English  Setter.  317 

allowed  to  invade  those  lines.  The  various 
families  are  strictly  preserved,  and  the  strong 
family  likeness,  with  the  peculiar  habits  and 
methods  of  working,  and  their  power  to  transmit 
those  to  others,  justify,  I  consider,  their  title  to 
rank  as  a  distinct  breed,  which  fact  is  perhaps  more 
fully  recognised  in  America  than  here." 

From  time  to  time  there  have  cropped  up 
other  so-called  strains  of  English  setters,  but  they 
have  never  possessed  sufficiently  distinguishing 
features  to  entitle  them  to  a  name  or  classification 
of  their  own.  Personally,  I  have  known  more  than 
one  breed  that  better  deserved  a  position  of  their 
own  than  some  that  strived  to  attain  it.  In  West- 
moreland, fifteen  or  twenty  years  ago,  the  shooting 
men  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Crosthwaite  had  black 
setters,  not  more  than  forty  pounds  in  weight,  with 
little  coat  and  no  lumber  about  them.  They  were 
not  of  very  great  pace,  because  the  small  allotments 
there  were  not  suitable  for  fast  dogs,  but  their  noses 
were  excellent ;  they  required  little  training,  and  had 
stamina  enough  to  hunt  every  alternate  day  during 
the  season.  I  believe  that  in  Wales  there  was  a 
similar  strain  of  setter  to  this,  which  has  likewise 
been  lost — maybe  by  continual  inbreeding. 

Another  class  of  dog  I  saw  in  the  north  many 
years  ago  was  a  pale  red  setter,  with  a  double 


31 8  Modern  Dogs. 


nose.  Their  owner  said  "  they  were  the  best 
in  the  world,"  but  difficult  to  rear,  and  seldom 
producing  more  than  a  brace  or  three  puppies 
at  a  time.  I  fancy  both  these  strains  have  dis- 
appeared with  the  "  statesman "  of  the  dales  who 
shot  over  his  own  land,  and  could  go  over  that 
of  his  neighbour  were  the  latter  not  a  sportsman 
himself.  The  surroundings  of  shooting  have  of  late 
years  changed  in  the  north,  and  with  this  change 
such  strains  of  setters  as  I  have  alluded  to  have 
disappeared. 

There  was  another  valued  strain  to  be  found  in 
the  kennels  of  the  Marquis  Breadalbane,  and  which 
I  should  not  be  surprised  to  find  that  Mr.  Laverack 
had  used  freely.  They  were  called  "  red  marbles  " 
or  "  blue  marbles,"  the  latter  word  possessing  a 
similar  meaning  to  that  we  attach  to  "  mottle," 
"  ticked,"  or  flecked."  Of  this  strain  were  a 
brace  or  two  that  "  Sixty-one"  owned,  on  which  he 
set  great  store,  and  called  Balloch  setters.  They 
were  long,  low  dogs,  with  great  bone ;  they  had 
nicely-shaped,  but  rather  short,  heads  ;  their  peculi- 
arity lay  in  having  a  thick  coat  of,  so  to  say,  "  fur," 
almost  wool,  at  the  roots  of  the  ordinary  jacket — an 
undercoat,  in  fact,  like  that  a  good  collie  should 
possess.  No  doubt  the  extra  coat,  not  noticeable 
without  examination,  was  provided  by  nature  to  with- 


The  English  Setter.  319 

stand  the  cold  climate  in  which  they  lived  all  the 
year  round.  In  other  respects  both  coat  and  feather 
were  soft  and  silky.  These  dogs  were  excellent  in 
the  field,  carrying  their  heads  high,  and  working 
for  the  body  scent  in  beautiful  style.  I  believe, 
too,  that  Mr.  Llewellin  had  one  or  two  of  these 
setters,  and  his  opinion  of  them  as  working  dogs 
was  high. 

Much  has  at  times  been  written  of  the  Llanidloes 
setter,  which,  as  its  name  implies,  has  its  habitat  in 
Wales.  At  a  show  at  Welshpool,  in  1889,  a  class 
was  provided  for  them,  but  no  prizes  were  awarded. 
The  chief  exhibitor  was  Mr.  J.  J.  W.  Dashwood,  of 
Huntington  Court,  Kingston,  Hereford.  It  seems  to 
me  that  this  Welsh  setter  is  no  more  than  an  ordi- 
nary English  setter,  with  little  distinguishing  type, 
excepting  a  coarse,  hard,  curly  coat,  and  a  thick, 
though  long,  head,  may  be  deemed  to  constitute  a 
type,  which  I  do  not  think  is  the  case.  It  bears  a 
reputation  as  a  close,  slow,  and  methodical  worker, 
and  better  able  to  perform  the  duties  of  an  all-round 
dog  in  a  rough  country  than  the  more  fashionably 
bred  animal,  which  is,  however,  fast  supplanting 
the  older-fashioned  and  more  spaniel-like  article. 
From  what  I  have  heard  by  men  who  have  used 
the  Llanidloes  setter,  it  appears  to  be  hardy,  is 
not  spoiled  by  being  allowed  to  hunt  covert  for 


.320  Modern  Dogs. 


cock  and   pheasant,  and  is  thoroughly  suitable  for 
.a  "  one  dog  man." 

The  Anglesea  setter,  the  Newcastle  setter,  the 
Featherstone  setter,  and  others  that  could  be  men- 
tioned are  but  local  strains  of  the  general  variety 
as  it  is  diffused  throughout  the  country.  In  no  case 
have  they  been  kept  sufficiently  pure  to  justify  any- 
one placing  them  as  varieties  of  their  own.  The  Earl 
-of  Tankerville  has  had  good  setters,  and  so  has  Lord 
Waterpark ;  likewise,  Mr.  Jones  of  Oscot,  the  late 
Mr.  F.  R.  Bevan,  Mr.  W.  Lort,  Mr.  Bayley,  Colonel 
Cotes,  Mr.  R.  Lloyd  Price,  Mr.  Cunnington,  Mr. 
Paul  Hackett,  but  none  of  them  laid  claim  to  any 
particular  strain  of  their  own. 

The  Russian  setter  has  often  been  alluded  to  by 
previous  writers.  "  Stonehenge  "  gives  us  a  picture 
of  one,  but  such  a  dog  has  either  died  out  altogether 
or  been  returned  to  the  country  that  gave  him  birth. 
As  a  fact  I  do  not  believe  the  Russians  ever 
had  a  setter  of  their  own.  For  years  Mr.  Purcell 
Llewellin  offered  a  prize  for  him  at  the  Birming- 
ham show,  but  in  no  instance  was  there  an  entry 
forthcoming.  Possibly,  in  promising  such  a  thing 
the  Welsh  squire  was  poking  fun  at  the  breed,  and, 
in  a  way  of  his  own,  endeavouring  to  prove  to  the 
public  what  he  thought  himself,  that  such  a  thing 
as  a  "  Russian  setter"  had  only  existence  in  fancy. 


The  English  Setter.  321 

Our  English  Setter  Club  was  formulated  in  1890; 
following,  a  description  of  the  breed  was  drawn 
up  and  adopted,  and  I  fancy  its  foundation  was 
taken  from  Mr.  Laverack's  description  in  his  book. 
However,  I  with  others  do  not  consider  the  club 
standard  by  any  means  what  it  ought  to  be,  so 
in  preference  to  theirs  I  give  one  of  my  own,  which 
in  the  main  is  similar  to  u  Stonehenge's  "  the  one 
generally  adopted. 

1.  The  skull  (value  5)  has  a  character  peculiar 
to  itself.      It  possesses  considerable  prominence  of 
the  occipital  bone ;    is   moderately  narrow  between 
the    ears ;    and    there    is  a  decided  brow    over  the 
eyes.      A  sensible  forehead  with  width  enough   for 
brains. 

2.  The  nose  (value  5)   should  be  long  and  wide, 
without  any  fullness  under  the  eyes.     There  should 
be  in  the  average  dog  setter  at   least   four  inches 
from  the  inner  corner  of  the  eye  to  the  end  of  the 
nose.     Between  the  point  and  the  root  of  the  nose 
there  should  be  a  slight  depression — at  all  events, 
there    should    be    no    fullness — and    the    eyebrows 
should  rise  sharply  from  it.     The  nostrils  must  be 
wide  apart  and  large  in  the  openings,  and  the  end 
should  be  moist  and  cool,  though  many  a  dog  with 
good  scenting  powers  has  had  a  dry  nose.      In  dark 
coloured  specimens  the  nose  should  be  black,  but  in 

[VOL.  I.]  Y 


322  Modern  Dogs. 


the  orange  and  whites,  or  lemon  and  whites,  a 
coloured  nose  is  desirable,  though  it  must  not  be 
spotted.  The  jaws  should  be  exactly  equal  in 
length,  "  pig  jaw,"  as  the  receding  lower  one  is 
called,  being  greatly  against  its  possessor,  nor 
should  he  be  undershot. 

3.  Ears,  lips,  and  eyes  (value    10). — With  regard 
to    ears,    they    should   be    small,    shorter   than    the 
pointer's.     The  "  leather  "  should  be  thin  and  soft, 
carried   closely  to   the  cheeks,  almost  folding  from 
their  roots,  so  as  not  to  show  the  inside,  without  the 
slightest  tendency  to  prick;   the  ear  should  be  partly 
clothed  with  silky  hair,  but  there  must   not   be  too 
much    of  it.      The    lips    also    are    not    so    full    and 
pendulous  as  those  of  the  pointer,  but  at  their  angles 
there  should  be  a  slight  fullness,  not  reaching  quite 
to  the  extent  of  hanging.     The  eyes  must  be  full  of 
animation,  and  of  medium  size,  the  best  colour  being 
dark    brown,    and    they    should    be    set    with    their 
angles  straight  across.     The  head  and  expression  of 
the  English  setter  are  pleasing. 

4.  The  neck  (value  5)   has  not   the  full   rounded 
muscularity    of     the     pointer,    being     considerably 
thinner,   but    still  slightly  arched.      It   must  not  be 
"  throaty,"  though  the  skin  is  loose. 

5.  The   shoulders   and    chest    (value    15)    should 
display  great  liberty   in   all   directions,  with  sloping 


The  English  Setter.  323 

deep  shoulder  blades,  and  elbows  well  let  down.  The 
chest  should  be  deep  rather  than  wide.  The  ribs 
well  sprung  behind  the  shoulder,  and  great  depth 
of  the  back  ribs  should  be  especially  demanded. 

6.  Back,    quarters,   and    stifles   (value    15). — An 
arched  loin   is  desirable,   but  not   to   the  extent   of 
being    "  roached "     or    "wheel-backed,"    a    defect 
which  generally  tends  to  a  slow  up-and-down  gallop. 
Stifles  well  bent,  and   set   wide   apart,  to  allow  the 
hind  legs  to  be  brought  forward  with  liberty  in  the 
gallop. 

7.  Legs,  elbows,  and  hocks  (value  12). — The  elbows 
and  toes,  which  generally  go  together,  should  be  set 
straight;  and  if  not,  the  "pigeon-toe"  or  inturned 
leg  is  less  objectionable  than  the  out-turn,  in  which 
the  elbow  is  confined  by  its  close  attachment  to  the 
ribs.     The  arm   should  be  muscular,  and  the  bone 
fully  developed,  with  strong  and  broad  knees,  short 
pasterns,  of  which  the  size  in  point  of  bone  should 
be  as  great  as   possible    (a   very  important   point), 
and  their  slope  not  exceeding  a  very  slight  deviation 
from   the   straight  line.     The    hind    legs   should   be 
muscular,  with  plenty  of  bone,  clean  strong  hocks, 
and  hairy  feet. 

The  feet  (value  8). — A  difference  of  opinion  exists 
as  to  the  comparative  merit  of  the  cat  and  hare  foot 
for  standing  work.  Masters  of  foxhounds  invariably 

Y    2 


324  Modern  Dogs. 


select  that  of  the  cat,  and,  as  they  have  better 
opportunities  than  any  other  class  for  instituting  the 
necessary  comparison,  their  selection  may  be  ac- 
cepted as  final.  But,  as  setters  are  specially 
required  to  stand  wet  and  heather,  it  is  imperi- 
tatively  necessary  that  there  should  be  a  good 
growth  of  hair  between  the  toes,  and  on  this 
account  a  longer  but  thick  foot,  well  clothed  with 
hair  on  and  between  the  toes  is  preferred.  This 
hair  on  and  between  the  toes  acts  as  a  protection  on 
rough  stony  ground,  and  it  is  said  that  amongst  the 
flints  of  some  countries  a  setter  can  on  this  account 
work  for  a  day  where  a  pointer  would  be  placed 
hors  de  combat  in  half  an  hour. 

9.  The  flag  (value  5)  is  in  appearance  charac- 
teristic of  the  breed,  although  it  sometimes  happens 
that  one  or  two  puppies  in  a  well-bred  litter 
exhibit  a  curl  or  other  malformation,  usually  con- 
sidered to  be  indicative  of  a  stain.  The  setter's  flag 
should  have  a  gentle  sweep  downwards ;  and  the 
nearest  resemblance  to  any  familiar  form  is  to  the 
scythe  with  its  curve  reversed.  The  feather  must  be 
composed  of  straight  silky  hairs ;  close  to  the 
root  the  less  hair  the  better,  and  again  towards  the 
point,  of  which  the  bone  should  be  fine,  and  the 
feather  tapering  with  it. 

10.    Symmetry     and     quality     (value      10), — In 


The  English  Setter.  325 

character  the  setter  should  display  a  great  amount 
of  "  quality,"  which  means  a  combination  of 
symmetry,  as  understood  by  the  artist,  with  the 
peculiar  attributes  of  the  breed  under  examination, 
as  interpreted  by  the  sportsman.  Thus,  a  setter 
possessed  of  such  a  frame  and  outline,  as  to  charm 
the  former  would  be  considered  by  the  sportsman 
defective  in  "  quality "  if  he  possessed  a  curly  or 
harsh  coat,  or  if  he  had  a  heavy  head,  with  pendant 
bloodhoundlike  jowl  and  throaty  neck.  The  general 
outline  is  elegant,  and  very  taking  to  the  eye. 

i  it.  The  texture  and  feather  of  coat  (value  5) 
are  much  regarded,  a  soft  silky  hair  without  curl 
being  a  sine  qua  non.  The  feather  should  be  con- 
siderable, and  should  fringe  the  hind  as  well  as  the 
fore  legs. 

12.  The  colour  of  coat  (value  5)  is  not  much 
insisted  on,  a  great  variety  being  admitted.  These 
are  as  follows :  Black  and  white  ticked,  with  large 
splashes,  and  more  or  less  marked  with  black,  known 
as  "  blue  belton ;  "  orange  and  white,  ticked  and 
marked  as  in  the  blacks  or  blues  ;  liver  and  white, 
ticked  in  a  similar  manner;  black  and  white  ticked, 
with  tan  markings;  orange  or  lemon  and  white  ticked; 
black  and  white  ;  liver  and  white.  Pure  white,  black, 
liver,  and  red  or  yellow  are  sometimes  seen,  but  are 
not  desirable. 


326 


Modern  Dogs. 


Weight,  dogs  from  48!!}.  to  6olb. ;    bitches  rather 
smaller. 

STANDARD  POINTS  OF  THE  ENGLISH  SETTER. 


Value. 

Skull     5 

Nose 5 

Ears,  lips,  and  eyes 10 

Neck 5 

Shoulders  and  chest          i  =; 


Back,  quarters,  and  stifles  1 5 

55 
Grand  Total  100 


Value. 

Legs,  elbows,  and  hocks   12 
Feet  .  8 


Flag  . 


5 


Symmetry  and  quality...    10 


Coat  

Colour  .. 


5 
5 

45 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

BLACK.  AND    TAN    (OR    GORDON) 
SETTER. 

US  variety  of  the  modern  setter  had  its  name 
;>n£inally  from  the  fact  of  being  first  introduced  to 
ifr  public  from  Gordon  Castle,  Fochabers,  Banff- 
shifr  -he  Highland  seat  of  the  Dukes  of  Richmond 
and  4.'r*,:don.  For  what  length  of  time  the  lamily 
poft»***v  «i  the  strain  no  one  appears  to  know,  but 
that  it  4fa&  not  there  in  1803,  when  Colonel  Thorn- 
ton *4i  the  place,  may  be  taken  for  g-raPUM 
a*  rha  s  sportsman,  in  his  "  Northern  Tourrv" 

makes  nQ  allusion  whatever  to  any  such  dogs.      He 
s,-  howewt     mention    the   Highland    deerhouiul! 
gives  aft  account  of  a  somewhat  duh 
tike   ht-.  t*en   a   wolf  and   &  Pw&t&Man 

vhich,  on  being  A!   a   «kvr  tore   its 

Si  ver,    have 

k  and  i  r  the  '  •  -i  setter.*1 

ar  n  Gray;  in  his  n  })•  t.  ' 

. 


328  Modern  Dogs. 


become  general,  as  the  more  popular  name  has 
obtained  the  voice  of  the  public. 

According  to  the  late  Rev.  T.  Pearce(u  Idstone"), 
who  must  be  taken  as  an  authority  on  the  variety, 
about  1820  was  the  period  when  the  then  Duke  of 
Gordon  took  his  special  strain  of  setters  in  hand  ; 
but  as  to  where  they  came  from,  or  how  they  were 
produced,  no  facts  are  forthcoming,  and  the  result 
is  left  to  imagination. 

It  is  somewhat  strange  that  two  such  observant 
sportsmen  as  Mr.  Charles  St.  John  and  Mr.  John 
Colquhoun,  who,  the  former  in  "  Highland  Sports,'' 
and  the  latter  in  "  The  Moor  and  the  Loch,"  wrote 
so  charmingly  of  what  appertains  to  dogs,  shoot- 
ing, natural  history,  and  fishing  in  Scotland,  should 
have  little  or  nothing  to  say  about  the  Gordon  setter. 
They  wrote  some  fifty  years  or  so  ago,  and  this 
silence  must  be  taken  as  an  indication  that  the 
Gordon  setter  was  not  a  common  dog  then. 

One  much  regrets  that  at  the  present  time  (1892) 
this  old  variety  of  setter  is  not  to  be  found  at  Gordon 
Castle.  Years  ago  the  dogs  there  were  bred  to 
English  setters,  principally  of  Laverack  blood,  with 
the  result  that  the  valued  and  true  type  of  black,  tan, 
and  white  Gordon  was  entirely  lost.  The  setters  at 
the  kennels  now,  as  I  write,  and  for  some  years,  have 
been  all  useful  working  dogs  of  modern  strains. 


The  Black  and  Tan  (or  Gordon)  Setter.    329 

In  England  no  doubt  there  had  been  setters  of  a 
black  and  brown  colour  from  the  earliest  manufacture 
or  introduction  of  the  breed,  and  Gervaise  Markham, 
in  "  Hunger's  Prevention ;  or,  the  whole  Art  of 
Fowling  by  Land  and  Water"  (1655),  mentions 
black  and  fallow  dogs  as  the  hardest  to  endure 
labour.  This  description  must  be  taken  to  mean 
black  and  tan,  but  not  to  imply  that  such  dogs  were 
similar  to  the  Gordon  setter  of  to-day.  Again,  a 
writer  in  1776,  who  calls  himself  "  A  Gentleman  of 
Suffolk,  a  staunch  sportsman,"  says  there  were  fifty 
years  before  he  wrote  two  distinct  tribes  (strains)  of 
setting  dogs  "  the  black  tanned,  and  the  orange  or 
lemon  and  white."  But  from  other  sources  we 
find  the  latter  colour  the  commonest.  Sydenham 
Edwards  (1805),  in  "  Cynographia  Britannica,"  gives 
an  illustration  of  three  setters,  one  of  which  is 
undoubtedly  black  and  tan  in  colour,  but  in  type  it 
has  very  little  if  any  resemblance  to  the  modern 
strain.  Twro  white  and  orange  setters  are  given  in 
Bingley's  Natural  History  (1809),  and  no  mention  is 
made  of  black  and  tan  setters. 

Our  old  friend  "  The  Druid"  (Mr.  H.  H.  Dixon, 
of  Carlisle),  who  visited  Gordon  Castle  about  thirty 
years  ago,  says :  "We  beguiled  the  way  by  a  chat  with 
Jubb,  the  head  keeper,  whose  seven  and  thirty  black, 
white,  and  tans,  were  spreading  themselves  out  like 


33°  Modern  Dogs. 


a  fan  in  the  kennel  meadow.  .  .  .  Originally 
the  Gordon  setters  were  all  black  and  tans  ; 
now,  all  the  setters  in  the  Castle  are  black,  tan,  a  d 
white,  with  a  little  tan  on  the  toes,  muzzle,  root  of 
the  tail,  and  round  the  eyes.  The  late  Duke  of 
Gordon  liked  it,  as  it  was  both  gayer  and  not  so 
difficult  to  back  on  the  hillside  as  the  dark  coloured. 
They  are  light  in  frame  and  merry  wwkers,  and 
1  better  put  up  half  a  dozen  birds,'  says  Jubb,  '  than 
make  a  false  point.' 

Various  opinions  have  been  expressed  as  to  how 
the  original  black  and  tan  setter  of  the  heavy  type 
was  obtained.  He  was  a  bigger  and  coarser  dog 
than  any  other  of  his  race,  and  his  deep  rich  colour, 
heavy  head,  preponderance  of  haw  in  many  cases, 
and  strong  dewlap,  betrayed  a  not  very  remote  cross 
with  the  bloodhound  ;  and,  judging  from  appearances, 
I  have  not  the  slightest  doubt  that,  at  one  time  or 
another,  this  hound  blood  has  entered  into  his  com- 
position. A  single  dash  would  do  the  trick  nicely, 
and  such  would  account  for  the  tendency  in  some  of 
the  heavier  Gordons  to,  like  the  Irish  setter,  hunt  the 
ground  when  at  a  loss,  rather  than  carry  the  head 
high  and  sniff  the  wind. 

Impure  blood  such  as  this  in  the  strain  has  never 
been  acknowledged,  but  even  admirers  of  the  breed 
in  "  all  its  purity  "  have  not  objected  to  the  state- 


The  Black  and  Tan  (or  Gordon)  Setter.     331 

ment  that  at  no  very  remote  date  a  cross  with  the 
collie  had  been  found  useful.  The  latter  may  have 
been  the  case,  the  former  more  likely  ;  and,  as  blood- 
hounds were  not  uncommonly  used  in  some  localities 
in  Scotland  for  hunting  the  roe,  no  difficulty  would 
be  experienced  in  quietly  putting  a  bitch  to  such  a 
hound,  and  no  one  be  any  the  wiser.  The  collie 
cross,  some  writers  have  said,  could  be  plainly  traced 
in  the  strains  of  many  modern  Gordon  setters;  in 
quite  as  many,  the  bloodhound  cross  may  be  more 
strongly  noticed  in  the  shape  of  head  and  general 
expression. 

At  Tattersall's,  in  July,  1837,  five  and  a  half  brace 
of  setters  from  Gordon  Castle,  and  most  of  them 
black,  white,  and  tans,  were  sold  by  auction,  reaching 
417  guineas,  an  excellent  price.  The  highest 
figures  were  given  by  Lord  Chesterfield  for  young 
Regent  and  Crop,  they  reaching  72  guineas  and  60 
guineas  respectively,  although  the  latter  had  had  one 
of  her  ears  eaten  off  by  a  ferret.  Lord  Douglas  gave 
56  guineas  for  Saturn  ;  Mr.  Martyn  106  guineas  for 
a  leash  of  bitches,  and  Lord  Abercorn  and  the  Duke 
of  Richmond  paid  34  guineas  each  for  a  dog  and  a 
bitch.  This  was  but  a  draft  from  the  kennels,  for 
others  had  been  privately  purchased  by  the  then 
Dukes  of  Abercorn  and  Argyle,  and  Viscount  Boling- 
broke  got  some  likewise.  This  sale  took  place  on 


33 2  Modern  Dogs. 


account  of  the  death  of  the  Duke  of  Gordon,  and 
forms  an  interesting  example  of  the  price  obtained 
for  sporting  dogs  at  that  time. 

In  "  Dogs  of  Scotland,"  by  Mr.  Thomson  Gray 
(1891),  a  contributor  gives  some  interesting  par- 
ticulars of  the  setters  at  Gordon  Castle,  and  from  the 
extract  below  it  will  be  noted  that  he  differs  from 
what  "  The  Druid"  wrote  and  says.  The  original 
strains  were  black,  tan,  and  white.  "  These  dogs 
were  seventy  years  ago  of  different  colours,"  says 
the  correspondent,  "  the  majority  being  black  and 
tan,  and  black,  white,  and  tan.  Some  were  liver  and 
white,  and  black  and  white,  and  lemon  and  white  was 
sometimes  seen.  They  were  famed  for  their  work- 
ing qualities,  and,  dog  shows  being  unknown,  good 
looks  were  of  secondary  importance,  although  the 
whole  of  the  dogs  were  very  stylish,  and  many  of 
them  exceedingly  well  marked.  The  black,  white,  and 
tans  were  heavily  marked,  black  and  white,  with  tan 
spots  above  the  eyes  and  on  the  cheeks — the  black 
and  white  clearly  defined  but  not  spotted.  .  .  .  , 

11  The  black  and  tans  were  of  a  lighter  tan  than 
the  black  and  tans  of  to-day,  and  often  had  white 
breasts  and  feet.  The  dogs  on  the  whole  had  a 
heavy  look  about  them,  with  spaniel  looking  earsr 
but  excellent  legs  and  feet,  with  wealth  of  coat  and 
feather,  beautiful  heads  and  well  set  on  sterns. 


The  Black  and  Tan  (or  Gordon)  Setter.     333 

Light  eyes  were  not  allowed  on  any  account,  nor 
snipy  noses.  As  workmen  they  were  undeniable, 
and  when  the  writer  in  question  used  them  on  the 
moors  twenty-five  or  thirty  years  ago,  they  could 
easily  have  held  their  own  with  any  modern  cracks. 

"The  late  Mr.  Jubb,  who  had  the  care  of  the 
Gordon  Castle  setters  for  many  years,  could  break  a 
dog  to  perfection  ;  the  strain,  though,  was  easy  to 
break,  and  naturally  backed  well.  They  were  not 
fast,  but  excellent  in  staying  powers,  keeping  on 
steadily  from  morn  till  night,  had  good  noses,  and 
seldom  made  a  false  point."  The  same  writer  goes 
on  to  say,  "  As  to  the  original  colour,  I  had  the 
particulars  from  an  old  man  named  Bill  Rogers,  who 
was  about  the  kennel  at  Gordon  Castle  before  the 
battle  of  Waterloo  (this  would  be  a  very,  very  early 
period  of  the  formation  of  the  kennels),  that  the  dogs 
were  black  and  tan,  black  tan  and  white ;  liver  and 
white  (and  sometimes  lemon  or  orange  and  white), 
the  black  and  tans,  which  often  had  white  feet  and 
chests,  predominating." 

Another  authority,  who  often  saw  the  Gordon 
Castle  dogs,  and  was  acquainted  with  Jubb,  the 
head  keeper,  viz.,  Mr.  E.  Laverack,  said  that  these 
setters  were  black,  tan,  and  white. 

Seemingly  most  of  the  noted  kennels  in  Scotland 
had  obtained  their  dogs,  at  one  time  or  another,  from 


334  Modern  Dogs. 


Gordon  Castle,  as  Lord  Lovat,  Sir  A.  G.  Gordon  of 
Cluny,  Major  Douglas,  Mr.  Thompson  (Broughty 
Ferry),  Lord  Panmure,  the  Marquis  of  Huntley, 
Lord  Saltoun,  Sir  James  Elphinstone,  and  Mr. 
McNicholls  (Glenbucket),  could  all  trace  their 
strains  to  one  common  origin.  From  some  of  them 
I  firmly  believe  the  bloodhound  cross  must  have 
come,  for  in  no  other  way  can  be  accounted  the 
hound-like  type  that  was  not  uncommon  about 
twenty  years  ago. 

Not  very  long  since  I  was  given  a  Gordon  setter, 
said  to  be  of  the  best  blood,  and  it  had  cost 
thirty  guineas  in  Scotland  as  a  broken  dog.  Never 
look  a  gift  dog  in  the  mouth,  but  its  breaking  was  a 
myth  and  its  value  in  shillings  !  The  first  day  I  had 
him  out  the  parish  was  not  big  enough  to  inclose 
him.  He  chased  everything,  and  got  into  a  plan- 
tation where,  with  nose  down,  and  a  whimper  every 
now  and  then,  he  chevied  the  hares  and  rabbits  to 
his  heart's  content — to  my  disgust.  I  was  sorely 
tempted  to  shoot  the  brute.  When  tired  he  came  to 
my  whistle  and  had  a  right  good  thrashing  ;  a  five  mile 
walk  home  along  a  hard  road  in  pouring  rain  tamed 
him  a  bit,  and  as  he  had  a  sensible  look  about  him  I 
gave  him  another  treat  next  day,  over  the  roughest 
land  I  could  find.  Here,  after  a  long  trudge  of  some 
eight  hours  or  so,  he  became  amenable  to  discipline — 


The  Black  and  Tan  (or  Gordon)  Setter.     335 

hunted  and  found  birds  by  their  ground  scent,  and 
worked  more  like  a  hound  than  a  pointer  or  setter. 
Had  he  done  like  "  Idstone's  "  Gordons,  crossed  with 
his  collie,  and  gone  round  his  birds  as  his  ancestors 
would  have  done  round  a  flock  of  sheep,  I  should 
have  noticed  it.  He  did  not  do  so.  His  head  was 
always  down.  A  third  day  he  worked  well  within 
range,  answered  to  the  whistle,  and  his  old  training 
had  come  back  to  him.  He  was,  however,  no  use  to 
me,  so  I  gave  him  away.  Now,  this  Gordon  setter 
was  good-looking,  and  from  a  strain  that  bore  a 
reputation  of  being  "  pure  even  amongst  the  pure," 
but  his  manners  and  appearance  were  too  hound- 
like  to  please  me. 

There  is  no  doubt  a  screw  loose  somewhere  in 
the  Gordon  setter,  else  he  would  be  more  popular 
now  than  he  appears  to  be.  With  the  early  Field 
Trials  he  had  much  to  do,  with  the  later  ones  next 
to  nothing.  The  Rev.  T.  Pearce's  Rex  and  Kent, 
Mr.  Adey's  Kate,  Young  Kent,  and  Mr.  J.  H. 
Salter's  Rex  all  performed  creditably  in  the  field  ; 
so  did  the  Earl  of  Dudley's  Claret  and  Dandy 
(Mr.  J.  N.  Fleming's,  Maybole,  N.B.),  the  champion 
at  Southill  trials  in  1865,  but  somehow  or  other 
this  good  work  did  not  continue,  and  was  uneven. 
Some  dogs  were  slow  and  stupid ;  others  fast  and 
disobedient,  and  as  a  fact  I  have  only  seen  two 


336  Modern  Dogs. 


Gordon  setters  performing  at  Field  Trials  during  the 
past  ten  years  that  I  have  attended  them,  and  I 
think  this  must  be  taken  as  proof  positive  that  he 
is  not  so  good  as  either  the  English  or  Irish  strains. 

Even  on  the  show  bench  he  is  not  what  he  was. 
Mr.  Jobling's  Dandie  won  the  first  prize  at  the  first 
dog  show  ever  held,  and  took  the  cup  as  the  best 
setter  in  the  exhibition.  Then  "  Idstone's  "  Kent  in 
his  day  (1863-65)  won  pretty  well  all  before  him  in 
the  ring,  and  created  quite  a  furore  when  he  first 
appeared  at  Cremorne  in  1863,  exhibited  by  Sir 
Edward  Hoare.  He  there  won  the  first  prize,  and, 
notwithstanding  the  fact  of  his  being  without  pedi- 
gree, was  purchased  by  Mr.  Pearce  for  about  ^30. 
Although  Sir  Edward  Hoare  had  obtained  this  dog 
from  a  rabbit  catcher  on  the  Hothfield  estate,  who 
said  it  had  been  suckled  on  a  cat,  pains  were  taken 
to  find  out  that  he  had  a  pedigree.  In  the  end 
his  dam  was  said  to  be  a  black  and  tan  bitch  of 
"  Adamson's,"  his  sire  Shot  by  Mr.  Jobling's 
Scamp — his  Nell,  the  latter  by  a  liver  and  tan  dog 
of  Sir  Matthew  Ridley's.  No  doubt  Kent  was 
properly  bred,  for  his  stock  were  so  far  satisfactory 
both  in  field  work  and  in  appearance. 

Perhaps  there  may  be  a  brighter  future  for  the 
Gordon  setter  now  that  a  club  has  been  established 
to  look  after  his  welfare.  Still,  it  should  have  held 


The  Black  and  Tan  (or  Gordon)  Setter.     337 

Field  Trials  in  1892  that  did  not  come  off,  nor  have 
any  of  the  cups  offered  by  the  club  for  competition 
at  the  Kennel  Club  Trials  yet  obtained  entries.  As 
a  fact,  on  the  show  bench,  almost  all  the  prizes  are 
won  by  the  very  handsome  dogs  that  have  been 
introduced  by  Mr.  R.  Chapman,  of  Glenboig,  Scot- 
land. For  many  years  he  has  taken  considerable 
pains  to  produce  neat  animals.  Those  he  shows  us 
now,  are  very  perfect  specimens,  and,  as  a  rule,  do 
not  display  the  slightest  trace  of  either  bloodhound 
or  collie  cross.  They  are  of  the  accepted  black  and 
tan  colour,  free  from  white,  and  in  their  prime, 
peculiarly  rich  and  bright  in  their  markings.  I 
fancy  to  them  we  must  look  for  any  improvement 
that  may  be  made  in  this  variety,  and  with  the 
assistance  of  the  Gordon  Setter  Club  in  their 
popularisation.  Mr.  Chapman,  who  speaks  highly 
of  his  strain  as  field  dogs,  considers  them  quite 
equal  to  any  other  race  of  setter  he  has  ever  used. 
It  may  be  said  that  Mr.  Chapman  annually  lets  out 
teams  of  dogs  for  the  moors,  and  his  general 
surroundings  and  tastes  allow  him  to  speak  with 
some  authority  on  the  subject.  Still,  we  know  that 
everybody's  geese  are  swans  and  every  man's  dog 
the  best. 

Colonel  Le  Gendre  Starkie,  at  Huntroyde   Hall, 
near   Burnley,    Lancashire,    has    given   considerable 

[VOL.  I.]  £ 


338  Modern  Dogs. 


attention  to  the  Gordon  setter,  and  at  times  has 
had  excellent  specimens.  The  gallant  colonel 
repeatedly  sends  a  dog  or  two  to  compete  at  the 
Field  Trials,  and  where  he  has  often  judged,  but  I 
cannot  call  to  mind  any  occasion  upon  which  he 
had  run  a  black  and  tan  setter  in  public.  No  doubt 
had  he  had  one  fast  enough  and  smart  enough  for 
the  purpose  he  would  have  done  so.  Messrs. 
Greenbank,  of  Sedbergh,  Yorkshire,  have  on  occa- 
sions exhibited  a  good  specimen  or  two,  their  White 
Heather  II.  being  a  particularly  smart  dog.  At  Maid- 
stone,  in  Kent,  Mr.  J.  R.  Tatham  is  an  admirer  of  the 
breed,  and  possesses  several ;  so  does  Mr  Manning^ 
at  Norwood»  the  secretary  of  the  specialist  club. 

Another  very  old  strain  of  Gordon  setters  is  in  the 
kennels  of  the  Earl  of  Cawdor,  at  Cawdor  Castle, 
Nairn.  They  have  been  there  and  highly  valued 
about  as  long  as  similar  dogs  have  been  at  Gordon 
Castle,  and  for  a  period  of  at  least  eighty  years 
kept  pretty  well  free  from  cross  with  the 
English  or  Irish  varieties.  Some  of  the  dogs  are 
heavily  marked  with  black  and  tan,  but  none  are 
without  some  white — tricolours  in  fact — handsome 
animals  in  appearance,  and  reliable  to  shoot  over. 
At  Beaufort  Castle,  Beauley,  N.B.,  Lord  Lovat  has 
a  similar  strain,  which  has  been  in  his  family  for 
many  generations. 


The  Black  and  Tan  (or  Gordon)  Setter.     339 

Although  these  old  breeds  have  been  kept  as 
nearly  pure  as  possible,  and  may  be  found  useful  in 
crossing  with  the  ordinary  English  setter,  especially 
when  work  more  than  actual  beauty  is  required,  I 
do  not  see  any  great  future  before  the  black  and 
tan  setter.  He  is  not  easy  to  follow  with  the  eyes  on 
the  moors,  and,  as  a  rule,  is  not  nearly  so  smart  as 
either  the  English  or  Irish  varieties,  and  I  cannot 
imagine  why  even  his  most  ardent  admirers  prefer 
him  to  others,  excepting  that  a  team  of  them  match 
well.  The  latter  fact  has  been  at  times  of  consider- 
able advantage  to  Mr.  Chapman  in  the  show  ring, 
where  on  several  occasions  a  couple  of  brace  or  so 
have  beaten  all  comers  in  the  competition  for  the 
team  prize.  This  they  did,  and  quite  deservedly,  so 
recently  as  June,  1892,  at  the  Kennel  Club's  show 
and  at  the  Crystal  Palace  a  few  months  later. 

The  following  are  the  description  and  points  of  the 
Gordon  setter  as  adopted  by  its  Club,  and  from  the 
facts  I  have  given  of  some  of  the  leading  and  oldest 
kennels  being  entirely  confined  to  tri-coloured  dogs, 
i.e.,  black,  tan,  and  white,  it  seems  a  pity  such  are 
not  allowed  in  the  Club's  standard  ;  nor  do  I  agree 
with  what  it  says  about  the  "  bloodhound "  type 
in  the  dog  generally  and  in  the  expression  of  the 
eyes.  Such  a  cross  has  been  there  some  time 
or  other,  but  pains  have  been  taken  to  "breed"  it 

Z    2 


34°  Modern  Dogs. 


out,  and  in  no  case  where  it  appears  so  marked 
should  a  prize  be  given  the  dog,  or  should  it  be 
used  for  stud  purposes.  However,  I  give  the 
following  chief  portion  of  the  club's  description 
because  it  was  issued  by  an  authoritative  body  : — 

There  seems  to  be  little  authentic  information  as  to  the  origin 
of  the  Gordon  setter.  Authorities,  however,  agree  that  originally  the 
colour  was  black,  white,  and  tan ;  the  opinion  of  the  late  Dr.  Walsh 
("  Stonehenge  ") — that  he  is  a  compound  of  collie,  bloodhound,  and 
English  or  Irish  setter,  and  that  the  foundation  of  the  breed  was 
derived  from  a  mixture  of  these — is  to  a  large  extent  borne  out  by 
the  general  character  of  the  dog,  as  exhibited  in  the  best  speci- 
mens. Of  late  years  no  doubt  the  breed  has  been  tampered  with 
for  show  purposes,  and  crosses,  more  particularly  with  the  Irish 
setter,  with  the  idea  of  improving  the  colour,  have  been  resorted  to 
to  the  detriment  of  the  dog,  both  for  show  bench  and  field  pur- 
poses. Probably  the  pale  buff  in  the  place  of  tan  frequently  verg- 
ing on  stone  colour,  and  the  diffusion  over  the  body,  instead  of 
being  developed  on  the  recognised  points,  is  mainly  due  to  this 
cause ;  if  so,  it  will  require  careful  breeding  through  many  gene- 
rations to  eradicate.  ...  In  the  best  bred  Gordons  we  almost 
invariably  find  the  leading  features  of  the  colley,  the  bloodhound, 
and  the  setter,  and  perhaps  in  about  equal  proportions,  giving  what 
we  call  the  type. 

The  head  of  the  Gordon  is  much  heavier  than  that  of  the 
English  setter,  broad  at  the  top  between  the  ears,  the  skull  slightly 
rounded,  the  occiput  well  developed,  and  the  depth  from  the 
occiput  to  the  bottom  of  lower  jaw  much  greater  than  in  the 
Laverack  or  English  Setter ;  the  width  between  the  eyes  should 
perhaps  not  be  too  great,  speaking  with  caution ;  the  nose  mode- 
rately long  and  broad  across  the  top  giving  room  for  the  nerves  of 
scent,  in  fact  the  opposite  of  snipyness,  the  nostril  well  distended, 
making  this  the  widest  part  of  the  nose ;  the  shape  of  the  under 


The  Black  and  Tan  (or  Gordon)  Setter.     341 


jaw  is  perhaps  a  matter  of  fancy  :  old  Kent  had  a  very  heavy 
muzzle  and  under-jaw,  with  remarkably  bright  and  penetrating 
eyes,  in  these  his  likeness  has  been  transmitted  to  many  of  his 
descendants  in  a  remarkable  degree.  Many  Gordons  show  slight 
"  haw  "  and  "  dewlap/'  a  proper  development  of  these  is  probably 
the  true  type ;  the  ears  vary  considerably,  some  being  long,  silky, 
and  hanging  close  to  the  face,  others  much  shorter ;  these  are  also 
matters  of  fancy,  and  therefore  of  minor  importance.  The  body 
of  the  Gordon  is  also  heavier  than  that  of  the  English  setter,  but 
may  be  judged  on  the  same  lines ;  the  tail  is  often  long,  giving 
bad  carriage,  this  does  not  interfere  with  good  work.  The  great 
beauty  of  this  dog  is  his  lovely  colour,  and  as  this  in  perfection  is 
in  no  way  antagonistic  to  his  working  qualities,  great  prominence 
should  be  given  to  it  in  judging.  Formerly,  without  doubt,  the 
prevailing  colours  were  black,  white,  and  tan,  of  late  there  has 
been  but  little  white  seen  on  the  bench,  this,  too,  is  a  matter  of 
fancy;  the  black  should  be  a  jet,  not  brown  or  rusty;  the  tan 
should  be  a  rich  dark  mahogany,  and  should  be  exhibited  on 
inside '  of  thighs,  showing  down  front  of  stifle  to  the  ground,  the 
front  legs  to  the  knees ;  the  muzzle  also  should  be  tan,  the  spots 
over  the  eyes  well  defined,  not  blurred,  and  on  the  points  of  the 
shoulders  also  :  blurring  and  diffusion  over  the  belly  and  other 
parts  of  the  dog  probably  indicate  contamination  with  other  blood. 
It  is  of  the  highest  importance,  if  we  are  to  get  back  the  real  hunt- 
ing qualities  of  this  breed  and  the  show  qualities  also,  that  purity 
of  blood  should  be  the  chief  aim  in  breeding ;  a  first  cross  may 
sometimes  appear  to  answer,  but  succeeding  generations  will 
certainly  show  the  cross,  and  will  deteriorate  in  all  the  qualities 
we  prize. 

A  splendid  intelligence,  fine  scenting  powers,  and  great 
endurance  are  the  main  characteristics  of  the  Gordon  ;  if  purity  of 
blood  is  maintained,  we  may  not  only  recover  the  qualities 
which  some  fear  we  have  partly  lost,  but  also  develop  their 
natural  powers  to  an  extent  hitherto  unknown.  A  well  formed 
head  is  of  the  first  importance,  if  we  are  to  develop  and  maintain 


342 


Modern  Dogs. 


that  intelligence  which    is   the    great   charm    and    usefulness   of 

the  dog. 

SCALE  OF  POINTS. 


Value. 

Head  and  neck    35 

Shoulders  and  chest     12 

Loin  and  quarter 12 

Feet  and  legs    1 6 

75 


Value. 

Colour  10 

Coat,  feather,  and  quality  10 
Tail  '.      5 


Grand  Total  100. 


H  AFTER     XVII. 

THE    IRISH    SETTER. 

•.••*!**!  I  struck  me  as  being  extraordinary  that 
known  of  the  origin  of  the  Irish  setter 

:!iat  he  is  an  old  dog  in  his  purity  there  is  not 
he  slightest  doubt.  He  has  been  alluded  to  by 

hers  early  in  the  present  century,  but  they  have 
•v.K-'d  to  tell  us  what  kind  of  a  dog  he  was,  either  in 
olour  or  form.  I;  believe  him  to  have  been  a  red, 
*r  a  red  and  white  dog,  a  smart  active  animal,  full 
f  courage;  rather  headstrong,  an  untiring  worker, 
wi.  olfactory  organs  quite  as'  good  as  any  oth*-* 
log  used  for  a  similar  purpose. 

And  how  strange  it  seems  that  the  nativ>  Irish 
logs  are  for  the  most  part  red  or  brown  This 
fcfc)T  be  a  favourite  Milesian  colour,  or  <*  may  be 
V  result  of  accident.  One  cannot  say  that  tb-/ 

^h  red  setter,  the  Irish  terrier  *nd  the  twrtv 
nu-1  of  Ireland,  came  at  anv 


344  Modern  Dogs. 


Failing  to  find  anything  of  particular  interest  in 
the  early  days  of  the  Irish  setter,  I  turned  to  Mr.  W. 
C.  Bennett,  of  Dublin,  a  gentleman  who  has  made 
the  variety  his  hobby,  and  he  most  kindly  promised  to 
do  what  he  could  for  me  in  the  matter.  The 
following  particulars  from  his  pen  will  no  doubt  be 
read  with  interest : 

My  inquiries  relative  to  the  above  breed  have  tended  to 
convince  me  that,  so  far  at  least  as  the  Midland  and  Western 
Counties  of  Ireland,  Dublin,  and  its  vicinity,  were  concerned 
(which  were  best  known  to  my  three  first  named  informants,  whose 
experience  and  opinions  are  given  below),  the  red  setter  was  but 
seldom  encountered,  and  that  red  and  white  Irish  setters  (differing 
in  many  essential  qualities  and  in  general  appearance  from  the 
English  variety)  were  well  known  and  highly  esteemed. 

That  this  assertion  will  be  met  with  an  indignant  denial  from 
the  owners  and  exhibitors  of  the  red  dogs  at  present  gracing  the 
bench  and  holding  their  own  in  Field  Trials,  I  am  quite  prepared 
for,  but  how  far  back  does  their  recollection  carry  them  ?  The 
first  gentleman  I  interviewed  on  the  subject  was  Mr.  Mahon,  one 
of  the  old  Ross  Mahon  stock,  of  Galway  fame,  now  over  eighty 
years  of  age,  and  son  of  the  Rev.  H.  Mahon,  of  Castlegar,  an 
ardent  sportsman  and  owner  of  many  setters,  all  of  which  were  red 
and  white,  and  who  held  the  opinion  often  expressed  to  his  son,, 
that  this  was  the  true  colour  of  the  Irish  setter.  This  gentleman's 
recollection  carried  him  back  to  the  last  century  (he  having  died 
in  the  year  1838.) 

The  present  Mr.  Mahon  informs  me  that  in  his  early  days  dogs 
wholly  red  were  rare,  though  such,  he  admits,  existed,  and  were 
considered  more  difficult  to  break  than  the  red  and  white,  which, 
he  says,  were  smaller.  A  strain  of  them,  called  the  "  Ahascragh 
breed,"  kept  in  his  family  were  highly  prized,  but  which,  from  being 


The  Irish  Setter.  345 


bred  in  and  in  by  the  gamekeeper,  Jemmy  Fury,  degenerated  into 
weeds.  He  especially  mentions  one,  called  Sylvie,  which  he 
obtained  from  Charles  Mahon,  of  Mount  Pleasant,  co.  Mayo ;  she 
was  a  big  bitch,  beautifully  feathered,  very  enduring  and  staunch, 
and  with  her  he  hoped  to  resuscitate  the  Ahascragh  strain.  Owing, 
however,  to  the  death  of  his  father,  he  abandoned  the  attempt. 
Mr.  Mahon  purchased  two  dogs  from  Mr.  Buchanan  for  Sir  St. 
George  Gore,  about  the  year  1838,  which  were  wholly  red  in 
colour,  and  this  gentleman  appears  to  have  kept  the  whole  coloured 
almost,  if  not  entirely,  in  his  kennels. 

Mr.  Baker,  of  Lismacue,  co.  Tipperary,  was  a  firm  adherent  of 
the  red  and  white  variety,  and  Mr.  Mahon  considers  his  breed  a 
particularly  good  one ;  they  had  black  noses,  and  were  fine  up- 
standing dogs,  selected  with  care,  with  good  feathering  and  low 
carriage  of  stern. 

My  next  informant  was  Mr.  John  Bennett,  of  Grange,  King's 
County,  who  hunted  the  county  for  over  30  years,  and  whose 
recollection  goes  back  to  the  early  part  of  the  present  century.  So 
far  back  as  the  year  1835  he  owned  a  light  red  bitch  called  Cora, 
which  he  mated  with  a  red  dog,  the  property  of  the  late  Capt. 
Vaughan,  of  Golden  Grove,  King's  County,  one  of  the  O'Connor 
breed,  which,  so  far  as  he  can  recollect,  were  all  red.  Capt. 
Vaughan  had  two  brace  of  the  strain  in  his  kennels,  and  all  these 
were  red  with  black  noses,  sterns  carried  low  (a  point  then,  as  now, 
highly  valued),  large  sized  and  muscular. 

Mr.  Bennett  considers  the  O'Connor  and  Yelverton  O'Keeffe's 
strain  of  red  and  white  setters  the  best  he  ever  shot  over.  The 
latter  paid  great  attention  to  keeping  them  pure,  and  adhered 
to  the  parti-coloured  in  preference  to  the  whole  coloured  variety, 
though,  strange  to  say,  the  last  of  the  race  was  a  red  dog  in  the 
possession  of  the  late  Charley  O'Keeffe  of  Parsonstown,  son  of 
Yelverton  O'Keeffe.  This  Mr.  Bennett  accounts  for  by  Yelverton 
O'Keefe's  admission  that  he  had  used  a  red  in  his  strain,  having 
bred  from  a  handsome  specimen  in  the  possession  of  Long,  a 
coachmaker  in  Mary-street,  Dublin,  which  had  a  cross  of  the 


346  Modern  Dogs. 


O'Connor  breed;  but  Mr.  Bennett  says  the  wholly  red  were  scarce, 
and  much  more  difficult  to  break  than  the  red  and  white  dogs. 

It  is  to  be  observed  that  neither  Mr.  Mahon  nor  Mr.  Bennett 
ever  exhibited  setters,  but  used  them  solely  for  work.  I  myself 
shot  over  a  dog  and  bitch,  Beau  and  Belle,  the  property  of  Mr. 
Darby,  of  Leap  Castle,  Roscrea,  which  he  obtained  from  Judge 
O'Connor  Morris,  a  descendant  of  Maurice  Nugent  O'Connor 
(before  mentioned),  and  both  these  were  dark  red  with  black 
noses,  but  with,  to  my  eyes,  a  strong  suspicion  of  a  Gordon  or 
other  cross,  as  their  coats  were  too  deep  in  colour,  and  were, 
moreover,  inclined  to  be  broken,  not  silky  and  fine  as  they 
should  be. 

I  next  consulted  Mr.  John  G.  King,  of  Ballylin,  King's  County, 
who  may  be  fairly  looked  upon  as  the  father  of  the  breed  in  this 
country.  He  has  been  a  constant  attendant  and  exhibitor  at 
dog  shows,  not  alone  of  setters,  but  of  pointers  and  foxhounds. 
He  is  still  as  keen  as  possible,  notwithstanding  that  he  paid 
for  his  first  game  licence  in  1837,  and  his  experience  is 
golden,  for  not  only  does  he  remember  clearly  the  dogs  of  the 
past,  but  he  can  recollect  the  names  of  winners  at  dog  shows,  in 
what  he  calls  recent  years,  from  the  show  in  the  Rotunda  Gardens, 
Dublin,  about  1863,  down  to  the  last  field  trials  in  Cookstown. 

At  the  Rotunda  show  he  pointed  out  that  there  were  numbers  of 
red  and  white  setters  exhibited.  Although  Mr.  King  keeps  a  note 
book  in  which  he,  from  time  to  time,  jotted  down  names  of  dogs 
and  incidents  connected  with  them,  he  seldom  has  to  refresh  his 
memory  of  either  the  owner,  breeder,  or  dog,  and  he  firmly 
adheres  to  the  assertion  that  the  entirely  red  coloured  dog  was 
not  only  in  the  minority,  but  difficult  to  obtain  at  all.  He  quotes 
an  instance  of  a  gamekeeper  from  Roscommon,  from  whom 
he  was  in  the  habit  of  purchasing  dogs,  bringing  him  a  red  dog, 
and  urging  him  to  purchase  it  because  of  its  rarity.  He  gives  the 
palm  to  the  O'Connor  strain  as  having  been  selected  with  the 
most  care,  and  kept  for  years  pure  from  extraneous  crosses.  In 
confirmation  of  his  assertion  that  the  red  and  white  were,  in 


The  Irish  Setter.  347 


former  years,  the  favoured  breed,  he  refers  to  a  picture  at 
Sharavogue,  the  seat  of  the  late  Earl  of  Huntingdon,  who  married 
the  only  daughter  of  the  late  Colonel  Westenra  (the  owner  of  the 
famous  racehorse  "Freeny")  representing  Lord  Rossmore,  the 
ancestor  of  the  Westenra  family,  anil  an  enthusiastic  sportsman, 
shooting  over  three  or  four  setters.  Only  one  of  these  is  whole 
coloured,  and  this  dog  is  a  pale  golden  red,  with  a  white  snip  on 
the  forehead,  all  the  others  are  red  and  white. 

Amongst  noted  breeders  in  the  past  Mr.  King  quotes  Mr.  La 
Touche,  of  Harristown,  who  had  the  O'Connor  strain;  Mr.  Dunne, 
of  Brittas ;  Mr.  Samuel  Handy,  of  Parsonstown  ;  Miss  Lidwell,  Lord 
Howth,  Lord  Waterford,  Mr.  Trumble,  of  Malahide,  Dublin,  and 
Mr.  Reeves,  of  Dublin.  Mr.  King — when  only  verging  on  man- 
hood as  a  Trinity  College  student,  was  even  then  a  sportsman, 
— and  can  recall  Dycer's  red  dog  "  Don  "  (the  reputed  father  of 
Captain  Hutchinson's  famous  "  Bob  ")  and  often  sought  "  the 
Repository  "  for  the  purpose  of  a  ramble  with  old  "  Don."  Miss 
Lidwell  (or  Ledwich,  as  she  was  sometimes  erroneously  called), 
had  then  a  reputation  for  keeping  good  dogs,  and  Mr.  King  on  a 
visit  to  her  cottage,  near  Beggar's  Bush  Barracks,  Dublin,  saw 
the  then  crack  "  Pluto,"  a  red  and  white.  The  lady  had  shortly 
before  been  interviewed  by  the  late  Mr.  Edward  Laverack,  who 
wished  to  take  her  dog  to  England  to  cross  with  his  breed, 
but  the  lady  was  obdurate,  even  indignant,  and  refused  to  lend  or 
sell  her  favourite. 

Of  later  breeders  Mr.  King  is  equally  familiar,  and  can  recall 
the  faults  and  perfections  of  champion  Palmerston ;  Miss 
Warburton's  Lilly;  Mr.  Giltrap's  Garryowen;  Mr.  Xuttall's  Maybe, 
and  Loo  VII.;  Captain  Milner's  Frisco;  and  at  last  Ballsbridge 
show  he  was  as  interested  in  the  awards  as  the  most  recent  exhibitor. 
He  disagrees  with  Mr.  Bennett  as  to  the  colour  of  the  O'Connor 
breed,  as  he  maintains  they  were  red  and  white.  A  few  words  in 
conclusion  of  his  remarks.  He  confines  his  observations  to  those 
localities  with  which  he  personally  was  acquainted,  and  as  these 
did  not  extend  either  to  the  bleak  north,  or  the  wilds  of  Kerry,  he 


348  Modern  Dogs. 


cannot  say  that  the  red  setter  may  not,  in  these  favoured  districts,, 
have  existed  in  considerable  numbers. 

Now  it  has  often  been  mooted,  and  always  met  with  a  most 
decided  opposition  from  the  Irish  Red  Setter  Club,  that  a  class 
should  be  given  for  red  and  white  dogs,  and  surely  if  they  are 
more  easily  broken  than  the  whole  coloured  dogs  and  more 
easily  seen  on  mountain  or  moor,  it  would  not  be  a  step  in 
the  wrong  direction  to  try  and  resuscitate  so  valuable  a  strain. 
There  must  be  many  specimens  still  existing  when  so  com- 
paratively recently  as  the  Rotunda  show,  before  referred  to, 
several  red  and  whites  were  exhibited  on  the  benches.  There 
is  another  point  worth  observing,  and  that  is  the  red  dogs 
of  the  past,  and  even  those  shown  at  the  earlier  shows  were  not 
nearly  so  deep  in  colour  as  many  now  before  the  public  on  the 
benches.  The  Irish  Red  Setter  Club's  own  rules  state  that  the 
correct  colour  is  "  a  rich  golden  chesnut."  How  many  of  this 
colour  do  we  now  see  winning  at  our  leading  dog  shows. 

My  next  informant  (says  Mr.  Bennett)  was  Mr.  Cecil  Moore,  the 
breeder  of  champion  Palmerston,  Kate  (afterwards  Mr.  Perrin's), 
and  numerous  other  celebrities.  This  gentleman  is  from  county 
Tyrone,  and  informs  me  that  in  that  locality  the  red  dog  was 
the  favourite,  and  numbers  of  them  were  to  be  found  in  the 
possession  of  sportsmen  about  the  town  of  Omagh,  and  as  he  has 
turned  "  the  three  score  and  ten  years  allotted  to  man,"  and  is  a 
good  shot,  and  kept  dogs  of  the  right  sort,  his  opinion  is 
valuable. 

That  the  red  and  white  were  in  existence  he  freely  admits,  but 
that  they  were  Irish  setters  at  all  he  denies,  as  he  holds  to  the 
opinion  that  they  were  imported  from  England,  and  were  a 
distinct  breed.  Amongst  breeders  of  the  pure  red  sort  he 
mentions  Mr.  Jason  Hazzard,  of  Timaskea,  county  Fermanagh,, 
who,  so  far  back  as  the  year  1812,  kept  nothing  but  whole  coloured 
specimens.  The  Earl  of  Enniskillen,  grandfather  of  the  present 
Earl,  about  the  same  period  had  a  different  strain  of  the  red 
colour,  on  which  he  set  great  value.  Between  these  gentlemen 


The  Irish  Setter.  349 


a  friendly  rivalry  existed,  and  both  evidently  admired  each  other's 
breed,  as  they  eventually  bred  their  favourites  together,  a  red 
bitch,  the  property  of  the  commoner,  visiting  a  dog  of  the  Earl's. 

Mention  may  also  be  made  of  Mr.  Evans,  of  Dungannon  (land 
agent  to  Lord  Ranfurley),  who  had  a  kennel  of  red  Irish  setters, 
and  kept  no  others.  Mr.  Moore  relates  a  curious  instance  of  a 
pure  bred  red  bitch,  which  he  used  to  one  of  the  red  and  white 
variety,  and  which,  when  mated  with  whole  coloured  dogs,  in  every 
subsequent  litter  threw  a  pup  or  two  of  similar  marking  to  the  first 
cross. 

Mr.  Moore  seldom  exhibited  his  dogs  in  the  early  days  of  dog 
shows,  preferring  them  for  their  working  qualities  alone,  and 
the  famous  old  champion  Palmerston  had  a  narrow  escape  of 
being  lost  to  the  admiring  gaze  of  the  public.  Mr.  Moore,  finding 
him  rather  a  delicate  dog  for  field  work  (though  most  persevering 
and  with  an  excellent  nose)  ordered  his  man  to  drown  him, 
as  he  did  not  wish  to  give  him  to  any  one  who  would  use 
him  for  shooting  purposes,  as  he  had  then  passed  his  prime. 
The  late  Mr.  Milliard  met  the  poor  old  dog  on  the  way  to  what 
was  expected  to  be  his  watery  grave,  and  begged  him  from  Mr. 
Moore.  The  dog  was  given  conditionally  that  Mr.  Hilliard  would 
keep  him  for  show  purposes  alone.  The  result  is  known  to  most 
of  my  readers. 

It  would  appear  from  Mr.  Moore's  remarks  that  a  white  patch 
on  chest  or  white  on  the  feet  was  little  regarded,  and  he  has 
frequently  known  a  patch  on  the  back  of  the  neck  appear  in  the 
best  red  setters,  and  that  this  is  still  the  fact  is  well  known  to 
breeders.  Now,  may  it  not  be  reasonably  asked,  is  not  this  some 
former  cross  with  the  red  and  white  variety  repeating  itself  ?  For, 
although  in  all  self-coloured  breeds,  such  as  the  black  retriever, 
the  black  Field  spaniel,  the  Irish  terrier,  a  patch  on  the  chest  is 
but  little  thought  of,  while  on  the  toes,  and,  worse  still,  on  the 
neck  or  body  the  mark  is  regarded  with  much  disfavour. 

The  Palmerston  strain,  as  most  breeders  are  aware,  frequently 
had  what  the  late  Mr.  Lort  called  "  the  Palmerston  snip,"  a  thin 


350  Modern  Dogs. 


thread  of  white  running  down  the  forehead,  and  in  some  of  his 
descendants  this  amounted  to  a  pretty  broad  "  blaze  ''  on  the 
forehead. 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  in  early  days  men  kept  dogs 
of  all  breeds  for  their  good  working  qualities  alone,  and  I  think 
it  reasonable  to  suppose  that  if  an  enthusiastic  sportsman  had  a 
particularly  excellent  red  dog  and  his  friend  and  neighbour  an 
equally  good  red  and  white  bitch,  or  vice  versd,  they  were  pretty 
certain  to  breed  them  together.  Be  it  also  remembered  that 
travelling  in  those  days  was  not  the  easily  accomplished  matter 
it  is  now,  nor  were  dogs  advertised  at  stud  or  for  sale  to  any  great 
extent,  if  at  all.  Dog  shows  were  wholly  unknown,  consequently 
the  dogs  of  those  days  were  only  locally  famous. 

It  is  somewhat  difficult  to  reconcile  the  apparent  difference  in 
opinions  existing  between  the  various  gentlemen  whose  experiences 
are  quoted  by  me  as  to  whether  the  original  breed  was  red  and 
white  or  wholly  red.  Mr.  Mahon,  who  may  be  taken  to  have  a 
good  knowledge  of  the  west,  and  Mr.  King,  who  knew  the 
Midland  counties,  and  as  a  college  youth  the  vicinity  of  Dublin, 
held  the  opinion  that  the  original  breed  was  red  and  white,  but 
both  admit  that  the  red  dog  was  then  existing,  but  not  to  any 
great  extent. 

Mr.  Bennett,  who  knew  the  Midland  counties,  and  Dublin,  holds 
the  opinion  that  the  red  and  white  predominated,  but  that  the  red 
was  kept  in  comparative  purity  in  certain  kennels,  but  believes 
that  there  were  few,  if  any,  men  in  those  days  (save  Mr.  Maurice 
O'Connor,  perhaps),  who  would  not  use  a  red  and  white  if  he 
were  a  well  proved  good  one  in  the  field.  Do  not  these  facts  tally 
with  Mr.  Moore's  assertion,  that  he  himself  did  so  on  one 
occasion  ? 

It  is  easy  to  suppose  the  red  dog  existed  in  greater  numbers  in 
the  north,  and  the  red  and  white  in  the  midland  and  western 
counties,  but  that  the  red  and  white  was  imported  from  England 
in  sufficient  quantities  in  those  days  of  slow  sailing  boats,  and  with 
no  accommodation  for  dogs,  and  the  stupendous  difficulties  to  be 


The  Irish  Setter.  351 


encountered  on  stage  coaches,  &c.,  to  establish  a  breed  of  red  and 
white  English  setters,  I  think,  wholly  untenable,  therefore  the 
.  natural  conclusion  appears  to  be  that  the  red  and  white  Irish 
setter  was  the  favourite  in  certain  counties  crossed  with  the  red 
Irish  setter  when  the  latter  was  a  good  performer,  and  that  the  red 
setter  was  held  in  highest  esteem  in  other  counties  crossed  with  the 
red  and  white,  when  occasion  demanded. 

An  interesting  pamphlet  (now  I  believe  out  of  print),  has  been 
lent  me  by  Mr.  Giltrap,  secretary  of  the  Irish  Red  Setter  Clubr 
and  which  was  published  by  Dr.  Wm.  Jarvis,  of  Claremont,  New 
Hampshire,  U.S.A.,  in  the  year  1879.  -It  purports  to  contain  the 
pedigree  and  performance  of  the  two  famous  setter  champions 
"Elcho"  and  "Rose";  the  former  dog  was  born  in  the  year 
1874,  and  after  gaining  a  second  prize  in  Dublin,  found  his  way 
to  America,  where  he  had  numerous  successes  on  the  bench,  and 
was  the  sire  of  Captain  Milner's  Ailleen,  Berkeley  Ben,  and  Joe 
junior,  and  a  host  of  other  winners.  Rose,  bred  by  Mr.  Cecil 
Moore,  was  born  the  same  year  as  Elcho,  and  was  by  champion 
Palmerston  out  of  Flora,  and,  after  winning  two  prizes  in  Ireland 
and  one  in  England,  went  to  Dr.  Jarvis's  kennels;  and  the 
following  is  an  extract  from  the  pamphlet,  which  is  not,  I  think, 
without  significance  on  the  question  of  the  purity  of  the  breed. 

"About  1796,  the  then  Earl  of  Enniskillen,  of  Florence 
Court,  county  of  Fermanagh,  had  a  remarkably  fine  breed 
of  Irish  setters,  and  in  1814,  he  and  Mr.  Jason  Hazzard,  of  Tima- 
skea,  same  county,  also  had  an  equally  fine  strain  which  they 
crossed.  Mr.  Jackson  Lloyd,  of  Tamnamore,  obtained  this  breed 
from  Mr.  Hazzard;  and  in  1819,  Mr.  Robert  Evans,  of  Gost- 
merron,  Dingamore,  county  of  Tyrone,  obtained  the  breed  from 
Mr.  Lloyd,  and  crossed  it  with  the  then  noted  strain  of  Irish  red 
setters  possessed  by  Captain  McDonald,  husband  of  the  Countess  of 
Antrim.  Mr.  Evans  was  a  then  noted  sportsman  throughout  the 
north  of  Ireland,  and  his  Irish  setters  were  famed  for  their  beauty 
and  field  qualities.  In  1846,  Mr.  Moore  obtained  the  breed  from 
Mr.  Evans,  and  has  since  kept  it  pure.'' 


352  Modem  Dogs. 


There  is  sufficient  evidence  in  Mr.  Bennett's 
communication  to  prove  that  the  original  Irish 
setter  was  red  and  white,  and  that  the  fine  red  race 
were  the  rarer  of  the  two.  Even  among  the  earlier 
days  of  dog  shows  few  of  the  best  dogs  were  wholly 
red,  and  one  of  the  most  shapely  and  successful  of 
them,  Dr.  Stone's  Dash,  was  red  and  white.  But 
the  rage  was  even  then  abroad  for  the  whole- 
coloured  dogs,  and  those  who  procured  them  would 
not  look  at  any  other,  and  attacked  Dash  wherever 
he  won,  and  called  him  a  mongrel. 

As  a  fact  the  red  and  white  dog  is  the  more 
useful,  and  the  wholly  red  dog's  popularity  is  the 
result  of  the  show  bench.  Those  who  have  ever 
shot  on  the  mountains  and  bogs  of  Ireland  cannot 
fail  to  have  noticed  the  difficulty  there  is  at  times 
in  discerning  the  red  dog,  when  on  a  wide  range,  with 
a  brown  heather  background,  he  comes  to  a  point. 
By  no  means  is  it  unusual  to  lose  your  dog  under 
such  circumstances,  and  if  he  is  not  altogether  lost, 
and  his  skeleton  found  still  pointing  when  the 
shooter  goes  that  way  in  twelve  months  time,  it  is 
through  the  good  sense  of  the  dog,  who  would  never 
commit  suicide  under  such  conditions.  A  couple 
of  years  ago,  at  the  Field  meeting,  held  in  county 
Tyrone,  Mr.  J.  G.  Hawkes  lost  one  of  his  dogs 
under  such  circumstances  whilst  running  a  trial. 


The  Irish  Setter.  353 

An  hour  or  more  later  one  of  the  keepers  found  the 
dog  on  a  stiff  point.  Had  it  been  red  and  white 
such  a  thing  could  not  have  happened.  At 
the  same  meeting  and  at  others  the  difficulty  of 
distinguishing  the  red  dogs  was  brought  prominently 
forward  when  they  were  running  against  liver  and 
white  or  lemon  and  white  pointers  or  setters,  for  the 
latter  could  be  observed  with  less  than  half  the 
difficulty  it  took  to  discern  the  native  animals. 

Nor  have  I  found  that  birds  lie  one  bit  the  better 
to  dark  coloured  dogs  than  they  do  to  those  of  a 
lighter  hue. 

The  Rev.  Thomas  Pearce  ("  Idstone"),  writing  of 
the  Irish  red  setter  twenty  years  ago,  remarked  that 
he  would  not  be  surprised  were  they  to  become 
popular.  That  they  have  done  so  there  is  no  doubt. 

For  many  years  the  Rev.  J.  C.  Macdona's  Plunket 
stood  alone  in  his  race  as  the  one  Irish  setter  that 
had  ever  proved  his  excellence  at  Field  Trials. 
This  dog,  after  winning  second  prize  in  the  aged 
stake,  to  Mr.  Statter's  Bruce,  at  the  National 
Meeting,  Shrewsbury,  in,  1870,  was  purchased  by 
Mr.  Purcell-Llewellin,  who  won  the  prize  for  setters 
with  him  at  Vaynol  the  same  year,  and  other  field 
trials  and  bench  honours  subsequently.  Plunket, 
who  was  bred  by  the  Hon.  D.  Plunket,  had  Captain 
Hutchinson's  Bob  for  his  grandsire ;  he  was  a 

[VOL.  i.]  A    A 


354  Modern  Dogs. 


fairly  good-looking  dog,  and  perhaps  all  round  no 
Irish  setter  that  has  yet  appeared  could  beat  him. 
But,  of  course,  this  is  purely  a  matter  of  opinion,  for 
it  is  very  difficult  indeed  to  judge  of  the  work  of  two 
dogs  without  seeing  them  together,  especially  when 
there  is  an  interval  of  about  twenty  years  between 
him  and  the  best  of  recent  years — Aveline,  Drogheda, 
and  some  others.  In  appearance  either  of  the  two 
named  would  easily  have  beaten  Plunket  in  the 
show  ring,  whatever  might  have  been  the  result  in 
the  field. 

When  the  Irish  Setter  Club  was  established,  in 
1882,  considerable  impetus  was  given  to  the  red 
setter,  but  even  before  that  time  he  was  beginning 
to  make  his  mark  as  a  good  worker  at  field  trials. 
He  had  long  borne  a  reputation  for  being  wild  and 
headstrong,  and  another  fault  he  had  was  a  tendency 
to  put  his  nose  down  and  hunt  the  foot  scent  like  a 
hound  rather  than  seek  for  it  in  the  wind.  This  was 
said  to  be  on  account  of  some  remote,  may  be 
fabulous,  cross,  years  and  years  ago  with  a  blood- 
hound. However,  that  he  was  fond  of  hunting  on 
the  ground  there  is  no  doubt  whatever,  any  more 
than  there  is  of  his  wilfulness  and  difficulty  in 
breaking.  When  properly  and  perfectly  trained,  the 
red  setter  has  shown  us  that  no  other  variety  can 
beat  him. 


The  Irish  Setter.  355 

I  should  conscientiously  say  that,  from  what  I 
have  observed  in  his  work  of  late  years,  and  I  have 
seen  all  the  best  dogs  run,  that  the  Irish  setter 
is  as  dashing,  as  energetic,  as  stylish  as  the  best 
English  dog  I  ever  saw.  I  believe  he,  as  a  general 
rule,  will  do  a  long  and  hard  day's  work  better  than 
any  other  breed  of  setter.  His  stamina  is  extra- 
ordinary. I  shall  never  forget  that  big,  strong  dog 
"Wrestler"  (Mr.  W.  H.  Cooper,  of  Derbyshire), 
that  ran  at  the  Irish  Trials  in  1891.  Each  morning 
he  followed,  or  rather  preceded,  the  cars,  during 
the  long  ten  miles'  drive  to  the  moors,  on  his  way 
racing  over  the  fields  and  inclosures,  and,  indeed, 
doing  an  ordinary  day's  work  before  his  trials  com- 
menced, and  when  he  did  run  his  first  heat  he  was 
even  then  too  wild.  No  Laverack  or  Gordon  setter 
would  have  been  allowed  to  do  this,  and  it  must 
have  proved  even  too  much  for  those  untiring 
liver  and  white  little  dogs  to  which  allusion  has 
previously  been  made  in  the  article  on  English 
setters. 

Perhaps  after  Plunket  most  attention  was  attracted 
to  Irish  setters  by  the  good  work  of  a  bitch,  called 
Aveline,  belonging  to  the  Rev.  R.  O'Callaghan,  which 
ran  at  the  Kennel  Club  meeting  in  the  spring  of  1885. 
She  was  a  handsome  bitch,  so  much  so,  indeed,  as 
to  obtain  the  cognomen  of  "  beautiful,"  and  as  the 

A  A  2 


356  Modern  Dogs. 


<l  beautiful  Aveline  "  she  was  often  known.  I  recollect 
how  the  stake  appeared  at  her  mercy,  when,  unfortu- 
nately, a  very  little  rabbit  jumped  up  almost  between 
her  legs,  and  the  high  couraged  bitch,  unable  to 
resist  the  temptation,  committed  a  fault  so  grave 
that  quite  prevented  her  taking  that  precedence  in 
the  stake  her  pace,  style,  and  nose,  would  have 
entitled  her  under  more  favourable  circumstances. 
Later  on  she  won  all  before  her  on  the  show  bench, 
and  was  not  long  in  attaining  her  degree  as 
champion. 

For  many  years  Mr.  O'Callaghan  has  given 
considerable  attention  to  the  production  of  the  Irish 
setter  in  its  purity.  I  have  seen  his  dogs,  when 
properly  broken  and  handled  at  field  trials,  do 
excellent  work,  and  the  Kennel  Club  Stud  Books 
tell  how  successful  they  have  been  in  the  show  ring. 
There  are  enthusiasts  of  the  variety  who  consider 
this  strain  usually  too  dark  in  colour,  too  deep  in 
their  bright  redness,  which  is  indeed  a  lovely  hue.  I 
have  a  peculiar  fondness  for  this  colour  so  long  as 
it  does  not  show  any  actual  blackness,  indicative  of 
Gordon  cross,  the  latter  so  marked  in  many  of 
the  earlier  show  dogs — Mr.  Jones's  Carlo  to  wit, 
who  did  a  considerable  amount  of  winning  in  his  day. 

Possibly,  at  some  time  or  another,  these  red  setters 
were  so  crossed,  Mr.  Laverack  writes  of  a  red  dog  he 


The  Irish  Setter.  357 

saw  at  Cockermouth,  in  Cumberland,  which  he  would 
much  liked  to  have  used  to  his  setters.  He  found 
on  inquiry  that  this  dog  always  produced  one  or 
more  black  puppies,  and,  although  he  was  fast 
and  had  a  good  nose,  he  was  so  headstrong  that  he 
could  not  be  broken.  I  fancy  some  of  our  modern 
skilled  trainers  would  soon  have  brought  him  to  his 
senses. 

Richardson,  who  said  little  of  the  Irish  setter, 
says  he  is  perhaps  the  purest  of  all  setters,  and  that 
his  colour  is  ua  yellowish  red."  Writing  fifty  years 
since,  he  remarks,  such  dogs  "are  the  genuine  un- 
mixed descendants  of  the  original  land  spaniel,  and, 
so  highly  valued  are  they,  that  a  hundred  pounds  is 
by  no  means  an  unusual  price  for  a  single  dog." 
This  was  a  very  unusual  price  for  such  a  dog,  fifty 
years  or  so  ago  when  Richardson  wrote,  but  another 
authority  on  the  breed,  who  flourished  rather  before 
this  period,  says  that  so  valued  were  some  strains  of 
the  Irish  setter  that  on  one  occasion  an  estate  was 
given  for  a  brace  of  dogs.  We  are  afraid  that  there 
are  at  the  present  time  in  the  unfortunate  Emerald 
Isle,  certain  estates  that  would  be  dear  at  the  price 
of  one  of  our  best  dogs. 

It  may  be  right  to  allude  to  Youatt's  opinion  as 
to  the  colour  of  Irish  setters  when  he  wrote  about 
1845.  He  says  they  are  "  either  very  red,  or  red  and 


358  Modern  Dogs. 


white,  or  lemon  coloured,  or  white  patched  with  deep 
chesnut ;  and  it  was  necessary  for  them  to  have  a 
black  nose  and  a  black  roof  to  their  mouth."  The 
same  writer  tells  us  that  an  Irish  setter  will  obtain  a 
higher  price  than  an  English  or  Scotch  one,  u  fifty 
guineas  being  no  unusual  sum  for  a  brace,  and  even 
two  hundred  guineas  have  been  given."  It  is  just  as 
well  to  make  these  quotations  here,  as  they  will 
remind  a  modern  and  a  future  generation  that  the 
Irish  setter  had  a  reputation  of  its  own  before  it 
came  to  be  repopularised  by  working  at  Field  Trials, 
and  its  appearance  in  the  show  ring. 

How  the  variety  has  been  re-popularised  during 
the  past  few  years,  may  be  judged  from  the  fact  that 
at  the  first  Birmingham  show,  held  in  1860,  there 
were  but  four  entries  in  the  bitch  class,  and  these 
so  little  deserving  that  no  prize  was  awarded.  At 
the  same  exhibition,  in  1891,  there  were  something 
like  eighteen  red  setter  bitches  in  competition,  and, 
of  course,  the  classes  for  them  are  much  better 
filled  at  the  exhibitions  held  in  Dublin,  Cork,  Bel- 
fast, and  other  large  towns  in  their  native  country. 
When  the  Kennel  Club  Stud  Book  was  published, 
in  1874,  the  Irish  were  the  only  variety  of  setter 
grouped  dogs  and  bitches  together.  Matters  have 
changed  since  that  time,  and  the  red  dogs  now  get 
their  due. 


The  Irish  Setter.  359 


One  of  the  handsomest  Irish  setters  following 
immediately  after  Dr.  Stone's  Dash  was  Mr. 
Milliard's  Count,  a  most  typical  specimen,  lovely 
in  colour,  which  was  not  too  dark,  but  just  dark 
enough.  Then  there  was  Mr.  Giltrap's  Garryowen, 
who,  in  his  day,  had  been  considered  almost 
invincible.  Mr.  Cecil  Moore's  Old  Kate,  who  did  a 
considerable  amount  of  winning  between  1878  and 
1882,  when  she  was  the  property  of  Mr.  Abbot  and 
others,  was  certainly  one  of  the  best  bitches  I  ever 
saw,  and  Mr.  Milliard's  Palmerston,  an  immense 
dog,  64-lb.  in  weight,  and  with  an  abnormally  long 
and  narrow  head,  monopolised  the  leading  prizes  at 
most  of  the  best  shows  about  this  date. 

Although  such  men  as  Mr.  Milliard,  of  Dublin ; 
Mr.  Waterhouse,  Killiney ;  Mr.  Giltrap,  Dublin ; 
Captain  Milner,  Booterstown,  Dublin  ;  Mr.  McGoff, 
Tralee  ;  Mr.  L.  F.  Perrin,  Kingstown;  Mr.  J.  G. 
Hawkes,  Kenmare  ;  Mrs.  Grattan  Bellew,  Ennis- 
kerry  ;  Mr.  JE.  Falkiner  Nuttall,  of  co.  Sligo  ;  and 
other  Irish  families  have  latterly  done  much  to  give 
the  variety  its  present  popularity,  more  has  been 
done  in  a  similar  manner  by  breeders  this  side  the 
water,  for  the  Rev.  R.  O'Callaghan,  R.N.,  Wickham 
Market ;  Mr.  C.  C.  Ellis,  Suffolk ;  Mr.  H.  M.  Wilson, 
Holmes  Chapel,  Cheshire;  Mr.  W.  H.  Cooper, 
Ashbourne  ;  Mr.  A.  Taylor,  B.A.,  Beaminster, 


360  Modern  Dogs. 


Dorset ;  Major  Jameson,  Ashbourne  ;  Mr.  A.  E. 
Taylor,  Cheadle  (there  are  others  likewise)  have 
proved  thorough  enthusiasts  in  keeping  up  the 
strain. 

Captain  Milner  has  been  very  successful  with 
his  dogs,  both  on  the  bench  and  in  the  field  ;  his 
Frisco,  who  died  so  recently  as  November,  1892, 
was  certainly  one  of  the  crack  dogs  of  the  day, 
as  his  red  puppy  Airnie  was  one  of  the  best 
youngsters  of  the  Trial  season  during  1892.  She 
won  first  honours  at  the  Kennel  Club,  at  the 
National  trials,  and  at  the  Irish  trials,  and  could  not 
be  deemed  lucky  in  so  doing.  Airnie  was  one  of  the 
most  careful  and  steady  Irish  setters  I  ever  saw, 
and  although  she  could  go  fast  enough  when  so 
inclined,  in  a  great  measure  lacked  that  dash  and 
fire  usually  found  in  her  strain.  Her  kennel 
companion,  Spalpeen,  has  likewise  performed  well 
and  steadily  in  public  trials,  and  is  also  an 
exceedingly  steady  dog.  It  may  be  mentioned  here 
as  somewhat  extraordinary  that  at  the  Kennel  Club 
trials,  when  Airnie  won,  the  whole  of  the  winning 
setters  in  the  puppy  stakes  were  Irish  setters. 

Mr.  O'Callaghan's  Aveline  we  have  alluded  to,  and 
his  bitch  Coleraine,  in  1891,  created  quite  a  sensation 
by  the  brilliant  manner  in  which  she  ran  through 
the  puppy  stakes  at  both  the  National  and  Kennel 


The  Irish  Setter.  361 

Club  trials,  and  was  placed  third  in  the  open  com- 
petition at  the  latter  meeting.  She  had  greater  style 
and  dash  than  either  of  the  dogs  that  ran  so  well 
for  Mr.  Milner,  and  I  fancy  could  have  beaten  both 
of  them.  She  went  to  America. 

Mr.  McGofFs  Mac's  Little  Nell,  born  in  1884, 
and  purchased  by  Mr.  Ellis,  was  one  of  the 
most  wonderful  little  setters  I  ever  saw,  though 
she  could  barely  be  4olb.  in  weight.  She  went  as 
fast  as  the  big  ones,  had  an  excellent  nose,  and 
dropped  on  scent  instantaneously ;  in  her  day  no 
one  would  have  been  surprised  to  have  seen  her  beat 
anything  that  she  was  ever  put  down  against.  Her 
field  trial  successes,  when  she  died  in  the  winter  of 
1892,  had  been  greater  than  those  of  any  other  Irish 
setter. 

Mr.  Perrin's  dogs,  although  fair  performers  at  the 
trials,  excelled  more  on  the  show  bench,  his  Hector, 
Kate,  and  Wee  Kate  being  cracks  in  their  line. 
Similar  remarks  apply  to  the  Killineys  of  Mr. 
Waterhouse,  and  to  the  several  dogs  Mr.  Giltrap, 
the  popular  secretary  of  the  Irish  Setter,  has  from 
time  to  time  owned,  and  still  owns.  At  Glengariff, 
Kenmare,  Mr.  J.  G.  Hawkes  spends  his  leisure 
in  training  his  dogs,  several  of  which  have  run 
successfully  at  the  Irish  trials.  His  Blue  Rock, 
first  prize  Birmingham  in  1890,  and  such  animals  as 


362  Modern  Dogs. 


his  Signal,  Muskerry,  Miss  Signal,  are  quite  as 
good  dogs  as  any  man  might  be  proud  of  owning. 
Muskerry,  the  sire  of  most  of  Mr.  Hawkes'  dogs 
and  other  winners,  I  have  not  seen,  but  am  told  he 
is  a  valuable  and  handsome  animal,  and  has  shown 
extraordinary  stamina,  though  on  several  occasions 
he  has  been  terribly  hard  run.  Mrs.  Bellew  has 
a  large  and  valued  kennel  at  Tenchurch,  Enniskerry, 
and  her  Susi,  who  won  in  the  bitch  class,  at  Curzon 
Hall,  in  1890,  is  a  particularly  good  specimen.  Mr. 
W.  W.  Despard,  Rathmoyle,  Queen's  County,  has 
at  times  shown  some  excellent  dogs,  and  an 
omission  would  be  caused  were  no  mention  made  of 
the  many  Irish  setters  that  Mr.  W.  H.  Lipscombe 
has  so  often  brought  from  Dublin  to  compete  at  our 
English  trials,  though  they  may  have  not  met  with 
that  amount  of  success  such  enterprise  deserved. 
Mr.  Falkiner  Nuttall,  of  Cullinamore,  co.  Sligo,  has 
for  years  had  many  good  dogs,  of  which  perhaps 
Loo  VII.  was  his  best. 

Mr.  O'Callaghan's  success  with  the  "  beautiful 
Aveline"  has  already  been  noted,  and  not  inferior 
to  her  was  his  Coleraine,  a  bitch  previously  alluded 
to.  On  the  bench,  too,  this  kennel  is  often  at  the 
big  shows  seen  pitted  against  that  of  Mr.  Ellis  for 
supremacy,  and  victory  is  sometimes  one  way,  and 
sometimes  another.  But  such  dogs  as  Fingal, 


The  Irish  Setter.  363 


Shandon  III.,  Finglass,  and  Geraldine,  are  good 
enough  whether  beaten  or  not  ;  and  Mr.  Ellis's 
Drogheda,  and  his  Dartrey,  Rossmore,  Tarbat,  &c., 
formed,  perhaps,  as  fine  a  team  of  red  setters  as  ever 
stood  a  grouse.  The  first  named  was  an  unlucky 
dog  in  the  trials,  making  some  serious  mistake  or 
other,  either  through  his  own  fault  or  his  handler's, 
just  as  he  appeared  to  be  winning  the  chief  prize. 
By  show  goers  Mr.  H.  M.  Wilson's  Nellie  will  long 
be  remembered  for  her  successes  on  the  bench,  a 
bitch  whose  beauty  we  have  brought  to  our  recol- 
lection by  an  excellent  portrait  of  her  by  the  great 
animal  painter  Basil  Bradley. 

Mr.  W.  H.  Cooper,  at  Ashbourne,  in  Derbyshire, 
has  for  some  time  had,  perhaps,  a  larger  kennel  of 
Irish  setters  than  anyone  else,  and  their  excellences 
have  been  known  both  on  the  bench  and  in  the  field. 
The  names  of  his  Wrestler,  Finnigan's  Wake,  Sure 
Death,  Vicar,  and  Woodbine,  will,  we  fancy,  be 
found  in  future  pedigrees  where  a  combination  of 
the  "best  blue  blood"  is  desired;  for  such  will 
ensure  that  its  possessors  can  gallop  and  stay  with 
any  dog  pitted  against  them  during  the  most  arduous 
field  trial  work  imaginable.  At  the  Irish  trials  at 
Omagh,  in  1889,  there  were  a  number  of  extraordinary 
dogs  running,  amongst  them  Henmore  Sure  Death, 
and  Woodbine  (bred  by  Mr.  Hawkes),  fast  and 


364  Modern  Dogs. 


brilliant  in  the  extreme.  The  former  made  a  unique 
performance  by  winning  both  the  puppy  stake  and 
the  all-aged  stake,  the  latter  including  all  varieties 
of  setters  and  pointers,  and  she  was  second,  too,  in 
the  open  puppy  stake,  beaten  by  Mr.  Lonsdale's 
Ightfield  Rosa.  She  also,  if  I  mistake  not,  was 
third  with  Woodbine  in  the  braces.  Such  a  per- 
formance as  this  over  a  rough  country,  at  once 
stamps  the  excellence  of  the  strain  from  which  she 
comes.  Other  good  dogs  of  Mr.  Cooper's  were 
winning  at  the  Irish  trials  in  the  autumn  of  1892. 
Here  his  kennel  performed  unusually  well,  Clonsilla, 
a  smart  bitch,  especially  distinguishing  herself. 

Mr.  Taylor's  (Dorset)  dogs,  though  successful  on 
the  bench,  have  not  yet  been  tried  in  public  on 
the  mountains,  nor  have  those  of  his  namesake 
Mr.  A.  E.  Taylor,  of  Cheadle  ;  neither  have  I  seen 
Major  Jameson's  great  bench  dog  Ponto,  or  his 
kennel  companion  Drenagh  anywhere  but  in  the 
show  ring,  where  they  appear  to  be  pretty  nearly  as 
good  as  they  can  be. 

In  what  I  have  written  an  endeavour  has  been 
made  to  do  justice  to  a  handsome  and  valuable 
variety  of  the  dog,  which,  from  some  cause  or  other, 
did  not  receive  its  due  during  a  certain  era,  say  from 
about  1840  to  1880.  The  development  of  field 
trials,  the  spirited  and  concerted  action  of  several  of 


The  Irish  Setter.  365 

his  admirers,  and  the  formation  of  the  Red  Setter 
Club  have,  however,  wrought  a  change,  and 
naturally  an  improvement  in  the  dog  both  in  work 
and  appearance. 

At  the  present  time  there  are  more  good  show 
specimens  extant  than  at  any  previous  period  in  their 
history,  and  in  work  the  Irish  setter  is  steadier  and 
better  than  he  was  once  upon  a  time.  This,  no 
doubt,  arises  from  the  greater  pains  taken  in  his 
breaking ;  moreover,  most  of  the  best  modern  dogs 
are  produced  from  animals  whose  ancestors  for  two 
or  three  generations  have  been  highly  trained.  This 
continued  for  a  few  years  longer,  and,  may  be,  the  red 
setter  will  be  the  shooting  dog  of  the  future.  He  is 
fortunate  in  having  so  many  enthusiasts  to  work  for 
his  good,  and,  so  long  as  they  breed  for  a  combina- 
tion of  working  capabilities  and  good  looks, 
abstaining  at  the  same  time  from  introducing 
strains  other  than  so  far  pure  and  tried  ones,  we 
may  look  for  a  continued  improvement  in  this 
favoured  dog. 

I  have  said  that,  for  work  on  the  moors  and 
mountains,  a  red  and  white  dog  is  better  than  the 
deep,  bright  red,  which  is  difficult  to  discern  amid  the 
brown  heather  on  the  hillside.  But,  if  the  breeders 
like  the  whole  colour,  let  them  stick  to  it  by  all 
means,  and  allow  their  failing  sight  to  be  assisted 


366  Modern  Dogs. 


by  tying  a  white  handkerchief  around  the  neck  of 
their  dog,  for  something  of  the  kind  is  certainly 
required.  And  the  shooting  man  who  has  a  wide 
expanse  of  moor  upon  which  birds  are  scarce  and 
require  a  great  deal  of  finding,  and  the  walking  is 
arduous,  can  have  no  better  dog  for  the  purpose 
than  a  properly  trained  and  staunch  red  setter. 
Such  a  one  will  work  hard  all  day  and  not  give  up 
in  disgust  about  noon  because  he  has  failed  to 
locate  more  than  an  odd  bird  or  so.  Shortly,  the 
red  setter  appears  to  me  to  be  the  most  persevering 
of  all  sporting  dogs  used  with  the  gun. 

His  points  and  description,  as  issued  by  the  Irish 
Setter  Club,  are  as  follows  :— 

"  Head. — Should  be  long  and  lean.  The  skull 
oval  (from  ear  to  ear),  having  plenty  of  brain  room, 
and  with  well-defined  occipital  protuberance.  Brows 
raised,  showing  stop.  The  muzzle  moderately  deep, 
and  fairly  square  at  end.  From  the  stop  to  the 
point  of  the  nose  should  be  long,  the  nostrils  wide, 
and  the  jaws  of  nearly  equal  length,  flews  not  to  be 
pendulous.  The  colour  of  the  nose  dark  mahogany 
or  dark  walnut,  and  that  of  the  eyes  (which  ought 
not  to  be  too  large)  rich  hazel  or  brown.  The  ears 
to  be  of  moderate  size,  fine  in  texture,  set  on  low, 
well  back,  and  hanging  in  a  neat  fold  close  to  the 
head. 


The  Irish  Setter.  367 


"  Neck. — Should  be  moderately  long,  very  mus- 
cular, but  not  too  thick,  slightly  arched,  free  from 
all  tendency  to  throatiness. 

"  Body. — Should  be  long — shoulders  fine  at  the 
points,  deep,  and  sloping  well  back.  The  chest  as 
deep  as  possible,  rather  narrow  in  front.  The  ribs 
well  sprung,  leaving  plenty  of  lung  room.  Loins 
muscular,  and  slightly  arched.  The  hindquarters 
wide  and  powerful. 

"Legs  and  Feet. — The  hind  legs  from  hip  to  hock 
should  be  long  and  muscular ;  from  hock  to  heel, 
short  and  strong.  The  stifle  and  hock  joints  well 
bent,  and  not  inclined  either  in  or  out.  The  fore- 
legs should  be  straight  and  sinewy,  having  plenty  of 
bone,  with  elbows  free,  well  let  down,  and,  like  the 
hocks,  not  inclined  either  out  or  in.  The  feet  small, 
very  firm,  toes  strong,  close  together,  and  arched. 

"  Tail. — Should  be  of  moderate  length,  set  on 
rather  low,  strong  at  root,  and  tapering  to  a  fine 
point  ;  to  be  carried  in  a  scimitar-like  curve  on  a 
level  with  or  below  the  back. 

"  Coat. — On  the  head,  front  of  legs,  and  tips  of 
ears,  should  be  short  and  fine,  but  on  all  other  parts 
of  the  body  and  legs  it  ought  to  be  of  moderate 
length,  flat,  and  as  free  as  possible  from  curl  or 
wave. 

"Feathering. — The  feather  on  the  upper  portion  of 


368  Modern  Dogs. 


the  ears  should  be  long  and  silky  ;  on  the  back  of 
fore  and  hind  legs  long  and  fine  ;  a  fair  amount  of 
hair  on  the  belly,  forming  a  nice  fringe,  which  may 
extend  on  chest  and  throat.  Feet  to  be  well 
feathered  between  the  toes.  Tail  to  have  a  nice 
fringe  of  moderately  long  hair,  decreasing  in  length 
as  it  approaches  the  point.  All  feathering  is  to  be 
as  straight  and  as  flat  as  possible. 

"  Colour  and  Markings. — The  colour  should  be  a 
rich  golden  chesnut,  with  no  trace  whatever  of 
black;  white  on  chest,  throat,  or  toes,  or  a  small  star 
on  the  forehead,  or  a  narrow  streak  or  blaze  on  the 
nose  or  face  not  to  disqualify." 


Value, 

Head 10 

Eyes  and  ears     10 

Neck   4 

Body   20 

Hindlegs  and  feet 10 

Forelegs  and  feet  10 


Value. 


Tail     4 

Coat  and  feather    10 

Colour     8 

Size,  style,  and  general 

appearance. 14 


64 
Grand   Total  1OO. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 
THE    RETRIEVER. 

OUR  retriever  was  produced  when  the  British 
sportsman  found  out  that  it  was  not  good  for  his 
pointer  or  setter  to  fetch  his  game,  and  that  his 
spaniel  would  not  do  this  so  well  and  quickly  as  a 
bigger  dog ;  so  the  retriever  became  a  necessity. 
As  a  sporting  dog,  he  is  purely  of  modern  growth. 
In  America  it  is  still  the  fashion  for  the  pointer  and 
setter  to  do  the  double  duty  of  finding  and  standing 
his  game  and  bringing  it  to  his  owner  who  has  shot 
it.  A  dog  that  does  this  is  no  doubt  useful,  answers 
the  purpose  of  two  dogs,  and  so  keeps  down  the 
kennel ;  but  the  luxuriousness  with  which  we  are 
surrounded  will  not  take  the  latter  into  consideration, 
and  a  man's  kennel  is  incomplete  without  it  includes 
retrievers  of  one  or  other  of  the  few  varieties. 
Again,  in  walking  up  the  birds — which  is  almost  the 
common  procedure  nowadays  in  the  south  of  Eng- 
land and  other  good  partridge  countries — retrievers 
.are  required,  and  could  not  be  done  without,  and  so 

[You  I.]  B     B 


370  Modern  Dogs. 


they  are  in  grouse  driving,  duck  shooting,  and  for 
bringing  a  wounded  hare  or  a  winged  pheasant  out 
of  the  covert.  I  incline  to  the  opinion  that  a 
well-broken,  soft-mouthed  retriever  is  the  best  all- 
round  dog  a  man  can  have — one  whose  means  are 
limited,  who  is  fond  of  sport,  and  has  not  accommo- 
dation for  more  than  one  dog.  Let  such  an  animal 
live  in  the  house  and  be  constituted  a  constant 
companion,  and  there  is  no  knowing  how  sensible  a 
creature  he  will  prove  when  his  services  are  required 
in  the  field. 

The  retriever  is  a  creation  within  the  past  fifty 
years,  and  he  was  no  doubt,  in  the  first  instance,  pro- 
duced from  crossing  the  old  English  or  Irish  water 
spaniel  with  the  setter,  the  collie,  and  the  smaller 
Newfoundland,  usually  known  as  the  St.  John  or 
Labrador  Newfoundland.  Colonel  Hutchinson,  in 
his  admirable  work  on  dog  breaking,  gives  us 
pictures  of  various  crosses,  and  in  general  appear- 
ance these  illustrations  are  of  dogs  bearing  very 
much  the  characteristics  of  the  modern  retriever. 
Colonel  Hutchinson  published  his  book  in  1847. 
Still,  there  were  retrieving  dogs  long  before  Colonel 
Hutchinson's  time.  Dr.  Caius  wrote  of  dogs  that 
brought  back  the  "  boults  and  arrows  "  that  had 
missed  the  mark,  and  also  such  waterfowl  as  had 
been  stung  to  death  by  some  "  venomous  worm." 


The  Retriever.  371 


Conrad  Gesner,  in  the  early  part  of  the  sixteenth 
century,  wrote  of  dogs  trained  to  bring  back  birds  to 
their  masters  ;  but  such  animals  as  these  were  the 
spaniels  commonly  used  at  that  time. 

It  must  be  taken  for  granted  that  our  modern 
retriever,  be  he  either  curly-coated,  straight  or 
wavy-coated,  black,  brown,  or  pale  liver  in  colour, 
at  some  time  was  produced  from  one  or  other  of 
the  crosses  I  have  named.  The  "  nick  "  answered 
well,  and  what  is  now  an  actual  and  distinct  variety 
resulted  therefrom — one  that  with  careful  crossing 
produces  a  type  quite  as  well  defined  as  is  to  be 
found  in  the  mastiff,  bloodhound,  and  bulldog,  which 
may  be  taken  as  our  oldest  British  varieties  of 
the  canine  race.  With  the  improved  farming, 
close  cropping,  increasing  wildness  of  game  arising 
from  a  variety  of  causes,  and  a  disinclination 
in  the  modern  shooting  man  to  fill  his  bag 
over  pointers  and  setters,  the  retriever  is  in  many 
quarters  considered  to  be  the  dog  of  the  future. 
Whether  this  will  prove  to  be  the  case  or  not,  time 
will  tell. 

Field  trials  for  retrievers  were  held  at  Vaynol 
Park,  the  seat  of  Mr.  Assheton  Smith,  in  the  autumn 
of  1871-2,  but  on  neither  occasion  do  they  appear 
to  have  been  particularly  successful.  The  usual 
competitions  for  pointers  and  setters  took  place  at 

B  B  2 


372  Modern  Dogs. 


the  same  time,  the  retrievers  doing  their  work  in 
conjunction  with  the  other  dogs.  Birds  were  scarce, 
and  "  Stonehenge,"  in  his  Field  report,  said  the 
only  dog  that  did  really  good  work  was  Mr.  Parr's 
Cato,  who  took  the  chief  prize  on  the  second 
occasion.  Two  stakes,  one  for  aged  dogs,  the 
other  for  puppies,  were  arranged  at  each  meeting, 
and  amongst  those  who  made  entries  were  Lord 
Downe,  Mr.  Purcell  Llewellin,  Mr.  Lloyd  Price, 
and  others. 

Whatever  report  may  be  as  a  rule  in  a  matter  of 
truthfulness,  on  this  occasion  it  could  not  be  far 
wrong  when  retriever  trials  by  its  rumour  were  pro- 
nounced a  failure  ;  for,  although  Mr.  Price  subse- 
quently offered  to  find  ground  at  Rhiwlas  for  a 
continuation  of  them,  the  kindly  offer  was  not 
accepted,  nor  has  anything  of  the  kind  been 
promoted  since,  though  over  twenty  years  have 
gone  by  since  "  Retriever  Trials "  were  run.  As 
a  fact,  the  best  work  of  such  dogs  would  not  be 
seen  under  surroundings  so  public,  for  the  real 
excellence  in  a  retriever  lies  in  its  intelligence  in 
finding  dead  or  wounded  game  under  circumstances 
so  exceptional  as  to  preclude  any  possibility  of 
opportunity  being  afforded  them  so  to  do,  as 
occasion  required. 


Black  Rttrieuer. 


!?f-X  GATED  BLACK  RETRIEVER. 

t**»rtrr$  oi   this  variety   cannot   have  failed 

h<-Ts  have  done,  its  gradual  decadence 

dog,  and  that  its  position  is  slowly  but 

usurped  -by  the   flat-  or    wavy-coated 

•  This,  I  think,  must  be   taken  as  another 

•>i  the  survival  of   the   fittest.     Those  who 

fc\*  -fre  leading  strains  of.  4<  curlies,"  will,  however, 

am  acknowledge  this,  as  they  believe  their  own  the 

M  dogs  in  the  world  for  their  purpose — harder  in 

-.smution,    more   shapely,  and   better  able  to   do 

•!t»i;-h  work  than  their  cousins. 

SnlS.  there  is  no  getting  away  from   the  fact   that 

the    curly-coated    retriever    does    not    bear   a    giwxi 

'.it ion.     He    is    inclined    to    be     hard-mcKiU'rd, 

><£.,  he  may  bite  and  injure  the  game  he  o^ht  to 

retrieve    tenderly   and    without    ruffling  «*    leather. 

Hfa  temper,  too,  is  decidedly  unrHi;iM*     rapeciajly 

,rers,     although",    no    d*>ubt,    there    *fr 

'e    as  in   evei          ^    else,      SoSf    ^-ir 

<^ok   to    the    ci  ;^ 

vild  fov 

,N 
British    do-; 


374  Modern  Dogs. 


temper,  I  should  without  hesitation  say  the  curly- 
coated  retriever.  He  is  so  as  he  reclines  on  his 
bench  in  the  show  building ;  he  is  so  with  his  com- 
panions in  his  kennels  at  home ;  and  he  remains  so 
when  doing  duty  with  the  guns  at  the  "  big  shoot  " 
in  the  late  autumn,  when  the  leaves  are  off  the  trees 
and  the  undergrowth  of  bramble  and  fern  have  lost 
their  luxuriance. 

He  is  a  faithful  and  useful  dog  to  follow  the 
keeper  who  makes  a  companion  of  him,  for  in 
addition  to  being  very  steady  and  easy  to  command, 
he  possesses  a  good  nose  if  the  scent  be  not  too 
stale,  and  is  well  able  to  give  variety  to  his 
retrieving  instincts  by  killing  any  vermin  that  the 
traps  may  have  caught.  One  big  curly  dog  a 
keeper  owned  up  in  the  north  was  an  adept  at 
finding  stoats  in  an  old  stone  fence.  With  his 
assistance,  the  ferrets  and  the  guns,  we  killed  seven 
of  these  mischievous  little  creatures  one  afternoon, 
and  there  were  two  or  three  remaining  which  the 
dog's  owner  said  they  would  get  the  next  day. 
St.  John,  in  his  "  Highland  Sports,"  tells  how  a 
retriever  of  his  found  and  brought  out  an  otter. 

Although  there  are,  in  various  parts  of  the  country, 
some  few  kennels  that  contain  the  curly-coated 
retrievers  for  working  purposes,  he  is  as  often  used  for 
a  companion  and  as  a  show  dog.  For  a  companion, 


The  Curly -coated  Black  Retriever.        375 

as  I  have  already  hinted,  he  is  not  the  most 
desirable,  but  as  a  show  dog  he  excels.  His  deep 
black  coat,  hard,  close  crisp  curls  right  on  to  the 
top  of'  the  brow,  but  no  further  should  they  go  ;  his 
symmetry,  clean  ears  nicely  shaped  tail,  and  dark 
piercing  eyes,  that  should  have  a  mild  expression, 
and  so  convey  the  impression  of  great  sense  and 
sagacity  in  their  owner,  make  him  particularly 
attractive  on  the  show  bench.  Still,  to  be  successful 
there,  he  requires  a  constant  attention,  and  the  cases 
are  exceptional  where  a  dog  can  be  brought  straight 
from  work  and  prove  successful  in  the  ring. 

The  earliest  classes  at  shows  for  the  curly-coated 
retrievers  were  at  Birmingham  in  1860,  but  the 
competition  was  by  no  means  keen.  The  first  prize 
was  awarded  to  a  big  coarse  dog,  shown  by  Mr.  W. 
Brailsford  ;  second  honours  went  to  a  brown  bitch 
belonging  to  Lord  Alfred  Paget,  which,  so  far  as 
looks  went,  was  not  worth  her  entrance  fee.  Up  to 
1864  all  the  varieties  were  shown  together  at  Curzon 
Hall,  but,  following  the  example  of  the  Cremorne 
management,  the  National  exhibition  increased  the 
classification,  and  the  two  varieties  competed 
separately,  as  they  have  done  since,  excepting, 
perhaps,  where  a  special  cup  was  concerned,  offered 
for  the  best  retriever  in  the  show,  and  often  enough 
a  curly  dog  has  won  this  great  honour. 


376  Modern  Dogs. 


Amongst  the  best  of  the  race  in  the  early  days  of 
the  show  was  Mr.  J.  D.  Corse's  Jet,  a  dog  that 
"  Idstone  "  is  said  to  have  coveted,  as  that  great 
authority  considered  him  to  be  the  most  perfect  dog 
he  ever  saw ;  and  this  strain  that  Mr.  Gorse  then  had 
at  Radcliffe-on-Trent  were,  when  trained,  quite  as 
good  in  the  field  as  on  the  bench.  Mr.  Riley,  of 
Lancashire,  who  just  preceded  Mr.  Gorse  as  a 
successful  exhibitor,  had  two  excellent  ones  in  Carlo 
and  Carlo  II.,  and,  following  them,  Dr.  Morris,  of 
Rochdale,  introduced  his  dogs  True  and  XL.,  which r 
good  as  they  were,  never  had  quite  the  sagacious, 
kindly  expression  Mr.  Corse's  two  Jets  appeared  to 
possess.  Still  these  Lancashire  dogs  were,  for  a 
time,  quite  invincible  on  the  bench,  and,  so  closely 
curled  were  they  that  when  a  slight  fringe  did 
appear  over  the  brow  it  seemed  quite  excusable, 
because  it  might  just  have  been  crowded  out  from 
some  other  portion  of  the  dog. 

Mr.  J.  H.  Salter  had  some  good  dogs  of  the 
variety  about  this  time ;  Mr.  T.  Swinburne's  Chicory 
was  a  notoriety  on  the  show  bench,  where  she  lasted 
far  better  and  longer  than  is  the  case  with  the 
majority  of  exhibition  dogs,  and  at  Stowmarket  Mr. 
S.  Matthews  always  kept  in  his  kennels  two  or  three 
animals  fit  to  show  and  win  anywhere. 

Now,  in  1892,  the  best  curly-coated  black  retrievers 


The  Curly -coated  Black  Retriever.        377 

are  owned  by  Viscount  Melville,  at  Melville  Castle, 
Mid  Lothian  ;  his  Robin  Hood  is  about  equal  to 
anything  that  one  has  seen  of  late,  and  that  he  can 
transfer  his  excellence  to  his  sons  was  proved  by  a 
puppy  by  him  being  sold  at  Aldridge's  in  June  for 
twenty-three  guineas,  the  whole  of  the  litter  realising 
fifty-six  guineas,  by  no  means  bad  prices  as  things 
go  for  unbroken  dogs.  Mr.  S.  Darby,  at  Tiverton, 
appears  to  be  giving  more  attention  than  anyone  else 
to  the  variety,  and,  as  I  write,  so  far  as  the  show 
bench  is  concerned,  his  kennel  is  by  far  the  best, 
and  contains  at  least  half  a  dozen  specimens  about 
as  perfect  as  they  can  be  found.  Mr.  Henry  Skip- 
worth,  of  Barkwith,  near  Lincoln,  has  an  equally 
good  lot,  and  of  a  strain  that  has  been  in  his  posses- 
sion many  years.  Mr.  W.  Walker,  Preston,  also 
owns  several  excellent  specimens,  and  it  was  one 
of  his  fine  young  dogs  to  which  Mr.  Lloyd  Price, 
when  judging  at  Birmingham  in  1892,  awarded  a 
second  prize,  he  withholding  all  others  in  about  as 
good  a  class  of  the  variety  as  had  been  benched. 
Though  each  of  the  nine  entries  brought  into  the 
ring,  had  at  one  time  or  another  taken  show  honours, 
they  were  not  to  the  liking  of  the  judge,  who  created 
quite  a  sensation  by  acting  as  stated.  At  any  rate, 
he  proved  to  have  the  courage  of  his  convictions, 
which  is  not  always  the  case  with  modern  judges. 


378  Modem  Dogs. 


In  1890  a  club  was  formed  with  the  laudable 
intention  of,  if  possible,  re-popularising  the  curly- 
coated  black  retriever.  The  following  was  the 
description  of  the  variety  it  adopted  : 

"  Head. — Long  and  narrow  for  the  length. 

"  Ears. — Rather  small,  set  on  low,  lying  close 
to  the  head,  and  covered  with  short  curls. 

11  Jaws. — Long  and  strong,  free  from  lippiness, 
with  good  sound  teeth. 

"  Nose. — Wide  open  nostrils,  moist  and  black. 

"  Eyes. — Dark,  cannot  be  too  dark,  rather 
large,  showing  great  intelligence,  and  splendid 
temper ;  a  full  pug  eye  an  objection. 

(l  Coat. — Should  be  one  mass  of  short,  crisp 
curls  from  the  occiput  to  the  point  of  tail,  a  saddle 
back  or  patch  of  uncurled  hair  behind  shoulders,  and 
white  patch  on  chest  should  be  penalised,  but  few 
white  hairs  allowed  in  an  otherwise  good  dog. 
Colour,  black  or  liver. 

"  Neck. — Long,  graceful,  but  muscular,  and  well 
placed,  and  free  from  throatiness,  such  as  a  blood- 
hound. 

((  Shoulders. — Very  deep,  muscular,  and  obliquely 
placed. 

"  Chest. — Not  too  wide,  but  decidedly  deep. 

"  Body.  --  Rather  short,  muscular,  and  well 
ribbed  up. 


The  Curly -Coated  Black  Retriever.        379 


"Legs. — Forelegs  straight,  with  plenty  of  bone, 
not  too  long,  and  set  well  under  body. 

"  Feet.  —  Round  and  compact,  with  toes  well 
arched. 

<(  Loin. — Powerful,  deep,  and  firm  to  the  grasp. 

"  Tail. — Should  be  carried  pretty  straight,  and 
covered  with  short  curls,  tapering  towards  tip. 

"  General  Appearance. — A  strong,  smart  dog, 
moderately  low  on  leg,  active,  lively,  beaming  with 
intelligence  and  expression. 

The  weight  is  not  given  in  the  club  standard  ; 
dogs  should  be  from  55lb.  to  681b.,  bitches  about 
five  pounds  less. 


Value. 

Head   10 

Jaws     5 

Eyes     5 

Neck    5 

Chest   5 

Legs 5 

Loins    .  10 


45 


Ears     

Nose    

Coat    

Shoulders   

Body  

Feet 

Tail 

General  appearance 


Value. 

5 

5 

15 

5 
5 
5 
5 
10 

55 


Grand  total,    1OO. 


380  Modern  Dogs. 


THE    FLAT    OR    WAVY  COATED    BLACK 
RETRIEVER. 

This  handsome  and  kindly  dog,  so  say  its 
admirers,  is  to  be  the  dog  of  the  future.  Whether 
this  will  prove  the  case  or  not  only  that  future  can 
decide,  but,  taking  a  line  from  the  progress  it  has 
made  in  public  esteem  during  the  past  dozen  years 
or  so,  it  is  a  prognostication  likely  enough  to  prove 
correct.  Here  we  have  a  creature  made  for  use; 
handsome,  kindly  in  disposition,  obedient,  easy  to 
rear,  breeding  true  to  type,  and  well  answrering  the 
purpose  for  which  it  is  intended,  so  there  can  be  little 
fear  of  retrogression  on  its  part.  Though  the  curly- 
coated  dog  had  obtained  the  advantage  at  the  start, 
he  is  coming  in  but  a  very  bad  second.  The  causes 
of  this  have  already  been  alluded  to. 

The  flat  or  wavy  coated  retriever  is  now  pretty 
well  distributed  throughout  the  British  Isles,  and 
few  shooting  parties  leave  home  unaccompanied  by 
a  well  trained  specimen  or  two,  which  are,  however, 
actually  more  useful  in  turnips  and  on  comparatively 
open  ground,  than  they  are  in  thick  covert  and 
tangled  brushwood.  Their  coats  are  fine,  and 
certainly  not  made  for  the  purpose  of  resisting 
thorns  and  briers,  and,  so  far  as  the  experience  of 


> 


Th?  Fix*  .<.»  Wavy  CoaM  Bkck  RH never. 


goes,  th*rf<'  -?»e  f$ult  lies  in  their  indis- 
po  '  $o  face  tj?'"k  covert,  and  in  whins  and 
have  <*s^  .^-trin  actually  useless  Still- there 
:'tr£-.  nat  !  believe  will  do  as  well  in 
'.ert  as  the  curly  dog.  A  friend 
;:g  exception  to  the  lack  of  perse- 
oated  retriever  displayed  in  making 
:  a  winged  pheasant  that  had  run  about 
-.fjle  bushes;  at  the  same  time  praising 
his  own  dog,  with  a  curly  coat  on  him  as  shaggy  as 
that  of  a  Herdwick  sheep.  There  requires  to  be  a 
happy  mean  between  the  twio,  for,  where  one  would 
hot  ^ace  the 

have  to  be  cut   out    of  them,   the    strong   prickles 

folding  him  as  fast  as  if  he  were  in  a  net.     After 

vrrv  day's   shooting  it.  would    take    two    or    three 

fv^urx  to  free  my  friend's  dog  from  the  t(  burrs"  that 

tod  become  entangled  in   his  coat.     A   hard   wavy 

d  retriever,   clad  in  a  jacket  not  unlike   those 

ssed  by  the  German  griffons,  WouM   t*?   useful 

ough  country. 

first  introduction  01  d  retrievn- 

how  bench  w  r  in    $ 

in  the  hi  -1 
' 


382  Modern  Dogs. 


pure  and  simple  Newfoundlands,  and  it  has  taken 
a  few  years'  careful  work  to  bring  the  wavy 
retriever  to  what  it  is  at  the  present  time.  Not 
too  big  but  just  big  enough.  Our  grandfathers 
said,  "  Oh  !  we  want  a  big  retriever,  a  strong  'un  ; 
one  that  can  jump  a  gate  with  an  81b.  hare  in  its 
mouth,  and  gallop  with  one  at  full  speed."  This  is 
not  so  now.  A  comparatively  small  dog  is  well  able 
to  carry  a  hare,  and  shooting  is  so  precise  that  puss 
does  not  run  as  far  as  she  did,  when  properly  hit. 
Dogs  are  not  made  to  assist  bad  shooters  to  fill  a 
bag,  and  a  man  who  cannot,  in  ninety-nine  cases 
out  of  a  hundred,  stop  a  hare  before  she  has  run 
seventy  yards,  ought  not  to  fire  at  another.  And 
you  do  not  require  to  have  a  special  dog  for  the  one 
chance  in  a  hundred. 

Such  animals  as  Dr.  Bond  Moore  used  to  show 
were  of  enormous  size  and  coarse  to  boot,  and  I 
am  sure  would  not  be  looked  at  in  the  show  ring  to- 
day. If  any  of  the  blood  of  this  strain  remains  it 
must  be  in  very  small  quantities.  One  or  two  of 
his  dogs  had  ugly  light  eyes,  which,  objectionable  as 
it  may  be  in  other  dark-coloured  dogs,  is  more  than 
trebly  so  in  a  retriever.  The  two  Wyndhams  that 
came  earlier  were  better  dogs,  especially  Mr. 
Meyrick's,  that  was  winning  at  the  leading .  shows 
from  1864  to  1870.  Mr.  Brailsford  brought  out  the 


The  Flat  or  Wavy  Coated  Black  Retriever.     383 

other  Wyndham,  this  in  1860,  a  dog  which  was 
evidently  almost  pure  Labrador,  and,  like  its  name- 
sake, has  no  pedigree  in  the  Stud  Book.  Still,  both 
dogs  were  successful  on  the  show  bench,  so  were 
much  used,  and  their  blood  is  to  be  found  in  most  of 
the  strains  at  the  present  day.  Another  excellent 
dog  of  the  early  period  was  Major  Allison's  Victor, 
another  dog  without  pedigree,  that  was  purchased  at 
Edinburgh.  It  is  interesting  to  note  how  true  to 
type  these  pedigreeless  dogs  have  proved,  and  do  so 
even  at  the  present  time.  For  instance,  Mr.  L.  A. 
Shuter,  of  near  Farningham,  in  Kent,  not  long  ago 
purchased  a  bitch  in  the  streets  at  Bristol,  and 
could  not  obtain  the  slightest  trace  as  to  what  her 
sire  and  dam  were.  Still,  so  good  was  she  that  he 
formed  an  alliance  between  her  and  his  dog  Darenth. 
The  result  was  puppies  so  good  that  they  won 
prizes  in  keen  competition  directly  they  came  to  be 
shown.  Such  cases  are,  however,  exceptional,  and 
must  not  be  considered  when  mentioned  here  as 
an  indication  that  I  do  not  value  pedigree. 

To  Mr.  S.  E.  Shirley,  the  president  of  the  Kennel 
Club,  the  admirers  of  the  wavy-coated  retrievers  are 
indebted  for  what  he  has  done  for  the  popularisation 
of  the  breed,  and  most  of  all  the  best  dogs  of  the 
present  day  are  of  his  strain.  A  valued  lot  of 
retrievers  had  been  kept  at  Ettington  Park  long 


384  Modern  Logs. 


before  the  dogs  of  the  show  bench,  and  Mr.  Shirley 
remembers  black  retrievers  in  the  kennels  there  forty 
years  ago.  These  dogs  were  much  wavier  in  the 
coat  than  is  the  present  fashion.  In  addition  to 
those  at  Ettington  Park,  in  the  time  of  the  father  of 
the  present  popular  owner,  the  neighbouring  gentry 
round  about  Stratford-on-Avon  had  strains  of  their 
own,  and  these  the  late  Mr.  Shirley  made  use  of  in 
founding  his  kennel.  One  dog  in  these  early  days 
was  especially  valued,  for  he  excelled  all  others 
in  work  as  well  as  in  looks.  This  was  Nep,  who 
belonged  to  Wey,  then  head  keeper  to  Captain 
Peach,  of  Idlecote.  The  dog  was,  however,  too 
valuable  to  stay  long  with  his  breeder,  and  Wey  sold 
him  for  £20,  a  very  high  price  then,  to  the  late  Mr. 
West,  of  Alscot  Park.  In  due  course  Nep  was  the 
sire  of  a  dog  called  Moses,  who  will  no  doubt  be 
recollected  by  retriever  breeders  as  the  father  of 
Mr.  J.  D.  Corse's  well  known  Sailor. 

The  blood  of  this  dog  still  remains  in  the  best 
dogs  in  Mr.  Shirley's  kennels,  and  it  is  some  twenty- 
five  years  since  he  began  to  give  special  attention 
to  improving  the  retriever  for  show  purposes.  This 
he  did  by  purchasing  and  using  the  best  dogs 
obtainable,  and  by  careful  selection  got  them  to  the 
uniformity  of  type  and  general  excellence  as  they 
are  seen  to-day  on  the  benches  at  Birmingham  and 


The  Flat  or  Wavy  Coated  Black  Retriever.     385 

elsewhere.  No  setter  cross  has  ever  been  used,  but 
one  of  the  older  stock,  Paris,  was  a  Labrador,  still 
he  was  a  great  winner  on  the  bench  in  his  day.  Mr. 
G.  T.  Bartram's  good  old  dog,  Zelstone,  used  with 
great  success  of  late  years  as  a  sire,  has  likewise 
an  undoubted  strain  of  Labrador  in  him. 

I  have  entered  into  the  particulars  of  this  kennel 
pretty  fully  for  two  reasons — because  it  is  the 
leading  one  at  present,  and  that  from  which  almost 
all  others  have  sprung,  and,  secondly,  because  it  has 
been  previously  stated  that  Mr.  Shirley's  retrievers 
were  purely  and  simply  crosses  from  the  Labrador. 
That  they  have  but  a  slight  tinge  of  that  breed  in 
them,  and  are  mainly  indebted  for  their  excellence 
to  careful  selection  from  old  local  strains,  is  very 
evident  from  what  I  have  written. 

Lieut. -Colonel  Cornewall  Legh,  near  Knutsford, 
also  owns  a  considerable  kennel  of  a  strain  that 
have  proved  themselves  equally  acceptable  as 
workers  as  on  the  show  bench.  Mr.  H.  Liddell, 
Otterburn  Hall,  Northumberland;  Mr. John  Morrison, 
Standeford,  near  Wolverhampton ;  Mr.  C.  A.  Phillips, 
Eccles,  Lancashire  ;  Mr.  G.  T.  Bartram,  of  Braintree, 
w^hose  Zelstone  is  alluded  to  above  ;  the  Rev. 
W.  Serjeantson ;  Mr.  Harding  Cox,  and  Mr.  A. 
Money- Wigram,  have  all,  at  one  time  or  another 
possessed,  or  still  possess,  capital  specimens  of  the 

[Vol.I.J  C     C 


386  Modern  Dogs. 


race,  some  of  them  owning  dogs  and  bitches  in 
sufficient  numbers  to  perpetuate  the  breed  should 
any  virulent  disease  attack  and  destroy  all  that 
others  own. 

At  the  present  time  there  is  a  tendency  to  produce 
the  wavy-coated  retrievers  with  an  inclination  to  the 
type  and  shape   of  head  possessed  by  the  setters. 
This  is,  no  doubt,  due  to   the  fallacy  carried  out  in 
breeding    for    straight    coats,    which    are    all    very 
well    in   their  way,   attractive    enough   in   the   show 
ring,   but  thoroughly   bad    from  a  workman's  point 
of    view.       During    my   somewhat    lengthened    con- 
nection with   dog  shows   I   have  noticed  that,  as  a 
rule,  the  straightest  and   flattest   coated  dogs  have 
the  greatest  tendency  to  the  longer  setter-like  heads. 
If  breeding  for  this   coat   in  preference  to  that   of 
type   of  head  and  character  is  continued,   mischief 
will  be  done  which  may  not  be  so  easy  to  remedy 
as    the    variety    was    to    be    produced    in    the    first 
instance.     I  would  especially  recommend  the  judges 
in   dealing  with  this   retriever,  to   give  more   credit 
for  the   correct   type   of  head  than   for  an  actually 
and  perfectly  flat  coat,  not  forgetting  that  the  dog 
was    originally   "  wavy-coated  "    quite    as    much    as 
his  jacket  was  straight. 

About  judging  wavy-coated  retrievers.    At  the  last 
Birmingham  show  Mr.  Lloyd  Price  had  an  unusually 


The  Flat  or  Wavy  Coated  Black  Retriever.    387 

fine  class  of  dogs  before  him,  which  included  one 
called  Rightaway,  which  his  owner,  Mr.  Shirley,  con- 
sidered to  be  one  of  the  best  dogs  he  ever  saw.  The 
judge  thought  otherwise,  and  gave  the  chief  award 
to  another  from  the  same  kennel.  The  winner  was 
a  much  more  active-looking  dog  than  Rightaway, 
equally  good  in  coat,  head,  and  expression,  and  in 
legs  and  feet ;  but  he  stood  a  little  higher  on  the 
legs,  and  was  not  so  heavy  in  bone  as  the  favourite 
of  the  Kennel  Club's  President,  who  should  know 
a  good  dog  if  any  man  does.  Still,  on  this  occasion 
we  endorse  the  judge's  decision  in  giving  first  prize 
to  the  more  active  and  workmanlike  animal,  and  it 
is  to  be  hoped  that  judges  will  be  consistent  and 
award  the  leading  honours  to  those  dogs  that  from 
appearance  seem  most  likely  to  be  useful  in  the 
field.  As  I  have  already  stated,  coats  can  be  too 
fine  and  straight. 

The  descriptions  and  points  of  the  wavy  coated 
black  retriever,  founded  on  "  Stonehenge's  "  scale, 
are  as  follows  : 

The  nose  and  jaws  are  to  be  considered  from 
two  points  of  view — first,  as  to  the  powers  of 
scent ;  and  secondly,  as  to  the  capacity  for  carrying 
a  hare  or  pheasant  without  risk  of  damage.  For 
both  purposes  the  jaws  should  be  long,  and  for  the 
development  of  scenting  powers  the  nose  should  be 

C  C  2 


388  Modern  Dogs. 


wide,  the  nostrils   open,  and  its  end  moist  and  cool  ; 
teeth  level,  and  neither  overshot  nor  undershot. 

The  skull,  ears,  and  eyes. — Skull  bone  wide 
and  flat  at  the  top,  with  slight  furrow  down  the 
middle.  Brow  by  no  means  pronounced,  but  the 
skull  is  not  absolutely  in  a  straight  line  with  the 
nose.  The  ears  must  be  small,  lie  close  to  the 
head,  and  set  on  low,  but  not  hanging  down  in 
hound  fashion.  With  regard  to  the  hair  on  them, 
it  must  be  short.  The  eyes  should  be  of  medium 
size,  dark  in  colour,  bright,  intelligent-looking,  and 
mild  in  expression,  indicating  a  good  temper. 

Neck,  loins,  and  back. — Whatever  be  the  breed 
of  dog,  his  neck  should  be  long  enough  to 
allow  him  to  stoop  in  seeking  for  the  trail. 
A  chumpy  neck  is  especially  bad ;  for,  while 
a  little  dog  may  get  along  on  a  foot  scent  with  a 
short  neck,  a  comparatively  large  and  unwieldy  dog 
tries  himself  terribly  by  the  necessity  for  crouching 
in  his  fast  pace.  Loins  and  back  wide,  deep,  and 
strong. 

The  quarters  and  stifles  must  be  muscular, 
and  so  formed  to  enable  the  retriever  to  do 
his  work  fast  enough  to  please  the  modern  sports- 
man, with  ease  to  himself;  the  stifles  should  be 
nicely  turned. 

The     shoulders    should    be    long    and     sloping ; 


The  Flat  or  Wavy  Coated  Black  Retriever.     389 

otherwise,  even  with  a  proper  length  of  neck,  the 
dog  cannot  stoop  to  a  foot  scent  without  fatigue. 

The  chest  should  be  broad  as  well  as  deep,  with 
well-developed  and  well  sprung  ribs. 

Legs,  hiees,  and  hocks. — When  tolerably  fast 
work  is  to  be  done  by  a  heavy  dog,  it  is 
important  that  these  parts  should  be  strong  and 
free  from  disease  in  their  joints.  Hence  the  legs 
must  not  only  be  long  and  muscular,  but  they 
must  be  clean  and  free  from  lumber.  The  knees 
should  be  broad,  and  the  hocks  well  developed,  and 
clean. 

The  feet  are  rather  larger  proportionately  than 
in  the  setter,  but  they  should  be  compact,  and 
the  toes  well  arched.  Soles  thick  and  strong. 

The  tail  should  be  bushy  in  proportion  to  the 
dog,  but  not  feathered.  It  should  be  carried  gaily, 
but  not  curled  over  the  back. 

The  coat  is  short,  but  not  so  short  as  in  the 
pointer  or  hound  ;  it  should  be  close  and  thick  and 
as  straight  as  possible;  a  thin  open  coat,  underneath 
which  the  skin  is  easily  found,  is  bad,  however 
straight  it  may  be. 

The  colour  should  be  a  rich  black,  free  from 
rustiness  and  from  white. 

Symmetry  and  temperament. — The  symmetry  and 
elegance  of  this  dog  are  considerable,  and  should 


390  Modern  Dogs. 


be  valued  highly.  The  evidences  of  good  temper 
must  be  regarded  with  great  care,  since  his  utility 
mainly  depends  on  his  disposition.  A  sour-headed 
brute,  with  a  vicious  look  about  the  eyes,  should  be 
disqualified. 

Weight    from    5olb.   to    681b.    for    dogs ;    bitches 

rather  smaller. 

Value. 

Nose  and  jaws    5 

Skull,  ears,  and  eyes 10 

Neck,  loins,  and  back    ...  10 

Quarters  and  stifles    5 

Shoulders  and  chest  13 

Legs,  knees,  and  hocks...  12 


Value. 

Feet    10 

Tail     5 

Coat    10 

Symmetry  and  tempera- 
ment      20 


55 
Grand    Total  100. 


45 


OTHER    RETRIEVERS. 

There  are  other  retrievers  than  the  two  varieties 
already  mentioned.  Some  years  ago  a  so-called 
"Russian  Retriever"  very  often  appeared  in  the 
variety  classes  at  our  shows — a  huge,  unwieldy 
creature,  certainly  more  like  being  successful  in 
carrying  off  a  sheep  rather  than  in  retrieving  a  snipe. 
He  would  weigh  pretty  well  on  to  a  hundred 
pounds,  was  covered  with  long  ringlets,  and 
appeared  more  nearly  allied  to  the  French  poodle 


Other  Retrievers.  391 


than  to  anything  else,  and  I  believe  in  fact  that  he 
was  a  poodle.  Usually  he  was  black  in  colour, 
sometimes  brown.  It  was  said  this  "  Russian  "  was 
introduced  here  for  the  purpose  of  "  crossing,"  to 
give  size  and  strength.  When  already  our  retrievers 
were  bigger  and  coarser  than  we  required  them, 
there  is  no  wonder  his  services  were  refused. 

The  common  brown  retriever  that  we  see  running 
about  the  streets,  neither  curled  nor  wavy,  nor 
smooth,  is  a  sort  of  nondescript  animal  we  can  well 
do  without.  He  is  usually  snappish  and  ill-natured, 
and  when  not  looking  in  the  gutters  for  a  living 
may  be  found  chained  up  to  a  kennel  in  somebody's 
back  yard.  Those  who  own  a  dog  of  this  kind  may 
be  recommended  to  exchange  it  for  a  small  terrier, 
which  will  not  only  cost  the  owner  less  in  the  way 
of  food,  but  be  less  liable  to  bite  his  neighbour,  his 
wife,  or  his  children.  When  anyone  is  bitten  by 
a  dog  the  odds  are  two  to  one  that  the  injury  was 
caused  by  one  of  these  common  brown  dogs.  An 
injustice  is  done  to  the  Emerald  Isle  when  they  are 
called  "Irish  retrievers,"  and  this  frequently  happens. 
There  are  black  dogs,  with  white  on  their  breasts, 
of  similar  type  and  character.  No  doubt  the  dis- 
repute in  which  even  the  well-bred  retriever  is  held 
in  many  quarters,  arises  from  the  ill-fame  which 
attends  this  cousin  of  his. 


392  Modern  Dogs. 


There  are,  however,  brown  retrievers  that  have 
better  reputations,  some  are  curly-coated,  others 
wavy  or  straight  coated.  The  latter  are  repeatedly 
produced  from  black  parents,  are  very  handsome, 
and  equally  useful  as  any  other.  Personally  I 
have  a  great  fancy  for  this  pale  or  chocolate 
brown,  wavy-coated  retriever.  He  is  a  novelty, 
and  if  he  shows  dirt  more  than  his  black  parents, 
his  coat  is  equally  glossy,  and  he  is  quite  as  good 
tempered  and  sociable.  The  white  or  pale  primrose- 
coloured  eye  is  objectionable  in  this  variety  as  it  is 
in  the  black.  Mr.  A.  Money-Wigram  showed  an 
excellent  specimen  called  Merle,  which  won  second 
in  a  class  for  "  retrievers  any  other  colour  than 
black,"  at  the  Kennel  Club  Show  in  June,  1889,  and 
first  in  the  same  class  in  1892.  It  is  rather  odd 
that  in  the  Kennel  Club  Stud  Book  for  1892  the 
awards  in  several  of  these  retriever  classes  at  the 
Club  Show  are  altogether  omitted. 

One  of  the  prettiest  retrievers  I  ever  saw,  and  one 
of  the  best  all  round  in  coat,  curl,  docility  of  expres- 
sion and  otherwise,  was  Mr.  J.  H.  Salter's  handsome 
brown  bitch  Beauty  III.,  and  she  was  not  misnamed. 
She  was  so  good  as  to  be  able  to  win  even  against 
the  blacks  ;  her  coat  remained  crisp  and  hard,  and 
in  disposition  and  temperament  she  was  quite  an 
example  to  other  dogs.  Beauty  was  born  of 


Other  Retrievers.  393 

pure  brown  parents,  her  sire  being  Prince  Rupert, 
dam  Pearl.  Rupert  was  a  well  known  good  dog  on 
the  bench,  winning,  like  her  daughter,  even  when 
pitted  against  the  black  variety,  and  it  is  rather  odd 
that  his  sire,  King  Koffee,  black,  usually  had  a  brown 
puppy  in  each  litter  when  mated  with  Pearl.  From 
this  cross  Mr.  Salter  is  desirous  of  obtaining  a 
distinctly  brown  strain,  which  he  considers  more 
useful  for  his  description  of  wildfowl  and  snipe 
shooting.  Rupert,  though  over  ten  years  of  age,  is 
still  alive  and  able  to  undergo  a  day's  hard  work  in 
the  Essex  marshes,  will  plunge  into  the  water  in  the 
coldest  weather,  go  into  the  sea  under  any  conditions, 
and  retrieve  a  jack  snipe  as  tenderly  as  a  cat  would 
carry  her  kitten.  This  is  no  doubt  a  useful  sort  of 
dog  to  have.  The  strain  should  be  perpetuated  if 
possible,  and  it  is  much  to  be  regretted  that 
Beauty's  owner  was  unable  to  obtain  any  puppies 
from  her. 

There  is  supposed  to  be  a  Norfolk  retriever,  but 
this  is  no  special  strain,  being  black,  brown,  black 
and  tan,  or  any  other  colour;  an  undoubted  cross 
between  an  ordinary  field  spaniel  and  some  other 
retriever.  Such  cross-bred  dogs  are  useful  on  the 
"  Broads "  when  the  shooting  season  is  on,  and, 
being  hardy,  are,  when  trained,  perhaps  better 
adapted  for  wildfowl  shooting  than  the  more 


394  Modern  Dogs. 


attractive  and  cared  for  varieties  that  are  the 
popular  idols  at  the  present  time. 

But,  after  all,  there  are  almost  all  sizes  and  con- 
ditions of  retrievers.  There  were  trials  of  water-dogs 
arranged  in  connection  with  the  Maidstone  show 
in  May,  1876,  and  here  many  varieties  competed, 
including  Newfoundlands.  It  was,  however,  acknow- 
ledged on  all  hands,  that,  by  far  the  best  work, 
in  retrieving,  diving,  and  swimming,  was  performed 
by  a  black  and  white  retriever,  semi-curly  in  coat, 
and  one  that,  in  the  show  ring,  no  judge  would  have 
looked  at  a  second  time.  Still,  it  beat  such  known 
cracks  as  the  belauded  Theodore  Nero,  and  easily 
took  the  first  prize.  The  dog  was  Mr.  T.  Cole's 
Nero. 

John  Colquhoun,  in  his  "  Moor  and  the  Loch," 
descants  in  praiseworthy  terms  of  his  wild-fowl 
retriever  that  was  a  cross  bet\veen  a  water  spaniel 
and  a  terrier.  In  appearance  it  was  not  unlike  a 
modern  Airedale  terrier,  but  doubtless  one  of  the 
most  useful  dogs  ever  bred,  and  in  a  boat  would 
do  better  than  a  larger  and  curlier  animal,  as  he 
would  bring  less  water  in  with  him  when  retrieving 
his  master's  ducks.  Such  dogs  are,  however,  liable 
to  be  hard-mouthed ;  still,  I  have  myself  owned 
terriers,  and  have  one  now — an  Irishman — that  will 
carry  an  egg  in  a  cup  without  breaking  either,  or  a 


Other  Retrievers.  395 


piece  of  tissue  paper  without  soiling  it  in  the  least. 
But  such  dogs  as  these  have  taken  naturally  to  their 
work,  and  no  amount  of  training  would  persuade  or 
teach  them  to  do  what  they  like  to  perform  of  their 
own  accord. 

One  of  the  best  retrievers  I  ever  owned  was  a 
sorry  looking  customer — a  cross  between  a  badly 
bred  collie  dog  and  an  illegitimate  retriever  slut. 
His  curly  tail  would  have  been  a  credit  to  an 
Esquimaux.  But  a  dog  does  not  carry  a  bird  or  a 
hare  with  his  stern,  nor  does  his  intelligence  lie 
therein.  Although  the  dog  (l  Dick"  was  not  more  than 
forty  pounds  weight,  and  had  a  small  head  and  jaw, 
he  could  carry  two  rabbits  easily.  This  he  did  often 
enough  when  I  happened  to  be  shooting  with  a 
friend,  and  a  couple  of  rabbits  had  been  stopped 
simultaneously  by  smart  first  barrels.  Dick  was  so 
jealous  that  he  persisted  in  bringing  both  to  his 
master. 

To  prove  the  general  uses  an  intelligent  well- 
trained  retriever  may  be  put  to,  it  may  not  be  out 
of  place  to  mention  that  quite  recently  a  very 
mongrel-looking  specimen  of  the  breed  figured  in  a 
most  interesting  fashion  in  a  London  police-court. 
A  man  was  charged  with  having  sundry  umbrellas  in 
his  possession  of  which  he  could  give  no  satisfactory 
account.  It  was  alleged  that  he  had  trained  his  dog 


396  Modern  Dogs. 


to  snatch  such  articles  from  the  hands  of  unsus- 
picious ladies,  make  off  with  his  spoil,  following  a 
light  cart,  in  which  the 'defendant  and  his  wife  were 
seated.  In  due  course  the  purloined  article  was 
taken  from  the  dog  by  its  owner,  who  was  then 
apprehended  and  charged,  as  stated.  Eventually  the 
case  against  him  was  dismissed.  I  am  told  that  the 
dog  did  the  trick  well ;  still  it  is  scarcely  right  to 
train  any  creature  to  such  a  dishonest  practice. 

Then  about  the  same  time  another  retriever  saved 
a  child  from  drowning  in  the  Thames,  the  owner, 
unable  to  swim  himself,  sending  in  his  dog  to  the 
rescue  of  the  struggling  infant,  who  had  fallen  off 
the  tow-path,  and  was  being  washed  away  by  the 
receding  tide. 

Not  long  ago  an  interesting  presentation  took 
place  at  Cardiff,  the  captain  of  a  Liverpool  steam 
ship  being  presented  with  the  bronze  medal  of  the 
Board  of  Trade  for  saving  life,  under  the  following 
circumstances  :  A  boat  was  capsized  when  leaving 
a  wreck,  the  occupants  being  thrown  into  the 
heavy  sea  ;  Captain  Nickels  twice  swam  out  into  the 
surf  and  saved  four  men  from  drowning.  But  he 
was  assisted  greatly  by  a  retriever  dog,  who  later, 
when  his  master,  Mr.  Pengelly,  who  had  been 
assisting  in  the  rescue,  was  about  exhausted  and 
struggling  in  the  water,  seized  him  by  the  collar  and 


Other  Retrievers.  397 

brought  him  safely  to  land,  otherwise  he  would  have 
lost  his  life.  The  dog  was  presented  with  a  new 
collar,  which  he  well  deserved. 

In  many  deer  forests  in  Scotland  retrievers 
are  used  in  connection  with  deer  stalking,  and 
are  said  to  be  more  useful  in  bringing  to  bay  a 
wounded  stag  than  the  ordinary  deerhound.  Indeed, 
a  good-tempered  dog  of  the  retriever  kind,  when 
nicely  trained,  is  a  most  useful  animal,  but  when 
kept  as  a  watch  dog  chained  to  a  barrel  in  the 
backyard,  or  allowed  to  follow  the  gutter  for  a  live- 
lihood, he  is  treacherous  in  the  extreme,  and  as  such 
to  be  avoided. 

If  you  require  a  retriever  for  show  purposes,  buy 
one  to  answer  your  requirements  ;  but,  if  such  a  dog 
is  required  for  work,  either  by  land  or  water  or  both, 
do  not  mind  what  colour  or  shape  he  may  be,  so 
long  as  his  character  for  intelligence  and  tenderness 
is  satisfactory.  Beware  of  the  hard-mouth,  of  that 
cold  unlovable  face  and  light  yellow  eye  that  denote 
ill-nature  and  querulousness  that  in  the  end  will  lead 
to  mischief.  You,  perhaps,  will  not  be  able  to  get 
hold  of  such  dogs  as  two  or  three  "H.H."  so  pleasantly 
mentions  in  his  practical  and  valuable  work,  "  The 
Scientific  Education  of  Dogs  for  the  Gun."  One 
that  broke  from  the  bush  the  bough  upon  which  the 
lost  fly  cast  hung,  and  ran  eighty  yards  down  stream 


398  Modern  Dogs. 


to  break  the  ice  in  order  that  the  wounded  duck 
could  come  to  the  hole  to  breathe,  and  so  be  caught. 
Colonel  Hutchinson  tells  us  of  another  retriever  that 
was  in  the  habit  of  acting  as  <(  whipper-in  "  where 
the  spaniels  were  concerned,  seizing  any  dog  of  the 
team  in  his  mouth  and  giving  it  a  good  shaking  for 
not  "  down  charging"  when  required,  or  for  rushing 
in  front  of  the  remainder  of  the  team,  with  which  it 
worked,  and  trying  to  demolish  the  wounded 
pheasant. 

Retrievers  that  perform  such  feats  as  the  above 
are  not  of  every  day  occurrence,  and  are  only  to 
be  made  by  constant  companionship  with  an  owner 
who  understands  their  every  movement,  and  can 
read  what  is  passing  in  their  minds  by  looking  into 
their  eyes. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 
THE    SPANIEL. 

DOG  shows,  and  the  consequent  breeding  for  so- 
called  fancy  points,  have  completely  altered  the 
character  of  our  English  spaniels — at  least,  of  a 
majority  of  those  we  see  winning  in  the  rings  nowa- 
days. Such  are,  as  a  rule,  quite  a  different  article 
to  the  animal  old  painters  placed  upon  their  can- 
vases, and  which  writers  of  previous  generations 
described  in  the  pages  of  their  volumes. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  spaniel,  as  he  is  gene- 
rally known,  preceded  the  setter,  who  was  produced 
from  him.  and  was  trained  to  "  sett "  game  long 
before  the  pointer  came  to  be  introduced  to  this 
country.  It  has  been  said  both  came  from  Spain 
originally,  a  country  that  was  also  stated  to  be  the 
home  of  the  British  bulldog.  Surely  the  land  of 
sherry  wine  and  bull  fights  has  much  to  answer  for, 
and  may  be  deemed  fortunate  in  obtaining  the  repu- 
tation of  being  the  original  manufacturer  of  such 
valuable  animals. 


400  Modern  Dogs. 


Juliana  Barnes,  or  Berners,  wrote  of  spaniels  in 
1486,  so  did  Dr.  Keyes,  or  Caius;  and  later,  in  1677, 
Nicholas  Cox,  in  his  "  Gentleman's  Recreation," 
copied  what  both  his  predecessors  had  said  about 
them,  and  added  what  remarks  Gervase  Markham 
had  made  on  the  same  subject.  Then  we  must  not 
forget  what  Aldrovandus  wrote  early  in  the  sixteenth 
century,  and  the  engravings  he  gave  of  sundry 
varieties  of  the  Spanish  dog,  which  are  described  in  a 
preceding  chapter  on  the  setter.  One  of  these  he 
called  "pantherius,"  because  it  was  spotted,  i.e.,  more 
or  less  ticked,  as  are  many  of  the  handsomer  setters 
and  spaniels  of  the  present  day. 

In  Cox's  time,  and  earlier,  the  spaniel  was  in 
great  measure  used  as  an  assistance  in  hawking, 
and  he  says  "  how  necessary  a  thing  it  is  to 
falconry  I  think  nobody  need  question  as  well 
as  to  spring  and  retrieve  a  fowl  being  flown  to 
the  mark,  and  also  in  divers  and  other  ways  to 
help  and  assist  falcons  and  goshawks."  He  then 
alludes  to  cutting  the  tails  of  spaniels,  about  which 
he  says,  "  it  is  necessary,  for  several  reasons,  to  cut 
off  the  tip  of  a  spaniel's  stern  when  it  is  a  whelp. 
First,  by  doing  so  worms  are 'prevented  from  breed- 
ing there ;  in  the  next  place,  if  it  be  not  cut,  he  will 
be  the  less  forward  in  pressing  hastily  into  the 
covert  after  his  game ;  besides  this  benefit,  the  dog 


The  Spaniel.  401 


appears  "  more  beautiful."  This  custom  of  tail 
docking  has  continued  to  this  day,  we  practising 
it,  because  the  spaniel  in  working  covert  is  less 
likely  to  injure  his  tail  by  lashing  it  backwards  and 
forwards  and  tearing  it  amongst  the  tangled  briers 
and  the  thick  undergrowth. 

But  even  prior  to  such  early  times,  we  have 
mention  made  of  the  spaniel  as  of  use  in  hawking, 
and  "  hys  crafte  was  also  for  the  perdrich  or 
partridge,  and  the  quaile ;  and,  when  taught  to 
couche  he  is  very  serviceable  to  the  fowlers  who 
take  those  birds  with  nets."  In  a  fourteenth 
century  MS.  there  is  a  picture  of  ladies  hawking, 
they  being  attended  by  two  dogs  with  long  ears,  no 
doubt  intended  to  represent  the  spaniel  of  that 
period. 

The  spaniel  in  his  two  varieties,  the  land  and 
water  spaniel,  was  the  sporting  dog  in  these 
early  days,  and  in  "  The  Master  of  the  Game," 
written  early  in  the  fifteenth  century,  we  are  told 
that  this  dog  "  hath  many  good  customs  and  evil; 
he  should  have  a  large  head  and  body,  be  of  fair 
hue,  white  or  tawny,  and  not  too  rough  ;  but  his 
tail  should  be  rough  and  feathered." 

The  Prince  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  this 
early  treatise  further  says,  the  breed  came  from 
Spain,  although  it  was  to  be  had  in  other  countries, 

[VOL.  i.]  D    D 


402  Modern  Dogs. 


and  those  that  were  used  for  hawking  were 
"  baffers,"  i.e.,  they  gave  tongue. 

From  these  two  breeds  of  spaniels,  I  believe, 
have  sprung  all  the  varieties  known  at  the  present 
time,  not  excluding  the  toy  spaniels.  Writers  on 
canine  matters  so  recently  as  within  the  present 
century,  have  told  us  that  the  Blenheim  spaniel  was 
at  that  time  used  for  covert  shooting,  and  was 
useful  in  such  a  capacity.  Now  it  is  purely  and 
simply  a  lap  or  toy  dog,  and  the  most  perfect  speci- 
mens that  are  seen  on  the  show  benches  would  likely 
enough  come  off  but  second  best  in  a  tussle  with  a 
good  wild  rabbit. 

The  extraordinary  sagacity  and  affectionate  dis- 
position of  the  spaniel  have  repeatedly  formed  a 
theme  for  those  who  delight  to  dwell  on  anecdotes 
relating  to  dogs.  Unfortunately,  in  most  instances, 
the  variety  of  spaniel  is  not  mentioned,  so  one  is  at  a 
loss  to  know  whether  to  give  the  credit  of  such  extra- 
ordinary intelligence  to  the  little  creature  that  has 
been  the  pampered  favourite  of  monarchs  and  ladies 
since  the  days  of  the  Stuarts,  or  to  that  equally 
valuable  animal  that  assists  the  sportsman  to  fill  his 
bag  with  either  feathered  or  ground  game,  or  both. 

But,  as  already  hinted,  the  show  era  has  wrought 
an  extraordinary  change  in  the  character  and  appear- 
ance of  our  spaniels,  and  in  vain  we  look  for  the  old 


The  Spaniel.  403 


curly-coated  water  variety  that  our  grandfathers 
valued  so  highly,  or  for  the  equally  useful  and 
smaller  dog,  some  twenty  pounds  weight  or  so,  that 
would  with  equal  facility  "  fetch  "  a  stick  that  had 
been  thrown  into  the  water,  or  retrieve  a  rabbit  with 
a  hind  leg  broken  that  in  vain  struggled  to  reach 
the  sanctuary  of  its  burrow. 

With,  perhaps,  few  exceptions,  the  chief  being  the 
Clumber  and  Irish  variety,  our  show  spaniel  of  to-day 
is  not  a  sportsman's  dog — a  fancy  creature  merely, 
whose  coat  requires  as  much  grooming  as  that  of  a 
Yorkshire  terrier,  and  the  slightest  waviness  thereon 
would  be  as  fatal  to  its  chances  of  success  before 
some  judges  as  if  it  had  but  one  eye,  and  unable  to 
see  with  that  one.  Crooked  forelegs,  malformed 
elbows  and  shoulders,  are  often  allowed  to  pass 
muster  in  the  show  ring,  but  a  curly  or  wavy  coat 
seldom. 

Personally  I  should  disqualify  dogs  with  crooked, 
disproportioned  fore  legs,  however  long  they  might 
be  in  body,  however  "  near  the  ground  "  (meaning, 
however  short  the  legs),  and  however  straight  the 
coat.  These  abnormally  formed  dogs — "  long  and 
low  "  their  owners  love  to  call  them — have  completely 
usurped  the  position  that  the  old  fashioned  field 
spaniel  formerly  occupied,  and  the  modern  edition  is 
neither  so  handsome  nor  so  useful  as  the  original 

D    D    2 


404  Modern  Dogs. 


one.  The  coats  of  the  new  may  be  straighter, 
shinier,  and  more  glossy,  but  in  most  cases  the 
spaniel  character  has  disappeared,  and  nothing  so 
good  occupies  its  position.  I  know  the  owners  of 
these  show  dogs  will  still  sell  such  specimens  for  a 
hundred  pounds  each  or  more,  and  will  not  agree 
with  these  remarks,  but  they  are  true  nevertheless. 

Some  of  the  breeders  with  whom  I  have  had 
acquaintance  have  considered  it  an  advantage  to  be 
able  to  produce  at  least  three  so-called  varieties 
from  the  same  crosses.  A  black  spaniel  may  be  a 
brother  to  a  Sussex  or  liver  coloured  specimen  in 
the  adjoining  class  ;  and  further  away  it  might  be 
possible  to  find  a  liver  and  white,  or  blue  and  white, 
or  black  and  tan,  brother  or  sister  to  the  others 
taking  leading  honours  in  a  third  class.  Happily,  in 
a  few  instances,  one  or  two  old  varieties  of  field 
spaniel  have  been  kept  fairly  pure,  notably  the 
Clumber  and  the  Sussex,  of  which  more  anon. 
Still,  even  the  best  strains  of  the  Sussex  are 
often  enough  supplanted  by  dogs  with  "  black 
blood  "  running  in  their  veins,  because  they  happen 
to  be  half  an  inch  longer  in  the  body  and  have 
longer  ears,  the  latter  actually  detrimental  in  his 
proper  vocation  of  life  that  Nature  brought  him 
into  the  world  to  perform. 

The  early  grouping  of  the  spaniels  at  our  shows 


The  Spaniel.  405 


was  not  satisfactory,  and  at  the  initial  Birmingham 
exhibitions  but  four  classes  were  provided,  two  for 
Clumbers  and  two  for  "  any  other  variety."  About 
1862  an  improvement  was  wrought,  Irish  water 
spaniels  were  specially  provided  for,  and  later  the 
classes  were  divided,  not  by  colour  or  variety,  but 
according  to  weight.  Thus  dogs  exceeding  25lb. 
weight  competed  separately,  so  did  dogs  below  that 
standard,  and  the  bitches  were  restricted  to  over 
and  under  2olb. 

Now  matters  are  different,  colour  is  taken  into 
consideration,  and  type  and  variety  to  a  limited 
extent.  In  the  best  arranged  schedules  individual 
classes  are  provided  for  Clumbers  (2),  Irish  Water 
Spaniels  (2),  Sussex  or  liver  coloured  (2),  black  (2), 
any  other  colour  (i),  and  for  cockers  (2).  In 
addition  challenge  classes  may  be  made  as  is 
deemed  desirable.  The  cockers  are  usually  re- 
stricted to  25lb.  in  weight,  which  is  five  pounds  too 
heavy. 

The  old  fashioned  English  water  spaniel  appears 
to  have  altogether  disappeared,  and  now  this  curly- 
coated  brown  and  white,  retriever-like,  but  smaller, 
dog  is  not  to  be  found,  and  remains  only  in  the 
pictures  engraved  by  Bewick  and  drawn  by  Reinagle 
and  others.  The  "  Sportsman's  Cabinet  "  has  a  nice 
picture  of  this  dog,  and  even  so  recent  a  writer  as 


406  Modern  Dogs. 


Youatt  (1845)  illustrates  and  describes  him.  The 
variety  has,  however,  been  improved  off  the  face  of 
the  earth,  so  will  soon  be  forgotten. 

The  Spaniel  Club,  established  in  1885,  nas  issued 
its  description  of  the  spaniel  in  his  varieties  in  a 
most  exhaustive  form,  and  this  includes,  besides 
those  already  mentioned,  and  more,  fully  alluded  to 
further  on,  the  Norfolk  spaniel.  In  the  case  of  the 
cocker,  divisions  are  made,  the  "  black"  and  the 
"any  other  colour"  being  separated,  making,  indeed, 
the  two  varieties  out  of  the  one.  Why  this 
has  been  done  it  is  difficult  to  imagine,  unless 
because  members  of  the  club  are  desirous  of  bring- 
ing into  the  cocker  classes  little  black  spaniels 
altogether  of  the  modern  type ;  and  such  are  not 
cockers  at  all.  They  are  miniature  specimens  of 
the  ordinary  black  field  spaniels,  and  are  bred  from 
that  stock. 

The  Norfolk  spaniel  is  not  now  acknowledged 
by  the  public  as  a  variety,  though  it  is  by  the 
Spaniel  Club.  I  have  already  said  that  the  English 
water  spaniel  is  pretty  nearly  extinct,  and  I  have  not 
seen  one  on  the  show  bench  for  very  many  years. 
However,  to  give  completeness,  I  have  appended 
all  the  points  and  descriptions  issued  by  the  Club, 
and  they  will  no  doubt  prove  of  value  for  reference  in 
the  future. 


The  Spaniel.  407 


No  doubt  the  Spaniel  Club  has  done  some  good 
in  defining  the  varieties,  describing  them,  and  in 
looking  after  their  interests  at  shows  and  exhibi- 
tions, but  they  have  entirely  neglected  his  working 
qualifications.  At  one  period  it  was  thought  field 
trial  competitions  would  have  been  provided,  but  the 
difficulties  of  arranging  them  satisfactorily  must 
always  be  in  the  way  of  such  gatherings.  Personally 
I  scarcely  see  how  spaniel  trials  could  be  conducted, 
for  in  reality  most  of  those  who  hold  large  kennels 
of  spaniels  for  sporting  purposes  use  them  as  teams. 
In  fact  the  modern  human  beater — the  fustian-clad 
yokel,  with  a  long  and  stout  stick  and  a  Stentorian 
cry  of  "Cock!  cock!  cock!" — has  long  ago 
pretty  well  ousted  the  merry  cockers  or  the  more 
staid  Clumber  for  beating  the  coverts ;  certainly  an 
innovation  not  at  all  a  desirable  one. 

There  is  no  prettier  sight  than  to  see  a  team  of 
well-trained  spaniels  drop  instantaneously  to  com- 
mand or  to  gun  fire.  In  reality  covert  work  is  the 
proper  thing  for  spaniels  to  do.  Some  years  ago, 
when  the  Knipe  Scar  and  other  coursing  meetings 
were  held  over  the  Lowther  estates  of  the  Earl  of 
Lonsdale,  the  coverts  were  occasionally  beaten  by 
an  excellent  team  of  liver  and  white  spaniels.  It  was 
pleasant  to  see  them  driving  their  game  out  of  the 
thick  undergrowth  of  brambles  and  furze.  When 


408  Modern  Dogs. 


a  hare  was  well  away  a  shot  was  fired  and  each 
individual  spaniel  dropped  instanter.  There  they 
remained  whilst  the  greyhounds  were  running  their 
hare  in  the  open.  The  course  ended,  and  by 
command  the  spaniels  were  up  again,  as  busy  as 
possible,  and  so  the  day's  proceedings  were  con- 
tinued until  nearly  dark,  when  the  coursing  men  had 
a  long  walk  home  before  reaching  headquarters, 
stopping,  however,  on  their  way  to  partake  of  the 
"  roast  beef  of  Old  England,5'  and  its  strong  ale, 
spread  upon  the  hospitable  boards  at  the  Castle. 
Certainly  all  round  a  better  kind  of  sport  than  is  to 
be  had  by  modern  coursing  in  the  enclosed  grounds. 
As  to  the  "  field  trials  for  spaniels,"  perhaps  in 
due  time  some  one  will  come  forward  with  a  scheme 
by  which  they  may  be  conducted  successfully  in 
public ;  but  the  judge  who  would  award  the  prizes 
to  the  satisfaction  of  the  owners  of  such  dogs  as 
might  be  entered  would  have  a  position  that  no  man 
could  envy. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  IRISH  WATER  SPANIEL. 

EARLY  in  1859  a  considerable  amount  of  corre- 
spondence appeared  in  the  Field  with  regard  to  Irish 
Water  Spaniels.  There  had  been  writers  on  the 
matter  who  knew  little  or  nothing  about  the  dog  in 
question,  and  now  inquiries  were  made  as  to  what  the 
Irish  Spaniel  was  and  what  he  had  been.  . "  Smack' 
wrote  of  the  "  St.  Leger  breed/'  and  of  an  excellent 
strain  kept,  by  Lord  Erne ;  and  the  same  week 
another  admirer  of  the  variety  wrote  from  DuW*r. 
that,  after  long  and  diligent  search,  he  found  rite 
"real  Irish  water  spaniel  one  of  the  hardest 
animals  to  procure." 

Further,  he  says  the   colour  is  almost   *.r«v».r 
of  "  a  rich  liver  ;  the  coat  long,  curlv    *jVfS  matted 
the  head  peculiarly  long,  and  alnv 
silky  ears,  much  Ion 
the  tail  is  thin  and  n< 
lastly,  the  animal  stan^ 
thickly  and  closely 


410  Modern  Dogs. 


of  the  poodle  with  the  daring  of  the  spaniel,  and 
although,  by  reason  of  its  coat,  nearly  useless  in 
covert,  still  no  day  is  too  long,  no  water  too  cold  ; 
and  happy  indeed  ought  the  wild  fowler  to  be  if  he 
can  procure  a  specimen  of  this  invaluable  and  almost 
extinct  breed." 

The  above  and  other  letters  brought  a  reply  from 
Mr.  McCarthy,  who  had  for  long  been  looked  up  to 
as  the  authority  on  the  variety,  and  his  communica- 
tion to  the  Field  (February  i9th,  1859)  must  be 
taken  as  the  most  important  contribution  on  the 
subject  that  had  hitherto  appeared.  From  this 
description  of  his  strain,  the  type  of  water  spaniel 
was  formed,  and  so  it  has  continued  to  the  present 
day.  Mr.  M'Carthy  wrote:— 

"  I  have  been  the  owner  of  the  curly  coated  Irish  water  spaniel 
for  the  last  thirty  years,  and  have  been,  as  it  were,  the  godfather  of 
most  of  those  to  be  disposed  of,  the  dealers  always  recommending 
their  dogs  by  saying  '  they  are  one  of  McCarthy's  real  old  breed.' 
I  have  bestowed  many  scores  of  dogs  and  bitches  to  gentlemen  in 
every  county  in  Ireland  and  many  parts  of  England,  and  bitches 
have  been  sent  to  me  from  every  part  of  this  country  for  the 
services  of  my  celebrated  dog  Boatswain,  the  patriarch  of  all  the 
highly-bred  dogs  in  the  country, 

"  There  is  in  reality  but  two  breeds  of  the  true  Irish  Water 
Spaniel.  In  the  north  the  dog  has  generally  short  ears  without 
any  feather,  and  is  very  often  of  a  pied  white  and  brown  colour  • 
in  the  south,  the  dog  is  of  pure  liver  colour,  with  long  ears,  and 
well  curled,  with  short  stiff  curls  all  over  the  body.  The  present 
improved  and  fancy  breed,  called  M'Carthy's  breed,  should  run 


The  Irish  Water  Spaniel.  411 

thus:  Dog  from  21  inches  to  22 \  inches  high  (seldom  higher 
when  pure  bred),  head  rather  capacious,  forehead  prominent,  face 
from  eyes  down  perfectly  smooth,  ears  from  24  inches  to  26  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  clogged  in  the  moulting  season.  The  tail  should  be 
round  without  feather  underneath,  rather  short,  and  as  stiff  as 
a  ramrod ;  the  colour  of  a  pure  puce  liver  without  any  white. 

"  Though  these  dogs  are  of  very  high  mettle,  I  have  never  found 
them  untractable  or  difficult  to  train.  They  readily  keep  to  heel 
and  down-charge,  and  will  find  a  dead  or  wounded  bird  any- 
where, either  in  the  open  or  in  covert ;  but  they  are  not  partial  to 
stiff,  thorny  brakes,  as  the  briars  catch  in  their  curls  and  trail  after 
them.  It  is  advisable  to  give  them  a  little  training  at  night,  so 
that  in  seeking  objects  they  must  rely  upon  their  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  per- 
pendicularly high  into  the  water. 

"My  old  dog  Boatswain  lived  to  about  eighteen  years  old,, 
when,  although  in  good  health  and  spirits,  I  was  obliged  to- 
destroy  him.  ...  A  good,  well  trained  dog  of  this  kind  will 
not  be  obtained  under  from  £10  to  £20,  and  I  have  known  ^40 
or  ^"50  paid  for  one.  They  will  not  stand  a  cross  with  any  other 
breed.  .  .  .  The  pure  breed  has  become  very  scarce ;  and 
although  very  hardy  when  grown  up,  they  are  very  delicate  as 
puppies." 

Following  the  above,  some  special  interest  ap- 
peared for  a  time  to  be  taken  in  Irish  spaniels,  and 
Captain  Lindoe,  R.N.,  Mr.  E.  Montressor,  Mr.  J.  T. 
Robson,  Mr.  R.  W.  Boyle,  Captain  O'Grady,  Mr. 


412  Modern  Dogs. 


J.  S.  Skidmore,  Mr.  N.  Morton,  and  a  few  others 
took  them  in  hand.  But  they  never  appeared  to 
become  popular,  possibly  because  their  coats  were  so 
often  ragged  and  untidy,  and,  maybe,  shooting  men 
found  other  dogs  equally  useful  for  wild  fowl  pur- 
poses. In  1862  two  classes  were  provided  for  them 
at  Birmingham,  and,  although  there  were  but  three 
competitors  the  Curzon  Hall  executive  have  sup- 
ported the  Irish  spaniel  ever  since,  although,  as 
a  rule,  competition  is  meagre  and  the  entries  are 
few. 

To  me  it  has  been  a  matter  of  regret  that  nothing 
appears  to  be  known  as  to  the  early  history  of  the 
Irish  water  spaniel,  and  even  Mr.  McCarthy  omits  to 
tell  us  where  he  first  obtained  his  strain.  Richard- 
son is  equally  silent  on  the  matter,  and  he  an  Irish- 
man too.  Still,  he  writes  of  and  illustrates  a  dog 
similar  to  the  breed  already  described.  Gervase 
Markham  (1595)  tells  of  a  "  liver-hued  water 
dog"  that  is  "  swiftest  in  swimming;"  but  he 
does  not  identify  it  with  the  Emerald  Isle.  Perhaps 
some  one  interested  in  the  subject  may  yet  be  able 
to  find  out  something  as  to  the  origin  of  this 
variety,  and  about  what  period  it  first  came  to 
be  identified  with  the  country  from  which  it  takes 
its  name. 

Without  entering  more  fully  into  the  particulars, 


The  Irish  Water  Spaniel.  413 

it  may  be  as  well  to  hear  what  Mr.  J.  F.  Farrow,  of 
Ipswich,  has  to  say  of  the  variety,  and  I  thank  him 
for  his  contribution  thereon,  especially  as  the  Irish 
water  spaniel  is  one  of  those  dogs  whose  acquaint- 
ance I  have  only  made  through  shows.  Mr.  Farrow 
writes  as  follows  : — 

11  I  remember  as  well  as  if  only  yesterday  a  very 
old  sporting  friend — a  man  who  had  done  years  of 
wild  fowling  on  all  the  rivers  and  marshes  in  the 
East  of  England — coming  up  to  me  when  I  was 
engaged  in  a  conversation  with  the  late  Mr.  P. 
Bullock,  going  over  the  winners  in  the  Irish  Water 
Spaniel  classes  at  a  dog  show  held  at  Laycock's 
Dairy  Yard,  Islington,  in  1869.  Mr.  Bullock's 
exhibit  had  obtained  an  extra  prize,  and  the  Rev. 
W.  J.  Mellor's  Doctor  and  Bingo  had  been  placed 
ist  and  3rd,  and  that  good  dog,  Rake,  Mr.  P. 
Lindoe's,  2nd.  *  Farrow,'  said  my  old  sporting 
friend,  '  you  don't  want  to  trouble  about  those 
gentlemen  ;  you  would  not  use  them  twice  in  a  boat, 
they  carry  too  much  water,  with  such  a  companion 
a  boat  is  a  miserable  place  to  be  in  if  you  have  any 
work  to  do.'  This  remark,  however,  did  not  stop 
the  desire  I  had  to  go  in  for  an  Irish  water  spaniel 
at  that  time. 

"  I  had  certain  rough  shooting  on  some  of 
the  Essex  marshes,  and  I  found  the  Irish  water 


414  Modern  Dogs. 


spaniel  a  fairly  useful  dog  for  such  work  ;  he  has, 
however,  never  been  a  popular  companion  with 
sportsmen  generally,  and  never  will  be,  for  the 
simple  reason  that  he  is  not  the  all  round  sports- 
man's dog  many  of  his  admirer's  claim  him  to  be. 
His  great  length  of  ear,  coat,  and  feathering  almost 
prevent  him,  for  instance,  working  in  covert,  whereas 
a  good  squarely-built  field  spaniel  of  fair  size,  with 
a  reasonable  length  of  body,  ear,  and  feathering, 
with  a  good  dense  coat,  will  do  for  you  in  water  any 
and  everything  the  Irish  water  spaniel  can  do,  and 
perform  in  covert  what  the  (  Irishman '  cannot. 
Hence,  since  the  history  of  dog  exhibitions,  this 
variety  of  water  spaniel  is  standing  still,  and,  on 
the  contrary,  there  is  an  increase  in  the  various 
kinds  of  field  spaniels. 

"  Of  course,  it  must  not  be  understood  that  I 
believe  all  breeders  of  exhibition  spaniels  are  sports- 
men— it  is  a  fact  some  are  not — but  I  often  think 
more  is  made  of  this  point  frequently  than  there  is 
any  sound  justice  for  doing,  and  I  state  without  fear 
of  contradiction  that  a  very  large  percentage  of  the 
breeders  and  exhibitors  of  the  various  classes  of 
spaniels  are  also  fond  of  their  gun  as  well  as 
their  dog.  Some  of  course  have  more  opportunity 
than  others  for  breeding  and  working  their  dogs. 
Another  point  which  makes  the  ordinary  springer  or 


The  Irish  Water  Spaniel.  415 

field  spaniel  more  popular  than  the  water  spaniel  is 
its  size ;  a  45lb.  field  spaniel  can  place  himself 
without  difficulty  out  of  the  way  in  a  boat  or  dog- 
cart, but  not  so  the  bigger  Irishman. 

"  Perhaps  the  most  prominent  breeder,  certainly 
the  most  successful  exhibitor  of  Irish  water  spaniels 
since  the  history  of  dog  shows,  is  Mr.  J.  S.  Skidmore, 
of  Nantwich,  who  claims  for  this  variety  of  spaniel 
a  position  as  the  most  useful  dog  for  the  sports- 
man of  limited  means.  Now,  much  as  I  respect  this 
gentleman's  views  as  to  what  a  typical  Irish  water 
spaniel  should  be  like,  I  cannot  agree  with  him  on 
this  point.  I  regard  the  ordinary  retriever  or  a  fair- 
sized  reasonably  constructed  field  spaniel  a  much 
more  useful  dog.  Let  us  take,  for  instance,  an  old 
cock  pheasant,  winged,  in  only  a  reasonable  covert, 
and  I  should  like  to  ask  Mr.  Skidmore  what  he 
thinks  such  specimens  as  some  of  his  typical  Irish 
water  spaniels,  measuring  nearly  a  yard — I  believe 
some  of  them  measured  over  30  inches — from  tip  to 
tip  of  ears,  would  do  with  a  winged  pheasant  under 
such  circumstances  ;  or  say  a  winged  partridge  in  a 
ditch  on  a  farm  where  high  cultivation  is  unknown  ; 
in  a  dyke  in  which  the  undergrowth  has  not  been 
touched  for  a  dozen  years. 

"  Again,  in  many  specimens  the  coat  is  woolly  in 
texture  and  too  open  and  long ;  such  a  coat  will 


416  Modern  Dogs. 


hold  as  much  water  as  a  blanket,  and  a  dog  with  an 
abundance  of  feather  of  this  woolly  texture  of  hair 
is  simply  a  nuisance.  If  you  walk  across  a  farm -yard 
with  such  a  specimen  he  is  not  fit  to  look  at,  and  if 
by  chance  you  come  across  a  bramble  or  piece  of 
hedge  clipping,  and  you  do  not  notice  it  for  a  minute 
or  so,  a  stop  has  to  be  made  of  two  or  three  minutes 
to  relieve  the  poor  brute.  I  have  seen  a  dog  with 
this  woolly  class  of  coat  and  feathering  rendered 
almost  useless  on  a  proper  wildfowling  day  from  the 
snow  and  ice  freezing  and  hanging  in  balls  or  lumps 
as  big  as  walnuts  from  the  feathering,  and  to  such 
an  extent  as  to  render  the  dog,  before  half  the  day 
was  over,  useless.  I  do  not  think  this  woolly  open 
coat  and  feather  is  taken  sufficient  notice  of  by  some 
of  our  judges  ;  I  believe  it  on  the  increase,  and  it  is 
unquestionably  the  wrong  class  of  coat  for  such  a 
dog.  I  know  we  saw  such  coats  years  ago,  but  not 
so  frequently  as  now. 

"  I  have  said  before,  and  I  repeat,  that  this 
variety  of  spaniels  has  never  been,  and  never 
will  be,  a  popular  sporting  dog  with  Englishmen. 
The  breed  has  been  encouraged  by  classes  being 
provided  at  almost  all  the  principal  exhibitions  from 
their  very  commencement,  still  the  Irish  water  spaniel 
has  not  made  headway,  and  to-day  is  declining 
in  both  numbers  and  typical  specimens  when  com- 


The  Irish  Water  Spaniel.  417 

pared  with  what  were  to  be  found  ten  or  a  dozen 
years  ago. 

"  The  origin  of  the  Irish  water  spaniel  is  a  matter 
no  authority,  or  any  one  else,  has  ventured  to  say 
much  about,  and  give  anything  like  a  definite 
opinion.  We  know  years  ago  Ireland  possessed 
two,  if  not  more,  varieties,  in  the  north  and  south. 
We  also  know  that  to-day,  and  indeed  since  dog 
shows  commenced,  that  our  judges  have  taken  the 
south  of  Ireland  type  for  their  standard  of  what  an 
Irish  water  spaniel  should  be  like.  We  know,  also, 
that  years  ago  more  care  was  exercised  by  gentlemen 
in  the  south  of  Ireland  to  establish  a  type  than  those 
in  the  north  ;  hence  '  Stonehenge/  in  his  last  work, 
making  the  following  remark  in  his  article  on  this 
variety  of  spaniel  :  ( At  the  present  time  the 
McCarthy  strain  may  be  considered  to  be  the  type  of 
the  Irish  water  spaniel,  and  his  description,  published 
in  the  Field,  and  quoted  on  another  page,  is  the 
standard  by  which  the  breed  is  judged,  and  must, 
therefore,  be  so  regarded.'  I  may  just  remark  that 
in  my  opinion  the  common  '  water  dog,'  as  known 
in  1803,  a  capital  illustration  of  which  appears  in 
the  '  Sportsman's  Cabinet,'  so  often  alluded  to  in 
these  days,  had  a  great  deal  to  do  with  the  origi- 
nality of  this  variety  of  spaniel.  Indeed,  even  down 
to  the  specimens  seen  to-day,  in  outline,  the  water 

[VOL.  i.]  E    E 


41 8  Modern  Dogs. 


dog  referred  to,  much  resembles  the  Irish  water 
spaniels  of  the  present  period.  Take,  for  instance, 
the  top-knot  and  coat,  the  length  of  back,  the 
length  from  hip  to  hock,  the  length  of  face, 
and  one  must,  in  my  humble  opinion,  notice  the 
similarity. 

"  The  Irish  water  spaniel  of  to-day  is  looked 
after  by  two  clubs,  one  in  England  and  the  other  in 
Ireland.  The  former  club  has  this  year  revised 
its  standard  of  points,  but  the  revision,  in  my 
opinion,  is  not  an  improvement  on  the  old  standard. 
Take  the  description  of  head,  for  instance,  which  is 
as  follows  :  '  Capacious  skull,  rather  raised  on  dome 
and  fairly  wide,  showing  large  brain  capacity.  The 
dome  appears  higher  than  it  really  is,  being  sur- 
mounted by  the  crest  or  top-knot.' 

"  Not  a  word  is  said  about  the  '  face,'  the  length 
of  face — the  very  point  in  the  breed  that  such  an 
acknowledged  authority  as  'Stonehenge'  goes  out  of 
his  way  to  describe  as  'very  peculiar.'  The  face,  in 
my  opinion,  and  in  the  opinion  of  many  old  breeders, 
is  a  most  remarkable  and  important  feature  of  the 
breed.  Take  the  top-knot  again,  another  charac- 
teristic point  of  the  breed,  and  it  is  very  badly 
handled  by  the  Club.  Nothing  like  sufficient  im- 
portance is  given  to  it.  In  the  remarks  in  the 
descriptive  particulars  of  the  coat  we  read  as 


The  Irish  Water  Spaniel.  419 

follows  :  '  Top-knot  should  fall  well  over  the  eyes/ 
Now,  from  such  a  description,  one,  I  take  it,  would 
be  satisfied  if  the  top-knot  came  over  the  dog's 
eyes  and  was  cut  off  quite  square  or  straight  across 
the  face,  as  it  is  seen  to-day  on  some  of  our  chief 
prize  winners.  Such  a  top-knot  I  think  wrong,  and  it 
always  reminds  me  of  the  poodle's  wig.  The 
top-knot  in  a  good  specimen  falls  *  between  '  and 
over  the  eyes  in  a  '  peaked  '  form,  and  not  across 
the  eyes  or  face,  like  a  poodle's. 

11  Years  ago  light  eyes  were  looked  upon  as  a  bad 
fault.  Judges  often  put  such  specimens  back,  and 
the  critics  noted  the  fault  in  their  reports,  but 
to-day  the  amber-coloured  eye  is  almost  fashionable. 
Anyhow,  many  of  the  principal  winners  have  amber- 
coloured  eyes,  and  such  are  recognised  by  the 
spaniel  clubs.  What,  in  fact,  years  ago,  was  one  of 
the  most  objectionable  points  in  the  breed,  is  now,  to 
a  certain  extent,  allowed.  That  this  altered  state  of 
things  will  last  I  do  not  believe,  as  I  am  quite  certain, 
although  the  '  amber '-coloured  eye  is  recognised 
by  several  influential  breeders  and  exhibitors,  it 
is  not  liked  by  25  per  cent,  of  the  breeders  of  Irish 
water  spaniels  throughout  England  and  Ireland.  And 
of  one  thing  i  am  positive,  the  amber  eye  will  now 
take  a  lot  of  getting  rid  of  in  the  breed,  and  the 
longer  it  is  allowed  the  more  will  this  variety  of 

E  E  2 


420  Modern  Dogs. 


spaniel  fail  in  popularity  and  numbers.  I  have 
letters  from  several  old  breeders,  who  from  no 
other  cause,  have  recently  lost  their  interest  in 
the  breed. 

"  That  the  best  specimens  seen  at  our  exhibitions 
now,  could  hold  their  own  with  the  best  ten  or 
twenty  years  ago  I  do  not  believe.  I  am  not  one  of 
the  ancient  pessimists  who  consider  that  years  since 
everything  was  so  much  better  than  is  the  case 
at  the  present  time ;  but  certain  it  is  that  Irish 
water  spaniels  of  the  past  on  the  bench  were 
more  typical  and  perfect  specimen  than  they  are 
now. 

"  Let  us  compare  a  few  of  the  principal  prize 
dogs  that  were  winning  at  shows  held  at  the  end  of 
the  sixties.  I  will  take  Mr.  J.  S.  Skidmore's  Doctor 
(2061),  Captain  Lindoe's  Rake  (2088),  and  Mr. 
Skidmore's  Duck  (2066).  Now  I  am  quite  certain 
any  one  of  these  three  specimens,  for  length  of  face, 
formation  of  head  throughout,  colour  of  eye,  length 
of  ears,  top-knot,  and  qualit)  of  coat — although 
perhaps  not  in  colour  of  coat — would  simply  romp 
away  from  any  one  of  the  three  specimens  now 
winning  in  the  challenge  classes  at  our  show  say 
Shaun,  Harp,  and  the  Shaughraun. 

"  I  now  come  to  a  more  recent  period — say 
ten  years  ago  ;  and  I  venture  to  state  that  few, 


The  Irish  Water  Spaniel.  421 

if  any,  breeder  or  gentleman  who  has  taken  an 
interest  in  this  variety,  of  spaniel  will  contradict  me 
when  I  state  that  our  present  champions  could 
not  possibly  have  been  in  it,  point  for  point  with 
the  prominent  winners  at  that  time.  Take,  for 
instance,  such  dogs  as  Mr.  Skidmore's  Mickey 
Free  (10,393),  Mr.  Hockey's  Young  Patsey 
(10,397),  and  the  same  gentleman's  Lady  (9250) 
and  other  big  winners  about  this  time.  It  may 
be  said  it  is  all  very  well  to  simply  say  that  the 
prominent  winning  specimens  ten  years  ago  were  so 
much  ahead  of  the  present  prominent  winners,  but 
tell  us,  in  your  opinion,  in  what  way,  in  which  par- 
ticular points,  these  specimens  could  beat  the  present 
winners  ?  For  argument's  sake  I  will  take  the  most 
prominent  winning  bitch  of  ten  years  or  so  ago 
-Young  Hilda  (born  1878,  breeder  and  exhibitor, 
Mr.  G.  S.  Hockey)  and  Champion  Harp  (born  1885, 
breeder  and  exhibitor,  Colonel  the  Hon.  W.  Le  Poer 
Trench).  Now  I  say  that  in  length  of  face,  expres- 
sion, colour  of  eye,  colour  and  texture  of  coat  and 
outline,  there  is  no  comparison  between  these  two 
specimens  ;  and  it  is  in  the  points  I  have  described 
where  Champion  Harp  loses  so  much  when  com- 
pared with  Young  Hilda.  Thus,  my  opinion  is,  that 
the  specimens  seen  generally  to-day  are  behind  those 
of  ten  years  and  twenty  years  ago. 


422  Modern  Dogs. 


"  The  home  of  this  breed,  or  rather  what  is 
called  the  home  of  the  breed,  Ireland,  has  never, 
since  the  history  of  dog  shows,  produced  many 
'  sensations,'  as  a  look  through  the  Kennel  Club 
Stud  Books  will  confirm.  However,  one  of  the 
most  perfect  specimens,  and  I  think  the  best 
specimen  bred  in  Ireland,  seen  at  our  dog  shows 
was  Larry  Doolin  (4384),  a  dog  exhibited  on 
several  occasions  at  English  shows,  years  ago, 
by  Mr.  N.  Morton,  and  later  by  Messrs.  R.  B.  and 
T.  S.  Carey." 

Following  Mr.  Farrow's  exhaustive  and  critical 
remarks,  with  most  of  which  I  am  completely  in 
accord,  especially  so  far  as  his  strictures  on  the 
light  coloured  eyes  are  concerned,  little  remains  for 
me  to  say.  He,  however,  somewhat  overstates  his 
case  about  the  "  amber"  eyes  being  almost  fashion- 
able, for  in  the  Spaniel  Club's  scale  appended,  such 
eyes  are  handicapped  to  the  extent  of  ten  negative 
points. 

The  principal  exhibitors  of  Irish  water  spaniels 
at  the  present  time  are  Colonel  the  Hon.  W.  Le 
Poer  Trench,  Gerrard's  Cross,  Bucks;  Mr.  J.  C. 
Cockburn,  Glasgow  ;  Mr.  T.  C.  Tisdall,  Monaghan, 
Ireland  ;  Mr.  J.  A.  Hearne,  Midlothian ;  Mr.  J. 
Unsworth,  near  Stockport ;  Mr.  G.  T.  Millar, 
Denbigh  ;  Mr.  W.  W.  Thomson,  Mitcham ;  Mr. 


The  Irish  Water  Spaniel. 


423 


J.    C.    Brown,    Tewkesbury ;    the    Rev.    N.    Milne; 
and  Mr.  T.  J.  Hurley,  Killaloe. 

The  Club's  points  and  description  are  as  follows  : 


POSITIVE  POINTS. 

Head  and  jaw  10 

Eyes 5 

Top-knot 5 

Ears  

Neck 

Body 

Fore-legs  5 

Hind-legs 

Feet  . 


10 

7* 
7i 


5 

5 

Stern..  .    10 


Coat  

General  appearance .... 


15 

'5 


Total  Positive  Points  ...    100 


NEGATIVE  POINTS. 
Light  yellow  or  gooseberry 

eyes 10 

Cording,  or  tags  of  dead  or 

matted  hair  12 

Moustache,  or  poodle  hair 

oncheek   5 

Lank,     open,     or     woolly 

coat  7 

A  natural  sandy,  light  coat     8 
Furnishing    of    tail    more 

than   half  way  down  to 

sting 7 

Setter-feathering  on  legs  ...    10 
White  patch  on  chest  6 

Total  Negative  Points  ...   65 


Disqualifications. — Total  absence  of  top-knot ;  a  fully  feathered 
tail ;  any  white  patch  on  any  part  of  the  dog,  except  a  small  one 
on  chest  or  toe. 


DESCRIPTIVE   PARTICULARS. 

11  Head. — Capacious  skull,  rather  raised  in  dome 
and  fairly  wide,  showing  large  brain  capacity.  The 
dome  appears  higher  than  it  really  is,  from  its  being 
surmounted  by  the  crest  or  top-knot,  which  should 


424  Modern  Dogs. 


grow  down  to  a  point  between  the  eyes,  leaving  the 
temple  smooth. 

"  Nose. — Dark  liver  coloured,  rather  large,  and 
well  developed. 

"  Eyes. — Comparatively  small.  Dark  amber  and 
very  intelligent  looking. 

"  Ears. — Set  on  rather  low.  In  a  full-sized 
specimen  the  leather  should  not  be  less  than  18 
inches,  and  with  feather  about  24  inches.  The 
feather  on  the  ear  should  be  long,  abundant,  and 
wavy. 

"Neck. — Should  be  'pointer-like/  i.e.,  muscular, 
slightly  arched,  and  not  too  long.  It  should  be 
strongly  set  on  the  shoulders. 

"  Body  (including  size  and  symmetry]. — Height 
at  shoulder  from  20  to  23  inches,  according  to  sex 
and  strain  ;  body,  fair  sized,  round,  barrel  shaped, 
and  well  ribbed  up. 

"Shoulder  and  chest. — Chest  deep,  and  not  too 
narrow ;  shoulders  strong,  rather  sloping,  and  well 
covered  with  hard  muscle. 

"  Back  and  loin. — Back  strong,  loins  trifle  arched 
and  powerful,  so  as  to  fit  them  for  the  heavy 
work  of  beating  through  sedgy,  muddy  sides  of 
rivers. 

"  Hind  quarters.  —  Round  and  muscular,  and 
slightly  drooping  towards  the  set  on  of  the  stern. 


The  Irish  Water  Spaniel.  425 

"  Stern. — A  'whip  tail,'  thick  at  base  and  taper- 
ing to  a  '  sting.'  The  hair  on  it  should  be  short, 
straight,  and  close  lying,  excepting  for  a  few  inches 
from  its  root,  where  it  gradually  merges  into  the 
body  coat  in  some  short  curls. 

"Feet  and  Legs.  —  'Fore-legs'  straight,  well 
boned.  They  should  be  well  furnished  with  wavy 
hair  all  round  and  down  to  the  feet,  which  should  be 
large  and  round.  '  Hind-legs  '  stifle  long,  hock 
set  low  ;  they  should  be  well  furnished  except  from 
the  hock  down  the  front. 

11  Coat.  —  Neither  woolly  nor  lank,  but  should 
consist  of  short  crisp  curls  right  up  to  the  stern. 
Top-knot  should  fall  well  over  the  eyes.  It, 
and  furnishing  of  ears,  should  be  abundant  and 
wavy. 

"  Colour. — Dark  rich  liver  or  puce  (to  be  judged 
by  its  original  colour).  A  sandy  light  coat 
is  a  defect.  Total  absence  of  white  desirable ; 
any  except  a  little  on  chest  or  a  toe,  should 
disqualify. 

'  "  General  Appearance. — That  of  a.  strong,  com- 
pact, dashing-looking  dog,  with  a  quaint  and  very 
intelligent  aspect.  They  should  not  be  leggy,  as 
power  and  endurance  are  required  of  them  in  their 
work.  Noisy  and  joyous  when  out  for  a  spree,  but 
mute  on  game."  And  it  may  be  stated  that  the 


426  Modern  Dogs. 


Irish  water  spaniel  is  the  only  dog  of  his  variety 
not  subjected  to  the  custom  of  having  his  tail 
docked  or  shortened. 

The  weight  of  the  Irish  water  spaniel  should  be 
from  5olb.  to  6olb.,  or,  maybe,  a  trifle  over  the  latter 
figures.  Colonel  the  Hon.  Le  Poer  Trench's  well- 
known  dog  Shaun,  at  five  years  old,  scales  64lb. ; 
his  young  dog  Shamus,  at  one  and  a  half  years 
old,  63lb. ;  his  bitch  Harp,  at  eight  and  a  half  years 
old,  54lb. ;  and  the  three  and  a  half  years  old  Erin, 
6ilb.  These  three  dogs  are  amongst  the  best  speci- 
mens of  their  variety  before  the  public  at  the  present 
time,  and  so  it  is  interesting  to  be  able  to  give  their 
several  weights. 


CHAPTER   XXL 
THE    ENGLISH  WATER   SPANIEL. 

PERSONALLY  I  should  not  have  taken  any  further 
notice  of  this  variety  than  has  already  been  done, 
believing  it  to  be  almost,  if  not  entirely,  extinct,  its 
place  now  being  occupied  by  the  ordinary  retriever ; 
but  the  Spaniel  Club  still  acknowledges  it,  so  some 
introduction  to  their  description  is  required. 

The  old-fashioned  water  dog  our  great  grand- 
fathers used  was  the  English  water  spaniel.  Mostly 
liver  and  white  in  colour,  with  a  curly  coat,  it  was 
just  such  an  animal  as  would  be  produced  through 
a  cross  between  the  modern  brown  curly-coated 
retriever  and  an  ordinary  liver  and  white  spaniel 
Reinagle,  in  the  "  Sportsman's  Cabinet,"  gives  us 
such  a  dog,  and  later,  so  recently  as  1845,  Youatt 
describes  and  illustrates  the  "  Water  Spaniel."  That 
writer  gives  it  a  good  character  for  docility,  &c.,  and 
Ewan  Smith  draws  him  not  unlike  a  modern  curly 
retriever,  but  evidently  liver  and  white.  Certainly 
his  illustration  makes  this  spaniel  a  bigger  dog  than 


428  Modern  Dogs. 


we  should  have  taken  the  English  water  spaniel  ever 
to  have  been.  However,  the  dog  is  not  bred  or  kept 
now  as  a  special  variety,  nor  is  there  much  likelihood 
of  its  being  quickly  resuscitated.  Youatt  said  that 
the  true  breed  was,  even  at  the  time  he  wrote,  lost, 
and  the  variety,  was  then  a  cross  between  the  "  water 
dog"  and  the  English  setter. 

However,  I  believe  that  the  old  "  water  dog  "  and 
the  English  water  spaniel  were  identical,  and  my 
opinion  is  pretty  well  supported  by  those  who  may 
be  considered  authorities  on  the  matter. 

At  some  of  the  earlier  Birmingham  dog  shows 
classes  were  provided  for  English  water  spaniels, 
but  few  entries  were  obtained,  and,  these  becoming 
fewer  and  fewer,  the  classes  were  discontinued 
entirely.  I  have  not  seen  such  a  spaniel  on  the 
bench  or  in  the  ring  for  a  long  time  ;  the  Kennel 
Club  Stud  book  during  the  past  few  years  will  be 
searched  in  vain  for  an  entry  of  the  breed,  and  the 
last  so  entered  in  j  886  had  no  pedigree  attached  to 
them.  Curiosities  rather  than  eligibilities  for  any 
Stud  Book. 

In  some  recent  remarks  on  the  English  water 
spaniel  Mr.  J.  F.  Farrow,  of  Ipswich,  says  : 

The  grandest  specimen  of  this  variety  of  spaniel  I  ever  saw  was 
Mr.  P.  Bullock's  Rover,  which  I  came  across  at  Birmingham  in 
1869,  when  awarded  the  second  prize  in  the  English  Water 


The  English  Water  Spaniel.  429 


Spaniel  dog  class.  Although  beaten  for  the  first  place  at  this 
exhibition,  he  made  such  an  impression  upon  me  that  I  can  see 
him  in  my  mind's  eye  at  the  time  of  writing  these  notes,  almost  as 
clearly  as  when  I  was  looking  at  him  at  the  Birmingham  Show  in 

1869.  I  had  more  than  one  conversation  with  those  old  spaniel 
and  sporting  dog  judges,  Mr.  W.  Lort  and  the  Rev.  Frank  Pearce 
("  Idstone  '')  in  reference  to  this  dog,  and  both  thought  him  a  most 
typical  specimen.    He  won  first  prize  at  Birmingham  in  1866,  1868, 

1870,  and  at  the  Crystal  Palace,  and  gold  medal  at  Paris  in  1865 
— the  latter  a  win  that,  however,  the  owner  and  breeder  of  Rover 
thought  more  of,  and  a  medal  he  was  more  pleased  to  show  his 
friends  than,  any  of  his  numerous  other  prizes.      This  dog  was  a 
beautiful  bright  chestnut  red  in  colour,  with  a  very  deep  square 
body,  which  was  not  long,  legs  straight,  and  about  twice  as  long 
as  the  fashionable  field  spaniel  seen  at  our  present  exhibitions, 
with  beautiful  flat  bone,  which  in  quantity  was  sufficient  to  carry 
his  grand  body  without  being  lumbersome.     I   never  heard  the 
weight  of   Rover,   but  should  judge  him,  in   show  form,  about 
481b. ;  his  tail  had  been  shortened  a  bit,  but  was  rather  long ;  his 
neck  was  simply  grand,  and  sprung  from  the  very  best  of  working 
placed  shoulders,  and  his  head  was  simply  a  study.     Nothing  in 
the  show  world  at  the  present  time  have  we,  even  in  the  numerous 
beautiful  field  spaniels,  black,  exhibited,  have  we  a  head  with  such 
quality.     The  occiput  showed  itself  slightly,  and  the  head  was  of 
considerable  length  throughout,  the  length  from  eye  to  occiput 
and  eye  to  nose  being  so  beautifully  balanced  ;  the  brows  very 
cleanly    cut,    muzzle   grandly    developed,    with    just   the    correct 
quantity  of  flew  required  to  give  a  nice  squareness  ;  the  eyes  dark, 
showing  no  haw,  but  just  a  little  bit  of  "  coral  "  could  be  seen  at 
the  inner  corner  of  each  eye,  and  the  whole  face  was  brimful  of 
spaniel  fondness,  life,  and  intelligence ;  ears  long,  well  feathered 
inside  as  well  as  outside,  and  placed  low,  altogether  making  up 
such  a  head  as   I  would  willingly  travel  500  miles  to  see  once 
again.      The  coat  was  dense,  but   silky  in  texture,  the  curl  of 
which  was  not  so  close   or   crisp  as  we   like  in  an    Irish   water 


430  Modern  Dogs. 


spaniel ;  his  curl  was  indeed  more  of  a  ringlet,  with  not  a  particle 
of  topknot ;  the  feathering  on  legs  was  not  so  abundant  as  is  seen 
on  the  Irish  water  spaniel,  and  was  of  the  right  texture  for  work. 
Another  smart  English  water  spaniel  I  remember  well  was  Flo, 
also  born  in  1869,  a  winner  for  several  years  at  Birmingham.  Flo 
was  a  daughter  of  Rover,  the  dog  I  have  just  given  a  description 
of,  and  was  bred  by  Mr.  Bullock,  but  nearly  always  shown  by  the 
Hon.  Capt.  Arbuthnott.  This  bitch  was  liver  in  colour,  but  of  a 
lighter  shade,  and  not  so  bright  in  hue  as  her  sire.  Her  body 
was  longer,  but  nothing  like  so  square  as  Rover's,  and  she  was, 
perhaps,  rather  high  on  the  legs,  and  lacked  the  workmanlike  and 
typical  outline  of  her  sire.  A  liver  and  white  ticked  dog  named 
Don,  shown  by  a  Mr.  Crisp,  was  placed  over  her  at  one  of  the 
Curzon  Hall  shows,  and  later  this  dog  did  some  important 
winning,  but  Rover  often  beat  him,  and  was  a  long  way  the  more 
typical  of  the  two.  Don's  pedigree  was  never  very  clearly 
denned,  and,  although  he  had  a  lot  of  good  sound  English  water 
spaniel  points  about  him,  he  had  also  points  about  him  that  one 
could  see  favoured  the  ordinary  springer,  or  land  spaniel ;  or,  in 
other  words,  Don  was  not  so  distinctly  typical  of  the  variety  as 
Rover,  Flo,  and  others  from  the  then  famous  Bilston  kennels. 

These  dogs  mentioned  by  Mr.  Farrow,  and  which 
I  recollect  perfectly  well  myself,  may  be  said  to  be 
about  the  most  typical  of  their  race  of  modern  times. 
Similar  animals  are  not  produced  now,  but  if  there 
be  any  one  anxious  to  resuscitate  this  once  favourite 
dog,  there  is  plenty  of  material  for  him  to  commence 
working  upon,  and  it  would  not  take  long  to  re- 
introduce  the  variety,  though  perhaps  a  dog  of  such 
excellence  as  Rover  would  not  be  produced  for 
some  time  to  come. 


The  English  Water  Spaniel. 


The  following  are  the  Club's  points  and  description 
of  the  English  water  spaniel. 


POSITIVE  POINTS. 

Head,  jaw,  and  eyes    20 

Ears 5 

Neck 5 

Body    10 

Fore-legs 10 

Hind-legs     10 

Feet 5 

Stern     10 

Coat      15 

General  Appearance  i  o 


NEGATIVE  POINTS. 

Feather  on  stern  10 

Top-knot  10 


Total  Positive  Points...    100         Total  Negative  Points  ...  20 

DESCRIPTIVE  PARTICULARS. 

"  Head. — Long,  somewhat  straight  and  rather 
narrow ;  muzzle  rather  long,  and,  if  anything,  rather 
pointed. 

"  Eyes. — Small  for  the  size  of  the  dog. 

"  Ears. — Set  on  forward,  and  thickly  clothed  with 
hair  inside  and  out. 

"  Neck.— Straight. 

"  Body  (including  size  and  symmetry). — Large, 
and  very  deep  throughout ;  back  ribs  well  developed, 
not  quite  so  long  as  in  field  spaniels. 

"  Nose. — Large. 

"  Shoulders  and  chest. — Shoulders  low  and  chest 
rather  narrow,  but  deep. 


432  Modern  Dogs. 


"  Back  and  loin. — Strong  but  not  clumsy. 

"  Hind  quarters.  —  Long  and  straight;  rather 
rising  toward  the  stern  than  drooping,  which,  com- 
bined with  the  low  shoulder,  gives  him  the  appear- 
ance of  standing  higher  behind  than  in  front. 

"  Stern. — Docked  from  7  to  10  inches  according 
to  the  size  of  the  dog,  carried  a  little  above  the  level 
of  the  back,  but  by  no  means  high. 

"  Feet  and  legs. — Feet  well  spread,  large  and 
strong ;  well  clothed  with  hair,  -especially  between 
the  pads.  Legs  long  and  strong  ;  the  stifles  well 
bent. 

"  Coat. — Covered  either  with  crisp  curls  or  with 
ringlets  ;  no  top-knot,  but  the  close  curl  should 
cease  on  the  top  of  the  head,  leaving  the  face 
perfectly  smooth  and  lean  looking. 

"  Colour. — Black  and  white,  liver  and  white,  or 
self-coloured  black  or  liver.  The  pied  for  choice. 

"  General  Appearance.  —  Sober  -  looking,  with 
rather  a  slouching  gait  and  a  general  independence 
of  manner,  which  is  thrown  aside  at  the  sight  of  a 
gun." 


CHAPTER    XXII. 
THE   CLUMBER   SPANIEL. 

WlTH  the  Irish  water  spaniel  it  may  be  said  that 
shows  have  wrought  less  change  in  the  Clumber 
spaniel  than  they  have  done  in  any  other  variety 

'  of  dog.  The  reason  for  this  is  not  far  to  seek, 
for  the  latter  is  but  a  comparatively  modern  intro- 
duction; he  does  not  stand  crossing  well,  and  has 

•  cqrne  to  be  so  bred  in  and   in,  that  the  tendency 

has  been  towards  making  him  delicate  and  difficult 

.,to<  rear,  rather  than  to  alter  or  completely  chwge 

his    type,   according    to   the    fashion    prevailing   at 

the  hour. 

That    fashion    does    change   in    cr.  (natter? 

pretty    much    as    it   does    in    dress    ,ii>d    ;>(herwTS*; 
no  one    having  any  kr 
About    fifty,   years    ago;    V. 

•ok  about  the  d  »ns 

the  Clumber  spaniel,  bu!  the 

English  u 
the  former  he. 


434  Modern  Dogs. 


that  pertain  to  leading  rank,  and  is  a  fairly  popular 
dog  likewise. 

We  all  know  that  this  dog  takes  its  name  from 
Clumber  near  Worksop,  one  of  the  seats  of  the 
Duke  of  Newcastle,  and  where  that  dog  has  been 
kept  from  its  first  introduction  to  this  country 
to  the  present  time.  When  that  first  introduction 
took  place  is  not  exactly  known,  but  it  was  probably 
about  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century  when  the 
Due  de  Nouailles  presented  the  then  Duke  of 
Newcastle  with  a  number  of  spaniels,  which  in 
France  had  a  reputation  as  being  better  than  others, 
as  they  were  steady  workers  and  easily  brought 
under  command,  i.e.,  there  was  little  difficulty  in 
training  them.  This  good  character  remains  with 
them  at  the  present  day.  For  many  years  the 
breed  was  kept  at  Clumber,  and  so  zealously 
guarded  and  so  identified  with  the  place,  that  in  due 
time  it  came  to  bear  the  name  of  the  seat,  which 
is  still  retained  This  appears  to  be  the  early 
history  of  the  Clumber  spaniel,  and,  although  in 
various  parts  of  France  many  spaniels  are  still 
found  and  used  in  work,  I  have  not  been  able  to 
trace  any  kennels  of  true  Clumbers  in  that  country. 

That  the  Clumbers  were  with  the  Duke  of 
Newcastle  at  the  end  of  last  century  proof  remains 
on  canvas.  There  is  a  portrait  of  his  Grace,  seated 


The  Clumber  Spaniel.  435 


on  a  shooting  pony  and  surrounded  by  a  group  of 
his  spaniels,  which  are  identical  with  the  Clumbers 
of  the  present  day,  though,  perhaps,  they  appear 
rather  smaller,  and  are  rather  longer  in  the  head, 
than  the  majority  of  the  best  dogs  we  see  now. 
At  that  time,  or  rather  a  few  years  later,  a  writer  in 
the  "  Sporting  Magazine  "  called  them  "  springers  " 
or  "  cock-flushers."  This  admirable  and  useful 
picture,  the  work  of  F.  Wheatley,  R.A.,  was,  in 
1797,  engraved;  the  painting  itself  remains,  copies 
of  the  engraving  are  still  extant,  and,  although 
highly  valued  by  the  admirers  of  spaniels  who  own 
them,  others  are  occasionally  to  be  found  in  the 
leading  shops  that  deal  in  such  treasures. 

Dog  shows  were  unknown  then,  and  the  spaniel 
was  kept  solely  for  working  purposes.  In  due 
course,  this  strain  from  Clumber  came  to  be  some- 
what spread  about  the  country,  though  com- 
paratively scarce  and  highly  valued.  That  the 
latter  was  the  case  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact 
that,  at  the  first  Birmingham  show,  say  in  1859, 
a  class  was  provided  for  them,  and  the  following 
year  two  divisions  were  given  this  handsome  spaniel, 
and  such  have  been  continued  ever  since.  At  the 
early  show  Lord  Spencer  was  the  winner  with  a 
good  looking  dog,  but  the  succeeding  one  saw  Mr. 
E.  Boaler,  of  near  Chesterfield,  taking  first  honours 

F    F    2 


436  Modern  Dogs. 


in  both  classes,  the  Spencer  kennel  coming  but 
second.  On  this  occasion  there  were  a  dozen 
entries. 

It  was,  however,  in  1861  that  the  chief  interest 
was  caused,  when  there  was  a  capital  collection 
of  seventeen  dogs  and  bitches.  Mr.  C.  E.  Holford, 
of  Weston  Park,  Tetbury,  sent  up  an  exceptionally 
smart  team,  and  succeeded  in  winning  all  the  six 
prizes  awarded.  Following,  this  kennel  was  for  a 
time  almost  invincible  when  it  was  represented  on  the 
show  bench,  which  was  not  often,  as  the  dogs  were 
kept  for  working  the  coverts,  where  they  did  what 
was  expected  of  them  very  well  indeed.  Of  late 
years  Mr.  Holford's  Clumbers  appear  to  have  de- 
teriorated very  much,  for  when,  about  a  year  ago, 
they  were  dispersed  at  Aldridge's,  in  St.  Martin's 
Lane,  the  puppies  were  but  a  sorry  sample,  and, 
with  one  or  two  exceptions,  the  old  dogs  were  not 
much  better.  However,  for  a  generation  or  two 
Mr.  Holford's  Clumbers  formed  one  of  the  leading 
kennels  of  that  variety  in  the  country. 

To  hark  back,  Mr.  Boaler's  Bustle  and  Floss,  that 
won  in  1860  and  at  other  shows  about  this  period 
and  later,  were  excellent  specimens  ;  lemon  in 
markings,  with  good  bodies,  great  bone,  and  cer- 
tainly not  excelled  by  any  of  the  same  race  that 
appeared  at  these  earlier  shows.  It  is  interesting  to 


The  Clumber  Spaniel.  437 

note  that  at  the  present  time  a  son  of  this  Mr. 
Boaler — namely,  Mr.  G.  Boaler,  of  Mansfield 
Woodhouse,  Notts,  still  has  Clumber  spaniels  good 
enough  to  show  and  appear  in  the  prize  list,  and  of 
the  same  strain  that  his  father  won  with  thirty  years 
ago.  This  kennel  has  been  kept  up  for  over  fifty 
years,  and  it  is  owing  only  to  the  failing  health 
of  their  owner  that  they  do  not  appear  oftener  on 
the  show  bench. 

It  need  scarcely  be  said,  that  in  the  first  volume  of 
the  Kennel  Club  Stud  Book  classifications  were 
given  this  dog,  the  entries  reaching  the  excellent 
number  of  sixty-five. 

At  this  period,  no  doubt,  some  peculiar  decisions 
were  given  at  our  dog  shows,  where,  in  many  cases, 
a  judge  undertook  his  duty  without  knowing  any- 
thing at  all  about  the  breed  upon  which  he  had 
to  adjudicate.  Instances  were  not  isolated  where 
he  awarded  the  prizes  more  to  the  man  than  the 
dog,  and  so,  to  his  own  satisfaction,  got  out  of 
a  difficulty  into  which  his  own  self-assertion  had 
led  him.  It  is  said  that  on  the  eve  of  one  of  the 
large  shows  there  was  a  difficulty  in  obtaining  a 
judge  for  Clumber  spaniels.  The  secretary  was  at 
his  wit's  end  and  did  not  know  what  to  do,  when, 

seeing  Mr. ,  one  of  the  so-called  "  all-round  " 

judges,  a  happy  inspiration  occurred.  "  Eh ! " 


438  Modern  Dogs. 


called  the  secretary  to  the  "  all-round  man."  "  You 
can  judge  Clumbers,  can't  you  ? "  "  Clumbers, 
Clumbers,"  was  the  reply;  "what's  them?  Oh! 
I  know ;  them  big  white  dawgs  with  yallow  marks. 
Yes,  I've  never  seen  but  one  or  two,  but  I'll  take 
them,"  and  he  did.  What  his  decisions  were  'may 
be  easily  imagined. 

A  year  or  two  later  than  this,  a  comparatively 
unknown  exhibitor  had  perhaps  the  best  Clumber 
of  the  day.  He  showed  it  at  one  of  the  Crystal 
Palace  shows,  and,  with  a  friend,  was  looking 
around  the  class  preparatory  to  the  judging,  which 
then  took  place  on  the  terrace.  No  doubt  the  dog 
in  question  was  the  best  in  his  class,  but  two  or 
three  numbers  away,  a  well-known  exhibitor  was 
"running"  another  Clumber.  "Ah!"  said  the 
unknown  owner,  "  my  chance  is  poor  to-day. 
That  dog  will  win!"  "Why?"  replied  Befriend, 
"  such  cannot  be ;  that  dog  is  small  and  mean, 
no  bigger  much  than  a  cocker."  However,  the 
"  small  and  mean "  did  win,  and  was  afterwards 
sold  to  someone,  who  at  the  same  time  must  have 
been  considerably  sold  himself ;  for  his  purchase 
was  undoubtedly  one  of  the  very  worst  dogs  in 
a  class  which  included  such  grand  specimens  as 
Duke,  Nabob,  and  others  not  far  behind  them. 

These  little  stories  are  mentioned  explanatory  of 


The  Clumber  Spaniel.  439 

the  difficulty  breeders  of  Clumbers  have  had  to 
contend  with  in  the  matter  of  judges.  More- 
over, the  dog  requires  very  great  care  in  breeding 
or  rearing,  which  in  itself  is  quite  as  much  as  his 
admirers  can  put  up  with,  without  having  additional 
suffering  in  the  show  ring.  It  has  been  said  that 
no  man  ought  to  judge  unless  he  had  seen  the 
breed  he  was  handling  at  work,  and  had  owned 
some  of  them  himself.  However,  this  is  a  question 
that  may  be  argued  ad  infinitum,  and  is  as  ap- 
plicable to  any  dog  as  much  as  to  the  one  the  name 
of  which  appears  at  the  head  of  this  chapter. 

Mr.  Wardle,  in  his  illustration,  has  exceedingly 
well  pourtrayed  what  a  Clumber  spaniel  should 
be,  and  a  little  description  of  the  two  dogs  may 
be  interesting.  That  standing  foremost  possesses 
the  perfect  body  of  one  of  the  best  working  dogs, 
but  in  the  flesh  its  head  is  far  from  what  it 
ought  to  be,  so  the  artist  has  replaced  it  with 
the  head  from  another  dog,  which  is  considered 
to  be  about  as  good  as  they  can  be  obtained. 
The  bitch  behind  is  almost  an  exact  likeness  of  the 
original,  improved  somewhat  to  approach  that  per- 
fection which  no  dog  has  yet  been  able  to  reach. 

In  colour  the  body  of  the  dog  should  be  white, 
the  ears  coloured,  spot  on  the  occiput ;  and  on  the 
side  of  the  face  to  the  eye  there  should  be  lemon 


44°  Modern  Dogs. 


markings,  and  the  jaw  must  be  well  flecked  or  ticked 
with  marks  of  a  similar  colour.  There  is  a  diversity 
of  opinion  as  to  what  this  colour  should  be.  I  prefer 
lemon,  and  this  not  too  dark  in  shade  ;  others  prefer 
this  lemon  approaching,  or  quite,  an  orange  hue. 
Liver  or  brown  markings  are  quite  wrong,  and 
should  certainly  disqualify,  however  good  the  dog 
bearing  them  is  in  other  particulars.  As  to  colour 
that  well-known  admirer  of  the  variety,  Mr.  J.  T. 
Hincks,  of  Leicester,  tells  me  that  some  few  years 
ago  he  had  a  number  of  dogs  with  light  lemon 
markings,  but  got  rid  of  them,  as  they  were  not, 
in  his  opinion,  nearly  so  attractive  in  teams  as  those 
of  a  darker  shade — rather  a  peculiar  statement  to 
give  as  a  reason  for  destroying  or  disposing  of 
valuable  dogs, 

The  head  large,  square,  and  fairly  long,  but  so 
massive  as  to  render  the  length  not  impressive ;  it 
should  be  broad  on  the  top,  with  a  decided  occipital 
protuberance,  heavy  brows,  with  a  deep  stop  ;  haw 
showing.  Muzzle  long,  heavy,  freckled,  receding, 
with  well  developed  flew ;  snipeyness,  or  a  weak  face, 
being  very  objectionable. 

Recently  there  has  been  a  dispute  amongst  writers 
as  to  whether  the  head  should  be  unduly  long  or 
unduly  short.  I  have  no  doubt  on  the  point.  The 
heads  of  the  dogs  in  the  picture  of  1797  are  long — 


The  Clumber  Spaniel.  441 

decidedly  long ;  so  are  the  muzzles,  in  which  point 
they  show  a  weakness,  like  many  otherwise  good 
dogs  of  the  present  day.  With  regard  to  this 
difference  of  opinion  it  must  be  remembered  that, 
although  this  variety  is  often  used  in  teams  for  covert 
shooting,  it  may  be  part  of  its  duty  to  retrieve, 
and  the  jaw  should  be  of  a  formation  to  enable  the 
animal  to  carry  a  hare  or  pheasant  with  ease. 
Besides,  the  massive  head  is  a  great  feature  in  the 
variety,  and  we  cannot  get  massiveness  without 
length.  It  is  important  that  there  should  be  no 
resemblance  to  the  setter ;  but  if  the  head  I  have 
described  be  borne  in  mind,  and  Mr.  Wardle's 
drawing  be  referred  to,  there  will  be  no  likelihood 
of  the  setter  type  being  produced,  and  we  must 
remember  that  the  deep  stop  is  very  important,  also 
the  drooping  eye  showing  haw,  as  in  the  blood- 
hound. 

The  ears,  whilst  being  large,  look  small  for  the  size 
of  the  dog,  and  should  not  hang  below  the  throat, 
but  come  slightly  forward. 

The  neck  is  very  thick,  and  the  chest  very  heavily 
feathered.  The  shoulders  particularly  strong  and 
muscular.  The  legs  short,  with  as  much  bone  as 
can  be  obtained.  They  should  be  straight,  but  here 
I  would  prefer  a  crooked  legged  rather  than  a  long 
legged  dog.  They  should  be  very  heavily  feathered. 


442  Modern  Dogs. 


With  regard  to  this  question  of  legs  it  must 
be  remembered  that  the  work  of  the  dog  is  to 
hunt  in  front  of  the  gun  and  flush  game,  but  he 
should  never  go  faster  than  a  trot.  I  have  found 
that  if  we  get  a  dog  with  long  legs,  when  he 
gets  the  scent  he  is  apt  to  go  away  too  quickly  and 
flush  his  game  out  of  shot  This  is  annoying,  and 
the  dog  that  will  stick  to  his  slow  trot  will  keep  on 
all  day,  always  giving  a  chance  for  the  gun,  and  so 
is  much  to  be  preferred. 

The  body  should  be  long,  i.e.,  as  long  as  possible 
consistently  with  being  well  ribbed  up.  If  the 
latter  point  be  obtained  the  body  cannot  be  too  long, 
but  I  have  seen  dogs  of  such  a  length  as  to  be  next 
to  useless  from  a  sportsman's  point  of  view,  and, 
however  handsome  they  might  be,  unless  well  ribbed 
up,  I  should  never  award  a  prize  to  such  a  dog. 
It  is  said  that  the  body  should  be  low  ;  this  does  not 
mean  low  from  the  back  to  the  ground,  but  that  the 
chest  should  be  so  deep  and  so  heavily  feathered 
as  to  show  very  little  daylight  underneath.  The 
deeper  the  body  and  rounder  the  ribs  the  better. 
The  back  should  be  straight.  The  hindquarters 
are  very  powerful  and  heavily  feathered,  hocks  set 
on  low,  and  when  the  dog  is  standing  showing  well 
behind  the  body. 

When  looking  at  the  dog  with  a  side  point  of  view 


The  Clumber  Spaniel.  443 


he  should  underneath  appear  level  from  front  to  rear  ; 
a  great  defect  in  some  of  the  modern  dogs  being 
that,  whilst  well  let  down  in  front,  they  are  tucked  up 
behind  like  a  greyhound.  The  tail  should  be 
straight  (a  fourth  docked  off),  and  carried  at  any 
rate  level  with  the  back,  below  rather  than  above  it, 
and,  like  the  hindquarters,  should  be  very  heavily 
feathered. 

It  is  a  great  point  of  beauty  in  the  Clumber  that 
when  the  team  is  out  at  exercise  or  work  the  stern  is 
on  a  continual  move  from  side  to  side.  I  find 
that  dogs  which  at  exercise  and  at  work  invariably 
have  beautiful  tail  action,  are  very  apt,  when  taken 
from  the  bench  into  the  judging  ring,  to  carry  their 
tails  high.  This  is  often  done  by  the  best  dogs, 
and  is  in  many  cases  the  result  of  being  in  robust 
health  and  spirit.  Before  passing  over  a  dog  for 
this  fault  judges  should  wait  as  long  as  possible,  and 
watch  the  effect  of  allowing  the  dog  to  quieten  down. 
The  coat  should  be  straight  and  of  medium  texture. 
Coarse  coated  dogs  are  not  handsome,  and  soft 
coated  ones,  when  in  work,  are  always  getting 
heated  in  their  skin  ;  besides,  a  soft  coat  is  not 
suitable  for  a  dog  whose  work  is  principally  in  covert 
in  the  depth  of  winter. 

With  regard  to  his  work,  the  Clumber  is  slow, 
very  slow,  but  he  never  tires,  and  goes  on  day  by 


444  Modern  Dogs. 


day.  At  many  places  they  are  worked  in  teams. 
At  Knowsley,  one  of  the  seats  of  the  Earl  of  Derby, 
from  twenty-five  to  thirty  Clumbers  are  used  in  this 
manner,  as  occasion  requires. 

The  Clumber  spaniel  is  mute,  easily  broken,  and 
should  be  trained  to  drop  to  hand,  wing,  and  shot. 
If  a  large  number  of  dogs  are  worked  together  it  is 
better  that  they  should  not  be  taught  to  retrieve,  but 
if  only  a  few  are  required  for  woodcock  and  for 
general  shooting  (for  which  they  are  invaluable)  then 
retrieving  should  be  a  sine  qua  non.  They  take  to 
this  naturally.  To  teach  them,  dry  a  rabbit  skin, 
stuff  it  with  hay,  and  wrap  it  round  with  string, 
and  when  the  pups  are  about  three  months  old 
have  similar  skins  thrown  for  them  to  retrieve. 
After  a  very  few  lessons  they  learn  to  do  this,  and 
enjoy  the  fun.  Then  kill  a  bird  or  two  to  them, 
letting  them  fetch  it,  which  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten 
they  will  do  willingly,  and  with  the  greatest  pleasure. 

The  work  of  breaking  is  quite  simple.  It  is 
important  that  rabbits  should  not  be  killed  to  them 
before  birds,  or  the  dogs  are  apt  to  get  hard 
mouthed.  As  a  companion  the  Clumber  is  excellent  ; 
it  is  very  rare  indeed  to  find  one  with  a  bad  temper, 
and  there  are  few  things  indeed  which  he  cannot  be 
taught  to  do. 

The   Rev.   W.  Pearce   ("  Idstone ")  was  as  fond 


The  Clumber  Spaniel  445 

of  a  Clumber  spaniel  as  he  was  of  a  wavy-coated 
retriever  and  a  Gordon  setter,  and  when  he  wrote 
about  twenty  years  ago,  the  chief  Clumber  owners 
were  the  Earl  of  Abingdon,  Mr.  James  Morrell,  the 
Marquis  of  Westminster,  Earl  Spencer,  Mr.  Holford, 
and  the  Maharajah  Dhuleep  Sing ;  at  least,  this  was 
the  somewhat  incomplete  list  he  published  in  his 
book  on  the  dog.  There  are  a  few  kennels  of 
Clumbers  at  the  present  day,  and,  perhaps,  all 
round,  this  dog  is  more  common  than  ever,  i.e.,  it  is 
to  be  found  in  greater  numbers  in  fair  perfection 
than  at  any  previous  time  of  our  history. 

So  far  as  one  can  make  out,  I  believe  the 
principal  kennels  at  this  time,  1892,  are  dealt  with 
in  the  succeeding  pages.  As  a  commencement, 
H.R.H.  the  Prince  of  Wales,  at  Sandringham,  has  a 
number  of  handsome  Clumbers  that  are  first  class 
workers,  and  there  are  promising  puppies  coming 
on.  The  failing  in  most  of  His  Royal  Highness's 
dogs  is  in  their  heads,  they  being  narrow  and 
deficient  in  massiveness.  Suitably  and  successfully 
crossed  with  a  dog  or  dogs  excelling  in  head 
properties,  probably,  the  Sandringham  Clumbers 
would  be  about  the  best  in  existence.  Mr.  Fol- 
jambe,  at  Osberton  Hall,  near  Worksop,  has  a  fair 
team,  the  fault  here  being  lightness  in  bone,  and 
deficiency  in  head  properties.  This  strain,  perhaps, 


446  Modern  Dogs. 


excels  all  others  for  making  an  off-cross,  and  drafts 
from  here  are  often  on  sale  during  the  season  at 
Aldridge's. 

The  Dukes  of  Portland,  Newcastle,  and  West- 
minster own  the  kennels  that  are  most  popularly 
known,  and,  although  they  have  not  been  kept  up  to 
date  so  far  as  appearance  is  concerned,  greater 
pains,  I  believe,  are  now  being  taken  to  make  an 
improvement  in  size,  bone,  and  head  properties, 
the  latter  being  where  almost  all  the  strains  fail. 
An  exception,  however,  may  be  made  to  the  dogs 
kept  for  many  years  by  Mr.  H.  H.  Holmes,  of 
Lancaster.  All  his  dogs  are  particularly  good  in 
head,  and  if  they  are  wrong  at  all  in  this  particular, 
they  have  an  inclination  to  be  too  short,  and  so 
become  rather  sour  in  expression.  These  dogs  are 
also  excellent  in  colour  and  bone,  indeed,  as  far  as 
bench  properties  go,  are  the  best  of  all,  as  the 
successes  of  his  Tower,  John  o'  Gaunt,  Hotpot,  and 
others  will  testify.  This  is  an  extremely  valuable 
strain  to  use  where  the  modern  failing  is  so  predomi- 
nant. 

Lord  Derby's  dogs  have  been  alluded  to.  The 
Earl  Spencer,  at  Althorp,  Northamptonshire^  'and 
Lord  Clinton  Hope,  at  Deep  Deenes,  Surrey,  have 
both  excellent  teams,  the  latter  mostly  of  the  strain 
obtained  from  Mr.  J.  T.  Hincks,  of  Leicester,  who 


The  Clumber  Spaniel.  447 

is,  perhaps,  the  greatest  modern  enthusiast  of  all  in 
the  way  of  Clumbers,  and  when  he  shows  them  is 
usually  in  the  prize  list.  His  dogs  are  equally  as 
good. in  the  field. 

As  an  instance '  of  Mr.  Hinck's  enthusiasm  it 
may  be  mentioned  that  at  the  recent  sale  of  Mr. 
Holford's  spaniels,  at  Aldridge's,  the  ten-year-old 
Brush  II.,  a  Birmingham  first  prize  winner  and 
a  most  typical  Clumber,  was  put  up  for  auction 
though  feeble  and  quite  worn  out.  Mr.  Hincks 
purchased  the  poor  old  dog  in  order  that  it 
should  have  a  peaceful  home  and  be  well  cared 
for  in  its  declining  years.  However,  Brush  did 
not  survive  its  change  of  ownership  many  weeks. 

Baron  Rothschild  also,  I  believe,  uses  Clumbers 
for  beating  his  extensive  coverts  ;  and  Mr.  Allen,  of 
Ampthill,  has  had  some  capital  specimens,  chiefly 
of  the  Duke  of  Portland's  strain.  Mr.  J.  H. 
McKenna,  of  Harpurhey,  near  Manchester,  can 
show  an  excellent  team,  so  can  Mr.  G.  B.  Clark, 
Bridgenorth ;  Messrs.  Haylock  and  Barnard, 
Chelmsford ;  Mr.  F.  Parlett,  near  Chelmsford ; 
Mr.  Charles,  Neath ;  the  Rev.  A.  G.  Brooke; 
Captain  Maxwell,  Dumfries ;  the  Earl  of  Manners, 
Mr.  V.  Kitchingman,  Slingsby,  York;  and  Mr. 
Boaler  (already  mentioned),  have  all  at  one  time  or 
another  owned  and  bred  many  excellent  specimens. 


448  Modern  Dogs. 


To  my  mind  the  best  three  Clumbers  of  the  early 
days  of  the  show  ring  were  Mr.  H.  P.  Charles's  Duke, 
who  was  by  Foljambe's  Bang — Mr.  R.  S.  Holford's 
Trimbush,  and  the  writer's  Nabob,  afterwards  shown 
by  Mr.  P.  Bullock  and  Mr.  G.  H.  Oliver.  Mr.  R.  J. 
Lloyd  Price's  Bruce,  illustrated  in  "  Stonehenge," 
stood  too  high  on  the  legs  and  was  too  long  in  the 
head  ;  but  about  this  time,  twenty  years  ago,  many 
good  dogs  were  being  shown,  mostly  of  the  Foljambe 
strain,  or  at  any  rate  said  to  be  so.  Of  more 
modern  dogs  I  take  Mr.  Holmes'  John  o'  Gaunt, 
Mr.  Hinck's  Nora  Friar ;  Chelmsford  Clytie,  bred  by 
Messrs.  Haylock  and  Barnard  ;  the  Duke  of  Port- 
land's Fairy  III.  and  Damper,  and  Mr.  Parlett's 
Trust  to  be  about  the  best.  Psycho,  who  did  a 
great  deal  of  winning,  was  terribly  weak  in  head,  and 
Boss  III.,  a  champion,  was  also  similarly  wrong, 
and  his  loins  were  bad.  However,  I  think,  with  a 
few  enthusiasts  at  work  in  addition  to  those  whose 
names  have  been  mentioned,  there  may  be  an 
improved  future  for  the  Clumber  spaniel. 

A  leading  breeder  of  the  variety  says  that  the  best 
dog  for  stud  purposes  he  ever  owned  was  one  called 
Barney,  which  he  purchased  at  one  of  the  Birmingham 
shows.  The  dog,  although  not  straight  on  his  legs, 
bad  in  colour,  and  too  fine  in  coat,  proved  extremely 
useful.  In  speaking  of  the  same  dog  he  said  this 


The  Clumber  Spaniel.  449 

fine  coat  made  him  liable  to  a  form  of  skin  disease 
similar  to  mud  fever  in  horses,  and  which  was  brought 
on  by  working.  My  experience  is  that  the  Clumber 
spaniel  is  more  subject  to  disease  of  one  kind  and 
another  than  other  dogs.  Not  many  years  ago 
there  was  an  excellent  bitch  being  shown,  often 
winning,  and  usually  catalogued  to  sell  at  an 
extremely  low  price.  Bromine  her  name  was,  well 
bred,  and  when  she  was  sold  to  go  to  America,  I 
remarked  to  a  friend  who  liked  Clumbers,  how 
foolish  he  was  to  allow  such  a  good  bitch  to  go 
out  of  the  country.  "  You  don't  know  as  much 
about  her  as  I  do,"  replied  the  friend;  "  she  cannot 
be  kept  in  health,  and  is  nearly  always  up  to  the 
eyes  in  mange."  It  need  scarcely  be  said  that 
she  did  not  survive  long  amidst  our  American 
cousins. 

Mr.  Hincks  tells  me  a  little  as  to  the  doings  of 
some  of  his  Clumbers  when  at  work.  Of  the  dog 
Barney,  already  alluded  to,  he  says:  "I  had  him 
out  one  day  with  a  young  dog,  Friar  Jumbo.  A 
covey  of  birds  rose  and  crossed  me  from  left  to 
right  in  the  corner  of  a  field.  I  took  the  first  bird, 
and  as  I  pulled  two  others  came  in  the  line  of  fire. 
The  bird  aimed  at  dropped  dead,  whilst  the  other 
two  were  winged.  Both  dogs  dropped  to  shot,  and 
one  of  the  wounded  birds  made  for  one  fence  and 

[VOL.  i.]  G   G 


450  Modern  Dogs. 


the  other  for  another  fence.  I  took  the  two  dogs 
and  sent  them  in  different  directions ;  each  returned 
with  his  bird,  and  not  a  feather  ruffled. 

Mr.  Hincks  mentions  another  excellent  perform- 
ance of  one  of  his  dogs,  Friar  Boss,  which  he  had 
with  him  on  a  visit  to  Wales  to  look  after  cock, 
stray  pheasants,  and  anything  that  could  be  found 
on  a  wild,  rough  shooting.  There  was  a  mixed 
team  of  dogs  with  the  party,  and  the  host  expressed 
a  great  dislike  to  "  show  dogs  "  and  to  show  Clum- 
bers in  particular.  However,  Boss's  owner  got  the 
first  three  woodcocks  over  his  dog,  and  the  second 
day  "the  showman"  did  so  well  as  to  quite  alter 
the  opinion  held  by  the  lessee  of  the  shooting. 
Boss  bustled  out  an  old  cock  pheasant,  which  made 
away  over  the  top  of  a  hedge,  but  was  stopped  just 
in  the  nick  of  time.  The  dog  dropped  to  shot  ; 
Mr.  Hincks  lighted  his  pipe,  then  sent  him  for  the 
bird.  "  Hi !  what  are  you  waiting  for?  "  cried  one 
of  the  party.  "  I  have  sent  the  dog  for  the  bird," 
was  the  answer.  "  Bird  be  hanged  ;  the  dog  is 
ranging  away  right  at  the  end  of  the  other  field  ; 
come  back,"  and  Mr.  Hincks  got  over  the  fence 
to  see  what  was  the  matter.  But  instead  of  ranging 
wildly,  Boss  had  his  nose  down,  and  speedily  came 
back  with  the  fluttering  cock  in  his  mouth,  for  it 
had  been  but  winged,  and  had  run  the  full  length 


The  Clumber  Spaniel. 


of  two  fields.     So  after  all  "  show  dogs"  may  be 
of  some  use. 

Thus  much  for  the  Clumber  spaniel  and  his  work, 
and  all  that  is  to  be  done  for  him  now  is  to  say  that 
he  is  not  a  water  dog,  and  give  the  Spaniel  Club's 
description  of  him.  This  is  as  follows  : 


POSITIVE   POINTS. 
Head  and  jaw 20 


Eyes     

Ears     

Neck    

Body    

Fore  legs 

Hind  legs    

Feet 

Stem    

Colour  of  markings 
Coat  and  feather  . . 
General  appearance 


5 
5 
5 

'5 

5 
5 
5 
5 

10 
10 

IO 


Total  Positive  Points...     100 


NEGATIVE  POINTS. 

Curled  Ears  10 

Curled  coat    20 

Bad  carriage  of  tail    10 

Snipy  face 15 

Legginess  10 

Light  eyes 5 


Total  Negative  Points  ...     70 


DESCRIPTIVE  PARTICULARS. 
Head. — Large,   square,  and  massive,  of   medium 
length,  broad  on  top,  with  a  decided  occiput ;  heavy 
brows  with  a  deep  stop  ;  heavy  freckled  muzzle  with 
well  developed  flew. 

Eyes. — Dark  amber,   slightly   sunk,  and   showing 
haw. 

Ears. — Large,  vine  leaf-shaped,  and  well  covered 
G  G  2 


452  Modern  Dogs. 


with  straight  hair  and  hanging  slightly  forward,  the 
feather  not  to  extend  below  the  leather. 

Neck. — Very  thick  and  powerful,  and  well  feathered 
underneath. 

Body  (including  size  and  symmetry], — Long  and 
heavy,  and  near  the  ground. 

Nose. — Square  and  flesh  coloured. 

Shoulders  and  Chest. — Wide  and  deep  ;  shoulders 
strong  and  muscular. 

Back  and  Loin. — Back  straight,  broad  and  long ; 
loin,  powerful,  well  let  down  in  flank. 

Hind  Quarters. — Very  powerful  and  well  de- 
veloped. 

Stern. — Set  low,  well  feathered,  and  carried  about 
level  with  the  back. 

Feet  and  Legs. — Feet  large  and  round,  well  covered 
with  hair ;  legs  short,  thick,  and  strong  ;  hocks  low. 

Coat. — Long,  abundant,  soft  and  straight. 

Colour. — Plain  white,  with  lemon  markings;  orange 
permissible  but  not  desirable ;  slight  head  markings, 
with  white  body  preferred. 

General  Appearance. — Should  be  that  of  a  long, 
low,  heavy,  very  massive  dog,  with  a  thoughtful  ex- 
pression. 

Weight  of  dogs  from  55lb.  to  65lb.  ;  bitches 
45lb-  t°  55lb- 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

THE  SUSSEX  SPANIEL. 

•«  vvKtL-kNOWM  authority  on  the  dog,  writing  in 
.1802,  says  that  some  of  the  largest  and  strongest 
spaniels  u  are  common  in  many  parts  of  Sussex,  and 
are  called  Sussex  spaniels."  .Unfortunately,  he  does 
not  tell  us  what  colour  they  were  or  what  colour  they 
ought  to  be,  still  there  is  no  doubt,  from  what  1  have 
been  told,  from  what  I  have  read,  and  from  general 
gossip,  that  this  spaniel  was  brown  in  colour,  or,  ,is 
that  shade  is  usually  called  in  application  to  the" 
variety,  "  golden  liver." 

It  somehow    appears    strange    that,   until    \\ithm 
twenty-five   years    or    so  ago,    this    handsome   and 
useful  spaniel  should  have  been  allowed  to  languis 
in  a  quiet  country  place  in  its  native  county  -t  bpe 
by    certain    families,    who    valued    it  "only 
working  excellences,  and,  by  a  course  01 
breeding,  rendered  its  extinction  only  am*! 
unless  others  came  f  ****  j>re*d- 

When  f  The 

Dog  in  Heal  -ears- to 


454  Modern  Dogs. 


have  been  drawn  particularly  to  the  Sussex  spaniel, 
and  the  outcome  of  that  article  of  his  was  a  mass  of 
information  on  the  subject  that  was  extremely 
valuable.  It  was  not,  however,  until  much  later 
— viz.,  in  1872 — that  a  class  was  provided  at 
any  of  our  dog  shows,  that  being  at  the  Crystal 
Palace,  when,  I  believe,  Mr.  J.  A.  Handy  offered 
a  special  prize  for  them.  The  awards,  however,  did 
not  appear  to  be  satisfactory  to  those  who  knew  the 
breed.  They  said  that  the  leading  honour  ought  to 
have  gone  to  Mr.  J.  H.  Salter's  Chance,  who  came 
second  to  Captain  Arbuthnot's  Dash,  an  ordinary 
field  spaniel  with  none  of  the  true  character  about 
him,  third  to  a  dog  bred  from  at  any  rate  one 
black  parent,  Mr.  Bullock's  George.  However,  if 
the  awards  were  wrong — and  it  was  neither  the  first 
nor  the  last  time  that  they  have  been  so — Sussex 
spaniels  obtained  such  a  fillip  that  they  have  not 
looked  behind  them  since. 

The  pure  Rosehill  strain  was  the  most  fancied, 
and  into  Sussex  all  the  "  show  men,"  with  Mr. 
Bowers  in  command,  ran  to  see  if  they  could  buy 
up  the  plums  that  remained  in  the  neighbourhood. 
Some  few  were  found,  but  the  owners  knew  their 
value  as  purely  sporting  dogs,  and  were  loth  to  part 
with  them  at  anything  else  than  "  sporting  "  figures, 
this  word,  however,  used  in  quite  a  different  sense— 


The  Sussex  Spaniel.  455 

an  opposite  one  in  fact,  and  "  fancy  figures  "  might 
be  better. 

For  over  fifty  years  Mr.  Fuller,  at  Rosehill  Hall, 
Brightling,  near  Hastings,  had  perhaps  the  leading 
strain,  but,  although  some  of  it  remains,  mostly  in 
the  kennels  of  Mr.  Campbell  Newington,  at  Ridge- 
way,  Ticehurst,  Sussex,  and  in  those  of  Mr.  Moses 
Woolland,  William-street,  Lowndes-square,  London, 
and  Mr.  J.  H.  Salter,  at  Tolleshunt  d'Arcy,  we  fancy 
none  are  quite  free  from  a  strange  cross. 

Mr.  Fuller  kept  his  spaniels  for  the  purpose  of 
beating  the  large  woods  and  plantations  in  the 
vicinity  of  Brightling  and  Heathfield.  He  was 
a  good  sportsman  of  the  old  school,  one  perhaps 
better  satisfied  when  killing  his  eight  or  ten  brace 
of  wild  pheasants  a  day  over  dogs,  than  the  modern 
shooter  is  with  more  than  fifteen  times  that  number 
of  hand-fed  birds  brought  to  book  by  the  aid 
of  human  beaters.  Not  that  I  have  any  wish  to 
decry  the  "  big  days"  in  covert  we  all  so  much 
enjoy,  nor  for  one  moment  run  down  the  skill  of 
the  man  who  can  kill  a  score  of  rocketers  without 
more  than  twro  or  three  misses. 

On  the  death  of  Mr.  Fuller,  which  occurred  so 
far  back  as  1847,  Mrs.  Fuller  allowed  Relf,  the  head 
keeper,  to  select  two  of  the  best  spaniels  in  the 
kennel ;  the  remainder  were  for  a  time  used  by  the 


456  Modern  Dogs. 


new  tenant  of  the  shooting,  but  eventually  sold,  and 
realised  high  prices.  There  were  seven  of  them  so 
disposed  of,  but  it  was  from  the  dog  and  bitch 
selected  by  Relf,  named  respectively  George  and 
Romp,  that  the  strain,  as  far  as  it  goes,  survives  at 
the  present  time. 

It  has  been  stated  that  the  original  strain  from 
Rosehill  was  lost  through  an  outbreak  of  rabies  in 
the  kennels  necessitating  entire  destruction  of  the 
spaniels.  This  was  not  the  case.  Many  years 
before  Mr.  Fuller's  death,  there  was  such  an  outbreak 
amongst  the  hounds— southern  hounds  they  were. 
These  were  destroyed,  and  with  them  some  of  the 
spaniels,  but  by  no  means  the  whole  of  the  latter. 

In  addition  to  the  Rosehill  strain,  Dr.  Williams,  of 
Hayward's  Heath,  had  some  excellent  Sussex 
spaniels,  so  had  Mr.  Farmer  at  Cowfold,  but  it  is 
more  than  ten  years  since  the  first  named  wrote  that 
he  had  not  a  single  specimen  in  his  kennel,  and  did  not 
know  where  to  find  any  of  the  pure  breed.  However, 
thanks  to  such  gentlemen  as  I  have  named,  .and  the 
trouble  they  have  taken  to  retain  what  blood 
remained,  the  complete  extinction  of  the  pure  Sussex 
spaniel  is  now  improbable. 

Some  fourteen  years  ago  the  best  bred  dogs  were 
Mr.  Newington's  Laurie,  born  in  1877,  and  which 
came  to  an  untimelv  end  by  swallowing  a  cork ;  Mr. 


The  Sussex  Spaniel.  457 

Salter's  Chloe,  Mr.  Egerton's  George,  and  Mr. 
Hudson's  Battle. 

Peggie,  the  dam  of  Bachelor,  who  did  a  great 
deal  of  winning  in  his  day,  had  a  considerable 
strain  of  water  spaniel  blood  in  her,  and  so  the 
descendants  of  that  bitch,  handsome  though  she 
was,  cannot  be  deemed  as  pure  as  they  might  be, 
still,  with  slight  exception,  Bachelor  was  about  as 
pure  as  any  at  that  time,  and  it  is  from  his  strain 
that  the  various  colours  which  now  and  then  appear 
are  produced.  It  was  rather  unfortunate  that  Mr. 
Bullock's  George,  one  of  the  illustrations  of  the 
Sussex  spaniels  published  in  the  Field  in  1872,  was 
by  his  dog  Bob,  one  of  the  best  of  the  black  variety 
ever  benched.  So  here  again  are  so  called  Sussex 
descended  from  him,  and  his  strain  cannot  be 
considered  the  genuine  article.  But,  as  already 
stated,  none  are  entirely  pure,  and,  so  far  as  I  can 
make  out,  the  dog  Laurie,  already  alluded  to,  was 
about  as  free  from  black  in  the  strain  as  any,  he 
being  by  Hudson's  Dash  out  of  his  Romp,  the  latter 
with  a  sire  and  dam  pure  Rosehill,  and  Dash  was  by 
Mr.  Curtiss'  Bob — Mr.  Watt's  Dash,  both  pure  in 
their  way. 

I  cannot  find  any  others  of  the  best  looking  and 
most  typical  dogs  that  do  not  on  one  side  or  the 
other  go  back  to  Bachelor.  Still  with  no  more  wrong 


Modern  Dogs. 


blood  than  he  possessed,  and  this  cropping  up  many 
generations  afterwards,  there  is  not  much  harm  done, 
and  those  who  take  the  trouble  to  reproduce  the 
true  thing  have  every  opportunity  of  doing  so, 
especially  where  they  take  pains  to  keep  off  any 
sire  or  dam  that  excels  in  the  length  of  the  ears. 

The  distinguishing  feature  in  the  Sussex  spaniel 
is  the  golden  liver  colour,  and  without  which  no  dog 
should  receive  a  prize.  How  this  was  originally 
obtained  it  is  difficult  to  say,  but  Relf,  the  favourite 
old  keeper  at  the  Rosehill  kennels,  who  died 
five  years  ago,  aged  eighty-five,  said  that  every 
now  and  then  they  obtained  amongst  their  puppies 
one  of  a  "  sandy "  colour.  This  sandy  specimen, 
I  have  since  heard,  only  came  in  from  a  bitch 
that  was  mated  with  a  dog  belonging  to  Dr.  Watts, 
of  Battle.  This  conveys  the  impression  that  this 
strain,  some  time  or  other,  had  (and  I  am  writing 
of  what  occurred  as  far  back  as  fifty  years  since),  a 
"sandy"  coloured  or  yellow  dog  or  bitch  in  it,  and 
these  lighter-shaded  puppies  bred  back  to  that  time. 
This  is  a  remarkable  fact,  because  a  sandy  colour 
bred  to  liver  colour  would  be  likely  enough  to  pro- 
duce that  lovely  golden  tinge  that  is  so  desirable  at 
the  present  time,  and  has  been  so  for  very  many 
years.  It  need  scarcely  be  said  that  the  "  sandy " 
puppies  were  usually  destroyed  by  the  old  keeper,  to 


The  Sussex  Spaniel.  459 

whom  we  must  be  in  a  great  measure  indebted  for 
the  Sussex  spaniel  as  he  is  to-day  in  his  purity. 

In  the  modern  specimens  there  is  a  tendency  to 
get  the  coats  too  fine,  such  of  course  being  to  the 
advantage  of  the  dogs  when  before  the  judges,  but 
very  much  against  them  for  work.  A  good  dog 
ought  to  have  a  hardish  coat,  dense  underneath, 
perfectly  straight,  and  one  that  would  allow  a  willing 
dog  (and  the  strain  is  willing  enough)  to  work  in  the 
thickest  covert  of  briars  and  brambles. 

Then  another  peculiarity  in  the  Sussex  spaniel  lies 
in  his  ears.  These  ought  not  to  be  too  long,  small, 
or  narrow  where  they  are  set  on  (which  should  be 
low),  but  larger  or  "  lobe  shaped  "  towards  the  base, 
all  nicely  coated  with  straight  silky  hair,  quite  free 
from  fringe  at  the  tips.  Perhaps  one  of  the  most 
typical  of  her  race  we  have  seen  was  Mr.  T.  B. 
Bower's  Maud,  born  in  1871.  She  was  bred  by  Mr. 
Saxby,  and  said  to  be  pure  Rosehill  on  the  sides  of 
both  her  sire  and  dam.  She  was,  however,  some- 
what finer  in  coat,  and  had  not  quite  so  workman- 
like an  appearance  as  might  have  been  desirable. 
Those  handsome  dogs,  the  Bebbs  (there  was  a 
whole  family  of  them),  that  did  no  end  of  winning 
on  the  show  bench  twenty  years  ago,  were  not 
Sussex  at  all.  Old  Bebb,  Mr.  Burgess's,  originally 
came  from  Lord  Derby's  kennels,  and  proved  such  a 


460  Modern  Dogs. 


useful  sire  that  he  could  produce  browns,  blacks, 
and  other  colours  frorn  the  same  dam. 

The  late  Mr.  J.  A.  Handy,  who  was  a  great 
authority  on  the  breed,  persisted  that  another  most 
important  item  was  that  the  feather  on  either  the 
front  or  hind  legs  "  should  not  extend  down  to  the 
toes.  It  should  stand  out  straight  from  the  back 
of  the  legs  without  that  fluffy  Cochin-China-like 
appearance  considered  by  many  persons  a  desi- 
deratum in  a  prize  spaniel — indeed,  the  hind  legs 
from  the  hock  downwards  should  not  be  feathered 
at  all."  I  give  the  above  opinion  for  what  it  is  worth, 
but  the  dogs  that  we  see  on  the  benches  have,  when 
in  coat,  certainly  more  feather  on  the  legs  than  Mr. 
Handy  indicates,  though  what  they  might  be  in  full 
work  and  beating  the  coverts  five  days  in  the  week 
is  another  question.  The  "  show  feather "  would 
soon  disappear. 

As  a  worker  the  Sussex  spaniel  is  second  to  none. 
He  is  hardy,  busy,  reliable,  and  has  no  preference  to 
hunt  one  kind  of  game  before  another — i.e.,  he  will 
not  leave  fur  for  feather  nor  feather  for  fur,  though 
perhaps  of  the  two  he  would  prefer  "  feather." 
There  is  no  better  dog  than  he  for  beating  out  the 
thick  covert  when  the  cocks  have  arrived  and  the 
pheasants  are  chary  of  taking  wing.  He  works 
closely,  intelligently,  and  will  not  leave  a  bit  of 


The  Sussex  Spaniel.  461 

covert  untried  ;  he  is  a  faster  and  merrier  worker 
than  the  Clumber,  and  will  go  on  quite  as  long. 
He  is  not  mute,  though  not  a  noisy  dog  by  any 
means  ;  a  slight  yelp  or  whimper  every  now 
and  then,  when  on  a  hot  scent,  which  becomes 
more  of  a  round  full  bark  when  close  to  his  game 
or  when  it  is  in  sight.  Of  course,  some  dogs 
may  be  more  excitable  than  others,  but  what  I 
call  a  very  noisy  spaniel  is  quite  out  of  place,  for 
it  often  enough  leads  the  shooter  to  believe  it  has 
game  in  front  of  its  nose  when  such  is  far  away,  and 
perhaps  never  comes  within  distance  to  afford  a 
shot.  He  readily  retrieves,  is  tender-mouthed,  and 
makes  by  no  means  a  bad  single-handed  dog  where 
a  pointer  or  setter  will  not  do.  As  a  water  dog  he  is 
excellent  when  properly  trained  for  the  purpose. 

In  a  great  measure  the  present  popularity  of  the 
pure  Sussex  spaniel  is  due  to  what  Mr.  T.  B. 
Bowers,  who  lived  near  Chester,  did  for  it  some 
twenty-five  years  ago.  He  was  energetic  in 
defining  the  type,  got  to  the  right  strains,  and 
protested  against  the  award  of  prizes  to  brown  dogs 
that  had  sprung  from  black  parents,  and  had  little 
or  no  Sussex  blood  in  them.  This  he  did  so  success- 
fully that  a  well-known  liver-coloured  dog  called 
George,  a  great  winner  in  Sussex  classes  and 
mentioned  earlier  on,  was  withdrawn  from  .competi- 


462  Modern  Dogs. 


tion  because  his  sire  and  dam  were  both  black. 
Following  him,  no  one  has  had  so  many  good 
specimens  as  are  to  be  found  in  the  possession  of 
Mr.  Moses  Woolland  and  Mr.  Campbell  Newington 
at  the  present  time,  and  the  competition  at  our 
shows  is  usually  restricted  to  representatives  from 
those  kennels,  unless  Mr.  Salter  sends  an  entry  or 
two.  At  the  Crystal  Palace  show  in  the  autumn 
of  1892,  and  at  Birmingham  a  few  months  later, 
Mr.  Newington  showed  an  excellent  dog,  called 
Rosehill  Ruler  II.,  which  his  owner  states  contains 
perhaps  more  of  the  real  Rosehill  blood  than  any 
other  dog  before  the  public.  The  colour  of  the 
dog  was  very  choice,  in  his  coat  there  was  little 
to  be  desired  in  the  way  of  improvement,  and  with 
these  qualities  he  had  the  modern  fancy  point  of 
extraordinary  length.  This  dog  easily  won  the  first 
prize  in  its  class  at  the  one  show,  and  ought  to  have 
done  so  at  the  other,  but  a  brace  of  Mr.  Woolland's, 
Maubert  II.  and  Leopold,  were  placed  over  him. 

The  teams  Mr.  Woolland  sometimes  wins  with  are 
about  perfect  in  form  and  shape,  not  too  long  nor 
too  low,  sometimes  not  too  big  in  the  ears ;  but 
their  jackets  are  usually  rather  silky,  which  no 
doubt  arises  from  the  fact  of  their  being  specially 
groomed  for  show  ring  purposes.  His  Bridford 
Battle,  dam  of  the  beautiful  bitch  Bridford  Naomi, 


The  Sussex  Spaniel. 


463 


was  own  sister  to  Mr.  Newington's  good  bitch, 
Countess  of  Rosehill,  and  so  the  two  leading 
kennels  have  blood  in  common.  Attention,  how- 
ever, to  the  production  of  show  points  by  extreme 
care  and  skilfulness  has  mainly  brought  the  London 
dogs  to  the  front,  though,  perhaps,  if  it  came  to  a 
matter  of  work,  the  Ticehurst  kennel  might  prevail. 
Both  are  good,  and  Mr.  Salter  is  only  beaten  by 
either  because  he  has  given  his  attention  more  to 
other  varieties  than  to  the  Sussex  spaniels. 

The  weight  of  the  Sussex  spaniel  should  not  be  more 
than  5olb.  for  a  dog,  and  from  4olb.  to  45lb.  for  a  bitch. 

The  following  are  the  Club's  scale  of  points,  and 
their  latest  description  of  the  Sussex  spaniel : 

NEGATIVE  POINTS. 

Light  eyes    5 

Narrow  head    10 

Weak  muzzle   10 

Curled  ears  or  high  set  on     5 

Curled  coat 15 

Carriage  of  stern 5 

Top-knot 10 

White  on  chest    5 

Colour  (too  light  or  too  dark)  15 
Legginess  or  light  of  bone  5 
Shortness  of  body  or  flat 

sided 5 

General    appearance,  sour 

or  crouching    10 


POSITIVE  POINTS. 
Head  ..  .10 


Eyes  

Nose  

Ears   

Neck 

Chest  and  shoulders 
Back  and  back  ribs 

Legs  and  feet    ' 

Tail    

Coat  

Colour  . 


5 

5 

10 

5 

5 
10 

10 

5 

5 

15 


General  appearance 15 


Total  Positive  Points  ...   100 


Total  Negative  Points  ...   100 


464  Modern  Dogs. 


DESCRIPTIVE  PARTICULARS. 

"  Head. — The  skull  should  be  moderately  long, 
and  also  wide,  with  an  indentation  in  the  middle  and 
a  full  stop,  brows  fairly  heavy  ;  occiput  full,  but  not 
pointed,  the  whole  giving  an  appearance  of  heaviness 
without  dulness. 

"  Eyes.  —  Hazel  colour,  fairly  large,  soft  and 
languishing,  not  shewing  the  haw  overmuch. 

"  Nose. — The  muzzle  should  be  about  three  inches 
long,  square,  and  the  lips  somewhat  pendulous. 
The  nostrils  well  developed  and  liver  colour. 

"  Ears. — Thick,  fairly  large,  and  lobe  shaped  ; 
set  moderately  low,  but  relatively  not  so  low  as  in 
the  black  field  spaniel ;  carried  close  to  the  head, 
and  furnished  with  soft,  wavy  hair. 

"  Neck. — Is  rather  short,  strong,  and  slightly 
arched,  but  not  carrying  the  head  much  above  the 
level  of  the  back.  There  should  not  be  much 
throatiness  in  the  skin,  but  well  marked  frill  in  the 
coat. 

"  Chest  and  Shoulders.  -  -  The  chest  is  round, 
especially  behind  the  shoulders,  deep  and  wide, 
giving  a  good  girth.  The  shoulders  should  be 
oblique. 

"  Back  and  Back  Ribs. — The  back  and  loin  is 
long,  and  should  be  very  muscular,  both  in  width  and 


The  Sussex  Spaniel.  465 

depth  ;  for  this  development  the  back  ribs  must  be 
deep.  The  whole  body  is  characterised  as  low,  long, 
level,  and  strong. 

"Legs  and  Feet. — The  arms  and  thighs  must  be 
bony,  as  well  as  muscular,  knees  and  hocks  large 
and  strong,  pasterns  very  short  and  bony,  feet  large 
and  round,  and  with  short  hair  between  the  toes. 
The  legs  should  be  very  short  and  strong,  with 
great  bone,  and  may  show  a  slight  bend  in  the 
forearm,  and  be  moderately  well  feathered.  The 
hind-legs  should  not  be  apparently  shorter  than  the 
fore-legs,  or  be  too  much  bent  at  the  hocks,  so 
as  to  give  a  settery  appearance,  which  is  so 
objectionable.  The  hind-legs  should  be  well 
feathered  above  the  hocks,  but  should  not  have 
much  hair  below  this  point.  The  hocks  should  be 
short  and  wide  apart. 

"  Tail. — Should  be  docked  from  five  to  seven 
inches,  set  low,  and  not  carried  above  the  level  of 
the  back,  thickly  clothed  with  moderately  long 
feather. 

"Coat.  —  Body  coat  abundant,  flat  or  slightly 
waved,  with  no  tendency  to  curl ;  moderately  well 
feathered  on  legs  and  stern,  but  clean  below  the 
hocks. 

"  Colour. — Rich  golden  liver  ;  this  is  a  certain 
sign  of  the  purity  of  the  breed,  dark  liver  or  puce 

[VOL.  i.]  H    H 


466  Modern  Dogs. 


denoting  unmistakeably  a  recent  cross  with  the 
Black  or  other  variety  of  Field  Spaniel. 

"  General  appearance.  —  Rather  massive  and 
muscular,  but  with  free  movements  and  nice  tail 
action,  denoting  a  tractable  and  cheerful  disposi- 
tion. Weight  from  35lb.  to  45lb." 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  above  Club  standard  that 
a  somewhat  lighter  weight  is  allowed  than  is  alluded 
to  in  my  description.  However,  I  must  say  that  I 
have  not  yet,  so  far  as  I  am  aware,  seen  a  good 
specimen  of  the  pure  Sussex  spaniel  so  small  as 
35lb.,  and,  on  the  contrary,  some  of  the  most  perfect 
dogs  I  have  met  must  have  closely  approached  5olb. 
Most  admirers  of  the  breed  will  probably  prefer  my 
weights  to  those  suggested  by  the  Club. 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

/ 

HE  BLACK   FIELD  SPANIEL. 

\F  0%     ?»lack  spaniel,  as  seen  at  our  modern  shows, 

can  >     taken  as  a  distinct  variety — and  I  think  that 

it  ^Ntn — we  must  consider  him  as  a   comparatively 

t  introduction.     None  of  the'  old  writers  wen- 

him,  nor  have  old  artists  drawn  him       h  may 

ifely.  said  that  he  is   bred'  for  show   purposes 

—his  sleek,  silken  coat,  glossy  and  bn^ht 

sheen   on  trie  raven's  wing    mvVmo    him 

attractive   creature    as    an   ornafownt 

hard  work  and  use  in  tr*k  tM^t  fee  has  3a£ 

riors.     As  a  fact,  such  ^a?n 

^  on  our  show  ben < 

?-.       They   are    brust*^     inv]    gr\ 

ly  and  with   a 

•      • 

3     . 


468  Modem  Dogs. 


sleeping  away  the  dreary  hours  on  the  show 
benches. 

Of  late  years  so  much  attention  has  been  given 
these  black  spaniels  that  there  are  men  who  have 
actually  attained  a  form  of  celebrity  on  account 
of  the  skill  they  display  in  obtaining  a  perfectly  flat 
coat  and  a  shining  one.  This  a  good  specimen 
must  have.  Then  his  ears  cannot  be  too  long,  well 
clothed  with  hair  and  fringed  at  the  tips ;  his  head, 
too,  may  be  an  exaggeration,  long,  with  not  the 
most  peculiarly  pleasing  spaniel  expression  and  eye 
that  one  would  like  to  see.  Some  of  our  heavier 
black  spaniels  have  enormous  heads,  square  and 
untypical,  with  eyes  displaying  a  haw  that  would  not 
be  out  of  place  in  a  bloodhound.  I  need  scarcely 
say  that  when  dogs  of  this  kind  are  given  prizes,  the 
judges  who  make  such  awards  are  wrong. 

Length  of  body,  shortness  of  leg,  and  enormous 
bone  are  again  produced  to  an  exaggeration ;  crooked 
forelegs  have  followed,  and  the  black  spaniel,  once 
perhaps  a  useful  and  active  animal,  has  now  fallen 
into  the  heavy,  slow  ranks  of  the  Clumber,  but  by 
no  means  so  interesting  a  creature,  and  may  be 
taken  as  a  sound  example  of  what  can  be  done  in 
the  matter  of  breeding  "  for  show  points." 

Now,  I  have  always  taken  my  line  as  to  what 
a  black  spaniel  should  be  from  that  simply  charming 


The  Black  Field  Spaniel.  469 

bitch,  Nellie,  Mr.  P.  Bullock  used  to  show  when  he 
resided  near  Bilston.  Afterwards  she  passed  into 
the  hands  of  Captain  Arbuthnot,  of  Montrose. 
Nellie  was  simply  perfect  in  her  line,  sweet  in  ex- 
pression, lovely  in  size  and  hang  of  ears,  straight 
in  coat  (not  so  flat  as  that  of  to-day),  active  and 
smart,  not  too  heavy  in  bone,  short  on  leg,  or  long  in 
back,  and,  from  her  appearance,  would  have  been  a 
lovely  bitch  to  shoot  over.  Her  weight  I  would 
take  to  be  about  35lb.  She  was  by  Young  Bob  out 
of  Flirt,  and,  through  the  latter,  went  back  to  Mr.  F. 
Burdett's  old  strain,  which,  indeed,  is  found  more  or 
less  in  all  the  best  spaniel  blood  of  to-day. 

Mr.  Burdett  had  been  the  secretary  of  the  earlier 
Birmingham  shows,  and  his  spaniels,  which  seldom 
went  over  about  3olb.  weight  or  so,  he  had  originally 
from  a  Mr.  Footman,  who  lived  near  Lutterworth  in 
Leicestershire.  After  the  death  of  Mr.  Burdett,  the 
strain  went  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Jones,  of  Oscott, 
Mr.  P.  Bullock,  a".d  others,  and  that  it  proved 
extremely  valuable  the  stud  books  attest.  It  crossed 
well  into  other  strains  of  whatever  colour,  and  from 
them  our  field  spaniels  are  what  they  are  now, 
excepting  that  the  real  Sussex  has  been  kept  as 
free  from  the  black  blood  as  possible. 

Following  Messrs.  Burdett,  Bullock,  and  others, 
came  Mr.  H.  B.  Spurgin,  of  Northampton  ;  Mr.  W. 


47°  Modern  Dogs. 


Gillett,  of  Hull ;  Dr.  W.  W.  Boulton,  of  Beverley, 
who  all  took  great  pains  to  sustain  the  excellence  of 
the  black  spaniel,  and  even  to  improve  its  appear- 
ance. That  they  did  the  latter  I  scarcely  believe, 
and  such  dogs  as  Nellie,  already  mentioned,  Old  Bob 
and  Flirt,  her  kennel  companions,  have,  at  any  rate, 
never  been  excelled,  maybe  never  equalled. 

With  an  increase  in  the  weight  of  the  dog,  crooked 
legs  began  to  prevail,  and  they  in  time  became  so 
common  as  to  be  overlooked  by  the  judges,  and  a 
dog  called  Beverlac,  though  very  bad  in  this  parti- 
cular, in  his  day  won  no  end  of  prizes  ;  he  was  about 
54-lb.  in  weight,  and  thus  too  big. 

More  recently  Mr.  T.  Jacobs,  of  Newton  Abbot, 
began  to  put  in  an  appearance  at  our  dog  shows, 
and  proved  so  successful  at  Birmingham  and  else- 
where as  to  almost  take  all  the  prizes  on  several 
occasions,  and  sold  some  of  his  dogs  for  enormous 
sums.  One  bitch  went  to  Mr.  M.  Woolland  for 
^250 ;  this  was  Bridford  Perfection,  whose  sire 
and  dam  had  both  been  bred  by  Mr.  Jacobs.  She 
was  of  great  length  and  lowness  on  her  legs  ;  her 
head  was  very  good  indeed,  but  personally  I  never 
liked  her  shoulders.  Some  judges  pronounced  her 
the  best  spaniel  ever  bred,  and  at  the  time  I  am 
writing  this,  although  often  brought  out  at  the  best 
shows,  she  has  not  been  beaten. 


The  Black  Field  Spaniel.  471 

Mr.  Jacobs  made  no  secret  of  his  strain,  which 
were  always  well  grown  and  healthy,  in  the  prime  of 
condition,  a  fact  which  he  attributed  to  feeding  his 
favourites  on  nothing  but  flesh.  I  fancy  that  fresh 
air  and  exercise  had  more  to  do  with  this  good 
growth  and  bright  coat  than  the  actual  diet.  He 
also  tells  me  that  he  does  not  believe  in  there  being 
at  any  time  any  distinct  colour  variety  of  spaniels. 

Mr.  Jacobs  had  been  breeding  spaniels  for  some 
years  before  he  showed  them,  and  the  first  black 
specimen  he  had  was  as  far  back  as  1874.  This 
dog,  Nigger,  was  by  Mr.  Bullock's  Palm,  from  his 
Flirt,  and  the  foundation  of  this  most  successful 
kennel  was  laid  from  this  dog  and  a  team  of  four 
bitches  obtained  from  the  late  Mr.  S.  Lang.  The 
best  of  them  were  by  Rolf  out  of  Belle,  the  former 
from  the  strain  that  Dr.  Boulton  had. 

However,  not  contented  with  these  good  spaniels 
of  pure  blood,  Mr.  Jacobs  went  further  afield,  and  the 
well-known  liver-coloured  dog  Bachelor  became  his 
at  the  same  time  that  he  obtained  a  Sussex  bitch 
called  Russet  from  the  Rev.  W.  Shield  ;  and  from 
this  stock  the  Newton  Abbot  kennels  must  have 
produced  hundreds  of  winners  of  all  colours,  for  the 
great  part  heavy  and  medium-sized  dogs.  The  sale 
of  Bridford  Perfection  has  already  been  noted,  and 
the  last  dozen  dogs  Mr.  Jacobs  sold  realised  ^1500, 


472  Modern  Dogs. 


so  spaniel  breeding  with  judgment  must  have  proved 
a  profitable  enterprise.  With  this  great  sale — a 
private  one — Mr.  Jacobs  gave  up  exhibiting,  and, 
indeed,  his  kennel  was  then  broken  up,  still  its 
plums  may  be  found  in  the  possession  of  Mr 
Woolland,  already  alluded  to,  and  of  Captain 
Moreton  Thomas. 

Of  course,  Mr.  Jacobs  had  bred  and  mated  his 
dogs  and  bitches  carefully,  and  succeeded  in  pro- 
ducing spaniels  longer  in  the  body,  lower  on  the  leg, 
and  with  greater  bone  than  any  of  his  predecessors 
had  done,  and,  had  he  kept  his  strain  more  to  himself, 
there  is  no  doubt  as  a  spaniel  breeder  he  would  have 
taken  a  higher  position  even  than  the  one  he  did 
attain. 

Of  course,  as  would  be  inferred  from  his  original 
stock,  his  purest  black  bitches  and  black  dogs  never 
yet  had  a  litter  that  wholly  took  after  their  parents. 
Browns  or  livers,  brown  and  white,  black  and  tan, 
black,  black  and  white,  even  the  handsome  mirl 
or  roan  colours  at  times  appeared.  However,  with 
judicious  mating,  and  ordinary  care,  it  is  quite 
possible,  with  the  material  at  command,  to,  at  any 
rate  in  a  few  years,  bring  the  breeding  for  colour  as 
near  perfection  as  possible. 

Mr.  J.  F.  Farrow,  of  the  Fountains,  Ipswich,  has 
a  strain  of  admirable  "  blacks "  which  produce  a 


The  Black  Field  Spaniel.  473 

fairly  distinct  type,  and  his  dogs  Buckle  and  Gipping 
Sam  are  exceedingly  good  specimens,  and,  with  Mr. 
J.  Smith's  (Coleshill)  Nebo,  equally  handsome,  are 
not  so  abnormally  short  on  the  leg  and  heavy  in 
body  as  to  prevent  them  being  useful  sporting 
dogs  should  occasion  require  them  or  their  strain 
to  become  so. 

Mr.  T.  Marples,  Reddish,  near  Stockport,  has 
lately  shown  some  exceedingly  fine  black  spaniels 
of  the  show  strain,  his  Moonstone  excelling  in  length 
and  other  modern  attributes,  and  being  undoubtedly  a 
very  high  class  dog.  Mr.  Moreton  Thomas,  Hather- 
leigh,  N.  Devon,  has  a  capital  kennel.  Mr.  R. 
Pratt,  Bradford,  Yorks ;  Mr.  R.  Comber,  Beverley  ; 
Mr.  C.  Lawrence,  Chesterton,  Cambridge  ;  Mr. 
R.  C.  Howarth,  Hindley,  near  Wigan  ;  Mr.  Kitching- 
man,  near  York ;  Mr.  F.  E.  Schofield,  Alnwick  ;  Mr. 
H.  B.  Spurgin,  Northampton,  and  others,  have,  at 
one  time  and  another  exhibited  charming  specimens 
of  the  black  spaniel,  which  its  admirers  are  not  far 
wrong  in  calling  the  most  popular  spaniel  of  the 
day.  If  high  prices  make  a  dog  popular  no  one 
can  deny  this  opinion,  for  a  hundred  pounds  and 
more  will  be  given  for  a  good  specimen  where  an 
equally  good  Clumber  would  not  fetch  more  than 
half  that  sum,  nor  a  Sussex  or  a  black  and  tan 
either. 


474  Modern  Dogs. 


The    Club's   description  and  points  of    the   black 
spaniel  are  as  follows  : 

POSITIVE  POINTS.  NEGATIVE  POINTS. 

Head  and  jaw  15          Light  eyes 20 

Eyes 5          Light  nose     15 

Ears  5          Curled  ears  10 

Neck 5          Curled  coat  10 

Body 10          Carriage  of  back  10 

Fore-legs 10          Bad  top-knot 15 

Hind-legs 10          White  on  chest 10 

Feet   10          Crooked  forelegs 10 

Stern 10 

Coat  and  Feather 10 

General  Appearance     10 


Total  Positive  Points  ...    100         Total  Negative  Points...  100 

DESCRIPTIVE  PARTICULARS. 

"  Head. — Should  be  quite  characteristic  of  this 
grand  sporting  dog,  as  is  that  of  the  bloodhound 
or  bulldog,  its  very  stamp  and  countenance  should 
at  once  convey  the  conviction  of  high  breeding, 
character,  and  nobility  ;  skull  well  developed,  with  a 
distinctly  elevated  occipital  tuberosity,  which,  above 
all,  gives  the  character  alluded  to  ;  not  too  wide 
across  muzzle,  long  and  lean,  never  snipy  nor 
squarely  cut,  and,  in  profile,  curving  gradually  from 
nose  to  throat  ;  lean  beneath  eyes — a  thickness 
here  gives  coarseness  to  the  whole  head.  The 
great  length  of  muzzle  gives  surface  for  the  free 


The  Black  Field  Spaniel.  475 

development  of  the  olfactory  nerve,  and  thus  secures 
the  highest  possible  scenting  powers. 

11  Eyes. — Not  too  full,  but  not  small,  receding,  or 
overhung ;  colour,  dark  hazel  or  dark  brown,  or 
nearly  black  ;  grave  in  expression,  and  bespeaking 
unusual  docility  and  instinct. 

"  Ears. — Set  low  down  as  possible,  which  greatly 
adds  to  the  refinement  and  beauty  of  the  whole 
head ;  moderately  long  and  wide,  and  sufficiently 
clad  with  nice  setter-like  feather. 

"  Neck. — Very  strong  and  muscular,  so  as  to 
enable  the  dog  to  retrieve  his  game  without  undue 
fatigue  ;  not  too  short,  however. 

"  Body  (including  size  and  symmetry}. — Long 
and  very  low,  well  ribbed  up  to  a  good  strong  loin, 
straight  or  slightly  arched,  never  slack  ;  weight  from 
about  35lb.  to  45lb. 

"  Nose. — Well  developed,  with  good  open  nostrils, 
and  always  black  in  colour. 

"Shoulders  and  Chest.  --  Former  sloping  and 
free — latter  deep  and  well  developed,  but  not  too 
round  and  wide. 

"  Back  and  Loin. — Very  strong  and  muscular; 
level,  and  long  in  proportion  to  the  height  of  the  dog. 

"Hind  Quarters. — Very  powerful  and  muscular, 
wide,  and  fully  developed. 

"  Stern. — Well  set  on,  and  carried  low,  if  possible 


476  Modern  Dogs. 


below  the  level  of  the  back,  in  a  perfectly  straight 
line,  or  with  a  slight  downward  inclination  ;  never 
elevated  above  the  back,  and  in  action  always  kept 
low  ;  nicely  fringed,  with  wavy  feather  of  silky  texture. 

Feet  and  Legs. — Feet  not  too  small  and  well 
protected  between  the  toes  with  soft  feather  ;  good 
strong  pads.  Legs  straight  and  immensely  boned, 
strong  and  short,  and  nicely  feathered  with  flat  or 
waved  setter-like  feather.  Over-much  feathering 
below  hocks  objectionable. 

"  Coat. — Flat  or  slightly  waved,  and  never  curled 
— sufficiently  dense  to  resist  the  weather,  and  not 
too  short — silky  in  texture,  glossy  and  refined  in 
nature,  with  neither  duffelness  on  the  one  hand  nor 
curl  or  wireness  on  the  other ;  on  chest,  under  belly, 
and  behind  the  legs  there  should  be  abundant 
feather,  but  never  too  much,  and  that  of  the  right 
sort,  namely,  setter-like.  The  tail  and  hind  quarters 
should  be  similarly  adorned. 

"  Colour. — Jet  black  throughout,  glossy  and  true. 
A  little  white  on  chest,  though  a  drawback,  not  a 
disqualification. 

General  Appearance. — That  of  a  sporting  dog, 
capable  of  learning  and  doing  anything  possible  for 
his  inches  and  conformation.  A  grand  combination 
of  beauty  and  utility. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

THE    NORFOLK    SPANIEL. 

I  AM  somewhat  at  a  loss  to  know  why  the 
ordinary  liver  and  white  spaniel  came  to  be  dis- 
tinguished by  the  Spaniel  Club  as  the  Norfolk 
spaniel  (the  Club  description,  appended,  says  it  may 
be  black  and  white),  for  surely  it  is  quite  as  common 
a  commodity  in  any  county  in  England  as  it  has 
ever  been  in  that  from  which  it  is  supposed  to  have 
derived  its  name.  Some  say  it  was  used  there  to 
assist  the  shooters  on  the  Broads,  but  a  similar  dog 
has  from  time  out  of  mind  been  used  by  shooters  in 
other  parts  of  the  country.  Personally,  I  do  not 
consider  the  liver  and  white  spaniel  any  particular 
variety  at  all,  nor  that  it  has  ever  been  indigenous  to 
Norfolk.  Devonshire,  for  instance,  has  attained  a 
celebrity  for  hardy  spaniels  that  had  to  work  in  the 
rough  country  with  which  the  county  of  lanes 
abounds,  and  do  their  work  well.  Many  of  these 
were  liver  and  white  in  colour,  others  black  and 
white.  They  never  came  from  Norfolk,  nor  did  the 


478  Modern  Dogs. 


Devonshire    men    ever    claim     them    as    a    distinct 
variety. 

Youatt,  writing  in  1845,  savs  the  breed  was  first 
brought  into  note  by  the  late  Duke  of  Norfolk,  who 
was  supposed  to  have  produced  them  by  crossing  with 
a  black  and  tan  terrier  and  a  springer,  the  latter  an 
ordinary  spaniel.  This,  however,  is  not  at  all  likely 
to  be  correct,  for,  long  prior  to  that  time,  brown  and 
white  spaniels  were  found.  Indeed,  I  fancy  that  was 
the  prevailing  spaniel  colour.  Far  more  likely  the 
so-called  Norfolk  spaniel  was  produced  originally  by 
a  cross  between  a  curly-coated  water  spaniel  and 
one  of  the  ordinary  Sussex  or  other  breed. 

Now,  liver  and  white  spaniels,  almost  infinite  in 
shape  and  size,  may  be  seen  running  about  the 
streets  in  any  country  place.  The  sporting  shop- 
keeper considers  him  the  best  shooting  dog;  and  so 
he  may  be  when  properly  trained — for  he  is  a  leggier, 
closer  and  better  coated  animal  than  the  ordinary 
spaniel  we  see  when  standing  at  the  ring  side.  He 
will  retrieve  well  from  both  land  and  water,  work 
a  hedgerow  or  thick  covert,  and  indeed  do  anything 
that  is  the  special  work  of  a  spaniel. 

Some  of  these  liver  and  white  spaniels  are  com- 
paratively mute,  whilst  others  are  terribly  noisy — 
yelping  and  giving  tongue  when  hunting,  almost  as 
freely  as  a  hound.  Still,  the  chances  are  that  the 


The  Norfolk  Spaniel. 


479 


rustic  sportsman  who  keeps  but  one  dog,  and  has 
not  accommodation  for  more,  prefers  a  liver  and 
white  spaniel,  be  it  Norfolk  or  otherwise,  and,  as  a 
rule,  if  he  be  not  addicted  to  poaching,  prefers  it  to 
make  a  noise  when  rabbiting  in  the  dense  gorse 
coverts. 

The  Club  points  and  description  are  as  follows  : 


POSITIVE  POINTS. 

Head,  jaw,  and  eyes  20 

Ears     10 

Neck    10 

Body    10 

Fore-legs     ..  10 

Hind-legs    10 

Feet    5 

Stern    5 

Coat  and  feather     10 

General  appearance    10 

Total  positive  points  ...  100 


NEGATIVE  POINTS. 

Carriage  of  stern   

Top-knot    


Total  negative  points 


10 


DESCRIPTIVE  PARTICULARS. 

"Head. — Skull  long  and  rather  narrow;  a  stop; 
the  muzzle  long  and  broad  to  the  end. 

"  Eyes. — Rather  small,  bright,  and  intelligent. 

"  Neck. — Long,  strong,  slightly  arched. 

"  Ears. — Long,  low  set,  and  lobular. 

(<  Body  (including  size  and  symmetry}. — Fairly 
heavy  body;  legs  rather  longer  than  in  other  field 


480  Modern  Dogs. 


spaniels,  but  not  so  long  as  in  Irish.  Medium 
size. 

"  Nose. — Large  and  soft. 

"  Shoulders  and  Chest. — Shoulders  long  and 
sloping  ;  chest  deep  and  fairly  broad. 

"  Back  and  Loin. — Back  flat  and  strong;  loin 
rather  long,  flat,  and  strong. 

"  Hind  Quarters. — Long;  hocks  well  let  down; 
stifles  moderately  bent,  and  not  twisted  inwards  nor 
outwards. 

"  Stern. — Docked;  low  carried,  i.e.,  not  above  the 
level  of  the  back. 

"Feet  and  legs. — Strong  boned  legs,  inclining  to 
shortness  ;  feet  large  and  rather  flat. 

"  Coat.— Hard,  not  woolly;  not  curly,  but  may  be 
broken. 

"  Colour. — Liver  and  white  and  black  and  white. 

"  General  Appearance. — An  active,  useful,  medium- 
sized  dog." 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 
SPANIELS    OTHER    THAN    BLACK. 

As  CLACSES  are  provided  for  "  Field  Spaniels  other 
than  black "  (not  being  Clumbers,  Sussex,  or 
cockers),  and  as  such  are  entered  in  the  Stud 
Books,  allusion  must  be  made  to  them  here.  Their 
varied  colouring  gives  them  a  hardier  appearance 
than  is  observable  in  the  blacks  ;  their  coats  are 
often  crisper  and  denser,  or  maybe  they  appear  to 
be  so  in  the  absence  of  the  raven  gloss.  It  must 
not  be  forgotten  that  they  spring  from  the  same 
strain  as  the  black  variety. 

The  most  common  colours  are  black  and  tan ; 
black  and  white  ticked;  brown,  grey,  and  white 
approaching  a  roan ;  liver  and  white  ;  black,  tan, 
and  white,  and  any  variations  that  may  appear 
therein.  Orange  and  white  are  seldom  seen,  and 
when  this  colour  does  crop  up,  it  is  a  sign  of  a 
not  very  remote  cross  with  the  setter  or  the  Clumber 
spaniel. 

In   respect  to  general   shape  and  character  they 

[VOL.  I.]  I        I 


482  Modern  Dogs. 


are  in  common  with  the  black,  though,  excepting  in 
the  case  of  the  black  and  tan,  the  haw,  to  which 
exception  is  taken,  is  seldom  seen.  The  handsomest 
colours  are  the  roans,  black,  tan  and  white,  and  the 
black  and  white  ticked,  and  the  latter  is  exactly  the 
same  colour  as  the  early  spaniels  drawn  for  Aldro- 
vandus,  who  wrote  of  them  as  "  pantherius  "  three 
hundred  and  fifty  years  ago.  So,  however  shape 
and  type  may  have  altered,  the  colour  does  not 
appear  to  have  changed  to  any  very  great  extent. 

The  liver  and  white  variety  has  somehow  or  other 
become  identified  with  the  county  of  Norfolk,  and 
is  usually  known  as  the  Norfolk  spaniel,  and  dealt 
with  on  preceding  pages. 

He  is,  however,  common  to  all  parts  of  the 
country  where  such  dogs  are  used  for  work,  and 
will  retrieve,  hunt  the  day  out  and  through,  and 
is  not  excelled  by  any  of  his  race  as  thoroughly  a 
sportsman's  dog.  Some  of  the  very  best  rabbiting 
spaniels  I  have  ever  seen  were  liver  and  white,  and 
the  only  fault  that  could  be  found  with  them  was 
more  than  a  tendency  to  be  hard  in  the  mouth. 
Not  an  uncommon  fault  where  a  dog  is  employed 
almost  entirely  among  rabbits,  retrieving  twenty  or 
thirty  couple  a  day,  some  of  them  struggling 
hard  in  the  mouth  and  scratching  him  with 
their  feet. 


Spaniels  Other  Than  Black.  483 

The  best  kind  of  liver  and  white  spaniel  for  work 
is  usually  rather  high  on  the  legs,  about  4olb.  in 
weight,  perhaps  inclined  to  be  curly  in  coat ;  at  any 
rate,  not  nearly  so  straight-jacketed  as  the  show- 
specimens.  There  is  no  fear  of  his  dying  out,  for 
almost  every  country  village  can  boast  these  brown 
and  white  dogs  ;  the  gamekeeper  treasures  them, 
and,  if  they  do  not  receive  their  due  in  the  show  ring, 
they  are  sufficiently  honoured  elsewhere  —  their 
character  in  the  field  being  of  the  highest. 

I  noticed  a  short  time  ago  a  very  handsome  strain 
of  this  race  kept  by  Sir  Thomas  Boughey,  at 
Aquilate,  near  Wellington,  Salop.  The  coats  of 
these  had  no  tendency  to  curl;  their  character  at 
work  was  excellent,  and  the  specimens  I  saw 
appeared  to  be  remarkably  good  tempered,  well 
broken,  not  inclined  to  run  riot,  and  only  hunting 
when  ordered  to  do  so.  On  inquiry  I  learned  that 
this  particular  breed  had  been  in  the  family  for 
many  years,  and  was  likely  to  remain  so  in  the 
future. 

About  twenty-four  years  ago  Mr.  Burgess,  of 
Brighouse,  Yorkshire,  showed  a  couple  of  liver  and 
white  spaniels  with  great  success,  Sam  and  Flora 
by  name.  Bred  by  Mr.  Hopcroft,  of  Nottingham, 
at  that  time  they  were  said  to  be  Sussex  spaniels, 
but,  although  their  breeder  tried  to  maintain  their 

I  I  2 


484  Modern  Dogs. 


reputation  as  such,  it  was  pretty  certain  that  they  had 
no  claim  to  be  of  that  race.  Mr.  Hopcroft  had  the 
strain  for  some  time,  and  valued  it  exceedingly. 
Sam  and  Flora  were  brother  and  sister,  of  nice 
character,  but,  though  they  won  all  before  them  in 
their  time,  they  were  much  higher  on  the  leg  than 
bench  winners  of  to-day  ;  they,  however,  excelled  in 
length  of  ears. 

There  are  extant  some  capital  chromo-lithographs 
of^these  two  celebrated  dogs,  and  the  blood  of  both 
of  them  is  still  to  be  found  in  many  of  the  best 
specimens  at  the  present  time. 

Mr.  H.  P.  Green,  at  Caistor  Hall,  near  Norwich, 
has  a  strain  of  black,  tan,  and  white  spaniels,  which 
he  values  highly.  Personally,  I  never  saw  any  dogs 
that  took  my  fancy  more  than  they  did  when  I 
first  saw  them  on  the  show  bench.  A  little  over 
4olb.  weight  or  so,  they  abound  in  character,  are 
long  in  ears,  fairly  straight  in  coat,  and  strong  in 
bone ;  still,  handsome  though  they  be,  they  are  more 
valued  for  work  than  beauty,  though  they  have 
earned  distinction  on  the  show  bench.  Their  owner 
tells  me  he  has  had  the  strain  for  over  a  dozen 
years,  commencing  with  a  bitch  obtained  from  the 
late  Sir  Richard  Wallace,  which  was  mated  with 
a  tricoloured  dog.  Both  were  excellent  in  the  field, 
and  appeared  to  have  transferred  their  good  qualities 


Spaniels  Other  Than  Black.  485 

to  their  progeny.  The  strain  is  easily  trained, 
possesses  great  sense,  plenty  of  dash  and  go,  and 
can  stand  the  hardest  work  without  ill  effect.  Mr. 
Green  uses  them  as  retrievers  in  Scotland  amongst 
the  grouse,  much  to  the  admiration  of  some  of 
the  old  Highland  sportsmen.  These  spaniels  are 
also  excellent  dogs  for  snipe,  duck,  and  mixed 
shooting  of  all  kinds  ;  they  cannot  be  excelled  as 
water  dogs,  and  I  am  certain  that  animals  so  hand- 
some and  so  good  are  well  worth  cultivating. 

The  Club  descriptive  particulars  of  any  other 
variety  of  field  spaniel  are  as  follows,  the  points 
being  similar  to  those  adopted  for  the  black  variety, 
excepting,  of  course,  as  to  colour : 

"  Head. — Similar  to  that  of  the  black  spaniel, 
save  in  colour. 

"  Eyes. — The  colour  in  all  cases  to  match  the  coat 
and  markings,  viz.  :  Black  and  Tans — hazel  or 
brown ;  Liver  and  Tans — rather  lighter  than  in 
black  and  tans,  but  of  good  rich  tone  ;  Livers- 
light  hazel  colour ;  Black  Tan  and  White  Roans, 
&c.,  &c. — somewhat  similar  to  liver  and  tans ; 
Liver  and  Tan  Roans,  &c. — Somewhat  similar  to 
liver  and  tans. 

"  Ears. — Similar  to  those  of  the  black  spaniel, 
except  in  colour. 

"  Neck. — Similar  to  that  of  the  black  spaniel. 


486  Modern  Dogs. 


"  Body  (including  size  and  symmetry]. — Similar 
to  that  of  the  black  spaniel. 

"  Nose. — Variable,  according  to  colour  of  coat 
and  markings  :  Black  and  Tans — black ;  Liver  and 
Tans — dark  liver  colour  ;  Livers — liver ;  Black  and 
Tan  and  White  Roans — black  ;  Liver  and  Tan  Roans 
— liver. 

"  Shoulders  and  Chest. — Similar  to  those  of  the 
black  spaniel. 

"  Back  and  Loin. — Similar  to  those  of  the  black 
spaniel. 

"  Hind  Quarters. — Similar  to  those  of  the  black 
spaniel. 

"  Stern. — Similar  to  those  of  the  black  spaniel. 

"  Feet  and  Legs. — Similar  to  those  of  the  black 
spaniel. 

"  Coat. — Similar  in  quality,  substance,  and  texture, 
and  in  all  other  respects,  except  colour,  responding 
to  that  given  for  black  spaniels. 

"  Colours. — Various,  such  as  black  and  tan,  liver 
and  tan,  liver,  black,  tan,  and  white  roans ;  liver,  tan, 
and  white  roans,  &c. 

General  Appearance.  —  Similar  in  all  respects, 
except  in  regard  to  colour  and  markings  ;  identical 
with  the  general  description  given  before  for  black 
spaniels. 


;  HAPTER    XXVII. 
THE  COCKER. 

THIS,  the  smallest  of  our  race  of  sporting  spaniels, 
is  retrograding  rather  than  progressing,  and,  hardy, 
cheerful  little  dog  though  he  be,  sportsmen  have 
found  that  a  bigger  dog  can  do  his  duties  better, 
even  to  working  rough  covert,  and  it  is  not  a  general 
thing  for  a  cocker, to  retrieve  a  rabbit  or  a  hare. 
Indeed,  some  cockers  I  have  had  would  not  retrieve 
31  •'  ji  for  f' 

The   p;  o#  the   ****** 

bench  are  n  r  do  *'h 

sufficient  honoi  . 

orie  breeding  him.  for  ^  -»•*  a 

matter  of  fact,  thi-  j^ot 

growing  with-  the  tirr»-s 
concern  ought  to  be. 

give  him  cl,  n  do 

not,  as  a  ru 

Tit- 


488  Modern  Dogs. 


the  connecting  link  between  the  working  and  the 
toy  spaniels.  We  have  been  told  that  the  Blenheims 
at  Marlborough  House  were  excellent  dogs  to  work 
the  coverts  for  cock  and  pheasant,  and,  excepting  in 
colour,  there  is  in  reality  not  much  difference  in 
appearance  between  the  older  orange  and  white  toys 
(not  as  they  are  to  day,  with  their  abnormally  short 
noses)  and  the  liver  and  white  cockers  H.  B.  Chalon 
drew  for  Daniel's  "  Rural  Sports"  in  1801. 

Two  of  Chalon's  little  spaniels  have  just  sprung 
a  woodcock,  and  charming  specimens  they  are, 
not  too  low  on  the  leg,  nor  over-done  in  the  matter 
of  ears,  but  sprightly  little  dogs,  evidently  under 
2olb.  weight,  and  of  a  type  we  do  not  find  to-day. 
Many  of  us  lament  the  growing  scarcity  of  this 
variety  as  he  was  to  be  found  fifty  years  ago  and 
more.  Modern  breeders  tell  us  they  have  provided 
us  with  a  better  and  handsomer  animal.  It  is  an 
open  question  whether  they  have  done  the  former,  I 
acknowledge  they  have  done  the  latter. 

Some  few  years  ago  I  became  the  possessor  of 
a  brace  of  black  cockers,  the  most  beautiful  little 
spaniels  imaginable.  How  they  were  bred  I  am  not 
aware.  This  I  do  know,  that  wherever  they  went 
they  were  admired  more  than  any  other  dogs  ;  not  in 
the  show  ring — they  never  appeared  there — but  in 
the  streets  and  the  country  generally.  At  that  time 


The  Cocker.  489 


I  was  shooting  a  good  deal,  and  had  ample  oppor- 
tunity of  entering  them  to  game  of  every  kind.  As 
sporting  dogs  they  were  comparatively  useless  ;  for 
they  were  noisy,  headstrong,  not  at  all  careful,  and 
would  pass  half  a  dozen  rabbits  or  pheasants  whilst 
they  were  putting  up  three  or  four.  My  terriers 
could  beat  their  heads  off,  and  a  cross-bred  spaniel  I 
had  at  that  time  could  have  outworked  a  big  team 
of  them. 

Of  course,  this  must  not  be  taken  as  an  inference 
that  all  these  modern,  extremely  pretty  black 
cockers  are  equally  useless  ;  but,  from  others  that 
I  have  seen  at  work,  I  did  not  take  mine  to  have 
been  an  especially  unfortunate  brace.  The  coats 
of  some  of  them  are  not  adapted  to  protect  the  hide 
of  the  dog  from  being  pierced  by  those  sharp  thorns 
and  prickly  brambles  that  are  to  be  found  in  every 
ordinary  covert. 

Some  portions  of  Wales  and  Devonshire  have 
produced  the  old  working  type  of  cocker,  mostly 
liver  and  white  in  colour,  higher  on  the  leg  than 
an  ordinary  field  spaniel,  not  so  long  in  ears,  with  a 
close  coat,  not  too  fine,  usually  inclining  to  be  wavy 
and  curly  on  the  hind  quarters,  and  a  head  finer  in 
the  muzzle  than  the  ordinary  spaniel  would  seem  to 
possess,  and  with  a  character  of  its  own. 

About  twenty  years  ago  Dr.  Boulton  was  exhibit- 


49°  Modern  Dogs. 


ing  his  Rhea,  a  black  specimen  which  won  a  great 
many  prizes.  She,  however,  had  little  or  no  strain 
of  the  cocker  in  her,  and  what  excellence  she  pos- 
sessed was  imparted  from  the  same  blood  that  ran 
in  the  pedigree  of  Bullock's  Nellie  and  other 
celebrities  of  her  day. 

Perhaps  the  best  class  of  cockers  I  have  ever 
seen  was  benched  at  Manchester  in  1892.  There 
were  fourteen  of  them,  in  many  types  ;  but  amongst 
them  specimens  of  both  the  old  and  modern  style. 
Mr.  H.  J.  Price,  of  Long  Ditton,  had  an  excellent 
team,  his  Ditton  Brevity  and  Gaiety  being  particu- 
larly excellent— the  one  a  blue  and  white,  the  other 
a  tricolour.  Mr.  Carew-Gibson,  of  Fareham,  in 
Grove  Rose  and  Merry  Belle,  had  a  brace  of 
beauties,  also  of  the  old  type,  and  his  first  named 
won  chief  prize  ;  but  other  leading  honours  of  third 
and  reserve  were  given  to  miniature  modern  spaniels, 
both  black,  but  certainly  not  like  Rose  and  Brevity, 
that  took  first  and  second  honours.  Mr.  Phillips' 
Rivington  Merry  Legs  was  another  of  the  pure 
strain,  a  black  and  white,  that,  I  believe,  came  from 
Exeter. 

I  have  particularly  drawn  attention  to  this  class  at 
Manchester  in  proof,  if  such  were  needed,  that  there 
still  remains  material  in  the  country  to  popularise 
the  old-fashioned  breed  of  cocker,  and  I  fancy  this 


The  Cocker.  491 


would  soon  be  done  would  judges,  in  making  their 
awards,  stick  to  one  type  and  throw  out  those  dogs 
that  showed  unusually  heavy  bone,  long  bodies, 
heavy  heads,  and  over-sized  ears.  And  I  may  go 
further  than  this,  and  say  that  I  never  yet  saw  a 
good  and  perfectly  characteristic  cocker  that  had  a 
flat  coat,  was  entirely  black,  or  of  that  bright  liver 
colour  found  in  the  Sussex.  The  correct  colours  are 
either  mixed  or  a  dull  brown,  the  latter  with  white  on 
the  chest  and  often  enough  white  feet  to  match. 

Mr.  J.  F.  Farrow,  of  Ipswich,  owns  an  excellent 
strain  of  small  black  spaniels,  which  one  or  two  of 
his  are  of  the  cocker  type  I  approve.  Some  of  them 
are  miniature  specimens  of  the  black  field  spaniel 
and  from  which  they  are  bred.  Mr.  Lawrence,  Mr. 
Phillips,  and  one  or  two  others,  exhibit  similar 
black  specimens,  but  none  of  them  excel  those  that 
appear  from  the  Ipswich  kennels. 

In  weight  the  cocker  ought  not  to  exceed  25lb.  at 
the  very  most,  and  bitches  of  2olb.  or  less  are 
the  desirable  size.  As  I  have  already  hinted,  they 
should  not  be  so  high  on  the  leg,  so  long  in  the 
body,  so  heavy  in  the  ears,  or  so  heavy  in  the  muzzle 
as  an  ordinary  field  spaniel,  and  may  be  taken 
as  sharp,  active  little  creatures,  always  busy  when  at 
work,  and  specially  smart  in  driving  rabbits  from  a 
gorse  covert  or  other  rough  place. 


492 


Modern  Dogs. 


The    following    is    the 
black  cocker  spaniels  : 

POSITIVE  POINTS. 

Head  and  jaw     

Eyes    

Ears     

Neck   

Body   

Fore-legs    10 

Hind-legs   10 

Feet     10 

Stern    10 

Coat  and  feather    10 

General  appearance   10 

Total  positive  points  ...    100 


10 
5 
5 
5 

15 


Club's    scale    for   judging 

NEGATIVE  POINTS. 

Light  eyes  (undesirable, 
but  not  fatal)  .  10 

Light  nose  (fatal)   15 

Curled  ears  (very  undesir- 
able)    15 

Curled  coat  (curly,  woolly, 
or  wiry)  20 

Carriage  of  stern  (crooked 
or  twisted)  20 

Top-knot  (fatal)     20 

Total  negative  points...   100 


DESCRIPTIVE  PARTICULARS. 

"  Head. — Not  so  heavy  in  proportion,  and  not  so 
high  in  occiput  as  in  the  modern  field  spaniel,  with 
a  nicely  developed  muzzle  or  jaw  ;  lean,  but  not 
snipy,  and  yet  not  so  square  as  in  the  Clumber 
or  Sussex  varieties,  but  always  exhibiting  a  suffi- 
ciently wide  and  well-developed  nose.  Forehead 
perfectly  smooth,  rising  without  a  too  decided  stop 
from  muzzle  into  a  comparatively  wide  and  rounded 
well-developed  skull,  with  plenty  of  room  for  brain 
power. 

"  Eyes. — Full,  but  not  prominent,  hazel  or  brown 

coloured,  with   a  general  expression  of  intelligence 


The  Cocker.  493 


and  gentleness,  though  decidedly  wide  awake,  bright 
and  merry,  never  gozzled  nor  weak,  as  in  the  King 
Charles  and  Blenheim  kinds. 

"  Ears. — Lobular,  set  on  low,  leather  fine  and  not 
extending  beyond  the  nose,  well  clothed  with  long, 
silky  hair,  which  must  be  straight  or  wavy — no 
positive  curls  or  ringlets. 

"  Neck. — Strong  and  muscular,  and  neatly  set  on 
to  fine  sloping  shoulders 

"  Body  (including  size  and  symmetry}. — Not  quite 
so  long  and  low  as  in  the  other  breeds  of  spaniels, 
more  compact  and  firmly  knit  together,  giving  the 
impression  of  a  concentration  of  power  and  untiring 
activity  ;  the  total  weight  should  not  exceed  25lb. 

"  Nose. — Sufficiently  wide  and  well  developed  to 
insure  the  exquisite  scenting  powers  of  this  breed. 
Colour  black. 

"  Shoulders  and  Chest. — The  former  sloping  and 
fine,  chest  deep  and  well  developed,  but  not  too  wide 
and  round  to  interfere  with  the  free  action  of  the 
forelegs. 

"  Back  and  Loin. — Immensely  strong  and  compact 
in  proportion  to  the  size  and  weight  of  the  dog ; 
slightly  drooping  towards  the  tail. 

"  Hind  Quarters. — Wide,  well  rounded,  and  very 
muscular,  so  as  to  insure  untiring  action  and  pro- 
pelling power  under  the  most  trying  circumstances 


494  Modern  Dogs. 


of  a  long  day,  bad  weather,  rough  ground,  and  dense 
covert. 

"Stern. — That  most  characteristic  of  blue  blood  in 
all  the  spaniel  family,  may,  in  the  lighter  and  more 
active  Cocker,  although  set  tow  down,  be  allowed  a 
slightly  higher  carriage  than  in  the  other  breeds,  but 
never  cocked  up  over,  but  rather  in  a  line  with  the 
back,  though  the  lower  its  carriage  and  action  the 
better,  and  when  at  work  its  action  should  be 
incessant  in  this,  the  brightest  and  merriest  of  the 
whole  spaniel  family. 

"  Feet  and  Legs. — The  legs  must  be  well  boned, 
feathered  and  straight,  for  the  tremendous  exertions 
expected  from  this  grand  little  sporting  dog,  and 
should  be  sufficiently  short  for  concentrated  power, 
but  not  so  short  as  to  interfere  with  its  full  activity. 
Feet  firm,  round,  and  'catlike,  not  too  large, 
spreading  and  loose  jointed.  This  distinct  breed  of 
spaniel  does  not  follow  exactly  on  the  lines  of  the 
larger  field  spaniel,  either  in  lengthiness,  lowness,  or 
otherwise  ;  but  be  shorter  in  back,  and  rather  higher 
on  the  legs. 

"Coat. — Flat  or  waved,  and  silky  in  texture,  never 
wiry,  woolly,  nor  curly,  with  sufficient  feather  of  the 
right  sort,  viz.,  waved  or  setter-like,  but  not  too 
profuse,  and  never  curly. 

"  Colour. — Jet    black;    a   white   shirt    frill    should 


The  Cocker.  495 


never  disqualify;  but  white  feet  should  not  be  allowed 
in  any  specimen  of  self-colour. 

"  General  appearance. — Confirmatory  of  all  indi- 
cated above,  viz.,  a  concentration  of  pure  blood  and 
type,  sagacity,  docility,  good  temper,  affection,  and 
activity." 

The  Club  scale  for  judging  any  other  variety  of 
cocker : 


"  POSITIVE  POINTS. 
Same  as  in  the  Black  Variety. 


NEGATIVE  POINTS. 
Subject    to    colour    similar    to- 


those  of  the  Black  Variety. 

"  Head. — Similar  to  that  of  the  black  cocker. 

"  Eyes. — Dependent  on  colour  and  markings. 

"  Ears. — Similar  to  those  of  the  black  cocker. 

"  Neck. — Similar  to  that  of  the  black  cocker. 

"  Body  (including  size  and  symmetry]. — Similar 
to  that  of  the  black  cocker. 

"  Nose. — The  colour  will  be  dependent  on  the 
colour  of  coat  and  markings,  in  all  other  respects 
similar  to  the  black  cocker. 

(<  Shoulders  and  chest. — Similar  to  those  of  the 
black  cocker. 

"  Back  and  Loin. — Similar  to  those  of  the  black 
cocker. 

"  Hind  Quarters. — Similar  in  all  respects  to  that 
described  in  the  black  cocker. 

"  Stern. — Identical  with  that  of  the  black  cocker. 


496  Modern  Dogs. 


l(  Feet  and  Legs. — Similar  to  those  of  the  black 
cocker. 

"  Coat. — Similar  in  every  way  to  the  coat  of  the 
black  variety,  except  in  colour  or  markings. 

"  Colour. — Black  and  tan,  liver  and  tan,  liver, 
black  tan  and  white,  liver  tan  and  white,  lemon  and 
white,  roans,  and  in  fact  nearly  any  combination  or 
blending  of  colours. 

"  General  appearance. — In  all  respects  agreeing 
with  the  description  given  for  the  black  variety  of 
this  breed." 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 
THE  BASSET-HOUND. 

this  handsome,  hound  we  have  another  example 
of  the  naturalisation  of  a  foreign  dog  in  this  country. 
A  quarter  of  a  century  ago  he  was  a  great  favourite 
in  France,  and  some  other  parts  of  the  Continent, 
where  he  for  years  had  been  bred  with  great  care  ; 
in  England  he  was  almost  unknown.  \  Now  he 
is  one  of  <w  o*n  varieties,  at  least  he  is  claimed 
as  such,  and  ewi  «  Stonehenge."  so  loth  to  adopt 
for  owsdve*  that  did  n 


his     'Dogs    of    thr/    B: 

Club    acknowledged     him  fc    by 

classification  in    1883,    when   but    tea  <*n*rir*    w^re 
made  ;    there  ^t   m 

Curzon   Hall-committ 
from    the 

ry. 


498  Modern  Dogs. 


supplies  me  with  the  following  valuable  history  and 
particulars  of  this  hound  : 

"  Before  I  commence  a  description  of  the  various 
kinds  of  Bassets  and  their  especial  points,  it  might 
be  advantageous  to  touch  upon  the  origin  of  the 
word  Basset,  since  it  has  been  my  misfortune,  not 
once  but  many  times,  to  listen  to  the  most  absurd 
reasons  for  the  nomenclature  of  the  hound.  Briefly 
the  word  basset  means  '  a  low  thing'  or  a  '  dwarf,' 
and  it  has  a  similar  derivation  to  the  words  bassi- 
nette, basset  (the  game),  bastard,  basse  (a  shoal), 
and  many  others  which  it  is  unnecessary  for  me  to 
give,  all  of  which  have  a  common  ancestor  in  the 
French  adjective  '  bas.' 

"  The  meaning,  then,  of  the  word  being  almost 
apparent  on  the  face  of  it,  notwithstanding  the  fact 
that  I  have  heard  people  urge  with  the  greatest 
gravity  that  the  Basset  is  a  hound  used  for  the 
purpose  of  hunting  the  basset,  in  the  same  way  that 
the  foxhound  pursues  the  fox.  It  might  also  be 
interesting  to  observe  how  the  hound  became  a 
dwarf,  for  if  it  be  a  dwarf,  and  this  is  what  its  name 
undoubtedly  implies,  it  is  obvious  that  it  must  be  a 
dwarf  of  some  other  race  of  hound. 

"  It  is  also  obvious  that  as  there  exist  many 
varieties  of  Bassets  in  France,  Belgium,  Austria,  and 
G<  rmany,  they  too  are  dwarfs  of  some  form  of  hounds. 


The  Basset-Hound.  499 


l<  To  account  for  this  somewhat  extraordinary 
assumption  I  must  go  back  in  the  history  of  these 
countries  to  somewhat  remote  periods,  and  ask  the 
reader  what  the  use  in  those  days,  that  is  to  say 
the  days  when  men  did  not  take  the  trouble  to 
hunt  small  game,  and  the  modern  weapons  of 
sport  were  still  unin vented,  would  have  been  for 
such  a  hound  as  the  Basset,  which  to-day,  in 
France  and  Belgium  especially,  is  looked  upon  as 
one  of  the  best  companions  the  sportsman  can 
have  by  him. 

"  I  need  hardly  say  that  such  a  hound  as  the 
Basset,  when  men  followed  the  chase  on  horseback 
and  looked  upon  rabbits  and  hares  as  vermin,  would 
have  been  quite  out  of  place,  and  the  only  logical 
conclusion  one  can  come  to  as  to  the  origin  of  these 
hounds  is,  that  as  men  took  up  the  chase  of  the 
smaller  game  a  slower  hound  was  required — a  type 
of  hound  which  would  at  once  be  produced  by  breed- 
ing only  from  those  that  were  short  in  the  leg,  and 
consequently  slower  in  speed.  Breeding  from  such 
hounds,  it  must  be  observed,  would  but  tend  to 
decrease  the  height,  and  not  the  bodily  proportions, 
coat,  or  form  of  head. 

"  In  due  time,  as  weapons  made  their  appearance 
— and  by  weapons  I  especially  mean  when  guns 
came  into  use — a  slower  dog  still  was  required, 

K   K  2 


500  Modern  Dogs. 


which  would  either  hunt  in  front  of  the  sportsman  or 
drive  game  slowly  towards  him. 

"  This  type  of  hound  would  be  produced  by  again 
breeding  from  the  lowest  and  heaviest  of  his  prede- 
cessors, and,  what  with  the  weight  in  front  and  the 
question  of  stability,  the  internal  ligaments  of  the 
carpus  would  give  way,  the  fore-feet  would  turn  out 
so  as  to  act  as  buttresses  to  the  chest  wall,  and  in 
the  animal  thus  produced  we  should  find  a  hound  of 
full-sized  body,  of  similar  head  and  colour  to  the 
hounds  from  which  it  sprang,  identical  in  fact  with 
them  except  in  this  peculiar  formation  of  the  front 
and  hind  feet. 

"  Such  undoubtedly  is  the  manner  in  which  the 
Basset  originated,  and  what  is  still  more  remarkable 
is  the  fact  that  the  tallest  of  the  Bassets  are  the 
straight-legged  ones,  the  medium  the  half-crooked, 
and  the  lowest  the  full-crooked,  thus  showing  alone 
the  gradual  change  which  has  been  wrought  by  man 
to  bring  the  great  chiens  couranfsdown  to  the  dwarfs 
or  the  Bassets  of  to-day. 

"  Had  this  manufacture,  as  I  may  reasonably  call 
it,  been  limited  to  one  breed  of  hound,  we  should 
naturally  find  but  one  breed  of  Bassets,  but  this  is 
not  so,  since  from  the  great  variety  of  Bassets  to  be 
found  in  the  countries  I  have  named,  it  is  certain  that 
many  breeds  of  hounds  have  been  thus  dealt  with. 


The  Basset-Hound.  501 

"As  a  result  Bassets  abroad  are  to  be  found 
smooth  in  coat,  wire-haired  and  rough,  straight- 
legged,  half-crooked  and  full-crooked,  and  had  we 
imported  and  bred  all  the  varieties  together,  my  task 
of  describing  them  would  have  been  somewhat 
difficult.  I  am  glad,  however,  to  say  that  we  have 
stuck  pretty  closely  to  one  strain  in  the  smooths, 
and  am  in  hopes  that  the  same  will  follow  in  the 
Griffons,  consequently  in  classifying  them  as  we  have 
them,  or  had  them  in  this  country,  for  one  of  the 
smooths  has  all  but  disappeared,  I  can  name  them  as 
the  Basset  Franyais,  and  the  Basset  Griffon,  the 
former  being  the  smooth  coated  and  the  latter 
rough. 

"  In  France  every  smooth-coated  Basset  is  called 
a  Basset  Fran9ais,  whether  it  be  big,  little,  straight- 
legged  or  crooked,  tricolour,  lemon  and  white,  or 
any  hound  colour  whatever.  The  two  strains 
which  have  been  imported  into  this  country  are 
those  which  combine  size  with  lowness  in  front  and 
crook,  tricolour  or  lemon  and  white  markings,  and, 
what  is  more  to  the  point,  the  true  hound  type  of 
those  hounds  from  which  they  are  descended. 
These  two  strains  are  the  Le  Couteulx  and  The 
Lane,  originating  respectively  in  the  '  Artois  '  and 
'  Poitevin.' 

"  The  strain  of  the  Le  Couteulx  hounds  owes  its 


502  Modern  Dogs. 


origin  to  Mons.  Le  Comte  le  Couteulx  le  Cantalan, 
of  Chateau  St.  Martin,  near  Etrepagny,  one  of  the 
foremost  sportsmen  and  the  acknowledged  authority 
on  hunting  and  kennel  matters  in  France,  and  from 
him  takes  its  name. 

"In  it  we  find  two  modern  types,  both  due  to  two 
hounds,  viz.,  Fino  de  Paris,  formerly  the  property 
of  the  Count,  and  Termino,  the  property  of  Mons. 
Masson — both  of  which  I  shall  have  to  speak  of 
again  ;  but  as  the  difference  between  them  is  but  of 
small  importance,  I  will  give  a  general  outline  of  the 
type  of  the  strain  first,  and  revert  to  the  small 
differences  between  them  afterwards. 

"  In  general  appearance  the  Le  Couteulx  is  a  good 
sized  hound,  generally  tricolour,  but  not  uncommonly 
lemon  and  white,  of  heavy  build  and  set  on  short 
legs,  the  fore  ones  being  exceedingly  massive  and 
crooked. 

"  Taking  the  various  portions  of  his  body  in  order, 
we  find  the  head  to  be  large  and  set  gracefully 
on  the  neck,  which  should  be  somewhat  arched;  the 
head  should  be  domed,  of  considerable  length,  and 
narrow  in  comparison  with  its  length,  though  far 
from  weak.  It  should  be  of  great  depth,  and  the 
sides  should  be  clean  cut  and  free  from  any  appear- 
ance of,  or  inclination  to,  cheek  bumps. 

"  The  nose  should  be  inclined  to  the  Roman  type, 


The  Basset-Hound.  503 

and  be  set  on  in  a  line  with  the  external  occipital 
protuberance,  any  dipping  of  a  pronounced  type  or 
stop  being  unsightly.  The  nose  itself  should  be 
strong  and  free  from  snipiness,  while  the  teeth  of 
the  upper  and  lower  jaws  should  meet.  A  pig-jawed 
hound,  or  one  that  is  underhung,  being  distinctly 
objectionable. 

"  The  lips  should  be  square  and  not  cut  sharply 
away,  and  from  the  lower  jaw  extensive  flews  should 
fall  towards  the  throat. 

"The  eye  should  be  deeply  sunken,  showing 
a  prominent  haw,  and  in  colour  they  should  be 
a  deep  brown. 

"The  ears  should  be  set  on  low;  are  of  great 
length,  of  velvety  texture,  and  should  curl  grace- 
fully inwards  ;  their  outer  surface  coming  towards 
the  base  in  contact  with  the  side  of  the  cheek  and 
neck. 

"The  whole  of  the  head  should  be  covered  with 
loose  skin,  so  loose  in  fact,  that  when  the  hound 
brings  its  nose  to  the  ground  the  skin  over  the  head 
and  cheeks  should  fall  forward  and  wrinkle  sensibly. 
In  a  word,  the  head  of  the  Basset  should  resemble 
and  approach  as  nearly  as  possible  the  bloodhound 
in  conformation.  The  neck  is  massive  but  graceful, 
and  as  it  approaches  the  body  it  thickens. 

'  The  body  itself  is  extremely  powerful,  and  shows 


504  Modern  Dogs. 


as  it  is  united  with  the  sacrum  a  graceful  rise,  which 
disappears  at  the  base  or  set  on  of  the  tail 

"If  the  animal  were  not  so  low  to  the  ground  its 
body  would  not  appear  of  such  length  as  it  appears 
to  be.  At  the  same  time,  it  is  a  lengthy  body,  but 
well  supported  by  ribs ;  and  as  the  ribs  cease  and 
we  approach  the  sternum  or  chest,  we  find  this  to 
be  capacious  and  of  great  width,  the  superior 
portion  of  the  sternum  standing  out  most  promi- 
nently. 

"  The  body  of  the  chest  comes  right  down  between 
the  fore-legs,  fitting  tightly  in  an  angle  formed  by 
the  approximation  of  the  two  radial  bones,  which 
are  of  great  thickness.  Below  this  point  the  carpus 
is  straight,  but  the  metacarpus  inclines  outwards* 
and  the  phalanges  or  toes  completely  so. 

"  In  not  a  few  specimens  the  carpus  inclines 
forwards,  thus  giving  the  animal  the  appearance  of 
knuckling  over,  which  is  a  decided  fault,  and  this  is 
due  largely  to  a  forward  inclination  of  the  radius  and 
ulna  bones,  which  ought  to  incline  inwards,  and  fit 
closely  to  the  chest  wall.  On  looking  at  the  animal 
from  the  front  we  at  once  observe  why  the  legs 
assume  this  peculiar  formation,  viz.,  inclining  inwards 
from  the  elbow  joint  to  the  wrist  joint,  and  then  out- 
wards again  to  the  end  of  the  toes. 

"  If  the  legs  of  the  heavy  Le  Couteulx  were  straight 


The  Basset-Hound.  505 


the  chest  would  hang  between,  and  the  whole  weight 
of  the  body  would  necessarily  be  centred  at  the 
shoulder  joint.  Consequently  the  animal  would  be 
incapable  of  any  active  movement  and  much 
exposed  to  dislocation  at  that  joint ;  but  as  the  legs 
incline  inwards  and  then  outwards  the  weight  of  the 
body  is  supported  below  the  chest,  viz.,  at  the 
carpus,  the  latter  being  as  it  were  the  keystone  on 
which  the  entire  weight  of  the  body  falls.  As  a 
result  it  is  at  this  point  we  should  expect  to  find 
trouble  if  any  portion  of  the  architecture  was  out  of 
position.  I  have  drawn  particular  attention  to  the 
anatomy  of  the  Bassets  here,  for  it  is  at  this  joint 
we  discover  unsoundness  if  present,  the  reason 
being,  as  I  have  previously  observed,  that  the  radius 
and  ulna  bones  are  thrown  too  far  forward,  and  not 
placed  or  gathered  sufficiently  behind  the  spot 
where  the  whole  weight  of  the  body  converges. 

"  To  be  absolutely  sound  and  perfect  in  legs,  the 
Basset  ought  to  stand  in  front  between  two  and 
three  inches  from  the  ground,  and  in  such  a  manner 
that  if  a  plummet  were  dropped  from  the  set  on  of 
the  neck  right  through  the  dog  it  would  touch  the 
ground  between  the  toes,  and  in  front  of  the  carpus. 

"  The  hind  legs  are  massive,  like  those  in  front, 
and  should  stand  well  below  the  hound  to  bear  the 
weight  of  the  back  portion  of  his  body.  They  are 


506  Modern  Dogs. 


very  muscular,  as  may  be  expected,  seeing  the  great 
weight  in  front  which  they  have  to  propel. 

"  The  tail  is  of  considerable  length  and  should  be 
carried  gaily,  though  not  so  as  to  curl  over  the  back. 

"  Our  most  perfect  Bassets  of  the  present  day  are 
undoubtedly  Mr.  Muirhead's  Forester,  Mrs.  Ellis's 
Paris,  Xena,  and  Dr.  Woodhead's  Geraldine,  and 
I  regret  much  that  I  have  not  their  weights  and 
measurements.  I  shall,  however,  not  be  wrong  in 
giving  those  of  my  old  Model,  who,  though  rather 
flat  in  skull  and  having  badly  hung  ears,  was  other- 
wise as  perfect  a  specimen  in  other  particulars  as  I 
ever  hope  to  see. 

"  Measurements,  &c.,  at  seven  and  a  half  years  of 
age  :  Weight,  461b.  ;  height  at  shoulder,  12  inches  ; 
length  from  tip  of  nose  to  set  on  of  tail,  32  inches  ; 
length  of  tail,  1 1^  inches  ;  girth  of  chest,  25  inches  ; 
girth  of  loin,  21  inches;  girth  of  head,  17  inches; 
girth  of  fore-arm,  6\  inches  ;  length  of  head  from 
tip  of  occiput  to  tip  of  nose,  9  inches ;  girth  of 
muzzle  at  midway,  9^  inches  ;  length  of  ears  from 
tip  to  tip,  19  inches  ;  height  from  ground  between 
fore-feet  2f  inches. 

"  I  think  I  have  gone  now  pretty  clearly  through 
the  points  of  the  Basset  as  far  as  his  bodily  points 
are  concerned,  consequently  there  remain  but  his 
coat  and  colouring. 


The  Basset-Hound.  507 

"  In  texture  the  coat  should  be  that  of  a  hound, 
and,  on  seizing  it,  the  skin  below  should  come  away 
from  the  body,  leaving  the  impression  that  the 
animal  has  much  more  skin  than  he  requires.  On 
no  account  should  the  skin  fit  closely  to  the  body, 
and  even  on  the  fore-legs  it  should  wrinkle,  giving 
to  the  hound  a  '  comfortable  '  appearance. 

"  As  to  colour,  I  am  afraid  that  I  am  one  of  those 
who  believe  that  a  good  hound,  like  a  good  horse, 
cannot  be  of  a  bad  colour.  I  grant  the  fact  that  the 
heavily  marked  tricolor  is  very  taking  to  the  eye, 
and  that  the  lemon  and  white,  in  comparison  to  the 
former,  loses  greatly  in  appearance.  Still,  colour  is, 
after  all,  but  a  superficial  point,  except  in  breeds 
where  it  means  much,  consequently  personally  I 
should  never  in  the  judging  ring  allow  colour  to 
weigh  greatly  in  my  mind  when  it  was  a  question  of 
points  and  type  between  two  animals.  The  colours 
then  of  the  Basset  are  heavy  tricolour,  light  tricolour, 
hair  pie,  lemon  and  white,  and  tricolour  with  blue 
mottles.  The  latter  is  particularly  pretty  and 
attractive. 

"  Having  now  dealt  with  the  question  of  points,  I 
will  give  a  few  particulars  as  to  the  introduction  of 
the  Basset  into  this  country.  The  first  note  I  have 
regarding  them  is  one  from  Lord  Galway,  who 
informed  me  some  years  ago  that  he  had  been 


508  Modern  Dogs. 


presented  with  one  or  two,  by  Comte  Tournon,  of 
Montmelas.  These  in  due  time  Lord  Galway  passed 
to  Lord  Onslow,  but  as  this  strain  is  now  extinct  I 
need  not  further  dilate  on  them  except  to  say  that 
they  were  Le  Couteulx  hounds,  far  from  inferior 
specimens,  and  all  beautifully  marked. 

"  Although  they  might  have  been  known  amongst 
those  who  had  the  personal  friendship  of  the  two 
peers  I  have  named,  to  the  general  public  they  were 
entirely  unknown,  and  it  was  not  until  the  winter  show 
at  Wolverhampton,  in  1875,  where  I  showed  Model, 
which  I  had  procured  from  the  Jardin  d'Acclima- 
tation  the  previous  year,  that  the  British  public 
had  the  opportunity  of  making  the  Basset  hound's 
acquaintance  on  the  show  bench.  Model  was  bred 
by  Comte  le  Couteulx,  and  with  Fino  de  Paris  stood 
at  stud  in  the  Jardin  d'Acclimatation  when  I  first 
saw  him,  consequently  I  had  the  pick  of  the  two 
best  hounds  France  could  then  boast  of. 

"  At  that  time  I  was  unaware  that  Lord  Onslow 
had  Bassets.  Had  I  known  this  I  would  have  asked 
his  permission  to  breed  the  dog  to  one  of  his 
bitches.  But  as  I  did  not  know  this,  and  I  could 
not  then  procure  a  bitch,  I,  on  the  advice  of  the  late 
Mr.  Lort,  began  breeding  through  a  beagle,  and  in 
the  second  generation  produced  a  winner. 

11  I  must  here  observe  that  the  difference  between 


The  Basset-Hound.  509 

the  old-fashioned  beagle  and  the  Basset  does  not 
amount  to  much  except  in  the  legs,  and  two  genera- 
tions I  found  quite  sufficient  to  reduce  the  beagles' 
legs  to  those  of  the  Bassets',  plus  the  racial 
peculiarity. 

"  In  1877,  as  Lord  Onslow  had,  through  me, 
obtained  from  Comte  le  Couteulx  a  dog  and  a  bitch, 
I  gave  up  the  beagle  line  and,  in  1878,  began  to 
breed  pure-bred  through  Garenne,  a  bitch  by  Model 
out  of  Lord  Onslow's  Finette,  which,  with  her 
brother  Fino,  he  had  imported  the  previous  year. 
In  1880  I  was  able,  through  the  use  of  that  Fino,  to 
show  in  the  first  class  given  for  Bassets  in  England, 
namely,  at  Wolverhampton. 

"  Up  to  this  date,  then,  the  only  owners  and 
breeders  of  Bassets  were  Lord  Onslow  and  myself  ; 
but  in  the  spring  of  that  year  Mr.  G.  R.  Krehl  and 
Mr.  Louis  Clement  imported  Fino  de  Paris,  Jupiter, 
Pallas,  Guinevere,  Theo,  Vivien,  and  others  which 
it  is  needless  here  to  mention.  By  1886  we  were 
able  to  place  120  on  the  bench  at  the  Dachshund 
and  Basset  show  in  the  Aquarium.  How  many 
there  are  now  in  the  country  it  would  be  difficult  to 
say,  but  the  number  is  very  large,  though  the  entries 
at  shows  are  not  as  great  as  they  might  be. 

"  To  return,  however,  to  1880,  when  Mr.  Krehl 
imported  Fino  de  Paris,  it  was  observable  that  the 


510  Modern  Dogs. 


bitches  Guinevere,  Theo,  and  Vivien  differed  some- 
what in  type  from  Fino  de  Paris.  I  have  already 
said  that  I  had  the  opportunity  of  selecting  this 
latter  hound  in  1874,  at  the  Jardin  d'Acclimatation, 
where  he  had  been  sent  by  Comte  le  Couteulx  to 
stand  at  stud,  and  I  may  now  mention  that  before 
being  sent  to  Paris  he  had  been  bred  from  ;  the 
bitches  Guinevere,  Theo,  and  Vivien  being  descended 
from  him. 

"  I  here  give  their  pedigrees  :  Trouvette  out  of 
Fino  de  Paris  by  Fanfaro  from  Ravaude  ;  Trouvette 
by  Mignarde  out  of  Fino  de  Paris  ;  Finette  out  of 
Termino ;  Mignarde  by  Finette  out  of  Termino  ; 
Finette  by  Guinevere  out  of  Theo  ;  and  Vivien  by 
Fanfare  out  of  Theo.  That  is  to  say,  Fino  de 
Paris  being  put  to  Trouvette  and  Ravaude,  produced 
from  them  respectively  Mignarde  and  Fanfaro.  He 
was  then  put  to  his  daughter  Mignarde,  producing 
Finette,  who  in  turn  was  put  to  Termino,  this 
alliance  producing  Guinevere  and  Theo  ;  the  latter, 
being  put  to  Fanfaro,  producing  Vivien. 

"  Under  these  circumstances,  and  the  inbreeding 
that  had  gone  on,  it  is  only  just  to  suppose  that  in 
the  three  bitches  I  have  named,  we  should  have 
seen  a  strong  personal  resemblance  or  a  strong 
family  type  in  them  to  that  of  Fino  de  Paris.  As  a 
matter  of  fact  they  did  not  resemble  Fino  de  Paris, 


The  Basset-Hound.  51 


but  had  a  common  type  amongst  themselves,  which 
was  doubtless  inherited  from  their  sire,  and  in  the 
case  of  Vivien,  grandsire,  namely,  Termino.  Conse- 
quently, I  can  only  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  breeder,  from  whom  these  hounds  were  im- 
ported, being  desirous  of  an  outcross  after  the 
inbreeding  to  Fino  de  Paris,  put  Finette  to  Termino, 
and  returned  the  produce  again  to  a  son  of  the  old 
dog. 

"  What  Termino  was,  or  how  he  was  bred,  remains 
an  unfathomable  mystery,  notwithstanding  the  fact 
that  I  have  made  every  inquiry  ;  but  it  appears  to  me 
reasonable  to  suppose  that  he  was  either  a  large 
Basset  a  Jambes  Droites,  or  one  of  the  smaller  chiens 
courants,  and  for  this  reason,  viz.,  the  offspring 
Guinevere  and  Theo  could  hardly  be  called  Bassets 
a  Jambes  Torses,  while  Vivien,  got  by  one  of  Fino 
de  Paris'  sons,  was  correctly  described  as  such. 

"  Now  the  reason  1  have  largely  entered  into  this 
question  of  breeding  in  France  is  for  the  following 
cause  :  When  Fino  de  Paris  and  the  three  bitches 
were  imported  here  he  was  put  to  Guinevere,  and 
of  this  litter  we  had  two  well-known  hounds,  viz., 
Fino  V.  and  Bourbon.  Fino  V.  was  almost  a 
counterpart  of  his  sire,  while  Bourbon  took  after  his 
mother's  side  of  the  house,  and  resembled  the  three 
bitches  I  have  named. 


512  Modern  Dogs. 


"  Again,  Fino  V.,  on  being  put  to  Vivien,  produced 
another  hound  of  Fino  de  Paris's  type,  viz.,  Fino  VI.  ; 
whilst  the  same  bitch,  on  being  put  to  Bourbon,  gave 
birth  to  D'Aumale  and  Chopette,  who  were  clearly 
of  a  totally  different  stamp  to  Fino  de  Paris,  and 
resembled  Bourbon  and  the  three  bitches.  As  a 
result,  I  think  there  can  be  but  little  doubt  that 
Termino  was  the  cause  of  this  difference,  and  what 
that  difference  is  I  will  now  explain. 

"  The  Fino  de  Paris  hounds  take  after  their 
prototype,  Fino  de  Paris.  They  are  very  heavily 
marked,  except  when  lemon  and  white ;  they  are 
much  coarser  in  the  coat  than  the  Terminos ;  they 
are,  as  a  rule,  larger  and  heavier  in  the  bone ;  and, 
finally,  they  are  nearer  to  the  ground  and  exceed- 
ingly torse  in  front. 

"  The  Terminos  differ  where  I  have  already 
pointed  out,  and,  in  addition,  their  skulls  are  not 
so  domed  and  their  markings  are  more  regular — 
white  playing  a  much  larger  part  in  the  marking 
than  in  the  Fino  de  Paris.  In  addition,  their  coats 
are  much  finer,  shorter,  and  they  are  not  built  on 
such  heavy  lines. 

M  The  most  successful  breeders  in  this  country 
have  been  Lord  Onslow,  Mr.  Krehl,  Mr.  Craven, 
Mrs.  Stokes,  and  Mrs.  Ellis,  of  Brettenham  Park, 
Billesden,  the  latter  for  the  past  few  years  having 


The  Basset-Hound.  513 

carried  all  before  her.  Putting  aside  Lord  Onslow, 
who  has  been  away  and  given  up  Bassets  for 
some  years,  it  might  be  interesting  to  note,  from 
.a  breeder's  point  of  view,  the  gradual  development 
of  this  hound  to  modern  times,  from  the  mating  of 
Fino  de  Paris  and  Trouvette,  in  France,  something 
like  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago. 

"  In  doing  this,  I  shall  apply  myself  to  the 
Fino  de  Paris  type  alone,  since  the  Bourbon 
is  all  but  extinguished ;  and,  having  done  so, 
I  will  ask  the  reader  to  believe  that  type  cannot 
be  got  unless  we  inbreed,  and  that  inbreeding 
does  not  necessarily  deteriorate  stock  if  properly 
carried  out. 

"  To  prove  this,  I  give  the  names  of  the  following 
hounds,  and  how  they  are  inbred  to  the  Fino  de 
Paris  :  Mignarde,  ^  ;  Finette,  f  ;  Guinevere,  f  ; 
Fino  V.'  H;  Fino  VI.,  if;  Forester,  ff ;  Paris, 
tW  ;  and  Xitta,  Hf. 

"  What  I  show  here  is  the  direct  succession  from 
father  to  son  or  daughter,  in  all,  eight  generations  of 
hounds.  Under  normal  circumstances,  had  they 
been  bred  '  anyhow,'  these  hounds  would  begin  at 
Mignarde  with  two  parents,  one  of  which  was  Fino 
de  Paris,  and  finish  at  Xitta  with  no  less  than  258. 
By  inbreeding,  starting  with  Finette,  she  has  two, 
Guinevere  has  three,  Fino  V.  has  the  same  number, 

[VOL.  i.]  L    L 


Modern  Dogs. 


Fino  VI.  has  four,  Forester  has  seven,  Paris  has 
eight,  and  Xitta  has  the  same  number. 

"  In  all,  except  Guinevere,  the  defunct  Fino  de 
Paris  might  almost  have  been  their  real  sire,  and, 
as  a  standing  proof  of  the  necessity  of  inbreeding, 
the  only  one  that  did  not  resemble  him  was  Guinevere, 
who  has  not  the  amount  of  blood  necessary. 

"  To  anyone  interested  in  the  study  of  breeding, 
and  especially  breeding  for  individual  type,  I  re- 
commend them  most  strongly  to  get  the  Basset 
Hound  Stud  Book  and  work  out  the  blood  factors  of 
the  hounds  there  inscribed.  On  comparing  them 
with  past  show  reports  and  the  hounds  now  on 
the  bench,  they  will  without  any  difficulty  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  there  is  not  a  hound  in  this 
country  worth  the  biscuits  it  is  fed  on,  or  can 
show  the  Fino  de  Paris  type,  that  is  not  bred  upon 
the  lines  I  have  shown  these  generations  to  be. 

"  My  recollections  of  Fino  de  Paris  are  not  such 
as  will  entitle  me  to  describe  him  very  accurately, 
but  I  may  say  this — viz.,  that  I  do  not  believe, 
grand  hound  as  he  was,  that  he  could  have  com- 
pared favourably  with  the  hounds  that  are  on 
the  bench  to-day  ;  and,  furthermore,  that  France 
could  not  show  a  class  of  such  character  and  type 
as  we  can  bring  together.  The  proof  of  this 
latter  statement  is  to  be  found  in  the  somewhat 


The  Basset-Hound.  515 

plaintive  remark  of  a  well-known  French  sportsman, 
who  visits  this  country  regularly,  viz. :  '  If  we  had 
known  what  you  could  produce  from  Fino  de  Paris, 
he  would  never  have  left  the  Jardin  d'Acclimata- 
tion!' 

"  It  will  no  doubt  be  interesting  to  note  the 
methods  by  which  Mrs.  Ellis,  alluded  to  earlier 
on,  contrived  to  obtain  such  a  kennel  that  until 
lately  she  possessed.  If  my  memory  serves  me 
aright,  Mrs.  Ellis  bought  her  first  Basset — a  small 
bitch,  named  Venus  II.,  by  Champion  Jupiter  ex 
Venus — at  the  Warwick  Show  of  1886,  and,  by 
mating  this  bitch  with  Champion  Fino  VI.  in  1887, 
Champion  Psyche  II.  resulted.  In  1889  she  bred 
Champion  Paris,  Champion  Xena,  Napoleon  II., 
and  Miriam,  from  Psyche  II.  by  Forester;  and  in 
the  same  year  had  another  litter  from  Champion 
Fino  VI.  and  Venus  II.,  of  which  Cupid  II.  is  a 
representative.  In  1891,  from  Paris  and  Venus  II., 
I  sola  and  Marvel  were  produced  ;  whilst,  from  the 
union  of  Forester  and  Xena,  Zero  and  Xitta  were 
obtained.  Again,  in  1892,  a  younger  litter  of 
brothers  and  sisters  to  Champion  Xena  and  Paris, 
made  their  appearance,  to  be  heard  of  in  the  show* 
ring  when  their  time  comes. 

"  However,    leaving    them    for    a    moment,    and 
forgetting  entirely  that  in  1890  Mrs.  Ellis  acquired 

L  i.   2 


516  Modern  Dogs. 


by  purchase  Champion  Forester,  such  a  trio  as 
Paris,  Xena,  and  Isola  would  make  the  reputation 
of  any  kennel.  Starting,  as  Mrs.  Ellis  did,  in  such 
a  humble  way,  it  only  proves  what  can  be  done  by 
sheer  perseverance,  and,  if  I  may  say  so,  a  singular 
capacity  for  successful  mating  of  hounds,  the 
progeny  of  such  unions  producing  animals  of  the 
highest  type.  At  the  time  when  Mrs.  Ellis  had  not 
only  the  above,  but  Champion  Psyche,  Champion 
Forester,  and  others,  it  is  manifest  her  kennel 
was  invincible.  Towards  the  close  of  1892  it  was 
rumoured  that  her  hounds  would  be  no  longer 
at  the  service  of  the  public.  Had  this  rumour 
proved  correct  it  is  difficult  to  say  exactly  what 
it  would  have  meant  to  the  breeders  of  Basset 
hounds,  for,  if  we  except  Mr.  Lord  and  Mr.  Musson, 
no  one  has  a  single  dog  fit  to  take  the  place  of 
champions  Forester  and  Paris.  That  the  public 
know  this  is  seen  in  the  fact  that,  with  two  ex- 
ceptions, every  new  face  of  merit  seen  on  the 
benches  in  1892  was  sired  by  these  two  hounds. 

"  I  shall  say  but  a  few  words  concerning  the  Lane 
hounds,  as  they  are  now  in  their  purity  extinct 
in  this  country.  Like  the  Le  Couteulx,  they  were 
started  by  the  gentleman  whose  name  they  bear, 
Mons.  Lane,  of  Francqueville,  near  Boos.  They  are 
as  a  race  bigger  and  heavier  than  the  Le  Couteulx, 


The  Basset-Hound.  517 

and  lighter  in  colour,  many  of  them  being  lemon  and 
whites.  It  is,  however,  in  their  heads  that  we  find 
the  greatest  difference,  since  the  skin  is  tighter ; 
the  eyes  more  prominent  and  yellow,  which  gives 
them  a  wild  appearance ;  the  lips,  too,  are  cut 
sharply  away,  and  they  appear  to  lack  the  great 
flews  which  give  such  stately  dignity  to  the  Le 
Couteulx,  as  bred  in  this  country.  Their  ears, 
however,  set  on  very  low,  are  of  great  length, 
though  they  do  not  curl  so  nicely  inwards,  some 
hounds  having  them,  as  it  were,  plastered  to  the  side 
of  the  head. 

11  Their  first  appearance  was  in  1880,  when  Mr. 
Krehl  imported  two  bitches  ;  but  they  have  never 
taken  in  this  country,  and  have  solely  been  used  for 
crossing  and  outbreeding  where  size  and  ear  are 
desired.  I  shall  therefore  say  no  more  about  them, 
as  nowadays  they  are  extinct  with  us,,  no  pure 
specimens  having  ever  been  born  over  here. 


THE    BASSET   GRIFFON. 

"  Some  twenty  years  ago,  when  I  was  at  school 
in  Paris,  I  used  frequently  to  adjourn  to  a  dog 
dealer's,  whose  shop  still  exists  close  to  the  Arc  de 
Triomphe.  I  was  there  last  year,  and  on  asking 
Mons.  Ravry  if  he  could  find  me  a  couple  of  Basset 


518  Modern  Dogs. 


Griffons,  such  as  he  used  to  keep  years  ago,  he 
informed  me  that  he  could  not,  unless  I  put  my  hand 
very  deeply  into  my  pocket.  These  hounds  were 
like  otterhounds  in  form  and  texture  of  coat,  like- 
wise of  the  same  colour,  and  quite  as  big  as  the 
largest  smooth  coated  Bassets  over  here.  About 
1874 — 1875  I  used  to  see  a  similar  type  of  hound 
in  the  variety  class  at  our  leading  shows,  owned 
first  by  Dr.  Seton,  and  then  by  the  Rev.  Js  C. 
Macdona.  This  hound  is  registered  in  the  Kennel 
Club  Stud  Book  as  Romano,  and  a  very  handsome 
specimen  he  was  ;  a  hard  coated,  workmanlike  dog, 
brown-grey  grizzle  in  colour,  and  always  admired  by 
the  hunting  men  who  saw  him  either  on  the  bench 
or  in  the  ring. 

11  Since  then  I  have  never  seen  a  hound  like 
Romano  in  type  and  size,  except  Mrs.  Ellis's  Rocket, 
which,  though  not  of  exactly  quite  the  same 
character,  comes  nearer  to  that  mentioned  above 
than  the  smaller  varieties,  which  might  pass  better 
as  rough-coated  dachshunds  than  do  duty  at  our 
shows  as  Basset  griffons. 

"  In  the  last  class  of  these  hounds  which  I  had 
the  pleasure  of  inspecting  there  were  no  less  than 
four  types,  and  if  we  included  those  owned  by  His 
Royal  Highness  the  Prince  of  Wales,  I  may,  I 
think,  correctly  state  that  there  are  five  different 


The  Basset-Hound.  519 

types  of  Basset  griffons  in  this  country  at  the 
present  moment. 

4<  Now,  far  be  it  from  me  to  run  down  any  of  these 
types,  or  say  that  one  is  better  than  the  other,  but  I 
will  say,  as  I  said  at  the  commencement  of  this 
article,  that  in  France  there  are  any  number  of 
types  of  Bassets  to  choose  from  ;  and,  while  we  in 
the  smooth-coated  variety  chose  the  grandest  of  all 
the  types,  and  have  brought  it  to  perfection,  our 
Griffon  brother  fanciers  have  not  gone  about  their 
business  in  the  same  fashion,  and  have  certainly  not 
obtained  the  c rente  de  la  creme  of  Basset  griffons. 
I  have  seen  many  of  them,  and  for  type  and  quality 
it  appears  to  me  that  those  from  Vendee  are  the 
biggest,  handsomest,  and  best  fitted  for  the  work 
they  have  to  do.  They  are,  as  I  have  described, 
such  as  those  I  used  to  see  at  Mons.  Ravry's,  and 
are  just  as  low  to  the  ground  as  their  smooth-coated 
brethren. 

"A  splendid  field  is  open  to  any  admirer  of  the 
Basset  griffon  who  has  time  and  patience  to  search 
for  specimens,  and  I  hope  before  long  to  see  some 
of  them  on  our  show  benches." 

Since  his  first  introduction  the  Basset-hound  has 
progressed,  but,  although  his  head  and  expression 
are,  as  a  rule,  almost  handsome,  and  perhaps  more 
beautiful  than  are  to  be  found  on  any  other  hound, 


520  Modern  Dogs. 


his  unduly  long  body  and  crooked  legs  are,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  dachshund,  likely  to  prevent  his  ever 
being  a  popular  idol.  Still  he  has  many  admirers, 
for  he  is  a  quiet  sensible  hound,  and  an  attractive 
one  likewise.  As  a  companion  he  is  affectionate, 
but  his  short  legs  and  heavy  body  make  him  less 
adapted  for  outdoor  exercise  than  many  other 
varieties  of  the  dog,  especially  when  the  roads  and 
streets  are  dirty,  and  where  he  is  kept  in  the  house. 
A  Basset-hound  can  take  more  mud  into  a  drawing- 
room  than  a  giant  St.  Bernard  or  a  mastiff,  and 
sometimes  he  possesses  a  rather  strong  odour  of 
the  kennels.  However,  kept  clean  and  nicely 
groomed,  his  expression  and  gaudy  markings  are 
sure  to  attract  attention  anywhere,  and  he  is  not  so 
quarrelsome  as  our  own  hounds. 

During  the  period  of  his  naturalisation  with  us,  he 
has  in  several  instances  been  used  for  hare  hunting, 
and  packs  of  Bassets  for  that  purpose  have  from 
time  to  time  been  formed.  An  excellent  pack  has 
for  some  seasons  given  good  sport  round  about 
Brighton,  their  kennels  being  at  Aldington,  West 
Brighton,  Mr.  Croker  being  the  huntsman.  Last 
year  these  Bassets,  amongst  other  good  runs,  had  a 
hare  before  them  for  three  hours,  when  hounds  were 
called  off. 

At  Wallasey,  near   Birkenhead,  there    was,  until 


The  Basset-Hound.  521 

the  spring  of  1892,  another  pack  of  Bassets,  but 
owing  to  a  difficulty  in  getting  country  to  hunt  it  was 
discontinued.  Mr.  Heseltine,  from  Walhampton, 
Boldre,  Hampshire,  has  twelve  couples  of  Bassets, 
with  which  many  first  rate  runs  have  been  had,  and 
last  year  about  a  dozen  hares  were  killed.  One 
part  of  the  season  the  meets  are  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  New  Forest,  and  later,  hounds  remove 
to  near  Cambridge,  where  the  season  finishes. 
Considerable  pains  are  taken  to  perfect  the  work 
both  with  the  Walhampton  and  the  Brighton 
Bassets,  and  the  former  have  two  whips,  the 
Marquis  of  Camden  and  Mr.  O.  H.  Dickson 

At  Norly  Hall,  Frodsham,  Cheshire,  Mr.  A.  L. 
Woodhouse  has  a  smart  lot  of  hounds — four  and 
a  half  couple  of  dogs  and  three  and  a  half  couple  of 
bitches — with  which  he  and  his  friends  have  excel- 
lent sport,  killing  three  or  four  hares  a  season, 
although  their  country  is  not  extensive  nor  particu- 
larly good  for  the  purpose,  and  hounds  are  seldom 
out  more  than  once  a  week.  By  far  the  most 
typical  pack  is  that  of  the  Melbourne  (Australian) 
Basset  Hunt  Club,  of  which  Mr.  J.  C.  Anderson  is 
master.  I  need  scarcely  say  that  this  pack  was 
established  by  drafts  from  this  country,  and  it 
includes  a  number  of  specially  good  hounds  that 
were  given  to  the  hunt  by  Mr.  E.  Millais.  At  the 


522  Modern  Dogs. 


Melbourne  dog  shows  these  Bassets  have  proved  a 
.great  attraction.  The  usual  mode  of  following 
Basset  hounds  is  on  foot,  and  by  so  doing  some 
excellent  hunting  is  seen.  It  seems  really  wonderful 
how  quickly  the  heavily-bodied,  short-legged  hounds 
get  over  the  ground. 

There  are  some  earnest  sportsmen  who  prefer 
hunting  the  hare  with  the  Basset  rather  than  with 
the  Beagle  or  Harrier  With  the  former,  those  on 
foot  are  certainly  likely  to  see  more  of  the  run,  and 
have,  if  their  lungs  be  sound  and  their  legs  strong, 
a  very  good  chance  of  being  in  at  the  death,  though 
the  chase  may  last  a  couple  of  hours  or  more. 
Harriers  would  kill  a  similar  "  jack  hare"  in  less 
than  half  an  hour.  Small  beagles  might  perform 
the  same  feat  in  an  hour  or  so.  The  latter  are 
certainly  the  brighter  and  merrier  hunters,  and 
possess  a  greater  amount  of  dash  anH  go  than 
the  short-legged,  heavily-bodied  hounds  ;  the  latter, 
perhaps,  excelling  in  voice.  I  do  not  think  the 
Basset  more  painstaking  and  careful  on  a  cold  line 
than  the  Beagle. 

The  Field  from  time  to  time  gives  accounts  of 
runs  with  Basset-hounds,  and  some  of  those  with 
the  Sussex  pack  appear  to  have  been  particu- 
larly satisfactory.  The  Basset  has  a  particularly 
fine  voice,  the  tone  of  some  of  them  almost  as 


The  Basset- Hound.  523 

lovely  as  that  the  otter-hound  can  produce.  He 
is  slow  on  scent,  and,  of  course,  his  long  body  and 
short  crooked  legs  quite  put  him  out  of  court  as 
likely  to  be  of  use  in  a  stone  wall  country. 

A  pack  can  kill  a  hare  well  enough,  but  after 
the  fox  such  hounds  would  not  be  of  the  slightest 
use  ;  and  even  after  the  hare  the  Bassets  require  to 
be  on  an  easy  country,  where  the  fences  are  few  and 
the  hills  neither  too  steep  nor  too  rough.  On  the 
Continent  the  various  strains  of  the  Basset-hound 
are  used  for  beating  and  working  the  coverts,  being 
utilised  exactly  in  the  same  way  as  we  in  this  country 
work  spaniels,  and,  in  a  few  cases,  beagles. 

There  is  a  Basset  Hound  Club  in  England, 
which  was  established  in  1883,  an<^>  by  providing 
special  prizes  at  various  exhibitions,  in  many  cases 
classes  are  placed  in  the  schedule  which,  under 
ordinary  conditions,  would  not  be  found  there. 
Personally  I  have  never  owned  a  Basset.  I  have 
admired  them,  and  recollect  how  favourably  I  was 
struck  with  the  appearance  of  a  team  that  Mr. 
Everett  Millais  showed  at  Wolverhampton  about 
thirteen  years  ago,  and  alluded  to  earlier  in  this 
chapter.  They  were  little  known  then,  but  certainly 
on  that  occasion  formed  one  of  the  features  of  an 
interesting  provincial  show.  Since  that  time  (and 
before)  Mr.  Millais  has  perhaps  taken  more  interest 


524  Modern  Dogs. 


in  the  Basset  than  any  other  Englishman,  and  may 
be  considered  the  British  authority  on  the  variety, 
so  no  doubt  what  he  has  so  kindly  supplied  will 
prove  a  valuable  contribution  on  the  subject. 

Our  typical  Basset  hound  has  been  fully  described 
earlier  in  this  chapter.  The  club  which  looks  after 
his  welfare  has  not  had  any  special  scale  of  points 
drawn  up,  and  in  the  absence  of  such  I  have  com- 
piled the  following  : 

Head     (including    ex-  Loins  and  hindquarters     1 5 

pression,  skull,  &c.)     20          Stern 

Ears    15 


Shoulders,    chest,    and 

neck    10 

Legs  and  feet 15 

60 


Coat     5 

Colour 5 

Character  10 


40 


Grand   Total    100. 


Weight,  dogs  from  4olb.  to  481b.  ;  bitches  about 
5lb.  less. 


H 


CHAPTER     XXIX. 


THE   DACHSHUND 

\\UiETHKR  we  shall  ever  get  another  dog  from  tru- 
Continent   that,    within   so  few    years,    has    spread: 
multiplied,  and  become  so  much  one  of  ourselves  ; 
the  dachshund,  is  an  open  question.     His  disposition 
was  genial,  his  habits  were  of  the  best,  hut  he  was 
quaint  in  look,  and  if  not  so  autocratic  iu*  appear 
anre  a$  &}?  B-  behind  his  ma*t#?  i>r 

mistress,"  with   all    the    airs    that    follow    b^  •  f& 
conveying  an  impression  that  h<*  ^lo*?*-  I**,,    -*>*• 

l^,    i>  .  -~  **    ;Vjt    «i 

tigh 

guard,"    he  wa 
so  soft  and  veh< 
and  stroke  hrm  ti 
Dinmont  terrier  or 
TO  be  brougi. 

! 


ana 

IS  skin   was 
anter  to  feel 


und 
link 


526  Modern  Dogs. 


With  such  qualifications  he  soon  became  a 
favourite,  and  from  being  represented  in  couples  in 
the  variety  class  at  our  dog  shows  he  speedily 
appeared  in  scores,  and  had,  as  he  has  now,  many 
separate  divisions  provided  for  him — challenge  cups, 
and  other  valuable  prizes,  and  a  specialist  club  to 
look  after  his  welfare  to  boot.  These  remarks,  and 
subsequent  ones,  are  in  connection  with  the  smooth- 
coated  little  hound  as  we  acknowledge  him,  and  do 
not  include  the  rough-haired  variety  that  has 
occasionally  been  seen  here,  and  is  pretty  common 
in  some  parts  of  the  German  Empire. 

Who  was  responsible  for  bringing  the  first  dachs- 
hund to  England  I  do  not  know,  any  more  than  I 
am  acquainted  with  the  particulars  of  the  origin  of 
the  dog  itself.  Some  sporting  men  of  the  old 
school  have  said  he  was  nothing  more  than  the 
common  turnspit,  which  the  cooks  of  their  grand- 
parents had  used  in  their  kitchens  to  turn  the  spit 
in  which  their  joints  and  geese  and  turkeys  were 
roasted.  Perhaps  there  had  been  some  connection 
between  the  two  breeds  ;  there  was  a  resemblance, 
for  both  had  short  crooked  legs  and  unduly  long 
bodies,  but  the  cooks'  dogs  were  seldom  whole 
coloured,  as  is  pretty  nearly  always  the  case  with 
the  dachshund,  at  least  with  our  British  variety. 

No  doubt  either  the  dachshund  himself,  or  a  dog 


The  Dachshund.  527 


very  like  him,  perhaps  it  was  the  turnspit,  was 
known  in  the  East  long  before  the  Christian  era. 
Old  Egyptian  and  Assyrian  sculptures,  some  of 
them  2000  B.C.,  depict  a  dog  much  after  his  stamp, 
but  whether  he  was  then  used  as  a  sporting  dog  or 
as  a  companion,  or  to  assist  in  culinary  operations, 
we  are  not  told,  all  we  know  is  that  at  the  court  of 
King  Thothmes  III.  he  was  a  favourite.  Since 
that  period  he  has  undergone  many  modifications. 
Even  within  the  past  quarter  of  a  century,  since  his 
association  with  our  English  dogs,  his  character 
has  changed  somewhat.  In  Germany,  Belgium,  and 
other  parts  of  the  Continent,  from  whence  he  came 
to  us,  he  is  used  as  a  sporting  dog,  to  draw7  or  drive 
the  fox  and  badger,  but  here  he  is  for  the  most  part 
used  as  a  companion  and  for  exhibition  purposes, 
and  his  rapid  growth  to  popularity  is  evidence  of 
his  excellence  in  both  respects.  Still,  even  our 
English  dachshunds  will  do  their  work  well  when 
properly  trained  to  the  duty. 

Comparatively  few  of  our  dachshunds  have  any 
chance  of  showing  how  good  they  are  at  sport. 
If  properly  entered  they  have  no  equals  at  their 
legitimate  game  of  going  to  ground  to  fox  and 
badger,  when  the  latter  have  to  be  dug  out.  I  do 
not  for  a  moment  suggest  that  he  will  bolt  a  hunted 
fox  as  quickly  as  a  huntsman's  terrier — that  is  not  his 


528  Modern  Dogs. 


game.  All  the  dachshund  professes  to  do  is  to  find 
the  fox  or  badger  in  his  earth  and  remain  there 
until  you  can  dig  to  him.  He  makes  no  attempt  to 
fight  or  attack  the  "varmint,"  but  simply  barks  at  it 
incessantly.  Then  if  the  game  does  turn  his  back 
upon  his  plucky  little  opponent,  the  latter  imme- 
diately proceeds  to  business  by  a  fierce  attack  in 
the  rear,  which  is  discontinued  when  the  game  turns 
again  and  faces  the  hound. 

This  description  of  work,  of  course,  enables  the 
hunters  to  dig  with  great  accuracy  in  the  direction 
the  fox  or  badger  lies,  and  the  wary  dachshund  is 
rarely  badly  hurt,  whereas  the  terrier  that  gets  to 
close  quarters  with  a  badger,  in  his  natural  earth, 
will,  as  a  rule,  get  terribly  mauled.  Still,  I  have  had 
fox  terriers  that  would  bark  and  bark  until  the  game 

o 

budged,  but  this  barking  is  not  always  good  enough 
to  drive  a  fox,  and  under  no  circumstances  will  it 
send  either  otter  or  badger  into  open.  Particulars 
of  a  few  day's  sport  with  dachshunds  appear  at  the 
end  of  this  chapter. 

Wh^n  duly  entered  the  dachshund  makes  an 
excellent  line  hunter,  and  Mr.  Harry  Jones,  of 
Ipswich,  tells  me  that  his  bitch  Juliet  was  regularly 
hunted  with  a  pack  of  Basset-hounds,  and  was 
about  the  most  reliable  of  the  lot.  Of  course, 
one  has  not  to  go  further  for  an  instance  of  the 


The  Dachshund.  529 


general  gameness  of  the  dachshund  race  than  the 
trials  with  them  on  the  Continent  at  both  foxes  and 
badger,  which  the  best  dogs  have  to  treat  much  in 
the  same  manner  as  our  terriers  have  to  do  here  on 
certain  occasions.  It  is  quite  the  custom  for  such 
trials  to  be  arranged  at  certain  dog  shows  in  Belgium 
and  Germany  for  the  delectation  of  English  visitors, 
who,  however,  do  not  as  a  rule  take  particularly 
kindly  to  what  some  persons  consider  a  high  branch 
of  sport. 

About  the  period  when  the  dachshund  was  gaining 
its  popularity  here,  considerable  correspondence  about 
him  took  place  in  the  Field  as  to  what  he  was  and 
what  he  was  not,  and,  if  I  make  no  mistake,  Mr. 
Barclay  Hanbury,Mr.  John  Fisher  (Cross  Hill,  Leeds), 
and  others,  gave  their  opinions  on  the  subject.  How- 
ever, notwithstanding  the  complications  likely  to 
ensue  on  the  introduction  of  a  new  breed,  especially 
when  one  authority  quoted  Dr.  Fitzinger,  who  said 
there  were  twelve  varieties  of  the  dachshund — a 
statement  fortunately  qualified  by  the  remark  that 
they  were  mostly  cross-bred — all  went  well.  In  due 
course  something  like  the  correct  article  was  fixed 
upon,  and  from  that  we  have  our  dogs  of  the  present 
time.  As  a  fact  I  see  less  discrepancy  in  the  type  of 
the  modern  dachshund  than  is  to  be  noticed  in  some 
other  purely  English  braeds — the  fox  terrier,  to  wit. 

[VOL.  i.]  M    M 


53°  Modern  Dogs. 


Although  some  of  our  best  dogs  are  accepted  by 
German  authorities  as  excellent  specimens,  still  our 
British  breeders  have  in  a  degree  struck  out  a  line  of 
their  own,  and  where,  on  the  Continent  at  any  rate, 
two  varieties  were  acknowledged,  the  hound  type 
and  the  terrier  type,  here  a  happy  medium  has  been 
struck,  and  the  handsome  dog  now  seen  on  our 
show  benches  is  the  result.  I  have  a  large 
amount  of  information  as  to  the  work  and  general 
description  of  the  quaint  little  dog  as  he  is  seen  in 
Germany,  and  where  he  divides  national  favouritism 
with  the  Great  Dane,  but  I  fancy,  in  a  book 
dealing  with  British  dogs  alone  (and  those  that 
we  have  made  such  by  fancy  or  manipulation)  it 
will  be  best  not  to  trespass  on  foreign  ground. 
The  Germans  especially  do  well  by  their  favourite 
dog,  and  the  Dachshund  Stud  Book  published  by 
them  is  certainly,  for  completeness  and  tasteful 
elaboration,  ahead  of  anything  we  publish  in  this 
country.  As  an  instance  of  what  is  done  in  this 
particular,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  where  the  dog 
alluded  to  is  red  in  colour,  particulars  of  him  are 
printed  in  red  ink,  and  where  he  is  black  and  tan 
the  usual  black  ink  is  used.  The  same  arrangement 
applies  to  the  portraits  of  dogs,  with  which  the 
pages  of  this  Stud  Book  are  thickly  interspersed. 

Some  twenty  years  ago  Herr  Beckmann,  one  of 


The  Dachshund. 


the   German   authorities,   dealing  with    the  different 
types  of  the  breed,  wrote  as  follows  : 

Having  concentrated  all  varieties  of  the  badger  dog  to  one 
single  class — the  crook-legged,  short-haired  dog,  with  head  neither 
hound  nor  terrier  like,  weight  from  i81b.  to  2olb.,  colour  black-tan 
and  its  variations — we  shall  still  meet  many  varying  forms.  With 
some  attention  we  shall  soon  distinguish  the  common  breed  and 
the  well  or  high-bred  dachshund.  The  first  is  a  stout,  strong- 
boned,  muscularly  built  dog,  with  large  head  and  strong  teeth  ; 
the  back  not  much  arched,  sometimes  even  straight ;  tail  long  and 
heavy  ;  forelegs  strong  and  regularly  formed  ;  the  head  and  tail 
often  appear  to  be  too  large  in  the  dog ;  the  hair  is  rather  coarse, 
thick-set,  short,  and  wiry,  lengthened  at  the  underside  of  the  tail, 
without  forming  a  brush  or  feather,  and  covering  a  good  deal  of 
the  belly.  These  dogs  are  good  workmen,  and  are  less  affected 
by  weather  than  high-bred  ones ;  but  they  are  very  apt  to  exceed 
i81b.  and  even  2olb.  weight,  and  soon  get  fat  if  not  worked 
frequently.  From  this  common  breed  originates  the  well  and 
high-bred  dog,  which  may  at  any  time  be  produced  again  from  it 
by  careful  selection  and  inbreeding  without  any  cross.  The  well 
and  high-bred  dog  is  smaller  in  size,  finer  in  bone,  more  elegantly 
built,  and  seldom  exceeds  i61b.  to  i/lb.  weight;  the  thin,  slight 
tapering  tail  is  only  of  medium  length  ;  the  hair  is  very  short, 
glossy  like  silk,  but  not  soft ;  the  under  part  of  the  body  is  very 
thin  haired,  rendering  these  nervous  and  high  spirited  dogs  rather 
sensitive  to  wet  ground  and  rain.  These  two  breeds  are  seldom 
met  with  in  their  purity,  the  vast  majority  of  dachshunds  in 
Germany  ranging  between  the  two,  and  differing  in  shape  very 
much,  as  they  are  more  or  less  well-bred  or  neglected.  In  this 
third  large  group  we  still  meet  with  many  good  and  useful  dogs, 
but  also  all  those  aberrant  forms,  with  pig  snouts  and  short  under 
jaws,  apple-headed  skulls,  deep  set  or  staring  eyes,  short  necks, 
wheel  backs,  ring  tails,  fore-legs  joining  at  the  knees,  and  long 
hind  legs  bent  too  much  in  the  stifles  and  hocks. 

M    M    2 


532  Modern  Dogs. 


That  we  have  not  the  latter  in  this  country  can 
with  truth  be  stated,  and  I  think  the  majority  of  the 
best  dogs  with  us  now  will  quite  equal  the  standard 
of  the  best  as  laid  down  by  Germany's  great 
authority. 

So  far  as  my  judgment  goes,  English  breeders 
like  Mr.  W.  Arkwright,  Mr.  M.  Wootten,  Mr.  A.  W. 
Byron,  Mr.  H.  Jones,  Mr.  A.  O.  Mudie,  Mr.  H.  A. 
Walker,  Captain  and  Mrs.  Barry,  and  others,  have 
produced  dachshunds  quite  equal  to  any  that  have 
appeared  of  late  years  at  the  leading  Continental 
exhibitions,  although,  naturally,  more  specimens  are 
bred  there  than  with  us. 

I  have  been  favoured  with  the  following  critical 
summary  and  history  of  most  of  the  best  dogs  that 
have  appeared  in  the  show  ring  in  this  country,  and, 
being  compiled  by  one  of  our  most  earnest  admirers 
of  the  breed,  Mr.  Harry  Jones,  no  further  guarantee 
of  its  value  need  be  given.  He  says : 

The  first  dachshunds  that  are  recorded  'as  winning  prizes  in 
England  were  Mr.  H.  Corbet's  Carl  and  Grete ;  when  at  Birming- 
ham in  1866,  they  were  each  awarded  a  prize  in  the  "  Extra  class 
for  any  known  breed  of  sporting  dogs."  And  in  these  "  extra  " 
classes,  all  dachshunds  had  to  compete  until  the  show  held  at  the 
Crystal  Palace  in  June,  1873,  when,  for  the  first  time,  a  class  was 
given  for  the  breed,  and  the  winners  on  this  occasion  were  Mr.. 
Hodge's  Erdmann,  ist;  Rev.  G.  F.  Lovell's  Satan,  2nd  ;  and  Hon. 
Gerald  Lascelles'  Schnaps,  3rd;  but  from  1866  to  1873,  dachs- 
hunds, whenever  exhibited,  were  invariably  winners  in  these 


The  Dachshund.  533 


"  extra ''  classes,  the  chief  winners  being  Mr.  Fisher's  Feldmann, 
Mr.  Seton's  Dachs,  Rev.  G.  F.  Lovell's  Satan  and  Mouse,  and  the 
Karl  of  Onslow's  Waldmann.  Birmingham  gave  a  separate  class  in 

1873,  tne  winners  being  Mr.  Fisher's  Feldmann  ist,  and  the  Hon. 
Gerald  Lascelles'  Schnaps   2nd ;  this  was  a  good  class  of  fifteen 
entries,  and  they  were  judged  by  the  late  Mr.  Lort. 

At  the  Kennel  Club  Show,  held  at  the  Crystal  Palace  in  June, 

1874,  two  classes  were  given,  "  Red  "  and  "  Other  than  red,"  and 
separate  divisions  were  given  during  the  year  at  Pomona  Gardens, 
Manchester,  at  Nottingham,  and   at   Belle   Vue    Gardens,    Man- 
chester ;  whilst  at  Birmingham  two  classes  were  given,  "  Red  "  and 
"other  than  Red,"  when  Mr.  Bass's  Slap  was  ist,  and  Rev.  G.  F. 
Lovell's  Mouse  2nd  in  reds,  and  Mr.  Hodge's  Erdmann  ist,  and 
Hon.  Miss  E.  Strutt's  Thekla  2nd  in  the  other  than  red  class. 

At  the  Kennel  Club  Show  at  the  Crystal  Palace  in  June,  1875, 
Prince  Albert  Solms  judged  the  dachshunds  and  the  classes  were 
divided  into  "  Black  and  tan  "  and  "  Other  than  black  and  tan," 
and  there  were  thirty  entries  in  the  two.  In  the  first  named 
class  H.R.H.  the  Prince  of  Wales  won  first  with  Deurstich,  a  dog 
five  years  old,  bred  at  Sandringham,  and  the  dam  of  Marguerite, 
the  second  prize  winner,  was  bred  by  Her  Majesty  the  Queen.  In 
the  second  class,  the  Duke  of  Hamilton  won  with  Badger,  a  nice 
red  puppy  eleven  months  old,  bred  by  himself,  and  the  Rev.  G.  F. 
Lovell  was  second  with  Pixie,  a  red  bitch  imported  from  Hanover. 
Pixie  was  very  houndy  in  head,  compared  with  the  dachshunds 
then  being  shown,  was  smaller  in  size,  with  a  beautiful  arched 
loin.  At  Nottingham  Mr.  Hutton's  Festus  won  first  and  also  first 
at  Birmingham,  when  he  beat  Slap,  the  1874  winner.  Festus  won 
a  large  number  of  prizes,  he  was  a  very  good  bodied  dog,  but  was 
short  in  ear. 

In  1876,  more  dachshunds  were  exhibited  with  the  decidedly 
pronounced  hound  type  of  head  than  had  been  previously  shown  ; 
these  included  Xaverl,  a  most  beautiful  stamp  of  dachshund,  full  of 
quality,  particularly  good  in  loin,  imported  from  the  Royal 
Kennels,  near  Stuttgart.  Most  of  our  best  dachshunds  go  back 


534  Modern  Dogs. 


to  Xaverl,  and  many  of  them  are  in-bred  to  him.  Xaverl  first 
appeared  at  the  Kennel  Club  Show  at  the  Crystal  Palace  in  June, 
when  he  was  placed  second,  Pixie  being  first ;  but  this  decision 
was  reversed  at  Brighton.  Zieten  came  out  with  Xaverl,  and  was 
awarded  an  extra  prize,  he  was  said  to  be  the  sire  of  Xaverl,  though 
they  were  quite  different  in  type  ;  and  most  of  Zieten's  stock  born 
in  England  had  his  square,  lippy  type  of  head,  short  cloddy  body, 
with  immense  bone  ;  whereas  Xaverl  was  a  most  graceful  dogT 
with  beautiful  neck  and  shoulders,  magnificent  loin,  but  light  in 
bone. 

At  Maidstone,  Dina  came  out  and  was  awarded  an  extra  first, 
she  had  a  lovely  head,  narrow  and  straight,  with  a  beautiful  skull, 
good  skin  and  bone,  but  moved  badly  behind.  Fritz  also  came 
out  at  Maidstone,  he  had  particularly  long  ears,  was  rather  large, 
but  plain  in  head,  he  was  not  so  low,  nor  with  so  much  bone  as 
Dina.  At  Darlington  Festus  beat  Xaverl,  and  again  at  Birming- 
ham, but  the  judging  of  dachshunds  at  this  time  was  very 
inconsistent. 

At  Brighton,  in  October,  Dessauer,  Chenda,  Linda,  and 
Schlupferle  were  new  faces.  Dessauer  won  first  in  black  and  tan 
dogs,  and  five  prizes  were  awarded  in  black  and  tan  bitches,  viz., 
Marguerite  ist,  Chenda  2nd,  Linda  3rd,  Dina  4th,  and  Frou  Frou 
5th.  In  the  other  than  black  and  tan,  Xaverl  ist,  Pixie  2nd, 
Schlupferle  3rd,  and  Gisella  4th ;  the  latter  was  a  very  small  bitch, 
light  in  bone  and  toyish  in  head.  Dessauer  had  a  long  punishing 
terrier-like  head,  was  too  large,  but  very  sound ;  Chenda  was 
houndy,  but,  like  her  dam  Waldine,  lacking  in  quality ;  Linda  was 
still  larger,  with  a  particularly  long  head,  but  flat  in  skull ; 
Schlupferle  was  a  large  red  bitch,  with  a  good  head,  but  wanting  in 
length  of  ear,  and  short  of  quality.  At  Birmingham,  1876,  Major 
Cooper's  Waldmann,  bred  by  Count  Minister,  came  out,  and  only 
obtained  h.c.,  but  in  the  following  year,  1877,  he  won  first  each 
time  shown,  viz.,  at  the  Kennel  Club  Shows  at  the  Agricultural 
Hall  and  Alexandra  Palace,  and  at  Birmingham,  whilst  at  the 
Alexandra  Palace  the  following  year,  when  shown  in  excellent 


The  Dachshund.  535 


condition,  lie  did  not  obtain  even  a  card,  such  was  the  in-and-out 
judging  of  dachshunds  about  this  time. 

In  1877  the  dachshund  classes  at  the  Kennel  Club  shows  were 
divided  by  weight  as  well  as  by  colour,  and  few  fresh  faces 
appeared  in  the  prize  lists.  In  the  class  for  "  over  2olb."  Olga,  a 
nice  red  bitch,  was  first  .at  the  Agricultural  Hall,  with  Dina 
second.  Olga  had  won  first  at  Bath  the  month  previous  :  she 
was  a  houndy  bitch,  too  large,  and  not  sound  in  front.  Her 
blood  is  to  be  found  in  a  very  large  number  of  our  best 
dachshunds,  chiefly  through  Wag,  her  son  by  Bodo ;  she  also 
to  Fritz  bred  that  good  bitch  Flink.  In  1878  another  change  was 
made  in  the  division  of  the  classes  at  the  Kennel  Club  shows,  this 
time  by  colour  and  height.  A  large  number  of  dachshunds  came 
out  in  1878  that  are  to  be  found  in  the  pedigrees  of  most  of 
the  dachshunds  of  the  present  day,  and  others  only  distinguished 
themselves  on  the  show  bench.  These  include  Mrs.  Hoare's  Faust, 
Mr.  Arkwright's  Hans,  Otto,  and  Senta,  Mr.  Hutton's  Haufmann, 
Mr.  C.  Goas's  Teck,  Captain  Shaw's  Von,  Mr.  Woollen's  Zigzag 
and  Zanah,  and  Mr.  Byron's  Beckah — these  were  all  bred  in 
England,  except  Haufmann  and  Teck.  Faust  came  out  a  seven 
months  old  puppy  at  the  Kennel  Club  winter  show,  when  he  was 
second  to  his  sire  Dessauer.  Faust  won  a  large  number  of  prizes, 
and  his  stock,  more  especially  from  Zulette,  were  very  successful 
on  the  show  bench.  Hans  became  famous  chiefly  through  his 
daughter  Hagar  from  Linda,  although  he  sired  several  nice 
dachshunds  from  other  bitches.  Mr.  E.  Hutton's  Haufmann 
was  a  good  coloured  black  and  tan,  another  son  of  Dessauer, 
but  better  in  head  ;  though  too  large,  he  was  a  celebrated  prize 
winner.  He  came  out  in  a  dachshund  class  at  Blaydon-on- 
Tyne,  when  he  was  placed  equal  with  Xaverl,  and  at  Birmingham 
he  commenced  the  somewhat  extraordinary  performance  of 
winning  first  for  six  consecutive  years,  viz.,  1878  to  1883;  still, 
very  few  of  the  present  prize  winners  go  back  to  him  in  their 
pedigree.  Otto  came  out  as  a  ten  months  old  puppy,  and  won 
at  the  Kennel  Club  show  at  the  Crystal  Palace,  beating  his  sire 


536  Modern  Dogs. 


Xaverl ;  he  was  a  nice  red  puppy,  but  he  lacked  the  quality  of 
Xaverl,  who  turning  the  tables,  beat  him  the  same  year  at 
Bristol,  at  the  Kennel  Club  show,  and  at  the  Alexandra  Palace. 
At  this  show  Zigzag  and  Senta  made  their  first  appearance,  the 
former  only  getting  third,  but  as  he  was  but  eight  months'  old, 
he  had  not  let  down  and  furnished,  so  appeared  high  on  the  leg ; 
still,  the  awards  were  very  inconsistent  as  regards  any  type  : 
Xaverl,  first ;  Von,  second ;  Zigzag,  third ;  Otto,  v.h.c. ;  Von 
Jostik  (Zieten),  v.h.c.,  and  Teck,  h.c. ;  the  latter  had  won  first  the 
previous  week  at  Birmingham.  Von  was  much  of  the  same  type 
as  his  sire  Zieten,  cloddy  in  body,  and  lacking  the  beautiful 
outline  of  Xaverl. 

Then  Senta  caused  a  flutter  among  dachshund  breeders  ;  she 
had  no  difficulty  in  winning  first  in  her  class ;  her  skull  and  ears 
were  wonderful,  and  her  skin  and  bone  extraordinary,  but  she 
lacked  the  grand  outline  of  body  of  her  sire  Xaverl ;  it  was  a  great 
loss  to  the  breed  that  she  was  never  bred  from ;  Zanah,  her  litter 
sister,  not  at  all  good  in  head,  became  famous  as  the  dam  of  a 
large  number  of  winners.  In  1879  champion  classes  were 
established,  and  Xaverl  was  the  first  winner  at  the  Kennel  Club 
show  at  the  Alexandra  Palace  in  July,  1879,  beating  Dessauer,  old 
Erdmann  arriving  too  late  to  compete;  but  his  presence  would 
have  made  no  difference  in  the  awards.  At  this  show  Otto  was 
exhibited  by  Mr.  Mudie,  when  he  only  obtained  v.h.c. ;  he  should 
have  made  a  valuable  stud  dog ;  his  sister  Erdine  bred  a  good 
dog  in  Mr.  Parrot's  Zanker,  and  also  Mr.  Southwell's  Hannah. 

Olympia,  a  puppy  by  Otto,  came  out  in  the  puppy  class  in  this 
year ;  she  was  scarcely  six  months  old,  and  won  first,  the  writer's 
Blitz  being  second ;  Olympia  was  simply  immense,  much  too 
large,  coarse  in  head,  but  with  wonderful  ears,  skin,  and  bone ; 
whereas  Blitz  was  very  small,  with  a  lot  of  quality,  and  excellent 
loin.  The  awards  at  the  Kennel  Club  show,  held  at  Brighton,  in 
November,  upset  all  previous  opinions  of  dachshund  type,  when 
Olympia  was  placed  over  Xaverl  and  Zigzag,  the  latter  being 
again  beaten  by  Zanker  at  Birmingham.  The  new  faces  in  1880 


The  Dachshund.  537 


included  Rev.  G.  F.  Lovell's  El  Zingaro  and  Segesta,  Mr. 
Byron's  Jonah,  Alma,  and  Hilda,  Mr.  Arkwright's  Ozone  and 
Octavia,  Mr.  Mudie's  Flink,  the  writer's  Jager  and  Jezebel,  and 
last,  but  by  no  means  least  in  importance,  Mr.  Mudie's  Thusnelda. 
Mr.  Lovell's  puppies  were  not  sent  to  the  Kennel  Club  show  at 
the  Crystal  Palace,  but  came  out  at  Stratford-on-Avon  in  October, 
where  El  Zingaro  was  second  to  the  writer's  Jager,  and  in  the 
bitch  class  Segesta  was  second  to  Octavia — a  nice  red  bitch  with 
capital  loin,  but  not  quite  sound  ;  she  was  first  exhibited  by  her 
breeder,  Mr.  Byron,  at  Chesterfield,  when  she  obtained  only  v.h.c. ; 
but  she  followed  up  her  Stratford  victory  by  winning  for  Mr. 
Arkwright  first  Bristol  and  first  Alexandra  Palace.  Jonah  and 
Alma  came  out  at  Chesterfield;  the  latter,  a  litter  sister  to  Olympia, 
was  spoiled  by  her  bad  carriage  of  ears. 

Hilda,  Flink,  and  Thusnelda  all  made  a  first  appearance  at  the 
Kennel  Club  show  at  the  Crystal  Palace  in  June,  the  former, 
a  sister  to  Jonah  and  Octavia,  won  in  the  puppy  class.  She  had  a 
beautiful  type  of  head  and  ears,  good  loin,  but  had  four  white  feet 
and  a  good  sized  patch  of  white  on  her  throat  and  chest.  Flink 
won  first  in  red  bitches,  a  good  bitch  with  a  coarse  stern,  like 
her  sire,  Fritz.  The  black  and  tan  bitch  class  at  this  show 
was  described  by  Mr.  Arkwright,  who  judged  them,  as  "  a  magni- 
ficent class ;  "  and  it  is  a  question  whether  five  black  and  tan 
bitches  so  good  as  Chenda,  Beckah,  Alma,  Dina,  and  Thusnelda 
have  ever  competed  together.  Beckah  came  out  at  Oxford 
in  June,  1878,  when  she  was  equal  second  with  Zillah  to  Major 
Cooper's  Waldmann.  She  had  the  much  coveted  arched  loin. 
Thusnelda  was  considered  by  some  breeders  as  being  small 
and  light  in  bone,  but  she  was  credited  with  having  won  first 
Hanover,  first  Munich,  first  Elms,  and  first  Ulm.  She  was  small 
by  comparison  with  the  others  in  the  class,  but  dachshunds  were 
undoubtedly  being  bred  too  large  at  this  time,  and  an  outcross  of 
a  small  size  of  the  hound  type  was  very  much  required,  and 
Thusnelda  proved  to  be  the  very  thing.  By  the  end  of  the  year 
she  had  gone  from  Mr.  Mudie's  kennel  to  Mr.  Arkwright's,  and 


538  Modern  Dogs. 


the  following  spring  she  was  put  to  Ozone,  and  bred  the  famous 
litter  consisting  of  Maximus,  Superbus,  and  Mignonne,  from 
which  so  many  of  our  very  best  dachshunds  are  descended. 

Jezebel,  a  small  Zigzag-Zanah  bitch,  with  an  excellent  loin, 
capital  body,  but  failing  in  head,  came  out  and  won  first  at 
Manchester  when  seven  months  old.  She  bred  to  Maximus, 
Joan  of  Arc,  Joubert,  Jocelyn,  Brownie,  &c.,  all  of  which  have 
bred  winners.  At  Birmingham  Mr.  Wootten  brought  out  Zadkiel, 
litter  brother  to  Jezebel,  but  neither  Zadkiel  nor  his  sire  Zigzag 
obtained  even  a  card. 

This  inconsistent  judging  helped  in  some  manner  to  bring 
about  the  formation  of  the  Dachshund  Club.  On  the  day 
previous  to  the  Kennel  Club  show  at  the  Alexandra  Palace  in 
January,  1881,  a  meeting  was  held  and  the  club  formed,  those 
present  at  the  meeting  being  Mr.  Arkwright,  Rev.  G.  F.  Lovell, 
Mr.  Wootten,  and  the  writer. 

At  the  Kennel  Club  show  Mr.  Arkwright  brought  out  Ozone, 
then  seven  months  old,  by  Zigzag  out  of  Zaidee  (litter  sister 
to  Senta  and  Zanoh).  Ozone  was  not  entered  in  the  open  class,  in 
which  Mr.  Wootten's  Zadkiel  won,  but  in  a  good  puppy  class  of 
fifteen  entries.  Ozone  was  first  and  Zadkiel  second,  Zulette  was 
h.c.,  and  Jezebel  c.  In  the  competition  for  the  cup  for  the  best 
dachshund  in  the  show,  in  which  the  following  competed — Zigzag, 
Mr.  Baker's  Handsel,  Alma,  Octavia,  and  Ozone,  the  latter  won. 

During  the  various  shows  of  1881  a  number  of  good  dachshunds 
came  out.  At  the  Kennel  Club  show,  at  the  Crystal  Palace,  Jude 
(litter  brother  to  the  famous  Hagar)  won  first  in  the  open  class 
and  second  in  puppies  (a  large  class  of  twenty-five)  to  Hannah,  a 
puppy  of  Mr.  Southwell's,  by  Hans — Erdine  (sister  to  Otto). 
Hannah  had  a  good  loin  and  nice  type  of  head,  but  was  deficient 
in  bone.  Jude,  although  possessing  excellent  type  of  head,  with 
capital  skin  and  bone,  was  too  large  and  deficient  in  quality.  At 
this  show  Ozone  beat  Senta  for  the  cup  for  the  best  dachshund  in 
the  show. 

Hagar   came    out    at    Chesterfield,    bred    by   Mr.    Byron    and 


The  Dachshund.  539 


exhibited  by  Mr.  Wootten.  She  won  first  in  the  bitch  class,  and 
afterwards  beat  the  writer's  Jude  for  the  special.  Hagar  was 
certainly  a  very  beautiful  dachshund,  excellent  in  type  of  head, 
with  capital  skin  and  bone.  She  was  on  the  big  side,  and  not 
quite  perfection  in  loin  and  stern.  She  has  become  celebrated 
in  pedigree  chiefly  through  her  son  Charkow  and  her  daughter 
Rachel,  that  was  bred  to  Graf  III.  Hagar  carried  all  before  her. 
At  the  Kennel  Club  show  at  the  Alexandra  Palace  she  beat 
Zigzag  and  Ozone  for  the  best  dachshund  in  the  show.  Mr. 
Benson's  Rosa  (litter  sister  to  Hagar)  first  appeared  at  this  show, 
when  she  was  placed  second  to  Olympia.  Rosa  had  a  nice  clean, 
long  head,  with  a  capital  jaw,  good  body,  but  carried  her  stern 
badly.  The  writer's  Julian  and  Juliet,  by  Hans  ex  Dina,  were 
prize  winners  here.  In  fact,  no  less  than  three  first  prizes,  four 
second  prizes,  the  medal,  and  the  cup  were  won  by  dachshunds  at 
this  show  that  had  Hans  for  their  sire.  And  Hans  was  also 
exhibited,  but  he  only  obtained  v.h.c.  He  was  not  exactly  a 
show  dog,  but  he  proved  himself  a  valuable  stud  dog.  Juliet 
was  nearly  black  with  white  fore  feet,  but  she  was  houndy  in  type, 
had  an  excellent  skull,  with  nicely  set  and  low  carriage  of  ears. 
At  Birmingham,  Mrs.  Price's  Neva  (a  sister  to  Wag)  won  in  class 
for  red  bitches.  She  was  long,  with  strong  loin,  and  a  very 
good  type  of  head. 

'In  1882  the  division  of  the  classes  by  colour  was  abolished 
at  Kennel  Club  shows.  At  the  Alexandra  Palace,  in  June, 
Mr.  Arkwright  brought  out  the  famous  litter — Maximus,  Superbus, 
and  Mignonne.  Ozone,  now  shown  by  Mr.  Walker,  won  in 
the  champion  class,  beating  Zanker  and  Faust.  Maximus  and 
Superbus  were  first  and  second  in  the  dog  class,  and  Mignonne  ist, 
and  Zulette  (now  shown  by  Mrs.  Hoare)  2nd,  in  the  bitch  class. 

The  cup  for  the  best  dachshund  in  the  show  was  awarded 
to  Mignonne.  Of  the  brothers  Maximus  and  Superbus — the  former 
had  more  quality,  was  better  in  skull  and  loin,  while  Superbus 
had  the  better  ears  and  more  bone,  and  these  qualities  each  dog 
seemed  to  transmit  to  his  stock.  Soon  after  this  show  Superbus 


540  Modern  Dogs. 


went  to  Mr.  Hoare's  kennel,  and,  after  the  Kennel  Club  show,  in 
January,  1883,  Maximus  went  to  Mr.  Walker's  kennel. 

Grafin  II.  came  out  at  Sheffield,  and  won  in  the  puppy  class, 
and  afterwards  many  other  prizes.  She  had  a  nice  type  of 
head,  her  ears  were  set  on  well,  but  were  short ;  she  was  remark- 
ably low,  but  her  feet  were  long.  The  writer's  Juventa,  a  long 
red  bitch  of  the  right  type  and  a  rare  bred  one  by  Zigzag 
ex  Rubina,  was  second  in  the  bitch  puppy  class.  Mr.  South- 
well's Seidel,  a  puppy  by  Malt  ex  Erdine,  was  ist,  this  was  a  nice 
quality  bitch,  but  her  ears  were  set  on  rather  high  and  she 
was  light  in  bone.  Mr.  Litt  brought  out  Olympian  in  the  puppy 
class  at  Cirencester,  when  he  won  ist.  He  afterwards  went 
to  Birmingham,  where  he  was  only  commended ;  but  at  the 
Kennel  Club,  the  following  month,  he  won  ist,  Superbus  only 
getting  3rd,  being  beaten  by  Faust  III.,  a  capital  son  of  Faust 
and  Zulette — capital  body,  legs  and  feet,  but  short  in  ears.  Mr. 
Wootten  brought  out  a  puppy  in  Zeyn,  by  Zigzag  ex  Hagar — very 
good  type  with  powerful  loin,  but  not  nice  in  colour.  He  won  first 
in  the  puppy  class  and  in  the  produce  stakes.  At  the  Kennel 
Club  show  in  July,  1883,  Mr.  Arkwright's  Lady  made  her  debut, 
and  won  first  in  the  puppy  class,  the  club  sweepstakes,  and  the 
silver  medal.  She  had  a  grand  head,  ears  well  carried  and  long, 
good  body,  excellent  bone ;  her  elbows  were  not  quite  right. 
Another  good  bitch  that  came  out  at  this  show  was  Mr.  Byron's 
Sylvia,  by  Wag  ex  Beckah— very  good  head  but  light  in  body  and 
bone. 

Mrs.  Hoare  at  this  time  had  a  strong  team,  including  Superbus, 
Carlowitz,  Vandunck,  Grafin  II.,  Gretel  IV.,  Rapunzel,  Zither,  and 
Zulette.  Zither  was  most  successful  in  the  puppy  classes.  She 
was  a  very  good  dachshund,  rather  large,  and  wanting  in  loin. 
There  was  an  excellent  lot  of  dachshunds  at  the  Kennel  Club 
show  in  January,  1884.  The  four  best  dogs  then  going  were 
in  the  challenge  class,  viz.,  Superbus,  Maximus,  Ozone,  and 
Olympian,  the  latter  won.  He  had  a  very  good  head  and  ears, 
but  was  beaten  in  body,  legs,  feet,  and  stern  by  each  of  the 


The  Dachshund.  541 


others.  It  was  generally  considered  Maximus  should  have  won. 
Mrs.  Hoare  brought  out  a  chocolate  coloured  puppy  in  Drachen, 
bred  by  Mr.  Wootten  by  Zigzag  ex  Hagar,  a  subsequent  litter 
to  Zeyn,  when  he  won  third  open  class,  second  puppy  class, 
and  third  in  the  produce  stakes.  In  the  open  bitch  class  some 
astonishment  was  caused  when  Mr.  Askwith's  Shotover  was  placed 
ist  and  Mr.  Hazlewood's  Schlank  2nd,  when  such  good  dachs- 
hunds as  Mr.  Wootten's  Zulima,  Mrs.  Hoare's  Rapunzel,  and 
Zither,  and  Lady  (now  owned  by  Mr.  Knight  Bruce)  were  in  the 
class.  Wiggle  came  out  at  this  show,  but  was  only  h.c.  She 
was  a  nice  type  of  dachshund,  but  weakish  in  loin. 

Warwick  show  was  now  becoming  popular,  and  the  dachshunds 
benched  there  in  1884  were  a  particularly  good  lot.  Mr.  Walker's 
entry  at  that  show  consisted  of  Ozone,  Maximus,  Hagar,  Culoz  (an 
imported  dog),  Zulima,  and  Zinnia — a  team  that  could  not  at  that 
time  be  beaten  by  any  kennel.  Culoz  was  only  a  fair  dachshund,, 
he  being  short  in  body  and  not  typical  in  head.  Mrs.  P.  Merrik 
Hoare  had  also  a  strong  kennel  of  dachshunds  at  this  time.  The 
puppies  by  Faust  ex  Zulette  were  most  successful  on  the  bench, 
although  several  of  them  were  not  good  in  colour.  Wagtail, 
exhibited  by  the  writer,  came  out  at  Tunbridge  Wells,  when 
he  won  ist.  She  was  sister  to  Lady  (subsequent  litter)  but  much 
smaller,  with  a  beautiful  head,  and  ears  set  on  very  low.  Wagtail 
distinguished  herself  by  winning  the  prix  d'honneur  for  the 
best  dachshund  of  all  classes  two  years — viz.,  1885  and  1886 — at 
the  show  of  the  Royal  St.  Hubert  Society  at  Brussels ;  and  still 
further  distinguished  herself  by  breeding  the  celebrated  Jackdaw, 
who  has  generally  been  considered  the  most  typical  and  best  all- 
round  dachshund  we  have  had. 

At  the  Kennel  Club  show  at  the  Crystal  Palace,  in  January, 
1885,  a  very  good  lot  of  young  dachshunds  came  out;  these 
included  Mr.  Ingram's  Sphinx  and  Isis,  Mrs.  P.  M.  Hoare's 
Kirsch,  Edelweiss,  and  Graf  III.,  the  writer's  Joubert  and  Joan  of 
Arc.  Joubert  had  previously  won  first  at  Cheltenham.  The  dog 
puppy  class  had  twenty-seven  entries,  and  the  bitch  class  twenty- 


542  Modern  Dogs. 


six,  with  fourteen  entries  in  the  third  produce  stakes  ;  the  winners 
in  the  stakes  being  Joan  of  Arc,  ist;  Edelweiss,  2nd  ;  Sphinx,  3rd  ; 
and  Mr.  Walker's  Carlyle,  4th  ;  Graff  III.  was  remarkable  for  his 
beautiful  skull  and  set  on  of  ear,  and  these  points  he  transmitted 
to  his  progeny  to  a  great  extent,  notably  to  Stylograph  and  Jack 
o'Dandy.  Joubert  was  a  small  dog,  with  very  nice  outline,  deep 
chest,  good  loin,  but  was  not  particularly  houndy  in  head.  Joan 
of  Arc  much  better  in  head,  with  a  lot  of  quality,  remarkable  loin 
and  chest ;  she  continued  to  improve  with  age,  and  before  the  end 
of  the  year  had  worked  her  way  up,  and  beaten  her  sire  Maximus 
in  the  challenge  class.  Gil  Bias  came  out  at  Warwick,  but  he 
showed  himself  badly  in  the  ring ;  he  was  v.h.c.  in  the  open  class, 
and  third  in  the  puppy  class.  This  dog  let  down  and  furnished 
well,  and  grew  into  a  beautiful  dachshund  in  body,  legs,  and  feet, 
but  was  always  a  little  faulty  in  head. 

Mr.  Arkwright  brought  out  Belgian  Waldmann  at  the  summer 
show  at  the  Crystal  Palace ;  this  dog  had  been  very  successful  at 
the  Continental  shows  before  Mr.  Arkwright  purchased  him  from 
M.  J.  Gihoul,  after  having  won  ist  Vienna;  ist  Spa,  special  prize 
at  Aix-la-Chapelle,  ist  and  special  Ostende,  ist  and  special 
Antwerp,  and  ist  Paris ;  he  did  not  do  much  winning  in  England, 
but  sired  some  good  specimens,  Belgian  Herr  being  left  to 
continue  his  line  in  future  pedigrees. 

The  oddly-named  sisters  Decimus  and  Septimus  were  brought 
out  by  Mr.  H.  S.  Dean  at  this  show ;  the  former  was  coarse  in 
head,  but  Septimus,  afterwards  named  Guinevere  by  Mr.  Blackett, 
although  not  quite  typical  in  head,  had  a  beautiful  body,  with 
excellent  loin  and  a  nice  size.  In  the  puppy  class  she  was  placed 
second  to  Griselda,  one  of  Mrs.  Hoare's  Faust — Zulette  puppies, 
with  wonderful  head  and  ears,  good  skin  and  bone,  but  flat 
in  loin;  she  eventually  grew  too  big,  and  became  unsound. 
Rubenstein  was  successful  on  the  show  bench,  especially  in 
the  puppy  classes,  but  he  always  looked  like  growing  too  big  and 
becoming  wide  in  skull.  At  Birmingham  Mr.  Ingram  showed 
Indiana,  a  very  good  black  and  tan  puppy,  capital  body,  but  a 


The  Dachshund.  543 


little  short  in  ear,  and  in  the  same  class  Mr.  Vale's  Cerise  II.  was 
first  shown,  then  a  puppy  under  ten  months,  and  a  very  smart 
dachshund  she  was,  with  good  length  of  head,  excellent  body  and 
loin  ;  she  appeared  a  little  short  in  ear  and  light  in  bone.  Winks 
did  some  winning  for  Mr.  Arkwright  during  the  year;  she  was 
very  typical,  a  good  deal  after  the  style  of  Wagtail,  but  not  quite 
so  long  and  low. 

At  the  Kennel  Club,  Crystal  Palace,  February,  1886,  Mr.  Walker 
showed  Charkow  and  Cusack,  two  houndy-headed  puppies  ; 
they  carried  all  before  them  in  the  open  and  puppy  classes,  and 
were  first  and  second  in  the  fourth  produce  stakes ;  these  puppies 
were  inclined  to  be  large,  but  with  excellent  skin  and  bone,  but 
failed  in  depth  of  chest  and  in  the  arched  loin  ;  another  brother 
(Cardinal  York)  was  introduced  later,  and  was  successful  on  the 
show  bench ;  he  was  smaller  and  more  compact. 

At  Warwick  Mr.  Arkwright  won  first,  puppy  class,  and  second, 
novice  class,  with  Stylograph,  by  Graff  III.  ex  Wiggle;  this  grand 
headed  bitch  had  been  previously  shown  at  Hanley,  when  she 
was  second  to  Indiana;  she  had  a  beautiful  skull  and  set  on  of 
ear,  but  was  spoilt  by  a  high  carriage  of  stern.  In  May  the 
Dachshund  Club  and  Basset-hound  Club  held  a  joint  show 
at  the  Aquarium;  there  was  a  good  show  of  dachshunds — 126 
entries.  At  this  show  the  writer's  Joubert,  after  being  second  to 
Maximus  in  the  challenge  class,  beating  Superbus,  and  first  in  the 
reserve,  came  home  with  a  Cold,  and  died  within  a  week.  Mr. 
Wootten  had  some  large  classes  to  judge,  but  most  of  the 
winners  had  been  seen  before.  Mr.  Byron  brought  out  Eve,  a 
nice  red  bitch  ;  she  won  second  in  the  puppy  class,  and  was 
claimed  by  the  writer,  and  winning  five  first  prizes  right  away, 
when  she  caught  distemper  and  died. 

Belgian  Waldmann's  stock  were  brought  out  towards  the  end  of 
the  year.  At  Ipswich  Brussels  Sprout  won  first  in  the  puppy 
class;  she  was  a  chocolate  and  tan,  long  in  head,  but  a  little 
high  on  the  leg.  At  Birmingham  Mr.  Arkwright  won  first  and 
medal  with  Belgian  Herr,  and  Mr.  Byron  second,  with  Rufus,  the 


544  Modem  Dogs. 


latter  being  particularly  smart,  and  of  great  promise,  but  unfortu- 
nately he  died  soon  afterwards.  Mr.  Marshall  did  some  winning 
during  the  year  with  Zenica,  a  smart  young  bitch  with  excellent 
body  and  loin.  Jackdaw  came  out  at  Chelmsford  in  1887,  and 
quickly  got  to  the  very  top  of  the  tree,  for  at  the  Kennel  Club 
Show  at  Barn  Elms  he  won  first  open,  first  puppy,  the  fifth 
Produce  Stakes,  and  afterwards  beat  the  champion  class  winners 
Maximus  and  Lady  for  the  Fifty  Guinea  Challenge  Cup,  and 
before  the  end  of  the  year  had  won  the  title  of  "  champion."  Mr. 
Blackett  brought  out  Jupiter  at  this  show,  and  won  second ;  he 
was  a  nice  little  dog,  a  great  deal  like  his  sire  Joubert,  with 
plenty  of  quality,  grand  loin,  but  just  a  little  light  in  bone.  Mrs. 
Hoare's  Sieger  was  a  particularly  nice  puppy,  beautiful  in  skull 
and  ears,  but  deficient  in  loin.  He  was  successful  in  puppy 
classes.  Jacobin,  litter  brother  to  Jackdaw,  third  at  Hull  and 
Birmingham  for  Mr.  Mudie,  has  since  won  many  prizes  and  done 
good  service  at  the  stud.  Jocelyn,  a  good-headed  red,  with 
excellent  loin,  swept  the  boards  at  Ryde  and  Trowbridge  ;  he  is 
full  brother  of  Joan  of  Arc,  but  not  so  correct  in  size. 

Junker  II.,  bred  by  Mrs.  Hoare,  and  afterwards  shown  by  Mr. 
Marshall,  was  a  nice  little  dog,  with  excellent  ears,  and  did  a  lot 
of  winning.  Herfrida,  a  very  small  black  and  tan,  won  a  number 
of  prizes  for  Mr.  Mudie ;  she  had  a  good  body,  the  best  of  legs 
and  feet,  but  became  plain  in  head,  which  was  never  quite  long 
enough.  Mr.  de  Courcy  Peele  brought  two  nice  black  and  tan 
bitches,  Phryne  III.,  and  Phyllis  IV.,  both  good  dachshunds ; 
long  in  head,  good  skin  and  bone,  and  very  sound,  but  a  little 
short  in  ear;  the  former  has  bred  several  winners.  Scarsdale 
Jungfrau,  by  Joubert  ex  Lady,  was  an  excellent  dachshund,  of 
nice  quality  and  type ;  she  was  3rd  at  the  Kennel  Club  Show  to 
Guinevere  and  Wagtail,  and  won  first  the  following  year ;  there 
were  few  better  bitches,  if  any,  than  Scarsdale  Jungfrau  at  this 
tirrie,  and  she  ran  Lady  close  for  the  cup. 

Among  the  best  dachshunds  that  came  out  in  1888  must  be 
counted  Mr.  Arkwright's  Julius,  a  dog  probably  wanting  in  size 


The  Dachshund.  545 


and  bone,  but  with  beautiful  quality  and  type ;  he  was  successful 
at  Warwick,  and  at  the  Kennel  Club  Show,  at  Barn  Elms. 
Pterodactyl  came  out  at  Birmingham,  when  he  was  placed  third, 
he  was  then  ten  months  old  and  not  in  very  good  condition,  but 
was  a  sound  active  puppy,  long  in  head,  good  in  loin  and 
stern  ;  this  dog  very  much  improved  as  he  grew  older,  and  furnished 
into  one  of  the  best  of  his  time,  winning  the  fifty  guinea  cup  at 
Birmingham  and  Kennel  Club  Shows,  and  also  won  first  prize 
at  Spa,  in  1891.  Tinker,  afterwards  named  Jack  o'  Dandy,  came 
out  at  Liverpool  and  won  first  puppy  class,  and  also  the  medal,  a 
son  of  Graf  III.  and  Rachel  (litter  sister  to  Charkow) ;  his  breed- 
ing was  of  the  best,  he  had  the  beautiful  skull  of  his  sire,  and  is  a 
great  success  at  the  stud.  Mr.  Ravenor's  Windrush  Rioter  won 
at  Birmingham,  he  had  previously  won  at  two  local  shows,  and  was 
an  excellent  type  of  dachshund,  capital  legs,  feet,  and  body,  but 
just  a  little  heavy  in  head,  which,  however,  did  not  improve  with 
age.  I  have  always  understood  that  a  sister  to  this  dog,  named 
Windrush  Waldine,  was  an  exceptionally  good  bitch,  but  she 
got  hanged  on  the  bench  at  a  local  show. 

Mr.  Byron  brought  out  Duckmanton  Harebell  at  the  Kennel 
Club  Show,  Agricultural  Hall,  when  she  won  first  open,  first 
novice,  and  sixth  produce  stakes,  also  a  medal ;  she  had  a 
beautiful  type  of  head,  long  and  clean.  The  writer's  Jealousy 
and  Jess  Croft  were  both  successful  on  the  bench,  the  former 
•excellent  in  head,  with  good  skin  and  bone  and  sound,  but  carried 
her  tail  too  gaily;  the  latter  was  a  smaller  bitch  with  a  lot  of 
quality — her  litter  brother  Jingle,  never  exhibited  on  account  of  an 
injury,  was  a  most  successful  stud  dog,  and  had  one  of  the  best 
heads  since  Senta's  time.  Mr.  Vale's  Melnotte  II.  and  Venus  II. 
did  a  lot  of  winning,  and  were  two  nice  dachshunds. 

Red  Rose,  bred  by  Rev.  G.  F.  Lovell,  came  out  at  the  People's 
Palace,  she  was  a  lengthy  red  bitch  with  nice  quality.  Scarsdale 
Julia  was  a  small  black  and  tan,  inclined  to  be  short  in  head. 
Stephanie  won  a  number  of  prizes  for  Mr.  Mudie ;  she  was  an 
-excellent  type  of  dachshund  but  not  sound.  Several  new  faces 

[VOL.  i.]  N    N 


546  Modern  Dogs. 


appeared  in  1889,  but  no  particular  dachshund  of  note,  although 
some  distinguished  themselves  as  prize  winners,  these  included 
Mr.  Walker's  Cito,  Mr.  Byron's  Black  Jack,  Dr.  Goullet's  Jack 
Straw,  the  writer's  Jay,  Jam,  and  Jenny  Wren,  Mr.  Arkwright's 
Switchback,  Mr.  N.  D.  Smith's  vSnapdragon,  Solome,  and  Sheba, 
Mr.  Mudie's  Wolferl  and  Amsel,  Captain  Barry's  Greta  II.,  and 
Mr.  Cliffs  Cawcawana. 

Some  excellent  dachshunds  were  introduced  during  1890,  andr 
as  several  of  these  are  now  being  exhibited,  I  will  simply  refer  to 
their  performances  on  the  bench — Mr.  Byron's  Duckmanton 
Winkle,  Mr.  Vale's  John  o'  Groat  and  Minimus  II.,  Rev.  G.  F. 
Lovell's  Chimes,  and  the  writer's  Janet,  all  being  by  Jingle ;  of 
these.  Janet  was  the  most  successful,  as  she  obtained  the  reserve 
to  Jackdaw  twice  for  the  fifty  guinea  cup.  A  grand  type  of 
dachshund  she  was,  she  went  to  America  in  pup  to  Pterodactyl. 
Duckmanton  Winkle  should  prove  a  valuable  stud  dog,  he  is  the 
right  size,  of  nice  quality,  and  his  breeding  is  of  the  best.  The 
brothers  John  o'  Groat  and  Minimus  II.,  both  excellent  in  head 
and  ears,  are  somewhat  deficient  in  chest  and  loin.  Mr.  Walker 
brought  out  Carl  Rosa,  and  Mrs.  Barry  Jack  Twopence  and  Reena, 
all  of  which  did  well  on  the  bench,  and  are  frequently  now  seen 
high  up  in  the  prize  lists. 

Some  good  puppies  were  introduced  in  1891  ;  several  have 
been  lost  by  distemper  after  brief  show  careers,  these  include 
Mr.  Ravenor's  Windrush  Troubadour  and  Windrush  Countess, 
and  Mr.  Woodiwiss's  Keil,  which  were  all  very  promising  young 
dachshunds.  Jack  Boot,  a  brother  to  Keil,  was  a  particularly 
smart  young  dog  when  shown  in  the  novice  class  at  the  Kennel 
Club  Show ;  and  Mr.  Mudie  brought  out  a  very  good  couple  in 
Thorolf  and  Thorgerda.  Mr.  J.  W.  Taylor  exhibited  a  black  and 
tan  bitch  of  excellent  type  in  Hypatia,  but  she  was  too  large. 

The  above  contribution  gives  a  complete  history 
of  the  dachshund  and  the  leading  kennels-  in  this 
country  during  the  past  twenty-five  years. 


The  Dachshund.  547 


Mr.  Jones  believes  our  modern  dachshunds  are 
far  more  typical  than  they  have  ever  been,  and  with 
this  opinion  I  thoroughly  coincide.  There  may 
be  cases  in  which  legs,  feet,  chest,  and  loin  have 
been  neglected  in  trying  to  produce  beautiful  heads, 
but  this  has  not  been  carried  out  to  any  great  extent. 
The  best  dachshunds  of  to-day  are  particularly 
sound,  have  excellent  chest  and  loins,  and,  con- 
sidering their  short  legs  and  long  bodies,  get  over 
the  ground  at  almost  an  extraordinary  rate. 

Although,  as  I  have  previously  stated,  the  dachs- 
hund is  usually  kept  in  this  country  as  a  com- 
panion and  for  show  purposes,  he  is  quite  capable 
as  a  sporting  dog.  Personally,  I  have  never  seen 
one  of  the  little  hounds  at  work,  so  for  information 
as  to  their  abilities  in  this  respect  I  cannot  speak 
of  my  own  knowledge.  Again  Mr.  Jones  kindly 
acceded  to  my  wishes  and  furnishes  the  following 
very  interesting  account  of  three  or  four  days 
badger  hunting  with  dachshunds  of  his  own.  That 
they  acquitted  themselves  with  credit  no  one  will 
deny,  and  at  any  rate  performed  their  duties  quite 
as  well  (perhaps  better)  as  our  terriers  would  have 
done  under  similar  circumstances. 

"  I  had  some  excellent  sport  with  dachshunds  in 
the  spring  of  1878.  I  arranged  to  pay  three  visits 
to  friends,  all  of  whom  promised  to  introduce  me  to 

N    N    2 


548  Modern  Dogs. 


some  badgers  in  their  wild  state.  I  started  for 
Gloucestershire  with  two  couples  of  dachshunds, 
each  about  three  years  old  and  well  used  to  going 
to  ground.  The  first  time  we  went  out  was  on 
the  Wednesday  before  the  Good  Friday.  It  was 
full  moon,  and  the  night  was  very  bright  and  still. 
In  addition  to  the  four  dachshunds  my  friends 
ran  four  terriers.  The  earthstopper  had  gone  on 
before  and  stopped  all  the  main  earths,  and  re- 
mained by  them  until  we  came.  We  did  not  net 
any  of  the  places,  our  object  being  to  run  a  badger 
to  ground  in  a  small  earth  and  dig  him  out. 

"  From  2  a.m.  to  5  p.m.  the  little  pack  hunted 
well,  and  were  very  merry  sometimes  ;  but  it  was  the 
thickest  underwood  I  was  ever  in.  When  you  left  a 
ride  you  were  lost  amid  the  tangle  of  brambles. 
A  badger  was  viewed  once,  and  had  a  sharp  tussle 
with  one  of  the  terriers.  The  dachshunds  kept  well 
together,  and  on  one  occasion  hunted  out  in  the 
open  for  a  long  way,  but  I  think  they  were  then  on 
the  line  of  a  fox.  However,  at  about  5  a.m.  it 
was  found  that  one  of  the  main  earths  had  been 
unstopped,  and  two  of  the  terriers  could  be  heard 
hard  at  it  in  different  places.  Being  well  supplied 
with  digging  appliances  we  commenced  operations, 
and  about  10  a.m.  had  dug  to  one  of  the  terriers, 
which  we  found  terribly  torn  and  bitten.  After 


The  Dachshund.  549 


getting  the  terrier  out,  a  dachshund  was  put 
in,  and  we  soon  saw  him  backing  slowly  out, 
and,  to  our  astonishment,  he  brought  with  him  a 
young  badger,  not  quite  half  grown,  dead  and 
nearly  cold.  This  the  terrier  must  have  killed  early 
in  the  morning. 

1  The  dachshund  was  sent  to  ground  again,  and 
he  was  soon  heard  baying  close  to  where  we  had 
heard  the  other  terrier,  but  his  voice  was  so  loud  we 
could  tell  exactly  where  he  was. 

''  Then,  by  about  twelve  o'clock,  we  had  dug  to 
the  second  terrier,  and  he  was  more  injured  than  the 
first,  so  they  were  both  sent  home. 

"  The  badger  now  seemed  to  shift  his  quarters, 
for,  on  putting  a  second  dachshund  in,  we  heard 
both  dogs  baying  quite  close  together  in  a  different 
place,  and,  after  the  quietness  of  the  terriers,  the  loud 
baying  of  the  dachshunds  seemed  to  encourage  the 
men  in  their  digging,  for  there  was  no  doubt  as 
to  the  whereabouts  of  the  dogs.  About  3  p.m. 
we  dug  down  to  them,  and  soon  bagged  a  very 
fine  badger. 

"  Knowing,  however,  that  there  was  more  than 
one  badger  in,  for  the  terriers  had  been  working 
at  different  places,  the  four  dachshunds  were  all 
sent  underground  together.  They  could  not  find 
the  other  badger,  but  one  of  them  brought  out 


55°  Modern  Dogs. 


another  half  grown  one  that  had  been  killed  by 
the  terriers. 

"  I  left  that  night  (Thursday)  for  Monmouthshire, 
and  after  midnight  on  Good  Friday  we  started 
off  with  the  four  little  hounds  and  a  couple  of 
rough  haired  terriers  for  some  very  large  woods, 
but  with  good  rides  in  them.  All  the  earths  were 
well  attended  to  with  faggot  bundles,  the  last  of 
them  was  being  stopped  when  we  arrived.  The  night 
was  cloudy  and  occasionally  quite  dark,  but  the  dogs 
hunted  very  well,  and  were  close  on  to  a  badger 
several  times,  but  failed  to  mark  one  to  ground. 
About  6  a.m.  the  dachshunds  (both  terriers  had 
been  badly  bitten  in  the  wood,  and  were  sent 
to  the  inn)  took  a  line  towards  the  river  Usk. 
This  line  they  hunted  very  prettily  for  a  long 
way,  when  two  of  them  went  to  ground  by  the 
riverside  in  an  earth  about  six  feet  below  the  top 
of  the  bank,  and  in  a  moment  they  were  baying  in  a 
way  that  left  no  doubt  they  were  at  something. 
I  was  half  afraid  it  might  be  a  fox,  but  some 
hairs  picked  off  the  sides  and  top  of  the  entrance 
proved  it  was  used  by  badgers ;  and  the  unmis- 
takable imprint  of  the  badger's  nails,  quite  fresh, 
close  to  the  entrance,  settled  the  question. 

"  Before  commencing  digging,  the  men  expressed 
a  great  wish  to  send  to  the  village  for  a  noted 


The  Dachshund.  551 


terrier  that  was  there;  but  this  we  would  not  permit, 
and  they  did  not  hesitate  to  say  they  had  no  confi- 
dence in  a  dachshund  at  a  (  dig  out,'  but  how  they 
had  reason  to  change  their  opinions  will  be  told 
later  on. 

"The  earth  ran  nearly  straight  under  the  field, 
not  more  than  some  five  or  six  feet  deep,  and  the 
loud  voices  of  the  dachshunds  could  very  plainly  be 
heard  baiting  their  game.  We  cut  a  trench  right 
across  what  we  thought  would  be  about  the  end  of 
the  earth,  leaving  plenty  of  room  to  work ;  but  just 
as  we  broke  into  the  earth  the  badger  went  10  or 
12  feet  further  underground,  the  dogs  following  him 
close  up.  Thus  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  dig 
another  trench,  having  first  securely  stopped  the 
earth  towards  the  river.  This  second  trench  cut 
right  into  the  end  of  the  earth,  and  but  for  the  spade 
touching  the  badger  we  should  have  bagged  him 
then,  but  he  went  forward  facing  the  dogs,  and 
remained  about  half  way  between  the  two  trenches. 

(i  I  then  put  the  other  two  dogs  in  from  the  end 
of  the  earth,  and  at  it  they  went,  and  whichever  way 
the  badger  faced  he  was  attacked  in  the  rear. 

"  He  showed  himself  several  times  at  the  mouth 
of  the  hole,  but  we  missed  him  with  the  tongs.  At 
last  he  made  a  bolt  in  a  hurry,  and  over  went  the 
man  with  the  tongs,  who  was  then  on  his  knees, 


552  Modem  Dogs. 


looking  down  the  hole,  and,  jumping  up  the  corner 
of  the  trench,  the  badger  made  for  the  river  bank. 

"  A  shepherd  had  come  to  look  on,  and,  having 
his  sheepdog  with  him,  the  latter  immediately  gave 
chase,  catching  the  badger  up  just  as  he  reached 
the  edge  of  the  bank.  The  badger  landed  beauti- 
fully on  the  narrow  ledge  upon  which  the  earth 
opened,  but  the  poor  sheepdog  went  right  over  the 
bank,  down  to  the  bed  of  the  river,  a  fall  of  nearly 
twenty  feet.  The  dachshunds  were  helped  out 
of  the  trench,  everyone  ran  and  halloaed,  and  there 
was  great  excitement.  The  badger  turned  up  a  dry 
ditch  full  of  brambles,  and,  by  the  combined  aid  of 
the  dachshunds  and  the  sheepdog,  was  ultimately 
bagged. 

"  On  the  Monday  I  was  driven  about  fourteen 
miles  for  a  third  hunt,  as  my  friend  had  seen  a 
badger  quite  recently  in  the  wood,  and  had  made  all 
arrangements  for  stopping  the  earths.  I  took  the 
recently  caught  badger  with  me,  as  it  was  wanted 
to  turn  down,  and  the  one  we  had  bagged  on  the 
Thursday  was  of  the  wrong  sex.  The  moon  was 
late  in  rising,  so  we  did  not  leave  the  house  until 
2.30  a.m.  on  Tuesday.  The  earth-stopper  had  all 
the  main  earths  stopped,  and  a  fire  burning  in  front, 
by  which  he  had  made  himself  comfortable. 

"  This  night  we   had  only  the  four  dachshunds ; 


The  Dachshund.  553 


they  did  a  lot  of  hunting,  several  times  running  well, 
and  giving  plenty  of  music.  They  worked  round  the 
big  wood  twice,  and  when  near  the  middle  two 
badgers  were  seen  quite  close  together,  one  following 
the  other,  and  not  far  behind  was  old  Waldmann, 
throwing  his  tongue  freely  on  their  line.  My  friend 
gave  a  view  holloa  that  could  be  heard  all  up  the 
hillside,  and  soon  afterwards  these  two  badgers  were 
run  to  ground  in  a  small  earth.  Waldmann  got  in 
before  he  could  be  taken  up,  and  1  could  not  get 
him  out.  I  had  particularly  wanted  to  run  a  red 
bitch  that  had  not  done  much  work. 

"  We  again  dug  a  trench  right  across  the  line  of 
the  earth  beyond  where  we  judged  the  badgers  to 
lie.  To  prevent  them  making  a  bolt  we  stopped 
the  earth  behind  the  dog  with  a  large  stone,  leaving 
only  a  small  hole  to  admit  the  air.  We  dug  right 
on  to  the  nose  of  one  badger,  which  itself  was  digging 
as  hard  as  it  could,  and  had  nearly  buried  himself, 
still  we  got  it.  Then  we  cleared  the  earth  out, 
and  in  trying  to  get  hold  of  the  second  with  the 
tongs  caused  it  to  make  a  drive  at  poor  old 
Waldmann,  who  was  blocked  in  with  the  stone. 
The  dog  received  an  ugly  bite,  but  we  soon  had 
our  second  badger  in- the  sack. 

11  I  returned  that  night  with  only  one  damaged 
dog,  and  three  very  successful  '  dig-outs.' 


554  Modern  Dogs. 


"  When  we  went  to  the  stables  for  the  dogs  and 
Saturday's  badger,  and  had  not  very  much  time 
for  the  train,  we  discovered  our  badger  had  got 
out  of  the  box,  and  was  not  to  be  found.  A  cast 
round  with  the  dogs  and  they  marked  him  up  the 
chimney  in  the  harness  room  ;  he  had  reached  a 
ledge  in  the  flue,  and  get  him  down  we  could  not,  so 
had  to  leave  him.  He  was  ultimately  taken  and 
sent  on,  and  I  believe  helped  to  make  several  good 
earths  that  are  now  used  by  foxes. 

"  The  following  moon  I  took  the  same  four 
dachshunds  into  Warwickshire,  where  I  had  often 
been  with  my  terriers  on  former  occasions  ;  but  this 
was  the  first  introduction  of  the  dachshunds.  We 
tried  to  run  a  badger  into  the  nets,  but  were  not 
successful,  though  the  dachshunds  found  one  in  the 
meadows,  and  had  some  capital  hunting  before  they 
lost  him.  There  were  a  lot  of  rabbits  about  here, 
and  I  rather  think  they  caused  our  hounds  to  run 
riot  a  little. 

"  After  breakfast  we  had  a  walk  round  all  the 
likely  places  where  the  badgers  might  have  gone, 
taking  a  hardy-looking  terrier  with  us,  one,  however, 
too  big  to  get  to  ground.  About  10  a.m.  the  dachs- 
hunds marked  a  badger  in  a  nice  little  earth,  and, 
before  lunch,  we  had  him  in  a  sack ;  one  man  was 
bitten  in  the  thumb  by  the  badger,  and  our  host  was 


The  Dachshund.  555 


bitten  in  the  leg  by  a  dachshund.  In  the  excitement 
of  '  bagging '  he  picked  one  of  the  dachshunds  up 
by  the  tail,  flinging  him  under  his  arm,  and  was 
stooping  down  and  picking  up  another,  when  No.  i 
pinned  him  in  the  calf  of  the  leg.  Needless  to  say 
he  dropped  the  two  dogs. 

"  The  biting  for  that  day  was  not  yet  over,  for, 
when  talking  at  lunch  of  taking  the  badger  on  the 
bank  of  the  Usk,  the  question  was  raised,  could  the 
four  dachshunds  so  hamper  a  badger  in  the  open  as 
to  enable  him  to  be  taken  with  the  tongs  ?  Nothing 
would  satisfy  the  party  but  a  trial,  so  the  badger  was 
turned  out  in  a  very  hilly  field,  when  he  made  off  up 
hill,  and  from  the  way  in  which  he  bowled  the  dachs- 
hunds over,  I  have  no  doubt  he  would  have  got 
away,  had  not  the  big  terrier  been  slipped.  During 
the  process  of  getting  hold  of  the  badger,  a  terrier 
puppy,  about  nine  months,  came  up  from  the  house, 
and  hearing  a  great  deal  of  '  loo  loo,'  and  not  know- 
ing quite  what  to  do,  quietly  seized  the  man  who 
was  energetically  trying  to  get  hold  of  the  badger 
with  the  tongs,  and  left  his  mark  on  him. 

"  I  have  had  many  such  days,  of  which  the  above 
are  fair  examples,  and  from  these  results  am  quite 
convinced  that  for  digging  out  a  fox  or  badger, 
nothing  can  beat  a  properly  entered  dachshund." 

Although    new  breeds  of  dogs   are    being   intro- 


Modern  Dogs. 


duced,  I  fancy  that  the  dachshund  will  continue  to 
hold  his  own,  for  he  is  by  no  means  difficult  to  rear 
from  puppyhood,  and,  as  I  have  already  stated,  is  a 
desirable  dog  as  a  companion.  He  is,  moreover, 
one  of  the  canine  favourites  of  Her  Majesty  the 
Queen  at  Windsor.  Seldom  used  for  his  particular 
work  in  this  country,  nor  for  hunting  in  packs,  for 
our  beagles  and  harriers  will  do  the  latter  better 
than  he,  and,  in  going  to  ground  after  fox  or 
badger  or  otter  we  have  our  own  terriers,  which 
we  cannot  afford  to  lose ;  still,  the  dachshund 
has  deservedly  popularised  himself,  and  when  in 
his  puppydom  he  has  chased  a  sheep  or  made  a 
raid  on  the  poultry  yard,  it  is  no  more  than  other 
young  untrained  dogs  of  our  own  have  done  and 
will  do  to  the  end. 

The  fact  that  the  dachshund  has  a  peculiarly  nice 
skin  makes  him  specially  adaptable  as  an  agreeable 
pet  dog ;  and  when  to  this  is  added  a  pleasant  face, 
an  endearing  disposition,  and,  for  a  hound,  a  tolerable 
immunity  from  the  aroma  of  the  kennel,  there  is  little 
wonder  he  has  become  popular.  Perhaps  at  the 
present  time  his  classes  on  the  show  bench  do  not 
fill  quite  as  well  as  they  did  some  half-dozen  years 
ago,  but  this  does  not  arise  from  any  waning  popu- 
larity as  a  companion  and  as  a  house  dog. 

What    a    dachshund    in    the    flesh    is    like,    Mr. 


The  Dachshund.  557 

Wardle's  drawings  at  the  commencement  of  this 
chapter  plainly  tell,  and  the  following  standard, 
drawn  up  by  the  Club,  will  give  additional  know- 
ledge to  the  searchers  for  information. 

"  Head  and  skull. — Long,  level,  and  narrow;  peak 
well  developed;  no  stop;  eyes  intelligent,  and  some- 
what small  ;  follow  body  in  colour. 

"  Ears. — Long,  broad,  and  soft ;  set  on  low  and 
well  back  ;  carried  close  to  the  head. 

"  J-aw. — Strong,  level,  and  square  to  the  muzzle; 
canines  recurvent. 

"  Chest  — Deep  and  narrow  ;  breast  bone  promi- 
nent. 

"  Legs  and  feet. — Fore  legs  very  short  and  strong 
in  bone,  well  crooked,  not  standing  over;  elbows 
well  clothed  with  muscle,  neither  in  nor  out ;  feet 
large,  round,  and  strong,  with  thick  pads  and  strong 
nails.  Hind  legs  smaller  in  bone  and  higher,  hind 
feet  smaller.  The  dog  must  stand  true,  i.e.,  equally 
on  all  parts  of  the  foot. 

"  Skin  and  coat. — Skin  thick,  loose,  supple,  and 
in  great  quantity  ;  coat  dense,  short  and  strong. 

"  Loin. — Well  arched,  long  and  muscular. 

"  Stern. — Long  and  strong,  flat  at  root,  tapering 
to  the  tip ;  hair  on  under  side  coarse ;  carried  low 
except  when  excited.  Quarters  very  muscular. 

"  Body. — Length  from   back  of  head  to  root  of 


558  Modern  Dogs. 


stern,  two  and  a  half  times  the  height  at  shoulder. 
Fore  ribs  well  sprung,  back  ribs  very  short. 

11  Colour. — Any  colour,  nose  to  follow  body  colour; 
much  white  objectionable. 

"  Symmetry  and  quality. — The  dachshund  should 
be  long,  low  and  graceful,  not  cloddy. 


Head  and  skull     12 

Jaw    5 

Legs  and  feet    20 

Loin  8 

Body 8i 

Symmetry  and  quality  1 1 


Ears  6 

Chest 7 

Skin  and  coat  13 

Stern 5 

Colour 4 


Grand  Total  100. 

"  The  weight :  Dogs  about  2ilb.,  bitches  about 
i81b. 

"  The  Dachshund  Club  do  not  advocate  point 
judging,  the  figures  are  only  used  to  show  the  com- 
parative value  of  the  features." 

It  will  be  noticed  in  the  above  Club  description 
that  "any  colour"  is  allowed,  with  only  the  proviso 
that  "  much  white  is  objectionable."  The  accepted 
colours  with  us  are  red,  black  and  tan,  chocolate  (or 
brown),  and  chocolate  and  tan.  There  is  some 
variation  in  the  shades  of  hue,  especially  amongst 
the  reds,  some  of  which  are  so  pale  as  to  be  almost 
yellow.  The  black  and  tans  and  the  deeper  reds  are 


The  Dachshund.  559 


the  handsomest,  and  a  white  foot  or  feet  and  a  little 
white  on  the  breast  are  no  detriment.  Mouse 
coloured  specimens  are  occasionally  met,  sometimes 
with  tan  shadings,  sometimes  without.  This  is  not 
a  desirable  colour,  and  "wall"  or  "china  eyes" 
often  accompany  it.  The  dachshund  is  what  may 
be  termed  a  whole  coloured  dog,  at  least,  this  is 
what  we  have  made  him  here  since  his  adoption. 

White  as  the  ground  colour  is  as  objectionable  in 
Germany  as  with  U5,  but  on  the  continent  a  greater 
variety  of  colour  is  allowed  Herr  Beckemann  giving 
the  legitimate  colours,  dividing  them  into  four  groups 
as  follows : 

"  First,  black,  chocolate,  light  brown  (red),  hare 
pied,  all  with  tan  shadings.  Secondly,  the  same 
colour  without  the  tan  markings.  Thirdly,  slate, 
mouse,  silver  grey,  either  whole  coloured  or  with  tan 
marks ;  eyes,  blueish  or  colourless  (wall  eyed)  ;  and 
fourthly,  variegated,  slate,  mouse,  silver  grey  with 
irregular  black,  chocolate  or  tan  marks  and  blotches, 
with  or  without  tan,  and > with  one  or  two  '  wall  eye^s/ 
Any  one  of  these  colours  is  as  good  as  another  in 
the  Fatherland,  but  in  case  two  dogs  are  of  equal 
merit  in  other  respects,  the  black  and  tan  is  to  be 
preferred,  or  the  dog  most  richly  coloured  and  free 
from  white." 

As  to  the  voice  or  cry  of  the  dachshund.     He  is 


560  Modern  Dogs. 


not,  as  a  rule,  so  free  with  his  tongue  as  either  the 
basset  hound  or  beagle,  but,  of  course,  there  are 
exceptions  to  this.  One  old  hound,  Mr.  Harry 
Jones's  Dina,  was  particularly  musical  in  this  respect, 
and  her  voice,  in  addition  to  being  loud,  was  beauti- 
fully deep  and  mellow.  Her  daughter,  Juliet,  though 
equally  free,  had  a  much  less  pleasing  note. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  where  dachshunds  have 
been  entered  to  work  with  terriers  and  used  for 
the  duties  usually  ascribed  to  a  terrier,  they  are 
inclined  to  hunt  with  less  music  than  if  used 
as  a  pack  or  worked  in  connection  with  basset- 
hounds.  Indeed,  this  is  pretty  much  the  case  with 
all  hounds,  and  I  have  known  a  foxhound  hunt  pretty 
nearly  mute  when  alone,  but  in  company  with  his 
pack  be  as  free  with  his  tongue  as  any  other  hound. 

An  instance  occurs  to  me,  that  of  Rally,  a  favourite 
otter  hound  bitch  with  the  late  Kendal  pack.  Bred 
by  Mr.  Coulter,  one  of  the  good  old  school  of 
sportsmen,  she  had  been  entered  almost  single- 
handed,  and  for  a  time,  even  on  the  strongest  line, 
ran  quite  mute.  After  a  season  or  two  with  the 
pack,  she  came  to  throw  her  tongue  with  the  best  of 
its  members,  and  proved  a  most  reliable  and  careful 
hound. 


IN  DEX. 


Page. 

Adcock,  Mr.  E.  H 182,  189 

Adcock,  Mr.  F 177 

Agricultural  Hall,  Borzoi  at...  220 
Ahascragh  breed  of  setters  . . .  344 

Airnie  (Irish  setter)     360 

Aldenham  Piper  (harrier) 87 

Alder  (deerhound)  132 

Aldridge's,  sales  of  pointers  at  260 

Aldrovandus,  Dr 400 

Aldrovandus,  Natural  History 

by  286 

Alexandra  Palace,  Borzois  at  223 
"  Allan-a-dale  "  (Mr.  B.  C. 

Evelegh)    160 

Altcock,  Mr.  W.  E 222 

Allen,  Mr 447 

Allison,  Major 383 

"  All-round  "  judges  437 

Alma  (dachshund) 537 

Altcar  Club  (1825) 148 

America,    English  pointers  in 

261,  264 

America,  IJewellin  setters  im- 
ported into    316 

American  pointer  breeders  ...  274 
"  Ancient  Tenures  "  Blount's  145 
Anderson,  Mr.  J.  C 521 

[VOL.  I.]  O 


Page. 

Anglesea  setter,  the    320 

Antrim,  Earl  of  196 

Antrobus,  Sir  E 241 

Apperley,  Charles  J 46 

Arbuthnot,  Hon.  Capt.  ...  430,  454 

Argos  (Borzoi)     222 

Arkwright,  Mr.  W.  247,  262, 

538,  542 

Armstrong,  Mr 301 

Arrian  (2nd  century)  on  Cours- 
ing                              .  143 

Ashdown  Park  Meeting  (1780)  148 

Assyrian  sculptures  of  dogs...  527 

Aveline  (Irish  setter) 354,  355 

Ayris,  Harry    61 

Bab    at    the    Bowster   (grey- 
hound)     157,  162 

Bachelor  (spaniel) 457,  471 

Badger  (dachshund)  533 

Badgers    hunted    by    dachs- 
hunds   548 

Badminton  Flyer,  the    67 

"  Baffers  "  (spaniels) 402 

Bagot's  (Lord)  bloodhounds...     26 

Bailey,  Mr 204 

Baily's  Magazine  28 

O 


562 


Index. 


Page. 

Baintree  (misprint  for  Banshee)  203 
Baker,     Mr.,     of     Badylohm 

Castle  199,  345 

Baliol,  Edward,  King  of  Scot- 
land         77 

Balloch  setters 318 

Bang  (pointer)    255 

Bampfylde,  the  Hon.  C 87 

Banshee  (Irish  wolfhound)  200,  203 

Barclay,  Mr.  E 88 

Bardolph  (bloodhound)  ...  30,     39 
Barnaby      (  Mr.     Brough's  ) 

16,  24,  25 

Barney  (spaniel) 44$ 

Baron  Doveridge  (setter)  303 

Baron  of  Danes  (Great  Dane)   189 

Bartram,  Mr.  G.  T 385 

Basset,  Mr.  C.  H 73 

Basset  a  Jambes  Torses     511 

Basset,    Continental    varieties  498 
Basset,     difference     between, 

and  beagle  509 

Basset  Fran9ais  501 

Basset,   gradual  development 

of    513 

Basset  Griffon   501,  519 

Basset  hound,  the  497 

Basset  Hound  Club    523 

Basset  hound,  description  of...  498 
Basset  Hunt  Club  (Australian)  521 

Basset,  in-breeding  of    513 

Basset,        introduction        into 

England    507 

Basset,  the  Lane 501 

Basset,  the  Le  Couteulx    501 

Basset,  measurement,  &c.     ...  506 

Basset,  origm  of  name  498 

Basset,  points  for  judging    . .    524 


Page. 

Bassets  as  pets     520 

Bassets,        most        successful 

breeders  of    512 

Bassets,  packs  of    520 

Bassets  (smooth)     5()I 

Battle  (spaniel)    457 

Bayley,  Mr 320 

Beagle,  the    91 

Beagle,  description  of 104 

Beagle,  points  of 97 

Beagle,  points  for  judging     ...    105 

Beagle  Stud  Book   102 

Beagle,  varieties  of 96 

Beaufort  Castle,  setters  at 338 

Beaufoy,  Mr.  M.     27 

Beard,  Mr.  Steyning  85 

Beasley,  Mr 134 

Beauty  III.  (retriever)  392 

Beck,  Mr.  C.  H 263 

Beckford's  Harriers    82 

Beckford,  Mr.  Peter  47 

Beckah  (dachshund)  535,  537 

Beckmann      (Herr)       on    the 

dachshund    531 

Beeswing  (Mr.  Brough's)..    16,   18 
Belgian    Waldmann    (dachs- 
hund)       542 

Bell,  Mr.  Jacob  33 

Bell,  Mr.  E.  Weston 130,  134 

Belle  (spaniel) 47 1 

Belle  (Leach's)    250 

Belle  (pointer)  246,  254 

Belle  (setter) 297,  300 

Belle  des  Bordes  (pointer)    ...   246 

Bellew,  Mrs 362 

Belvoir  Guider    65 

Belvoir  Hounds  46 

Belvoir  Senator,  the    65 


Index. 


563 


Page. 

Bennett,   Mr.  John 345 

Bennett's       (Mr.      W.       C.) 
account  of  the  Irish  setter...  344 

Benson,  Mr.  John  118 

Bentinck,  Lord  Henry  61,  133,  241 
Berkeley  Castle  Cromwell,  the  66 

Berkeley,  Mr.  Grantly  31 

Berners,  Dame  Juliana... 6,  82,  400 

Bevan,  Mr.  F.  R 320 

Beverlac  (spaniel)  470 

Bevis  (deerhound)  134 

Bingley's  Natural  History  ...  329 
Birmingham  (1860)  Dog  Show  132 
Birmingham,  Mr.  Llewellin's 

team  of  setters  at    313 

Bishop,  Mr.  Elias    259 

Bismarck,  Prince,  and  his  dog  185 
Black  field  spaniel,  points 

and  description    474 

Black    field     spaniels,    prices 

fetched  by 47 1 

Blackett,  Mr 544 

Blaine,  Delabere 277 

Blanchard,   Mr 157 

Blees,  Mr.  O.  H 222 

Blenheim     spaniels    used    for 

covert  shooting 402 

Blenheims  working  in  covert. . .  488 

Blew,  Mr.  W.  C.  A 45 

Blitsay  (Borzoi)   220 

Blitz  (dachshund)    536 

Bloodhound,  the i 

Bloodhounds,  points  for  judg- 
ing  

Bloodhounds,  packs  of  27 

Bloodhounds  tracking    

Blount's  "Ancient  Tenures" 
Blue  Belle  (beagle)     


35 

28 

14 
H5 
101 

O   O 


Page. 

Blueberry,    Mr.    E.    Brough's     24 

Blue  Cap  (foxhound) 51 

Blue  Dash  (setter)  300 

Blue  Rock  (setter)  361 

Boaler,  Mr.  E 435 

Boaler,  Mr.  G 437 

Bob  (Irish  setter)  353 

Bob  (spaniel)   457 

Bodo  (dachshund)  535 

Boece's  "  History  of  Scotland"    120 

Bondhu  (setter)   30 1 

Bono  (bloodhound)   30,  38 

"  Book  of  St.  Alban's  "     6,  82 

Boothby,  Thos.,  Esq 45 

Boothby,  Squire  46 

Bootiman,  T 166 

Borzoi  at  Agricultural  Hall...   220 
Borzoi  at  Alexandra  Palace  ...  223 

Borzoi  Club 226 

Borzoi,  colours  of 224 

Borzoi,  description  of    ...   211,  226 

Borzoi,  hunting  with  

Borzoi  judging  in  Russia  

Borzoi,  meaning  of  name 

Borzoi,  measurements  of  

Borzoi,  performing     

Borzoi,  points  of 

Borzoi,  prices  fetched  by  

Borzoi,  Prince  Obolensky  on... 
Borzoi,  Russian  Imperial  ken- 
nels     

Borzoi,  strains  of 

Borzoi,  training  of  

Borzoi,  uses  of 210 

Borzoi,  values  of 232 

Borzoi  at  Clumber  222 

Borzoi,  Mr.  Kalmontsky's     ...   213 

Boss  III.  (spaniel) 448 

2 


215 
228 
218 
230 

210 

230 
220 
2I7 

232 
231 
225 


564 


Index. 


Page. 

Boswell,  Lord  133 

Bouchan  (Great  Dane) 1 89 

Boughey,  Sir  Thomas    483 

Boulton,  Dr 489 

Boulton,  Dr.  W.  W 470 

Bounce  (pointer) 245,  254 

Bourbon  (basset)     511 

Bowers,  Mr.  T.  B.  ...  46,  299, 

301,  459,  461 
"  Braces  Stakes  "  for  setter  ...  315 

Brach,  the 91 

Bradley,  Basil  (animal  painter)  363 
Brailsford,  Mr.  W...   243,375,382 

Bran  (deerhound)  127,  129 

Bran  (Irish  wolfhound) 199 

Bredalbane,  Lord  133 

Breadalbane's    (Marquis    of) 

setters    318 

Brevity  (spaniel) 490 

Brian  (wolfhound)  203 

Bridford  Battle  (spaniel)  462 

Bridford  Naomi  (spaniel)  462 

Bridford  Perfection 470 

Brierley's  (Mr.  C.  W.)  pointers  252 

Brighton  Shows   101 

British  Fancier  1 74 

Brockton,  Mr 245 

Brooke,  Rev.  A.  G 447 

Brough's  (Mr.  E.)  bloodhounds 

,    12,  16,  24,  27,  30,  33 

Brown,  Mr.  Herbert 247,  265 

Brown,  Mr.  D.  ("  Maida")...   160 
Browne,   Mr.  C.  M.   ("  Robin 

Hood") 1 60 

Brownie  (dachshund) 538 

Bruce  (deerhound) 133 

Bruce  (setter)  301 ,  353 

Bruce,  Mr.  Knight     541 


Page. 

Bruce,  Robert,  and  the  blood- 
hounds         5 

Bruce's  wager,  King  Robert. . .    123 

Brush  II.  (spaniel) 447 

Bryan's  (Mr.  Stawell)  pointers  258 
Buckhounds,  Her  Majesty's...     72 

Buckle  (spaniel) 473 

Buckley,  Mr.  R.  W 119 

Bulled's  (Mr.)  pointers 256 

Buller,  Mr 97 

Bullock,  Mr 428,  454,  459 

Burdett,  Mr.  F 469 

Burgess,  Mr 459,  483 

Burgundy  (bloodhound) 30,  39 

Burton  Contest,  the    66 

Burton  Dorimont,  the    64 

Burton  Regulars 66 

Bustle  (spaniel)   436 

Byron,  Mr 545 

Caius,  Dr 6,  82,  280,  370,  400 

Calmady,   Mr 118 

Cambridge,  Mr.  H.  P 100 

Cameron  of  Lochiel's  Bruce...    133 
Campbell,  jun.,  Mr.  Morton. ..    135 

Campbell  of  Monzie,  Col 133 

Canteleu,  Count  Couteulx  de     28 
Cardinal  York  (dachshund)...  543 

Carew-Gibson,  Mr 490 

Carey,  Messrs.  R.  B.  and  T.  S.  422 

Carhampton  (greyhound) 162 

Carl  (dachshund)    532 

Carlisle  Otter  Hounds 116 

Carlo  (Irish  setter) 356 

Carlo  (pointer)    248 

Carlo  (retriever) 376 

Carrick,  Mr.  J.  C 108,   116 

Carrington,  Lord    27 


Index. 


565 


Page. 

Cartmel,  Mr 307 

Cash  in  Hand  (setter)    303 

Cawdor,  Earl  of  338 

Cedric  the  Saxon  (Great  Dane)  180 

Century  Magazine 33 

Cerise  II.  (dachshund)  :..  543 

Cerito  (greyhound)     153 

Chalon,  Mr.  H.  B 488 

Champion  Harp  (spaniel) 421 

Champion  Paris  (basset)  515 

Champion  Psyche  II.  (basset)  515 

Champion  Xena  (basset)  515 

Chance  (spaniel) 454 

Chang  (pointer)  254 

Chapman,  Mr.  R 263,  337 

Charkow  (dachshund)    539 

Charles,  Mr 447 

Charles  I. 's  greyhound  146 

Charlton  Hunt,  the 45 

Chelmsford  Clytie  (spaniel) ...  448 

Chenda  (dachshund) 534 

Cheriton,  Mr. 118 

Cheshire  Beagle  Hunt  Club...  103 

Chesterfield,  Lord  243 

Chicory  (retriever) 376 

Chopette  (basset)    512 

Chloe  (spaniel)     457 

Chute,  Mr 97 

Cid  Campeador  (Great  Dane)  181 

Claret  (setter) 335 

Clark,  Mr.  G.  B 447 

Clarke,  Mr.  H.  T 162 

Clayton,  Captain 29 

Clement,  Mr.  Louis    509 

Clift,  Mr.  Harry 118 

Cloete,  Mr 119 

Clonsilla  (setter) 364 

Clumber,  Borzois  at,  ..              .  222 


Page. 

Clumber  spaniel,  the 433 

Clumber  spaniels,  anecdotes  of  459 

Clumbers  at  the  shows  435 

Clumbers,  the  three  best  of  the 

early  shows  448 

Coachman,  the,  and  the  beagles     93 


Cobb,  Mr.  R.  W 


103 


492 
295 


Cockers  at  Manchester  Show  490 
Cockers,   points  and  descrip- 
tions of  '. 

Cockerton,  Mr.  James  B. 
Cockerton's  (Mr.)  setters      ...  307 

"  Cock-flushers  " 435 

Cocker  spaniel,  the 487 

Coleraine  (Irish  setter)  360 

Collier,  Mr 118 

Colquhoun,  Mr.  John,    ...328,  394 

Comber,  Mr.  R 473 

Comrade  (foxhound)  50 

Coniston  Foxhounds  48 

Conqueror  (foxhound)    50 

Constance  (bloodhound)    40 

Couteulx  de  Canteleu,  Count       28 

Coop,  Mr 188 

Cooper,  Major 534 

Cooper,  Mr.  W.  H 355,  363 

Corbet,  Mr.  H 533 

Corbet,  Mr.  Reginald    45 

Cork,  dog  killed  by  a 456 

Corsica  (Great  Dane)     189 

Cossack  (Borzoi) 209 

Cotes,  Colonel  262,  304,  320 

Coulter,  Mr 560 

Count  (Irish  setter)     359 

Count  Wind'em  (setter)     301 

Countess  (bloodhound) 33 

Countess  (deerhound)    134 

Countess  (setter)     ...246,  300,  305 


566 


Index. 


Page. 

Countess  Bear  (setter)  314 

Countess  of  Rosehill  (spaniel)    463 

County  Down  Hunt,  the   79 

Courland  Borzoi,  the 23 1 

Coursing  Clubs,  early    148 

Coursing  in  early  times 143 

Coursing  points   165 

Coursing  Rules  in  Elizabeth's 

reign  147 

Cowen,  Colonel    27,  32,  229 

Cowdray    Park,    deerhunt    in 

(1595)      121 

Cox,  Mr.  Harding 385 

Cox,  Nicholas  400 

Crab  (pointer) 246 

Crane's  (Mr.)  Rabbit  Beagles     94 
Craven,    Mr.    F.   B.  ...  21,  27, 

40,  103,  1 88 

Craven  Harriers,  the 88 

Crisp,  Mr.  G.  E 204 

Croker,  Mr 520 

Cromwell  (bloodhound) 30 

Cross,  Mr 259 

Culoz  (dachshund) 541 

Cumberland,    the     foxhounds 

of    47 

Cunnington,  Mr 320 

Cupid  (basset) 515 

"  Cynographia  Britannica  "...  329 

Czar  (Borzoi)  208 

Czarina  (greyhound) 149 

Dachs  (dachshund)  533 

Dachshund  colours 559 

Dachshund,  description  and 

points  558 

Dachshund,  Herr  Beckmann 

on  the 531 


Page. 
Dachshund,     introduction     of 

the 525 

Dachshund,  Mr.  Harry  Jones 

on  the    532 

Dachshund  Stud  Book,  the  ...   530 

Dachshund,  voice  of  559 

Dachshunds    at    the     Shows, 

532,  et  seq. 

Dachshunds  at  work  527 

Dachshunds,  English  breeders 

of 532 

Dachshunds  hunting  badgers  547 

Daisy  (setter)  300 

Dame  Juliana  Berner  6,82 

Damon  (Borzoi)  221 

Damper  (spaniel)    448 

Dan  (setter) 301 

Dandie  (setter)    336 

Dandy  (pointer)  245 

Dandy  (setter)     335 

Danger  (bloodhound) 15,  18 

Danger,  Mrs 24 

"Daniel's  Rural  Sports  " 51 

Dansey,  George  143 

Darby,  Mr.  S 377 

Darlington  Dog  Show    163 

Darlington    Horse    and    Dog 

Shows    89 

Dartrey  (setter)   363 

Dash  (Irish  setter)  352 

Dash   (pointer),    curious  price 

paid  for 237 

Dash  (setter)  297,  301,  304 

Dash  (spaniel) 454,  457 

Dash  II.  (setter) 298,  300 

Dash  III.  (setter)    301 

Dashwood,  Mr.  J.  J.  W 319 

D'Aumale  (basset) 512 


Index. 


567 


Page. 

Davvson,  Capt 119 

"  Days       of       Deerstalking," 

Macneill's 126 

Dean,  Mr.  H.  S 542 

De  Beauffort,  Count   274 

De  Clifford,  Robert 77 

Deer-parks  71 

Deerhound  Club 138 

Deerhound,  colour  of 135 

Deerhound,  description  of 130 

Deerhound,    Earl    of   Tanker- 

ville  on  the    128 

Deerhounds,        heights       and 

weights 1 36 

Deerhounds,  kennels  of 133 

Deerhounds,  long  hunts  by    ..  137 
Deerhound,    manner  of    run- 
ning      136 

Deerhound,  Bell's  monograph  130 

Deerhound,  points  of 1 39 

Deerhound,  the    121 

"  Deer  Stalking,"  Scrope's  ...  126 

Dent,  Mr.  James     155 

Derby,  Earl  of 241 

"Derby"  for  setters  315 

Despard,  Mr.  W.  W 362 

Desportes,   paintings  of   dogs 
by  .  ..  234,  285 

Dessauer  (dachshund)   534 

Devon    and    Somerset    Stag- 
hounds  73 

Devonshire  pointers    253 

Devonshire  pointer  breeders...  254 

Dexter's  (Mr.)  pointers 264 

Dhulart  (wolfhound)  203 

Dick  (retriever)    395 

Dicker,  Rev.  G.  C 224 

Dickon,  Mr 300 


Page. 

Dickson,  Mr.  O.  H 521 

Dina  (dachshund)  534 

Ditton  Brevity  (spaniel) 490 

Dixon,  Mr.  H.  H 329 

Dobson,  Tommy 53 

Dobson,  William 276 

Doctor  (Irish  spaniel)     420 

Dogs,  Isle  of 145 

"  Dogs  of  the  British  Islands  " 

136,  177,  248,  497 

"  Dogs  of  Scotland  "  124,  327,  332 

Doll  (pointer)  245 

Don  (bloodhound)  29 

Don  (spaniel)  430 

Don  IX.  (pointer)  251 

Double-nosed  strain  of  pointers  243 

Downe,  Lord    301 

Drachen  (dachshund)     541 

Drake  (pointer)  245 

Drake  Duster,  the 64 

Drenagh  (setter) 364 

Drogheda  (Irish  setter)...  354,  363 

Druid  (bloodhound) 26,  31,  32 

"  Druid,"  the   329 

Duck  (Irish  spaniel) 420 

Duckmanton  Harebell  (dachs- 
hund    545 

Duckmanton  Winkle  (dachs- 
hund    540 

Duke  (setter)    301 

Duke  (spaniel)    438,  448 

Dumfriesshire  Otterhounds  ...  119 

Durer's  (Albrecht;  St.  Hubert  283 

Earl  II.  (deerhound) 135 

Earl  of  Warwick  (Great  Dane)  189 

Edenbridge  Harriers,  the 88 

Edge,  Mr.  Webbe  241 


568 


Index. 


Page. 

Edge  pointers,  sale  of  the 242 

"  Edmond    Castle  "    breed   of 

setters    298 

Edward  III.,  King 71 

Edwards,  Sydenham 181,  233 

Egyptian  sculptures  of  dogs...  527 

Elcho  (Irish  setter) 350 

Elizabeth's    (Queen)    pack    of 

hounds  92 

Elizabeth's      reign,      coursing 

rules  in  147 

Ellis,  Mr 362 

Ellis  (Mrs.)  bassets    515 

El  Zingaro  (dachshund)    537 

Enfield  Chase  Staghounds    ...     79 
English    pointers    in    America 

261,   264 

Enniskillen,  Earl  of    348 

Ensign  (deerhound)    1 35 

Enterprise  (deerhound)  1 35 

Erdine  (dachshund)    536 

Erdman  (dachshund)     532 

Eskdale  Foxhounds,  the    53 

Evans,  Mr.  R 349 

Evans,  Mr.  Walter 134 

Evelegh,  Mr.  B.  C.  ("  Allan- 

a-dale  ")   160 

Faber,  Mr.  T.  H 103 

Fairy  III.  (spaniel)     448 

Farmer,  Mr 456 

Farrow,  Mr.  J.  F.   ...428,  472,  491 
Farrow,    Mr.    J.    F.,    on    the 

Irish  Spaniel    413 

Faust  (dachshund) 535 

Faust  III.  (dachshund) 540 

Featherstone  setter,  the 320 

Feldmann  (dachshund) 533 


Page. 

Festus  (dachshund)    533 

Field,  Mr.  Barclay  263,  301 

Field  Trial   meeting,  the  first  245 

Finette  (basset)    509 

Fingal  (setter) 362 

Fingall  II.  (deerhound)  135 

Finglass  (setter) 363 

Finkle,    Tom,  and  his  blood- 
hound Voltigeur 8 

F'innigan's  Wake  (setter) 363 

Fino  (basset)    509 

Fino  de  Paris  (basset)  ...  502, 

508,  513 

Fino  V.  (basset) 511 

Fino  VI.  (basset)    512 

Fintragh  (wolfhound) 203 

Firearms,  early    288 

Firearms,  laws  regarding" 290 

Fisher,  Mr.  John 529,  533 

Fitzinger,  Dr 529 

Fitzroy,  Lord  Alfred  21 

Flame  (setter) 310 

Fleming,  Abraham 280 

Fleming,  Mr.  J.  N 245,  335 

Flink  (dachshund)  535 

Flirt  (spaniel)  470 

Flo  (spaniel)     430 

Flora  (spaniel)     483 

Foljambe,  Mr 445 

Footman,  Mr 469 

Ford's  (Mr.  C.)  pointers  259 

Foreign  dogs    284 

Forester  (basset) 506 

Forster,  Mr.  R.  Carnaby  115,   117 

Fownes,  Mr.  Thos 46 

Fox  Bush  Harriers,  the 88 

Foxhounds,    cost  of   packs  of     41 

Foxhounds,  earliest  entry  of...  45 


Index. 


569 


Pa^e. 

Foxhounds,  early  packs  of  46 

Foxhounds,  extraordinary  runs  49 

Foxhounds,  famous 60 

Foxhounds,  homing  faculty  of  53 
Foxhounds    hunting   the    wolf 

in  Russia  ...  52 

Foxhounds  on  the  stage 56 

Foxhounds,  prices  of  packs  ...  59 

Foxhounds,  points  for  judging  67 

Foxhounds,  sizes  of    55 

Foxhounds,  speed  of  51 

Foxhounds,  trencher-fed   54 

Foxhounds,  "Walking"  55 

Frank  (setter) 301 

Fred  (setter)    296,  305 

Friar  Boss  (spaniel)    450 

Frisco  (Irish  setter)     360 

Fritz  (dachshund)    534 

Frou  Frou  (dachshund) 534 

Fullerton  (greyhound)    ...155,  162 

Gaiety  (spaniel)  490 

Gallon,  Mr 113 

Game,  taking  by  nets 278 

Garnet,  Mr.  C 27 

Gamier,  Colonel 203,  204 

Garryowen  (Irish  setter)    359 

Garth,  Mr 300 

Garth,  Sir  R 243 

Garth's  (Mr.)  pointers,  sale  of  244 

Gell,  Mr.,  Hopton  Hall 243 

"Gentleman's  Recreation  "...  400 

George  (spaniel)    ...  454,457,  461 

George,  Mr.  F.   D 204 

George  IV.'s  Beagles 92 

Geraldine  (basset)  506 

Geraldine  (Irish  setter)  363 

Gesner,  Conrad,  on  the  dog..  287 


Page. 

Gesner's  "General  History  of 

Quadrupeds  "  121 

Gibbon,  W.  J.  S 87 

Gibbons,  Mr.  VV 134 

Gilbey's,  Mr. .Spanish pointers  235 
Gillett,  Mr.  \V.  .  469 

(iilpin,  Sidney 236 

Giltrap,  Mr 351,  359,  361 

Clipping  Sam  (spaniel)  473 

Gladstone,  Mr.  R.  F 156 

Goodall,  Frank    78 

Gordon  Castle,  setters  at  338 

(iordon  setter,  breeds  of     338 

Gordon  setter,  description  and 

pointsof    339 

Gordon  Setter  Club    336 

(iordon  setters,  colour  of   332 

Gordon  setter  kennels  in  Scot- 
land 334 
Gordon  setters,  prices  fetched  by  33 1 

Gordon  setter,  the  327 

Gordon,  Mr.  W 133 

Gordon's    (Duke  of)  strain  of 

setters    s 328 

Gore,  Sir  W.  St.  George  -133 

Gorse,  Mr.  J.  D. 376 

Gortschakoff,  Prince,  and  the 

Dog    • 186 

Grafin  II 540 

Grafton   (bloodhound)    33 

Graham,  Captain  ...  133,  180, 

197,  199,  204,  209 
Grandmaster  (Great  Dane)...    185 

Grant,  Mr 133 

Gratius  Faliscus  6 

Gray,  Mr.  Thomson 124,  332 

Great    Danes    at   the    Oxford 
Music  Hall  185 


57° 


Index. 


Page. 
Great  Dane,  description  of 

(1863)  181 

Great  Dane,  description  of  ...  190 
Great  Dane,  heights  and 

weights  of  recent  winners  ...  189 

Great  Danes,  performing 210 

Great  Dane,  standard  of 

points ,. ..  IQO 

Great  Dane,  revenge  in  183 

Great  Dane,  the 176 

Great  Dane,  the,  in  Ireland  ...  179 

Green,  Mr.  H.  P 484 

Greenbank,  Messrs 338 

Greengage  (greyhound)  156 

Gretchen  (Great  Dane) 1 89 

Crete  (dachshund) 532 

Greyhound,  the  143 

Greyhound,  the,  as  a  show  dog  161 

Greyhound  colours 1 65 

Greyhound  Kennels,  the 

leading  163 

Greyhound,  description  of  ..  164 
Greyhound  licences  (1850)  ...  151 
Greyhound,  old  Sculpture  of 

in  British  Museum  144 

Greyhound  taxing  144 

Greyhound  taxing  under  King 

John  145 

Greyhound,  points  of 165 

Griffon,  Basset,  the  501 

Grove  Barrister,  the  63 

Grove  Rose  (spaniel) 490 

Guinevere  (basset) 510 

Hacke,  Mr.  Paul     223 

Hackett,  Mr.  Paul 320 

Hadden,  Dr 133 

Hagar  (dachshund)  535,  538 


Page. 

Hamlet  (pointer)     245 

Hanbury,  Mr.  Barclay  529 

Handicapping  whippets     174 

Handsel  (dachshund)     538 

Handy,  Mr.  J.  A....  245,  454,  460 
Hannah  (dachshund)  ...  536,  538 
Hannibal  the  Great  (Great 

Dane)    189 

Hans  (dachshund) 535,  538 

Hardy,  Colonel    93 

Hare-hunting  on  foot     90 

Harlequin  Dane,  the 181 

Harlequin  Nero  (Great  Dane)    189 

Harrier,  the 8 1 

Harriers,  packs  of  86 

Harriers,    points    for   judging     89 

Harrier  Stud  Book 102 

Hartley,  Mr,  W 307 

Harvey,  J.  G.  (Queen's  hunts- 
man)       79 

Haufmann  (dachshund)     535 

Hawkes,  Mr.  J.  G 352,  361 

Hawkstone  Otter  Hounds  ...  115 
Haylock  and  Barnard,  Messrs.  447 

Hazzard,  Mr.  Jason   348 

Heap,  Mr.  S.  R 204 

Hebe  III.,   Mr.  J.  W.   Scott's 

bloodhound    23,     25 

Hector     II.,     Mr.     R.    Hood 
Wright's  bloodhound  ...   23,     25 

Hector  (setter)     361 

Hedley,  Mr.  James     166 

Herbert,  Mr.  Reginald,  96,  181,  188 

Hercules  (staghound)     77 

,    H  erf  rida  (dachshund)     544 

Her  Majesty's  Staghounds   ...     72 

Heseltine,  Mr 521 

Hickmann,    Mr.  G.  W.,   134,   199 


Index. 


57' 


Page. 

' '  H  ighland  Sports ' '  (St.  John) 

126,  137,  328,  374 

Hilda  (dachshund) 537 

Hill,  Mr.  M.  H 27 

Hill,  Hon.  Geoffrey    115 

Hilliard,  Mr 359 

Hincks,  J.  T 446 

Hincks's,     J.    T.,     Clumbers, 

anecdotes  ot 449 

"  Historiae    Animalium,"     by 

Gesner  287 

Hoare,  Mr.  M 540,  541 

Hoare,  Sir  Edward     336 

Hockey,  Mr.  G.  S 421 

Hodge,  Mr 533 

Hodgson,  Mr.  H 27 

Hogg,  Mr.  Lindsay    21 

Holcombe  Harriers     84 

Holford,  Mr.  C.  E 26,  436 

Holinshead's  "Chronicles"...    122 

Holland,  Mr.  Taprell     208 

Holmes,  Mr.  H.  H 446 

Hopcroft,  Mr 483 

Hope,  Lord  Clinton    446 

Horn,  ancient  hunting  45 

Hotpot  (spaniel) 446 

Howarth,  Mr.  R.  C 473 

Huldman,  Colonel  7 

Humphries,  Mrs 29 

"  Hunger's  Prevention  "...291,329 

Hutchinson,  Captain 353 

Hutchinson,  Colonel  370 

Hutchinson,  Rev.  Hely 309 

Hutton,  Mr 533,  535 

H'Vat  (Borzoi) 221,  222 

"  Idstone,"  94,  254,  328,  336,  353, 
376,  429,  444 


Page. 

Ightfield  Deuce  (pointer)  262 

Ightfield  Dick  (pointer)     262 

Ightfield  Rosa  (setter)    ....!....  364 
Inclosed   meetings    for    grey- 
hound coursing    158 

Indiana  (dachshund) 543 

Inge,  Lieut. -Col 132 

Ingram,  Mr 542 

Irish  setters  at  the  shows  358 

Irish  setters,  breeds  of  ...  344,  359 

Irish  Setter  Club 354 

I  rish  setters,  colours  of  344 

Irish  setters,  en.lurance  of 353 

Irish  setters,  kennels  of 361 

Irish  setter,  noted  breeders  of  347 

Isle  of  Dogs 145 

Isola  (basset)   516 

Ivanhoc  (Great  Dane)   189 

Jack  Boot  (dachshund) 546 

Jackdaw  (dachshund)    545 

Jack  o'  Dandy  (dachshund)...  545 

Jacobs,  Mr.  T 470,  471 

Jaff  (bloodhound)    24 

Jamaica,  bloodhouuds  sent  to 

(1795)    5 

James  I.'s  "  Book  of  Sports"  290 

Jameson,  Major  364 

Janet  (dachshund) 546 

Jarvis,  Dr.  William    351 

Jealousy  (dachshund)    545 

Jefferys,  Mr.  Allan     83 

Jenning's  bloodhounds,  Mr....     26 

Jenny  Jones  (greyhound) 162 

Jess  Croft  (dachshund) 545 

Jet  (retriever)  376 

Je/ebel  (dachshund)  537 

Jilt  of  Braunfels  (pointer) 267 


572 


Index. 


Jingle  (dachshund) 
Joan  of  Arc  (dachshund) 
Jobling,  Mr., 
Jocelyn  (dachshund) 
John  o'Gaunt  (spaniel) 
Jonah  (dachshund) 
Jones,  Mr.  Harry 
Jones,  of  Oscot,  Mr 
Joubert  (dachshund) 
Jubb,  Mr 
Jude  (dachshund) 
Juliet  (dachshund) 
Julius  (dachshund) 
Junker  1 1 .  (dachshund) 
Juno  (pointer) 
Jupiter  (dachshund) 
Juventa  (dachshund) 

Kalmontsky's    (Mr.) 

Kate  (setter) 

Kendal  Otter  Hounds 

Kendal  Ragman  (otter  hound ) 

Kennedy,  Capt.  Clarke 

Kennel       Club        bloodhound 

trials  20 

Kennel  Club  Show,  Borzois  at  223 
Kennel  Club  Show,   retrievers 

at    392 

"  Kennel  Club  Stud  Book"  ...   208 
Kennels   of    greyhounds,     the 

leading  1 63 

Kent,     greyhounds     in     early 

times  in 145 

Kent  (setter),  supposed  pedi- 
gree of  336 

'  Kerr,  Lady  Innes    219 

Kerr's  (Lad)'  Charles)  Borzois  209 
Kerry  beagles  96,  99,   100 


545 

Keyes,  Dr.   (1570),  on  Blood- 

1)   

54« 

hounds    6,     82 

336 

Killiney  (Irish  setters)   361 

.-538, 

544 

King  John,  greyhound  taxes.  .    145 

.446, 

44* 

King  John's  otter  hounds  113 

^7 

King"  Koffee  (retriever)  393 

oo/ 

..528, 

532 

King,  Mr.  John  G  346 

•  320, 

469 

Kingston's    (Duke    of)     black 

538 

pointers  238 

72Q, 

7-2? 

Kirkham  hounds                              83 

•  •   O      /  ! 

V.JOO 

538 

Kitchingman,  Mr.  V  447,  473 

528 

Knipe  Scar  Coursing  Meeting  407 

544 

Knowles,  Mr.  B.  C  23 

vi.i 

Koat  (Borzoi)                                 221 

fcJ"t*T 

236 

Koodoo  (bloodhound)  23,     25 

544 

Korotai     (Borzoi)     200,     219, 

54<> 

221,   224 

Krehl,  Mr.  G.  R  509,  517 

Sorzois 

213 

Krilutt     (Borzoi)      217,      221, 

•••335. 

36l 

223,   231 

117 

"  Kunopsedia  "    276 

ound) 

ii7 

118 

Lady  (dachshund)  540 

Lady  (spaniel) 42 1 

Lady  Lyons  (greyhound)  154 

Lambert,  Daniel 241 

Lamonby,  Mr.W.  F.  ("Skid- 
daw")    161 

Lancaster,  Henry,  Duke  of  ...    146 

Landseer,  Sir  E 33 

Lane  Hounds  (basset)    517 

Lang,  Mr.  S 471 

Langdon,  Mr 84 

Larry  Doolin  (spaniel)  422 

Lasca  (Borzoi) 220 

Lascelles,  Hon.  Gerald 532 

Lauder,  Mr.  T 302 

Lauderdale's  (Earl  of)  pointers  238 


Index. 


573 


Page. 

Laurie  (spaniel)  456 

Laverack,  Mr.  Edward       295,  356 

Laverack  setter,  the   296 

Laverack  setters  at  field  trials    301 

Lawrence,  Mr.  C 473,  491 

Laycock's   Dairy  Yard,  Show 

at    413 

Leal  (Great  Dane)  181,  189 

Legh,  Lieut. -Col.  Cornwall  ...  385 

Lemor  or  Lymer,  the 6 

Lennard,  Sir  T.  B 262 

Lewis,  Major   134 

Lichfield,  Lord    241 

Liddell,  Mr.  H 385 

Life-saving  retrievers 396 

Linda  (dachshund) 534 

Lindoe,  Capt , 420 

Lipscombe,  Mr.  W.  H 362 

Liver  and  white  spaniels    482 

Llanidloes  setter,  the 319 

Llewellin  setters  at  field  trials  315 
"  Llewellin"  setter,  description 

of  the     308 

Llewellin  setters  imported  into 

America    316 

Llewellin,  Mr.  R.  L.  P 301 

Llewellin's    (Mr.)      Laverack 

setters    311,  320 

Lloyd,  Mr.  Freeman 223 

Lloyd,  Mr.  Jackson    351 

Lloyd,  Sir  Marteine   103 

Lloyd- Lloyd's  (Mr.)  pointers  257 

Lomax,  Squire     112 

Lonsdale,        Mr.        Hey  wood 

(English  setters)     303,364 

Lonsdale's     (Mr.     Hey  wood) 

pointers 261 

Loo  VII.  (Irish  setter)  362 


Lord,  Mr 

Lort,  Mr.  \V 

Lovat,  Lord 

Lovell,  Mr.  F 

Lovell,  Rev.  G.  F.  ...532, 

Lowe,    Mr.    F.   52,    212, 

246, 

Lowe,  Mr.  G.  S 

Lowndes,  Mr.  Selby  

Luath  XL  (bloodhound) 

Lucy,  Mr.  Spencer 

Lune  Belle  (setter) 

Lymer  or  Lemor,  the 


Page. 

5i6,  535 
.101,  320 

338 

80 

538,  545 

222, 

262,  302 

..60,  301 

28 

29 

.  133 
307 

6 


Macdona,  Mr.  J.  C.,  208,  353,  518 

Macdonnel,  Ronaldson 137 

Macneil,  Sir  John   133 

Macneill  of  Colonsay 1 26 

Mac's  Little  Nell  (setter) 361 

Mahon ,  Rev.  H 344 

"  Maida  "  (Mr.  D.  Brown)  ...    160 

Maid  of  Kent  (pointer)     264 

Major  (greyhound)     151 

Major  (pointer)   245 

Malcolm  (deerhound)     127 

Malt  (pointer) 265 

Manchester's     (Duchess      of) 

Borzoi    209 

Man-hunting      with       blood- 
hounds at  Boxmoor    14 

Manners,  Earl 447 

Manning,  Mr 33$ 

Marguerite  (dachshund)   534 

Markham,  Gervase     291,  329, 

400,  412 
Maroons,       insurrection        in 

Jamaica     ^ 

Marples,  Mr.  T 1 74,  473, 


574 


Index. 


Page. 
Mar's    (Earl    of)    deerhounds   125 

Martin,  Mr 243 

Mask  (Irish  wolfhound)     203 

Mason  (Mr.  C.   H.),  of  New 

York 274 

Mason's       (Mr.       C.        H.) 

pointers 253 

Master  Dan  (pointer)    274 

Master  M'Grath  (greyhound) 

153.  162 
"  Master  of  the  Game,"  the...  401 

Master  Sam  (setter)  302 

Match    between    musket   and 

bow  and  arrows   289 

Matthews,  Mr.  S.   376 

Maud  (spaniel)    459 

Maw,  the  late  Mr.  G 251 

Maximus  (dachshund)   534 

Maxwell,  Captain   447 

Maxwell,  Mr.  A 134 

Mayhew,  Mrs.  Reginald  .„ 101 

M'Carthy's   (Mr.)  description 

of  the  Irish  spaniel 410 

McGoff,  Mr 361 

M'Kenna,  Mr.  J.  H 447 

McKenzie,  Mr 133 

McNamara,  Mr. 97 

Melnotte  II.  (dachshund) 545 

Melville's  (Viscount) 

retrievers  376 

Menzies,  Mr 133 

Merkin  (Col.  Thornton's  fox- 
hound)       51 

Merlin  (Irish  wolfhound)  203 

Merry  (beagle)   101 

Merry  Belle  (spaniel)     490 

Mexborough,  Lord 241 


Meynell,  Mr. 


46,  242 


Page. 

Meyrick,  Mr.    382 

Mickey  Free  (spaniel)    421 

Mignarde  (basset)  513 

Mignonne  (dachshund) 538 

Mike  (pointer)     263 

Mike  (pointer),  winnings  of...  266 
Mike-Romp  strain  of  pointers  264 
Millais,  Mr.  Everett,  30,  497, 

52i,  523 

Milner,  Captain  360 

Miriam  (basset)   =51=5 

Miss  Prim  (pointer)    251 

Miss  Signal  (setter)    362 

Miss  Sixpence  (pointer) 246 

Mithe  (greyhound) 146 

Model  (basset) 506,  508 

Moll  (pointer)  245 

Moll  III 298 

Molodetz  (Borzoi)   208 

Molodyets  (Borzoi)     224 

Money-Wigram,  Mr.  A.    385,  393 

Monk  of  Furness  (setter) 302 

Monmouth,  Duke  of       4^ 

Monmouth,     Duke     of,      dis- 
covered by  bloodhounds     ...       5 

Moonstone  (spaniel)  473 

"  Moor   and    the    Lock,"    the 

328,  394 

Moore,  Mr 243 

Moore,  Mr.  Cecil 348,  359 

Moore,  Mr.  George    242 

Moore's  (Dr.  Bond)  retrievers  382 

Morna  (deerhound)    134 

Morrel,  Mr 27 

Morris,  Dr 376 

Morrison,  Mr.  John    385 

Morrison,  Mrs 219 

Morton,  Mr.  N 422 


Index. 


575 


Page. 

Moses  (retriever)    384 

Moss  troopers,  the,  and  blood- 
hounds         2 

Mouse  (dachshund)    533 

Mudie,  Mr 536 

Muirhead,  Mr 506 

Muir,  Mr.  K 219,  222 

Miinster,  Count  534 

Muskerry  (setter)   362 

Musson,  Mr 516 

Musters,  Mr.  H.  C 133 

Musters,  Mr.  John     47 

Nabob  (spaniel) 438,  448 

Napoleon  II.  (basset)     515 

Naso  of  Kippen  (pointer) 267 

Naso  of  Strasburg  (pointer) ...   274 
Naso  of  Upton  (pointer)    256,  266 

National  Coursing  Club    160 

Nebo  (spaniel) 473 

Nellie  (setter) 305,  363 

Nellie    (black    spaniel),    469, 

470,  490 

Nep  (retriever)    384 

Nero  (retriever)  394 

Nevil,  Mr.  T 28 

Newcastle,  Duchess  of  ...  219,  222 

Newcastle,  Duke  of    434,  446 

Newcastle  setter,  the  320 

Newington,  Mr.  Campbell  455,  462 

Nichols,  Mr.  E 27,  29 

Nicholson,  Mr 302 

Nickels,  Captain 396 

Nigger  (pointer)  .247 

Nigger  (spaniel)  ..  ..471 

Nijni  (Borzoi)  208 

•"  Nimrod  "   46 

Nora  Friar  (spaniel)  448 


Page. 

Norfolk    spaniel,    points    and 

description  of   479 

Norrish's  (Mr.  E.  C.)  pointers  256 

Norseman  (Great  Dane)   189 

North,  Colonel 155 

"  Northern  Tour  "  327 

"  Noticia  Venatica  "  45 

Nouailles,  Due  de    434 

Novel  (setter)  301 

Nun  of  Kippen  (setter)  302 

Nutt,  Mr.  G.  H....  95 

Nuttall,  Mr.  Falkiner 362 

Obolensky     (Prince)     on    the 

Borzoi    217 

O'Brian,  Mr.  R.  D 199 

O'Brien,  Rev.  H.  1 204 

O'Callaghan,   Rev.    R.    (Irish 

setters)  ..  355,  362 

O'Connell,  Mr.  John 97 

O'Connor,  Mr.  Maurice    350 

Octavius  (dachshund)    537 

O'Keefe,  Yelverton     345 

Old  Bang  (pointer)     256 

Old  Bebb  (spaniel) 459 

Old  Bob  (spaniel)  470 

Old  Kate  (setter)    301,  359 

Old  Moll  (setter)     297 

Olga  (dachshund)  535 

Olympia  (dachshund)     ...536,  539 

Olympian  (dachshund) 540 

Omagh,  Irish  setter  trials  at...  363 

Onslow,  Lord    508,  533 

Ooslad  (Borzoi)  221 

Orford,  Earl  of 147,  149 

Osbaldeston,  Mr 242 

Osbaldeston  Furrier,  the   63 

Osbaldeston,  Squire   47 


576 


Index'. 


Page. 

Osborne  Ale  (pointer)    265 

Oscar  (deerhound) 127,  133 

Otley  Otter  Hounds  119 

Otter  hound,  the     107 

Otter  hounds,  a  mixed  pack  of  1 1 1 

Otter  hounds,  colours  of    119 

Otter  hounds,  height  of 119 

Otter  hounds,  points  for  judg- 
ing    1 20 

Otter    hounds,  recently    esta- 
blished packs    119 

Otter  hunt,  a  novel 1 1 1 

Otter  hunting  109 

Otter  hunting,  early  davs  of...  113 

Otto  (dachshund)    535 

Oudar  (Borzoi)    220 

Owdalzka  (Borzoi) 208 

Oxford     Music     Hall,    Great 

Dane  at     185 

Ozone  (dachshund)    537 

Paget,  Lord  Alfred 375 

Pagooba  (Borzoi)  217,  222 

Palm  (spaniel) 47 1 

Palmer,  Sir  Roger  1 80 

Palmerston  (Irish  setter)... 349,  359 

"  Pantherius  "  (spaniel)    400 

Paris  (basset)  506 

Paris  (retriever)  385 

Parishes  ordered  to  keep  strong 

dogs  (1616)  4 

Parker,  Mr.  H.  P 134 

Parlett,  Mr.  F 447 

Parry,  Dr 27 

Parry's    (Dr.    Hales)    blood- 
hound Primate    24 

Pax  of  Upton  (pointer) 247 

Payne-Galwey,  Sir  Ralph 200 


Page. 

Peach,  Captain    384 

Pearce,  Rev.    Frank,  see  "Id- 
stone  " 

Pearce,  Rev.  Thomas 353 

Pearl  (pointer)     255 

Peel,  Lady  Emily    208 

Peele,  Mr.  de  Courcy    544 

Peg  (pointer)    : 251 

Peg  and  the  cyclist    252 

Peggie  (spaniel)  . 457 

Pengelly,  Mr 396 

Penistone  Harriers,  the 87 

Pennant  on  the  deerhound  ...  125 
Perrin's  (Mr.)  Irish  setters  ...  361 
Peterborough  Hound  Show  ...  85 

Phillips,  Mr.  C.  A 385,  491 

Phryne  III.  (dachshund)  544 

Phyllis  IV.  (dachshund)    544 

Picts  and  Scots,  fight  between 

about  deerhounds    122 

Pilkington,  Mr 244 

Pilkington's       (Mr.)     sale    of 
pointers,    prices  realised    at  260 

Pixie  (dachshund)  533 

Playford,  Mr 204 

Plunket,  Hon,  D 353 

Plunket  (Irish  setter) 353 

Plunket  (setter)  310 

Pluto  (pointer)      236 

Pointer,  American  breeders  of  274 

Pointer  Club,  the     267 

Pointer  Club  Trials 246 

Pointer,  the,  as  a  sporting  dog  267 
Pointer,  the,  description  of  ...  269 
Pointer,  the,  supposed  origin 

of     233 

Pointers,  colours  of,  a  century 
ago 238 


Index. 


577 


Page. 

Pointers,  colours  and  work  of  247 
Pointers,     Daniel     Lambert's 

black 241 

Pointers,  Duke  of    Kingston's 

black 238 

Pointers,    high   prices    fetched 

by   260 

Pointers,  kennels  of    241 

Pointers   on   point,    anecdotes 

about 236 

Pointer,  scale  of  points   273 

Pointers,      scoring      at    field 

trials  by    246 

Pointers,  Spanish,  at  the  dog 

shows 235 

Pointers,     strain     of    double- 
nosed  243 

Ponto  (setter) 297,  436 

Pooley,  Rev.  J 262 

Portland,  Duke  of  446 

Potter,  Mr.  G 307 

Powell,  Captain  10 

Power,  Sir  John  199 

Pratt,  Mr.  R 473 

Priam  (pointer)    251,  265 

Price,  Mr.  H.  J 490 

Price,  Mr.  R.  J.  Lloyd  ...  244, 

260,  320,  386 

Price,  Mr.  Sam   255 

Pridmore's  (Mr.  G.  E.)  setters  307 

Prince  Consort,  the 242 

Prince  Rupert  (retriever)  393 

Pring,  Mr 259 

"Psovi,"  suggested  name  for 

the  Borzoi 218 

Psovoy  Borzoi,  the 23 1 

Psycho  (spaniel) 448 

Pterodactyl  (dachshund)    545 

[VOL.  I.]  P 


Page. 
Purcell-Llewellin's     (Mr.      R. 

L.)  setters 295,  300 

Pwlai  (Borzoi) 222 

Quail  of  Upton  (pointer) 246 

Queen  Bess's  pack  of  hounds  91 

Queen  of  Saxony  (Great  Dane)  189 

Quits  Baby  (pointer) 246 

Rabbit  coursing   by  whippets 

168,  170 

Race,  Mr.  G 87 

Rachel  (dachshund)   539 

Racing  by  whippets    168,  171 

Ragman  (otter  hound)   no 

Rake  (pointer) 244 

Rake  (spaniel) 420 

Rally  (otter  hound)     111,560 

Random  (pointer)   256 

Ranelagh  Club  Grounds,  Great 

Dane  Show  in 180 

Ranger  (setter)    304 

Rap  (pointer)  25 1 

Raper,  Mr.  G 274 

Raper,  Tom 166 

Rapture  (harrier)    84 

Rapunzel  (dachshund)  541 

Ravenor,  Mr 545 

Ravry,  Mons 517 

Ray,  Dr.  Reynolds 27 

Realm  Dog,  the  186 

Red  dogs,  difficulty  in  seeing  352 

Red  Rose  (dachshund)  545 

Regent,   Mr.  Holford's  blood- 
hound      26 

Reinagle    405 

Reinagle,  painting  of  dog  by  197 

Relf's  (Sussex  spaniels)     455 

P 


578 


Index. 


Page. 

Retriever,  choice  of  a    397 

Retriever  Club 378 

Retriever,  curly-coated   black  373 
Retriever,     flat-coated,      first 

shown     381 

Retriever,  flat  or  wavy-coated 

black 380 

Retriever,  Norfolk  393 

Retriever,  origin  of  the 369 

Retriever,    points    of     curly- 
coated    378 

Retriever,  Russian  (so-called)  390 

Retriever  trials 372 

Retriever,  wavy-coated,  points 

of 387 

Retrievers  as  companions 374 

Retrievers  as  deerhounds 397 

Retrievers,  brown    392 

Retrievers,  classes  at  shows  for  375 

Retrievers,  clever    394 

Retrievers,  field  trials  for  371 

Retrievers,   "Irish"    391 

Retrievers,      judging      wavy- 
coated    386 

Retrievers,  kennels  of     376 

Retrievers  saving  life 396 

Retrievers,  wavy-coated,  ken- 
nels of    385 

Rex  (setter) 335 

Reynolds,  Rev.  E.  M 48 

Rhea  (spaniel) 490 

Ribblesdale,  Lord 79 

Richard  II.  and  his  hounds  ...  145 

Richardson,  H.  D 277 

Richardson,  Mr.  H 199 

Richardson  on  the  Irish  setter  357 

Richardson,  Rev.  W.  J 262 

Richmond  (setter)  307 


Page. 

Ridehalgh,  Colonel 85 

Ridgway  Club  (1828) 148 

Ridley,  Mr 25 1 

Riego,  M 181 

Rightaway  (retriever)  387 

Rip-Rip  (pointer)  264 

Rivington  Merry  Legs  490 

Robertson,  Mr 307 

"  Robin  Hood"  (C.  M. 

Browne)  160 

Robin  Hood  (Retriever) 377 

Robinson,  Mr.  J.  R 299 

Rock  (setter)  301 

Rogers,  Bill 333 

Rolf  (spaniel)  47 1 

Romano  (basset) 518 

Romp  (pointer)  244,  263,  264 

Rosa  (dachshund)  539 

Roscommon  Hunt,  the  79 

Rose  (Irish  setter)  351 

Rose  (spaniel) 490 

Rosebud  (harrier)  84 

Rosehill  strain  of  spaniels 454 

Rossendale  Harriers  84 

Rossie  Blue  Bell  (deerhound)  135 

Ross  Mahon  Irish  setters  344 

Rossmore  (setter)  363 

Rothschild,  Baron  447 

Rothschild,  Sir  H .  de  79 

Roussalka  (Borzoi) 222,  224 

Routledge,  Thomas  (Slough 

Dogs)  3 

Rover  (spaniel)  428 

Rowan,  Hamilton  199 

Royal  Dublin  Society  Museum, 

wolfhound  skulls  in 198 

Royal  Lufra  (deerhound)  135 

Royal  Rap  (setter) 284 


Index. 


579 


Page. 

Royal  Rock  Beagles  103 

Rummager  (buckhound)   78 

Rural  Almanac 85,  106 

"  Rural  Sports,"  Darnell's    ...  488 

Russell,  Rev.  John in 

Russet  (spaniel) 471 

"  Russian  Deerhounds"    208 

Russian   Imperial    Society  for 
Encouragement    of     Sports 

(Borzoi)     226 

"  Russian  "  retrievers     390 

Russian  setter,  the  (so-called)  320 

Russian  wolfhound 207 

Ryan,  Mr.  Cleme.nt  97,  99 

Sailor  (retriever) 384 

St.  John,  Mr.  Charles   ...  126,  328 
"St.  Leger  breed"  of  water 

spaniels 409 

Salter,   Mr.  J.  H.,  102,  247,  262, 

265.  376,  392,  454,  455,  492 

Sam  (setter) 301 

Sam  (spaniel)  483 

Sancho  (pointer) 255 

Satan  (dachshund) 532 

Satan  (Great  Dane)   178 

Satin  Bondhu  (setter)    306 

Saule  (pointer)     260 

Saxby,  Mr 459 

Scarsdale  Julia    (dachshund)  545 
Scarsdale    Jungfrau     (dachs- 
hund)       544 

Schlank  (dachshund) 541 

Schlupferle  (dachshund)    534 

Schnaps  (dachshund)     533 

Schofield,  Mr.  F.  E 473 

"  Scientific  Education  of  Dogs 

for  the  Gun,"  the    397 


Page. 

"  Scotch  setter" 327 

Scott,  Mr.  W.  J 23 

Scottish  deerhounds    122 

Scratton,  Mr 259 

Scrope's  "  Deer  Stalking  "  ...   126 

Sea  King  (Great  Dane)    189 

Seavington  Hunt    84 

Sefton,  Earl  of 151 

Segesta  (dachshund) 537 

Seidel  (dachshund)     540 

Senta  (dachshund) 535 

Serjeantson,  Rev.  W 385 

Seton,  Dr 518,  533 

Setter  called  a  spaniel  in  Ire- 
land      276 

Setter  Club,  the  English    321 

Setter,    contract   for    training 

(1685)    292 

Setter  dogs  lost  while  pointing  352 

Setter,  early  history  of   276 

Setter  (Irish),  points  and  de- 
scription of   366 

Setter,  other  varieties  of    317 

Setter,  points  of  the  English...  321 

Setter,  the  black  and  tan  327 

Setter,  the,  description  of 275 

Setter,  the  English 295 

Setter,  the  Irish 343 

Setters   at  Birmingham,    Mr. 

Llewellin's    313 

Setters  at  Gordon  Castle  329 

Setters,  best  colour  for  365 

Setters,  black,  in  Westmore- 
land     317 

Setters,  double-nosed     318 

Setters  in  the  i8th  century    ...  329 

Setters,  kennels  of 307 

Setters,  various  strains  of 317 


580 


Index. 


Page. 

Shandon  III 363 

Shandygaff  (pointer) 266 

Sharpies,  Mr.  T 162 

Shepherd  (deerhound)  135 

Shield,  Rev.  W 262,  471 

Shirley,  Mr.  S.  E.  ...  301,  383,  387 

Shorthose's  (Mr.  John)  setters  307 

Shotover  (dachshund)  541 

Shuter,  Mr.  L.  A 383 

Siberian  wolfhound  207 

Sieger  (dachshund)  544 

Signal  (setter)  362 

Simondsbath  (staghound)  ...  72 

Singer,  Mr.  W.  H 134 

Sir  Alister  (setter) 301 

Sir  Gavin  (deerhound)  135 

"Sixty-one"  309 

"Skiddaw"  (Mr.  Lamonby)  161 

Skidmore,  Mr.  J.  S 415,  420 

Skipworth,  Mr.  Henry  377 

Slap  (dachshund)  533 

"  Sleeping  Bloodhound,"  the 

(Sir  E.  Landseer's)  33 

"Slough  dogs,"  warrant  for 

keeping 3 

Smith  (Coleshill)  Mr.  J 473 

Smith,  Mr.  Assheton 371 

Snowball  (greyhound)  150 

Solms,  Prince  267 

Southwell,  Mr 538,  540 

Spalpeen  (Irish  setter)  360 

Spaniel,  black  field 467 

Spaniel  Club,  the  406 

Spaniel  Clubs,  Irish  water, 

418:  description  by  418 

Spaniel  (Clumber)  433 

Spaniel  (Clumber),  description 

of    439 


Page. 

Spaniel,  Cocker,  the  487 

Spaniel,     description     of     the 

show  403 

Spaniel  (English  water),  405, 

427  ;   Mr.  J.  F.  Farrow  on...  428 
Spaniel  (English  water),  points 

and  descriptive  particulars. . .  431 
Spaniel      (Irish),      descriptive 

particulars     423 

Spaniel   (Irish),  early    history 

of 412 

Spaniel       (Irish),       principal 

exhibitors  of 422 

Spaniel  (Irish),  correspon- 
dence in  the  Field  con- 
cerning    409 

Spaniel  (Irish),  weight  of 426 

Spaniel   known    in    Sixteenth 

Century    278 

Spaniel,  Mr.  J.  F.  Farrow,  on 

the  Irish    413 

Spaniel,       Mr.       McCarthy's 

description  of  the  Irish 410 

Spaniel,  Norfolk 406 

Spaniel,  Norfolk,  the  origin  of 

477.  482 
Spaniel,    Norfolk,    points  and 

description  of  479 

Spaniel,  origin  of  the 399 

Spaniel,    supposed    origin     in 

Spain 284 

Spaniels  beating  for  coursing 

meeting 407 

Spaniels,  black  field,  kennels 

of    472 

Spaniels,    black    field,    points 

and  description  of  474 

Spaniels,  classes  for  405 


Index. 


Page. 

Spaniels  (Clumber),  kennels  of 

436,  445 
Spaniels  (Clumber),  points  and 

descript i ve  particulars  45 1 

Spaniels,  Cocker,  points  and 

description  ot  492 

Spaniels,  cutting  the  tails  of...  400 

Spaniels,  early  engravings  of  279 

Spaniels  in  early  times  401 

Spaniels  in  modern  times  405 

Spaniels,  liver  and  white  482 

Spaniels  other  than  black 481 

Spaniels  other  than  black,  de- 

cription  of 485 

Spaniels,  Sussex 453 

Spaniels,  Sussex,  colour,  &c., 

of  458 

Spaniels,  Sussex,  points  and 

description  of  463 

Spaniels  superseded  by 

beaters  407 

Spaniels  used  with  hawks,  279,  400 

Spaniels,  variations  in  404 

"  Spanish  Pointer,"  picture  by 

Stubbs  234 

Spanish  pointers  at  the  dog 

shows  234 

Spencer,  Earl  446 

Sperling's  (Mr.)  harriers 84 

"  Sport  illustrated  by  Art  "  at 

the  Grosvenor  Gallery  283 

"  Sporting  Magazine  "  435 

"  Sports  and  Pastimes  "  278 

"  Sports  and  Pursuits  of  the 

English"  46 

"  Sportsman's  Cabinet,"   149,  197, 

292,  405,  417,  427 

"Springers"    435 


Page. 

Spurgin,  Mr.  H.  B 469,  473 

Staghound,  the 71 

Staghounds,  Her  Majesty's  ...     72 

Staghounds,  long  runs  of 77 

Stag  hunting,  decline  of    72 

Starkie,  Colonel  Le  Gendre  21,  337 

Statham,  Mr 243 

Statter,  Mr 353 

Statter,  Mr.  Thomas 242 

Statter's    (Mr.   T.)    pointers, 

sale  of    261 

St.  Clair,  Henry 121 

St.  Clair's  wager,  Sir  William   123 
Steadman's  (Mr.  T.)  setters...  307 

Steel,  Mr.  James     116 

Stephanie  (dachshund) 545 

Stockton  Beagles 103 

"  Stonehenge  "    26,  31,  57,  59,  67, 

94,  loo,  143,  160,  163,  218,  304, 

320,  321,  387,  448,  453,  497 

Stout  (pointer)     265 

Strabo   6 

Strutt,  Hon.  Miss  E 533 

Strutt  on  the  spaniel   278 

Stylograph  (dachshund)    543 

Summerson,  Mr 222 

Superbus  (dachshund)  538 

Sure  Death  (setter)     363 

Surrey  Staghounds 80 

"  Surrey   Archaeological    Col- 
lection "     45 

Sussex  beagles     100 

Sussex  spaniel 453 

Sussex  spaniel  as  a  worker    ...  460 

Sussex  spaniel,  colour  of   458 

Sussex  spaniels,  strains  of 454 

Susi  (setter) 362 

Sutherland,  Duke  of 133 


S82 


Index. 


Page. 
Swaffham  (Norfolk)  Coursing 

Club  (1776)  147 

Sweep  the  Green  (setter)  302 

Swift  (deerhound)   1 35 

Swinburne,  Mr.  T 376 

Sylvia  (dachshund)     540 

Sylvie  (I rish  setter)     345 

Tarn  o'  Shanter  (setter) 301 

Tamooski,  Lieut.  G 218 

Tankerville,  Earl  of     128,  320 

Tankerville's   (Earl  of)    Bran  129 

Tap  (pointer)  247 

Tara  (wolfhound)   203 

Tarbat  (setter) 363 

Tatham,  Mr.  J .  R 338 

Tattersall's,    sale    of   Gordon 

setters  at  331 

Tattersall,  Mr 117 

Taylor,  Mr.  A.  E 364 

Taylor  (of  Dorset),  Mr 364 

Tchistopsovoy  Borzoi,  the 231 

Teck  (dachshund)  535 

Termino  (basset)     511 

Terriers,  clever    394 

Thekla  II.  (dachshund)     533 

Theo  (basset)  510 

Theodore  Nero  (retriever) 394 

Thomas,  Capt.  Moreton    472,  473 
Thompson,  Col.  Anstruther  ...   103 

Thornton,  Colonel 47,  92,  327 

Thornton's  (Colonel)  pointers  235 

"Thoughts  on  Hunting" 93 

Thusnelda  (dachshund)     537 

Tinker,  Mr 27 

Tinker  (dachshund)    545 

Toil  (pointer)  246 

Tom  ( Russian  hound)     268 


Page. 

Topham,  Major 150 

Tower  (spaniel)   446 

Trail  hunting  51 

Trench,  Col.  the  Hon.  W.  Le 

Poer  421 

Trimbush  (Clumber  spaniel) . . .  448 

Trip  of  Kippen  (setter)  303 

Triumph  (bloodhound)  29 

True  (retriever)   376 

Trust  (spaniel) 448 

Tufters  74 

Tunbridge  Wells  Show 101 

Twici  (huntsman   of  Edw.  II.)     44 
Tyras  (Great  Dane)  186 

Umbrellas,    retriever  stealing  395 
Uric  (Great  Dane) 189 

Vale,  Mr 43 

Valiant  (harrier) 87 

Vendetta  (Great  Dane) 1 88 

Venus  II.  (basset) 515,  545 

Vesta  (pointer)    255 

Vicar  (setter)   363 

Victor  (retriever)     383 

Vivien  (basset)    510 

Von  (dachshund)    535 

Von  Jostik  (dachshund)     536 

Wag  (dachshund)  535 

Wagtail  (dachshund) 541 

Waldine  (dachshund)    534 

Waldmann  (dachshund)    534 

Wales,  H.R.H.  the  Prince  of 

445,  5i9»  533 

Wales'  (Prince  of)  Borzoi 208 

Walker,  Mr.  W 377,  540 

Wallace  and  the  sleuth  hounds       5 


Index. 


583 


Page. 

Wallace,  Sir  Richard 484 

Walsh,  Mr.  H.  V 103 

Walsh,  Mr.  J.  H.,  see  "Stone- 

henge." 

Walton,  Izaak 43 

Wanton  (foxhound)    51 

War  Cry  (Great  Dane) 1 89 

Ward  Union  Hunt,  the 79 

Warde,  Mr.  F 262 

Warrior  (deerhound) 134 

Warwick,  bloodhound  trials  at     1 1 

Warwick,  Mr.  G 166 

WTater-dogs,  trials  of  at  Maid- 
stone  394 

Waterhouse,  Mr 361 

Waterloo  Cup  meetings     152 

Waterloo  Cup  winners  153 

Webber,  Mr.  Thomas    85 

Wee  Kate  (setter) 361 

Welcome,       Mr.      Jennings's 

bloodhound  26 

Wellesley,  Colonel 216 

Wellesley,  Col.,  and  the  Hon. 

Mrs 219 

Welshpool  Dog  Show 319 

W'estenra,  Colonel  347 

Westminster,  Duke  of    446 

Westminster, thelateMarquis of  241 
Westmoreland,  black  setters  in  317 
Westmoreland,  the  foxhounds 

of    47 

Whaddon  Chase,  bloodhounds 

at    28 

Wheatley,  F.,  R.A 435 

Whippet,  the    167 

Whippet  coursing  and  racing 

rules  170,    172 

Whippets,  size  of    169 


Page. 

W'hirlwind  (Borzoi)     223 

White   Heather   II.    (Gordon 

setter)    338 

Whitehouse,  Mr 243,  245,  250 

W'iggle  (dachshund)  541 

W'ilbey,  Mr .'.  27,  189 

Wilde,  Dr 198 

Wilkinson,  Mr.  T 118,   166 

Williams,  Dr 456 

Wilson,  Mr.  H.  M 363 

Wilton,  Lord    45 

Windle  Princess  (Great  Dane)  189 
Windle  Queen  (Great  Dane)   189 
Windrush  Riot  (dachshund)...  545 
Windrush    Waldine     (dachs- 
hund)        545 

Wolfhound  Club 203 

Wolfhound,        heights       and 

weights  of 203 

Wolfhound,  Irish     195 

Wolfhound,  Irish,  character  of  200 
Wolfhound,  standard  of  points  204 
Wolverton's  (Lord)  pack  of 

bloodhounds 27 

Wood,  Dr 305 

Woodbine  (setter)  363 

Woodhead,  Dr 506 

Woodhill  Beta  (setter)  303 

Woodhill  Bruce  (setter)    303 

Woodhouse,  Mr.  A.  1 521 

Wroolland,  Mr.  M....  455,  462,  470 

Wootten,  Mr 538 

Wrestler  (Irish  setter) 355,  363 

Wright,  Mr.  Hood  23,  27,  134,  204 

Wright,  Mr.  J 133,   208 

Wyndham  (retriever)     382 

Wynne,  Hon.  C.  H 119 

Wynnstay  Royal,  the     66 


5*4 


Index. 


Page. 

Xaverl  (dachshund)  533 

Xena  (basset) 506 

Xitta  (basset) 513,  515 

XL.  (retriever)    376 

Yates,  Mr.  W.  C 118 

Yorkshire  Exhibition  of  Fox- 
hounds    57 

Youatt,  William  357,  406,  433,  478 

Young  Hilda  (spaniel)  421 

Young  Kent  (setter)  335 

Young  Patsey  (spaniel) 421 


Page. 

Zadkiel  (dachshund) 538 

Zaidee  (dachshund)    538 

Zanak  (dachshund)     535 

Zanker  (dachshund)  536 

Zenica  (dachshund)    544 

Zero  (basset)    515 

Zeyn  (dachshund)  540 

Zieten  (dachshund)    534,  536 

Zigzag  (dachshund)  535,  538 

Zither  (dachshund)     540 

Zloeem  (Borzoi)  223 

Zulette  (dachshund)   535 


Advertisements. 


FOR  PUPPIES  ON  WEANING, 


SPRATT'S  PATENT 

ZFZEDPSIItT^TIEID 

PUPPY  MEAL, 

In  3d,  Sample  Tins,  also  in  Is,,  3s,,  6s.,  and  12s,  Tins, 

A  fine  Meal  containing  the  due  proportion  of  Pepsin  and 
other  ingredients  to  render  it  an 

EASILY     ASSIMILATED     FOOD 

FOR  PUPPIES   OF  WEAK  DIGESTION. 

Invaluable  for  "BAD  DOERS." 

If  given  a  few  weeks  before  a  show,  makes  "  Bad 
Doers"  Fill  Out  and  Lay  On  the  Requisite  Flesh, 
where  the  cause  is 

IMPERFECT  FOOD  ASSIMILATION. 

Mix  with  Hot  or  Cold  Water  to  a  Crumbly  Consistency. 


PUPPY    BISCUITS, 

20s.  per  Cwt. 

SPRATT'S  PATENT  LIMITED, 

BERMONDSEY,    LONDON,    S.E. 


Advertisements. 


OUR    ORIGINAL    REGISTERED 

DOG  KENNEL. 

Reduced  Cash  Prices,  Carriage 
Paid,  including  Registered  Sliding 
Bench  : 

For  Terriers    ^fcji     3     o 

For  Collies,  Spaniels,  or 

Retrievers  i   1$     o 

For      St.      Bernards      or 

Mastiffs  2  17     6 

Troughs,  35.  extra. 
These  Kennels  are  well  made,  and 
highly  finished.  All  parts  are  acces- 
sible for  cleaning  and  disinfecting. 
The  sliding  bench  is  an  important 
addition,  and  adds  greatly  to  the 
comfort  of  the  dog. 


No.    93. 
BED 

ALWAYS 
DRY. 


Registered  No.  30,550. 


THE    ORIGINAL     MAKERS    OF     KENNELS, 
POULTRY    HOUSES,    AND    APPLIANCES. 


BOULTON     &     PAUL, 

MANUFACTURERS, 

NORWICH. 


ILLUSTRATED  CATALOGUE  POST  FREE  ON  APPLICATION. 


No.  86A.  KENNEL  RAILING  WITH  CORRU- 
GATED IRON  BOTTOMS. 


WROUGHT    IRON 
KENNEI*    RAILING 

OF 

EVERY  DESCRIPTION. 


Registered  Copyright. 


SEND     PARTICULARS     OF 
REQUIREMENTS, 

AND 

ASK  FOR  SPECIAL  ESTIMATES. 


Advertisements. 


SCOTT  ADIE, 

LADIES'    AND    GENTLEMEN'S    TAILOR, 

&ije  itopl  Scotti)  Wfaiatytwt, 

115  &  115A,    REGENT   ST.,    LONDON,  W. 


HIGHLAND    SHOOTING    SUITS, 

HIGHLAND    DRESS    SUITS, 
HIGHLAND    JEWELLERY, 

INVERNESS    CAPES, 
STALKING    CAPES, 

TRAVELLING    ULSTERS. 


RUGS,  MAUDS,  SHAWLS,  AND  WEAPS  OP  EVERY  DESCRIPTION. 

HARRIS  AND  SHETLAND  HOMESPUNS. 

HAND-KNIT    STOCKINGS    AND    SOCKS.      TARTAN   SILK   AND 

RIBBONS. 


JSaal 


<E2Jardjouset 


REGENT    STREET    AND   VIGO    STREET,    LONDON,   W. 

TELEGRAMS:   "SCOTT  ADIK,   LONDON." 


Advertisements. 


CHAMBERLIN'S 

PHEASANTS'  FOOD, 

AROMATIC  SPANISH  MEAL, 

CAYCAR  EXCELSIOR, 

DOUBLE-SUPER  MEAT  GREAYES, 

Obtained  the  only  Award  for  Game  Pood, 

PARIS  INTERNATIONAL  EXHIBITION,  1878. 

Bronze  Medal,  Mannheim,  1880; 

Silver  Medal,  Cleves,  1881 ;  Silver  Medal,  Antwerp,  1885 ; 
Honourable  Mention,  Paris  Exhibition,  1889. 

Supplies  constantly  forwarded  to  Her  Majesty's  Royal  Parks, 
H.R.H.  the  Prince  of  Wales  at  Sandringham,  and  to  all  the 
Noblemen  and  Landed  Proprietors  in  the  United  Kingdom,. 
France,  Germany,  Holland,  Belgium,  Sweden,  &c. 

Write  for  the  New  Book  of  Prices,  with  Treatise  on  Pheasant 
Rearing,  Free  by  Post. 


"9 

A    VOLATILE    POWDER. 

The  only  cure  for  Grapes  in  Pheasants  and  Poultry. 

Price  2s,  6d.  per  tin,  Post  Free. 


JflfJES    GJlJUVlBEKMfl 

Game,  Poultry,  and  Dog  Food  Warehouse, 
POST  OFFICE  STREET,  NORWICH 


Advertisements. 


CHARLES  FRAZER'S  EXORS., 

PALACE  PLAIN  WORKS,  NORWICH. 


No.  136. 

PORTABLE  DOG  KENNEL 
AND  RUN, 

REDUCED  CASH  PRICES- 
CARRIAGE  PAID. 

£  s.  d. 
For  Terriers  (with  <;ft. 

Run  and  Bench)  ...  2  7  6 
For  Collies  (with  fft. 

Run  and  Bench)  ...  3  17  6 
For  Mastiffs  (with  gft. 

Run,  all   iron,  and 

Bench) 5  17    6 

Wood  Floor  for  Runs,  8s.  6d., 
10s.,  and  15s.,  extra. 


BED 
ALWAYS 


DRY. 


No.  83. 

PORTABLE  DOG  KENNEL. 

Strongly    made    of    seasoned 
Red-wood  and  well  finished. 

REDUCED  CASH  PRICES. 
Carriage   Paid  on  40s.  value. 
£  s.  d. 

For  Small  Dogs   086 

For  Terriers  0  18    6 

For    Collies,    Spaniels, 

&c 115    0 

For  Mastiffs,  &c 210    0 

Outside  Platforms  for  Dog  to 
lay  upon,  4s.,  5s.,  &  7s.  6d.,  extra. 
Food  Trough,  3s. 


No.  137. 

NEW  TRAVELLING  BOX  FOR  DOGS. 

Specially  constructed  with  a  view  to  the  Dog's 
comfort  whilst  travelling.  Improved  system  of 
drainage  and  ventilation. 

CASH  PRICES-Carriage  Paid  on  40s.  value. 

LENGTH.    WIDTH.    HEIGHT.  £    S.     d. 

27in.  by  2oin.  by  24in 0  15    0 

36in.  by  24in.  by  27in 150 

48in.  by  3oin.  by  36in 1  15    0 

For  long  journeys  a  Drawer  is  provided,  as  per 

illustration,  for  Food  and  Water,  at  2s.  6d.,  3s.  9d. , 

and  5s.,  extra. 


Large  Illustrated  Catalogue  of  Conservatories,  Greenhouses,  Poultry 
Houses,  Dog  Kennels,  Portable  Buildings,  Entrance  Gates,  and  all  Garden 
Requisites,  Post  Free  for  Six  Stamps. 


Advertisements. 


WILLIAM    FORD, 

SPORTING  GUN  AND  RIFLE  MAKER, 
PEACTICAL  GUN-FITTER  AND  GUN-BARREL  BORER, 

BORER   OF   FIVE   WINNING   GUNS    IN    THE    LONDON   GUN  TRIALS,    1875. 

AWARDED  GOLD  MEDALS  AND  GOLD  CROSS  FOR  SUPERIORITY 
IN  BORING  GUNS  AND  GIVING  HIGHEST  PENETRATION  ON  RECORD  IN  1879* 


MAKEE  OP  GUNS  FOR  SOME  OF  THE 

PRINCIPAL  AND  MOST  SUCCESSFUL  PIGEON  SHOTS  IN  ENGLAND, 
AMERICA,  AND  AUSTRALIA, 


SPECIALITIES: 
FORD'S   PIGEON   GUN,   FOR   TRAP   OR   GAME   SHOOTING. 

(Hammer  or  Hammerless.) 


FORD'S      PATENT      EJECTOR      GUN.       % 
FORD'S  "ECLIPSE"  DOUBLE  GUN,  28-BORE. 

Weight  from  4lb.  to  5lb.  as  required.     Adapted  for  use  by  elderly  gentlemen,, 
ladies,  and  youths  requiring  a  light  and  effective  g'un. 


FORD'S  PATENT  ADJUSTABLE  TRY  GUN, 

FOR    ASCERTAINING    AND    SECURING    A    PERFECT    FIT. 


FORD'S  PRIVATE  SHOOTING  GROUNDS. 

Replete  with  every  requisite  for  testing  guns,  defective  aiming,  and  pecu- 
liarities  in  shooting,  and  also  for  TEACHING  AND  PRACTISING  THE  ART  OF 
SHOOTING  at  inanimate  birds  or  live  pigeons,  under  the  personal  instruction  of 
WILLIAM  FORD. 

Notices,  a  day  or  two  previously,  of  intended  visits  to  the  grounds  are  necessary 
to  avoid  disappointment.  

Guns  converted,  rebored,  regulated,  adjusted,  and  fitted  to 
every  requirement  and  peculiarity  in  shooting,  and  upon  the 
most  improved  principles. 


GUN  REPAIRS  OF  EVERY  DESCRIPTION  EXECUTED. 
EVERY  VARIETY  OF  GUN  CASES,  IMPLEMENTS,  &c.,  TO  ORDER. 


ILLUSTRATED  PRICE  LISTS,  ESTIMATES,  AND  QUOTATIONS,  FREE 
BY  POST  UPON  APPLICATION. 


ECLIPSE    WOKKS,   LOVEDAY    STKEET,   BIKMINGHAM. 

Telegraphic  Address  :  "  ECLIPSE,"  Birmingham. 


Advertisements. 


NEWCASTLE  CHILLED  SHOT  CO. 

XjIIMIITIEID. 
Sole    Address:     GATE  SHE  AD. 


BEWARE 
OF     IMITATIONS. 


CHILLED  SHOT 
6 


BEWARE 
OF     IMITATIONS. 


The    "Field"    of  Oct.    23,    189O,    says; 

"  We  are  in  the  habit  of  using  the  shot  of  the  Newcastle  Chilled  Shot  Company  for 
experimental  purposes,  and  do  not  know  any  other  that  equals  it  in  regularity;  so  that 
some  inconveniences  which  are  often  complained  of  may  be  avoided  by  using  this 
company's  shot." 

The  report  of  French  experiments  with  Sporting  Arms  in  1892  says:  "The  best  shot 
tried  was  the  Newcastle  Chilled  Shot." 

Telegrams:  "CHILLED,  GATESHKAD." 

"BARNARD,  BISHOP,  AND  BARNARDS,  LTD. 

MANUFACTURERS    OF 

EVEEY  REQUISITE  FOE  DOGS,  POULTRY,  PIGEONS,  AND 
RABBITS,  ON  THE  MOST  APPROVED  PRINCIPLES. 


Descriptive 
I  llustrated 

Catalogue 
Free    by    Post, 

Estimates  Free. 

Surveys 
Undertaken. 


Highest  Award 

wherever 
exhibited. 

Silver     Medal, 

Scheveningen, 

1891. 

Gold  Medal, 

Scheveningen, 

1892. 


IMPROVED  KENNEL,  with  Lifting  Front  and  Sliding  Day  Bench,  finished  in  the  best 
style.  For  Terriers,  27s.  6d.  ;  for  Retrievers,  &c.,  45s.  6d.  ;  for  Mastiffs,  &c.,  69s.  6d.  ; 
Carriage  Paid. 


NORFOLK      IRON      ^VORKS, 

AND    9$,    QUEEN    VICTORIA    STREET,    LONDON,    B.C. 


Advertisements. 


THOMAS  &  SONS, 

SPORTING  TAILORS  AND  RREECHES  MAKERS, 

32,  BROOK  ST.,  W,  (corner  of  South  Molton  St.) 


Vide  the  "Field,"  January  10,  1885. 

"SHOOTING  CLOTHES.— In  reply  to  '  Tartan,'  when  having  shooting  clothes  made,  let  me 
advise  him  to  try  THOMAS  AND  SONS'  Knickerbocker  Breeches,  as  advertised  in  the  Field. 
They  form  the  most  comfortable  garment  for  the  legs  ever  invented.  Whilst  giving  the 
same  freedom  at  the  knee  that  ordinary  knickerbockers  do.  they  give  firm  protection  and 
warmth  below  it.  Everyone  who  wears  them  knows  what  a  nuisance  knickerbockers  are 
if  one  has  occasion  to  ride  when  having  them  on.  Now,  THOMAS'S  way  of  making  them 
renders  them  equally  comfortable  for  riding  or  walking/'— OMNIBUS. 


HUNTING,  RACING,  AND  POLO  BREECHES,  PERFECT  IN 
STYLE  AND  FIT. 


Separate  Department  for  Ladies'  Riding  Habits,  &c.,  &c. 


THOMAS  &  SONS,  32,  BROOK  ST.,  W.  (corner  of  South  Molton  St.) 

AND  AT  60.  CASTLE  STREET,  LIVERPOOL. 

Telegraphic  Address  :  "  SPORTINGLY,  LONDON." 


Advertisements. 


THE  ONLY  BISCUITS  WHICH  ALL  DOGS  LIKE  AND  EAT  READILY 

MR.  J.  G.  HARVEY,  Huntsman  to  Her  Majesty,  writes  :  "  I  must  say  for  hounds  I  would 
not  be  without  them." 


CONTAINING      SO      PER      CENT.      OF      FISH, 
For  use  in  Kennel  where  Meal  is  preferred  to  a  Biscuit. 

PRICE   17s.  PER   CWT.,  HALF   CWT.   9s. 

W.  R.  TEMPLE,   ESQ.,  WRITING  DECEMBER  IST,  1891,  says  :— 
"  I  sent  six  dogs  to  the  late  Palace  Show,  and  took  one  First,  three  Second,  and  two 
Third  Prizes.     All  the  dogs  were  fed  entirely  upon  your  Fish  Hound  Meal." 


MEAT   FIBRE    DOG    CAKES. 

WITH    VEGETABLES    AND    BONE     MEAL. 

These  Biscuits  guaranteed  free  from  greaves,  and  containing  a  large  percentage  of  Pure 
American  Meat,  are  the  most  nutritious  and  easily  digested  Meat  Biscuits  made;  they  are 
used  with  great  success  in  many  Kennels  alternately  with  our  Garthwaite's  Fish  Biscuits. 
Each  Cake  is  stamped  "  Imperial  Meat  Fibre,"  with  a  Crown  in  centre. 

PRICE  17s.  PER  CWT.,  HALF  CWT.  9s. 

Above  prices  include  Carriage.     Special  quotations  for  quantities. 
Pamphlet,  with  particulars  and  testimonials,  post  free. 


THE  FISH  BISCUIT  CO.  LTD.,  GRIMSBY. 


Advertisements. 


WESTLEY    RICHARDS   &   CO. 

ULIJUIIITIEID. 

PATENT  EJECTOR  GAME  AND  PIGEON  GUNS. 


THE 
SHOOTING 

OF     OUR 

GUNS  AND' 

RIFLES 

HAS 

NEVER 
BEEN  SUR- 
PASSED. 


THE  Westley  RICHARDS  Patent  Ejector  GUNS  and  RIFLES 
obtained  the  Grand  Prix,  the  highest  award  of  the  Paris  Exhibition, 
1889. 

Capt.  Brewer,  in  a  one-day  match  against  C.  Morris,  Coney  Island,  U.S.A.,  Sept.  20- 
last,  KILLED  197  BIRDS  OUT  OF  200,  with  one  of  these  Guns;  3oyds.  rise,  goyds. 
boundary. 

178,      NEW      BOND      STREET,      LONDON; 
12,   CORPORATION    STREET,   BIRMINGHAM. 

Established  1812. 

DINNEFORD'S 


HOUND 


Unrivalled  for  producing  a  healthy,  sleek,  and  glossy 
surface  on  the  coats  of  Greyhounds,  Foxhounds,  Harriers, 
and  other  Dogs. 

Price   $s.,    Free    by    Post, 


DINNEFORD     &     CO.,    Manufacturers, 

180,  NEW  BOND  STREET,  LONDON,  W. 


Advertisements. 


WORMS  IN  DOGS. 

"  OTONEHENGE,"  in  his  celebrated  work  on  the  Dog, 
^-^     says  :    "  Worms  are  a  fertile  source   of   disease  in 
the   dog,    destroying   every  year   more    puppies    than   dis- 
temper itself." 

While  the  "  FIELD"  says,  concerning  distemper:  "  All 
treatment,  to  be  successful,  must  be  prefaced  by  the 
expulsion  of  worms." 


NALDIRE'S 

WORM  POWDEES  for  BOOS 

Safely  remove  these  pests  within  one  hour,  at  the  same 
time  giving  tone  to  the  stomach,  and  producing  first  rate 
condition  in  dogs. 


"The  Cottage,  Sandhills,  Walsall,  March  3rd,  1887. 
"  Please  send   me  one  of   Naldire's  Worm  Powders.      I  con- 
sider them  splendid.     I  had  a  fox  terrier  nearly  dead  last  Sunday, 
and    got  one   of   your   powders  from    a   friend,   and    in    fifteen 
i     minutes  after  the  dog  had  it  he  passed  a  tapeworm  almost  60 

FOX  TERRIER.     •«  "  •"•*•  . PRANK  ,  BRAWN,. 


WORMS 
IN  A 


NALDIRE'S  WORM  POWDERS  ARE  SOLD  BY  ALL  CHEMISTS, 

In  Packets,  I/-,  2/-,  3/6,  and  5/-  each,  with  Pull  Directions  for  Use. 


FLEAS     IN     DOGS. 

NALDIRE'S  IM:  DOG  SOAP, 


FREE  FROM  CARBOLIC  ACID  AND  ALL  OTHER  POISONS. 


Naldire's  Soap  is  harmless  to  dogs,  but  fatal  to  fleas."— ¥R AN K   BUCKLAND. 


SOLD    BY  ALL  CHEMISTS,    PERFUMERS,   AND   STORES. 


Works  Published  by  Horace  Cox, 


Pheasants : 

Their  Natural  History  and  Practical  Management.  By 
W.  B.  TEGETMEIER,  F.Z.S.  (Member  of  the  British 
Ornithologists'  Union),  Author  of  "The  Natural  History 
of  the  Cranes,"  &c.  Illustrated  with  numerous  full-page 
engravings  drawn  from  life  by  T.  W.  Wood.  Second 
Edition,  greatly  enlarged.  Royal  4to.,  bevelled  boards, 
gilt  edges,  price  153.,  by  post  155.  gd. 

NOTICB:S  OF  THE  SECONI>  EDITION. 

From  Yarrell's  "  British  Birds,"  fourth  edition. — "  For  further  details,  as  well  as  for  instructions 
as  to  the  management  of  pheasants,  both  in  the  covert  and  the  aviary,  and  the  disorders  to  which 
they  are  liable,  the  reader  is  referred  to  Mr.  Tegetmeier's  excellent  work,  to  which  the  editor  is 
under  great  obligations." 

From  Nature. — "  The  work  will  be  found  invaluable  to  anyone  projecting  the  cultivation  of 
pheasants  either  in  the  covert  or  the  aviary." 

From  the  Daily  "Telegraph. — "  Both  in  its  descriptive  and  in  its  practical  aspects  the  treatise  is 
admirable." 

From  the  Spectator.—"  A  valuable  monograph." 

From  the  Pall  Mall  Gazette. — "This  new  and  sumptuous  edition  contains  so  large  an  amount  of 
fresh  matter  that  it  may  be  regarded  practically  as  another  work.  In  its  own  way  it  is  quite 
exhaustive  ...  In  the  technical  details  of  rearing  and  preservation,  Mr.  Tegetmeier  will  be 
found  a  thoroughly  trustwor  hy  and  scientific  guide." 


Essays    on    Sport    and    Natural 
History. 

By  J.  E.   HARTING.     8vo.,  pp.  463,  with  thirty-two  illustra- 
tions, price  IDS.  6d.,  by  post  us. 

CONTENTS. — Shooting" ;  Hawking";  Fishing";  Training  Hawks;  Lark  Mirrors; 
Plover  Catching-;  Fishing1  with  Cormorants;  Decoys ;  the  Irish  Wolfhound;  the 
Badger;  Wild  Turkeys;  the  Great  Bustard;  Seals;  Wild  Swans,  &c. 

Thirty-eighth  Essays :  concluding  with  Practical  Hints  on  Bird  Preserving  for  the 
use  of  Travellers  and  Collectors. 


Hints    on    the    Management    of 
Hawks. 

By  J.  E.  HARTING,  Author  of  "A  Handbook  of  British 
Birds,"  "  Essays  on  Sport  and  Natural  History."  In 
demy  8vo.,  price  33.  6d.,  by  post  35.  gd. 

"Field"  Office,   Windsor  House,  Bream's  Buildings,  E.G. 


Advertisements. 


DOG    PILLS. 


HIND'S    ALTERATIVE    PILLS 

FOR    PREVENTING    DISTEMPER 

AND    GETTING    DOGS    INTO    SHOW    CONDITION    ARE 
UNRIVALLED. 

W.  W.  THOMPSON,  Esq.,  writes:  "  I  consider  your  Pills  for  getting  dogs  into  condition 
most  excellent.  I  have  given  them  a  good  trial." 

R.  HOOU-WRIGHT,  Esq.,  writes  :  "  I  have  never  had  a  single  case  of  distemper  amongst 
my  Deerhounds  since  I  used  them." 

In  addition  to  the  above,  the  following,  amongst  a  long  list  of  well-known  gentlemen, 
have  signified  their  entire  approval  of  them  :  H.  Ralph,  Esq.,  T.  Easton,  Esq.,  G.  Cartmel, 
Esq.,  R.  B.  Lee,  Esq. 

SOLD  IN   BOXES,  is.  id.,  as.  6d.,  and  js.,  Post  Free. 

WORM  POWDERS,   A   SAFE   AND   CHEAP  VERMIFUGE   FOR   DOGS,   Sold   in 
Packets,  free  by  Post,  Is.  Id.,  by 

HIND,     CHEMIST,     KENDAL. 


TRY   MY  PASTE   FOR  DESTROYING  FLEAS,  TICKS,   &c.     In  Tins,  gd.,  is.  3d. 
and  as.  3d.,  post  free. 


WORKS  PUBLISHED   BY  HORACE  COX, 


Gipsy    Tents,   and    How  to    Use 
Them. 

A  Handbook  for  Amateur  Gipsies.  By  G.  R.  LOWNDES. 
Crown  8vo.,  profusely  illustrated,  price  2s.  6d.,  by 
post  2s.  9d. 

CONTENTS. — Camping-  as  a  Fine  Art;  Of  the  Tent  Ordinary;  The  Gipsy  Tent 
Elementary ;  The  Gipsy  Tent  Developed ;  The  Baulk ;  Pitching"  and  Striking ;  Of 
Camp  Fires;  Of  a  Permanent  Camp;  A  Boating  Camp;  Of  Vans;  Pack  Saddles; 
Cooking  Utensils,  &c. ;  Bedding  and  Clothes;  Of  Joys  and  Sorrows;  Addenda; 
Index. 

LIST  OF  PLATES. — Amateur  Gipsies;  A  Quiet  Backwater;  At  Shiplake  ; 
Interior  of  a  Gipsy  Tent;  Our  First  Tour;  On  the  Way  to  the  Farm;  An  Anxious 
Question;  In  the  Land  o'  Cakes;  A  Visitor;  On  the  Road;  Forerunners  of  the 
Sunday  Crowd  ;  A  Critical  Moment. 


"Field"  Office,  Windsor  House,   Bream's  Buildings,  E.G. 


Works  Published  by  Horace  Cox, 


Yacht    Architecture. 

By  DIXON  KEMP,  Associate  of  the  Institute  of  Naval 
Architects  and  Member  of  the  Council.  This  work 
enters  into  the  whole  subject  of  the  laws  which  govern 
the  resistance  of  bodies  moving  in  water,  and  the 
influence  a  wave  form  of  body  and  wave  lines  have 
upon  such  resistance.  It  also  deals  comprehensively 
with  the  subject  of  Steam  Propulsion  as  applied  to 
yachts.  An  easy  System  for  Designing  is  provided, 
and  every  necessary  calculation  is  explained  in  detail. 
The  latter  part  of  the  work  is  devoted  to  Yacht 
Building,  and  engravings  are  given  of  every  detail 
of  construction  and  fitting,  including  laying  off, 
taking  bevels,  &c.  The  List  of  Plates  (exclusive  of 
over  thirty  devoted  to  the  elucidation  of  the  text,  and 
nearly  two  hundred  woodcuts)  exceeds  fifty,  and  com- 
prise the  Lines  of  some  of  the  most  celebrated  Yachts 
afloat  by  the  most  successful  builders  and  designers. 
SECOND  EDITION.  Super-royal  8vo.,  price  £2  2s.,  by 
post  £2  33. 

OPINIONS   OF   THE   PRESS. 

'**  Mr.  Horace  Cox,  London,  has  published  a  new  edition  of  Mr.   Dixon  Kemp's  treatise  on 

*  Yacht  Architecture.'    The  book,  which  is  an  admirable  exposition  of  the  whole  science  and  art 
of  designing  and  building  yachts,  has  been  revised,  partly  re-written,  and  much  enlarged  in  this 
edition.     No  small  part  of  the  new  matter  consists  of  new  diagrams  and  plates.    The  work  has  from 
•the  first  been  exceptionally  rich  in  this  practical  help  to  builders.     It  now  contains  probably  the 
miost  complete  collection  of  designs  of  this  kind  that  have  been  brought  together  into  a  book. 
The  text  takes  notice  of  all  recent  improvements  in  building  and  of  new  developments  in  the 
scientific  theories  of  propulsion  by  steam  and  sail.    The  new  edition,  on  the  whole,  will  keep  the 
book  in  its  place  as  an  indispensable  work  of  reference  and  instruction  for  builders."— The  Scotsman, 
April  20,  1891. 

"One  great  merit  in  the  second  edition  of  Mr.  Kemp's  'Yacht  Architecture'  is  that  it  is  in 
•every  part  written  up  i  o  time.  The  chapter  on  stability  is  in  every_  respect  highly  satisfactory, 
technical  enough  to  satisfy  the  specialist,  and  yet  plain  enough  to  inform  th^;  msn  of  ordinary 
intelligence.  So  also  in  regard  to  centre-boards.  When  the  first  edition  was  published,  few 
English  yachtsmen  knew  or  cared  as  to  what  was  meant  by  the  term;  but  the  racing  for  the 

*  America'  Cup,  and  especially  the  running  of  the  Thistle  with  the  Volunteer  in  the  autumn  of 
1887,  has  created  quite  a  new  interest  in  centre-boards,  and  the  subject  is  discussed  in  this  edition  in 
a  manner  at  once  simple  and  lucid.    The  chapters  devoted  to  steam  yachts  are  among  the  most 
•satisfactory  in  the  book."— Daily  Graphic,  April  29,  1891. 

"'Yacht  Architecture,'  by  Mr.  Dixon  Kemp,  has  been  re-issued  from  the  Field  office,  partly 

re-written,  revised,  and  enlarged A  series  of  new  plates  of  the  lines  of  the  most  modern  craft 

take  the  place  of  those  accompanying  the  first  edition  of  the  work.  By  means  of  these  illustrations 
the  respective  British  and  American  types  of  yachts  may  be  compared,  and  the  amateur  may  learn 
the  practice  of  the  best  builders  upon  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic."— Daily  Telegraph,  May  19,  1891. 

A  handsome  and  portly  volume,  which  ought  to  find  a  place  in  the  library  of  every  yachtsman." 
—Glasgow  Herald,  April  23,  1891. 

"  Mr.  Dixon  Kemp's  volume  supplies  yachtsmen  with  every  possible  information  in  a  plain 
-practical  manner,  and,  furthermore,  to  the  most  experienced  theorist  it  will  be  found  of  almost 
constant  use  for  reference  in  both  theoretical  and  practical  knowledge."— Irish  Times,  April  28,  1891. 


"Field"  Office,   Windsor  House,  Bream's  Buildings,  E.G. 


Works  Published  by  Horace  Cox, 


A    Manual    of    Yacht    and    Boat 
Sailing. 

By  DIXON  KEMP,  Associate  of  the  Institute  of  Naval 
Architects  and  Member  of  the  Council,  Author  of 
"  Yacht  Designing  "  and  "  Yacht  Architecture."  This 
edition  has  been  largely  re-written,  and  contains  a 
great  number  of  new  subjects,  and  the  lines  of  many 
boats  never  before  published,  the  total  number  of 
Plates  exceeding  100,  besides  more  than  350  woodcuts 
in  the  text.  Seventh  Edition.  Super-royal  8vo.,  price 
255.,  or  by  post  26s.  (The  Lords  Commissioners  of  the 
Admiralty  have  ordered  this  work  to  be  supplied  to 
the  Libraries  of  the  ships  of  the  Royal  Navy.) 

CONTENTS.— Selecting-  a  Yacht;  Examination  of  the  Yacht;  Building  a  Yacht; 
The  Equipment  of  the  Yacht ;  Seamanship  ;  The  Management  of  Open  Boats  ;  The 
General  Management  of  a  Yacht ;  The  Rules  of  the  Yacht  Racing  Association ; 
Yacht  Racing;  Handling  a  Yacht  in  a  Match;  Centre-Board  Boats;  Centre-Board 
Boats  for  Rowing  and  Sailing;  Sails  for  Centre-Board  Boats;  Small  Centre-Board 
Yachts;  Mersey  Sailing  Boats ;  Clyde  Sailing  Boats;  Belfast  Lough  Boats;  Dublin 
Bay,  Kingstown  Boats;  Cork  Harbour  Boats;  Itchen  Boats;  Falmouth  Quay  Punts; 
Thames  Bawley  Boats;  Lake  Windermere  Yachts;  Yachts  of  the  Norfolk  Broads; 
Small  Yachts  and  Boats  of  Y.R.A.  Rating;  Single-handed  Cruisers;  Types  of 
Sailing  Vessels;  Double  Boats;  Steam  Yachting;  Ice  Yachting;  Canoeing; 
Amateur  Canoe  Building  (in  America). 

Appendix  contains  complete  instructions  as  to  Practical  Boat  Building.  This 
section  is  arranged  alphabetically  in  the  form  of  a  dictionary,  and  embodies  a  variety 
of  information  connected  with  Yachts,  Boats,  the  customs  of  the  sea,  laws  relating  to 
seamen,  nautical  terms,  and  in  fact  everything  which  might  be  expected  in  a  nautical 
cyclopaedia.  Full  instruction  is  given  as  to  the  building  and  management  of  every 
boat  described. 

British  and   Irish  Salmonidae. 

BY  FRANCIS  DAY,  C.I.E.,  F.L.S.,  and  F.Z.S.  This  work 
is  an  exhaustive  treatise  on  the  Salmonidae  of  the 
British  Islands,  and  will  be  found  equally  valuable  to 
the  Angler,  the  Fish  Culturist,  and  the  Scientific 
Icthyologist.  In  one  volume,  imperial  8vo.,  cloth, 
price  £1  is.,  by  post  £1  is.  6d.  With  twelve  coloured 
plates  and  many  woodcuts.  A  few  copies  to  be  had, 
beautifully  bound  in  whole  calf,  full  gilt,  price  358. 


"Field"  Office,   Windsor  House,   Bream's  Buildings,  E.G. 


Works   Published  by  Horace   Cox, 


The    Fishes   of  Great   Britain   and 
Ireland. 

By  FRANCIS  DAY,  C.I.E.,  F.L.S.,  F.Z.S.,  Knight  of  the 
Crown  of  Italy,  Hon.  Member  Deutscher  Fischerei- 
verein  and  of  the  American  Fisheries'  Society,  formerly 
Inspector-General  of  Fisheries  in  India.  In  2  vols.r 
imperial  8vo.,  cloth,  price  £2  2s.,  by  post  £2  35.  6d., 
with  engravings  of  all  the  species  after  drawings  by 
the  Author. 

The  work  of  Dr.  Day  is  the  most  elaborate  which  has  been  written  on  the  subject. 
Each  species  is,  in  the  first  instance,  accurately  described  and  illustrated  by  an 
admirable  drawing",  then  follow  articles  on  its  habits,  its  mode  of  capture,  its  use  as 
food,  its  varieties  when  any  are  known  to  exist,  its  method  of  breeding",  its  general 
habitat,  and  every  particular  that  is  known  respecting-  it,  even  so  far  as  its  diseases, 
its  local  names,  and  its  mode  of  cookery.  The  volumes  are  preceded  by  an  admir- 
able introduction  of  one  hundred  pages,  giving-  an  account  of  the  peculiar  structure  of 
fish,  their  senses,  mode  of  breeding-,  both  natural  and  artificial,  even  going  so  far  as 
to  treat  of  their  instincts  and  emotions. 

To  the  scientific  naturalist  and  the  fish  culturist,  who  desire  accurate  details,  and 
the  angler  who  wishes  for  a  more  general  account  of  the  habits,  food,  and  capture  of 
each  species,  the  work  is  equally  valuable. 


The    Fox  Terrier. 

A  History  and  Description,  with  Reminiscences,  of  the  Fox 
Terrier.  By  RAWDON  B.  LEE,  Kennel  Editor  of  the 
"  Field."  The  illustrations  by  Arthur  Wardle.  Second 
Edition,  demy  8vo.,  printed  on  plate  paper,  with 
illustrations  on  toned  paper,  price  33.  6d.,  by  post 
35.  i id.  A  few  copies  on  large  paper,  price  los.  6d., 
by  post  us. 

"  Mr.  Rawdon  Lee,  the  Kennel  Editor  of  the  Field,  has  produced  one  of  the,  and  probably  the  best 
and  most  complete  works  on  these  charming  little  dogs  that  has  ever  been  written.  The  charming 
illustrations,  the  portraits  of  celebrated  dogs,  and  the  vignettes  at  the  end  of  chapters  by  Mr.  Arthur 
Wardle,  are  well  executed,  and  add  much  to  the  beauty  of  one  of  the  best  books  of  the  kind  we 
have  come  across."— Poultry,  March  28,  1800. 

"  We  have  already  referred  to  the  new  edition  of  Mr.  Rawdon  Lee's  important  work  on  '  The  Fox 


destroy. 

great  value  as  a  record  of  all  that  is  worth  knowing  about  fox  terriers,  Mr.  Lee's  book  in  its  present 
cheap  and  elegant  form  is  a  delightful  historical,  typographical,  and  artistic  addition  to  the  literature 
of  dogology."— Westmoreland  Gazette,  March  29,  1890. 


Field"  Office,   Windsor  House,   Bream's  Buildings,  E.C. 


Works  Published  by  Horace  Cox, 


The  Collie  or   Sheepdog. 

A  History  and  Description  of  the  Collie  or  Sheepdog,  in 
his  British  Varieties.  By  RAWDON  B.  LEE,  Kennel 
Editor  of  the  "  Field,"  and  Author  of  "  The  Fox 
Terrier."  Demy  8vo.,  printed  on  plate  paper,  with 
illustrations  by  Arthur  Wardle,  price  35.  6d.,  by  post 
35.  i  id.  A  few  copies  on  large  paper,  price  los.  6d., 
by  post  us. 

"'The  Collie  or  Sheepdog '  is  a  sufficiently  well  known  and  popular  animal  to  render  a  history 
and  description  of  the  British  varieties  of  the  species  a  welcome  addition  to  the  library  of  the  dog 
fancier.  Mr.  Rawdon  Lee  publishes  a  volume  dealing  with  the  subject,  which  is  issued  by  Mr. 
Horace  Cox  at  the  Field  Office.  Much  information  as  to  the  breeding  and  points  of  th  ;  dog  is  given, 
together  with  an  exhaustive  account  of  competitive  trials,  of  which  the  writer  has  a  large  experience. 
It  is  needless  to  say  that  anecdotes  as  to  the  sagacity  of  the  collie  are  numerous."— Morning  Post, 

"  The  subject  of  the  present  volume  is  the  ever-popular  collie,  which  is  treated  in  the  same  attrac- 
tive manner  as  the  previous  work.  It  breathes  of  the  hills,  and  living  as  Mr.  Lee  did  for  so  many 
years  in  Westmoreland,  he  can  transfer  to  his  pages  many  interesting  reminiscences  of  the  sheepdog 
as  a  worker,  comparing  him  with  the  collie  in  the  more  refined  period  of  his  life.  The  initial 
chapters  are  excellent  reading,  and  the  author  has  displayed  considerable  skill  in  them,  bringing  as 
he  does  the  testimonies  of  poets  and  of  painters,  of  shepherds  and  of  breeders." — Fancier's  Gazette, 
July  18,  1890. 

"  Mr.  Lee's  book,  filled  as  it  is  with  accurate  information  as  to  the  various  strains  and  valuable 
suggestions  as  to  their  rearing  and  management,  is  a  manual  which  to  all  collie  owners  or  collie 
breeders  is  likely  to  be  highly  serviceable."— Saturday  Review,  May  16,  1891. 

The  Dogs  of  the  British  Islands : 

Being  a  Series  of  Articles  on  the  Points  of  their  Various 
Breeds  ;  and  the  Treatment  of  the  Diseases  to  which 
they  are  Subject.  By  the  late  J.  H.  WALSH,  "  Stone- 
henge,"  Editor  of  the  "  Field"  (with  the  aid  of  several 
experienced  Breeders).  Fifth  Edition.  Re-written, 
with  additions,  and  new  full-page  engravings.  In  one 
volume,  bevelled  boards,  gilt  edges,  price  155.,  by 
post  153.  gd. 

CONTENTS — GENERAL  MANAGEMENT:  Management  of  Dogs  in  Health;  Drugs 
Commonly  Used  for  the  Diseases  of  Dogs,  and  their  Modes  of  Administration ;  the 
Ordinary  Diseases  of  the  Dog  and  their  Treatment;  Judging  at  Dog  Shows  and 
Field  Trials.  SPORTING  DOGS:  Dogs  Used  with  the  Gun;  Hounds  and  their 
Allies.  NON-SPORTING  DOGS:  Watch  Dogs;  Sheep  and  Cattle  Dogs;  Terriers 
(other  th  n  Fox  and  Toy) ;  Toy  Dogs. 

"  This  edition  of  'The  Dogs  of  the  British  Islands  '  contains  so  much  fresh  matter  that  it  may 
be  almost  considered  a  new  work.  To  breeders  and  lovers  of  dogs  the  b9ok  is  an  invaluable  one- 
Here  are  all  the  discussions  upon  moot  points  of  breed,  strain,  colour,  size,  and  form,  which  have 
taken  place  in  the  columns  of  the  Field  since  1865 ;  here  the  law  for  judging  dogs,  and  the  number  of 
marks  to  be  awarded  for  the  various  points  are  clearly  laid  down  :  here  the  specialities  of  the  most 
celebrated  sires  of  various  species  are  talked  over,  and  the  history,  so  to  speak,  of  each  breed  of  dog 
is  given.  To  this  are  added  directions  for  the  management  and  treatment  of  dogs  in  health  and  in 
sickness.  Altogether  it  is  a  i>ade  mecum  for  the  dog  fancier  and  breeder."—  Evening  Standard. 


"Field"   Office,   Windsor  House,   Bream's  Buildings,   E.C. 

[2] 


Works  Published  by  Horace  Cox, 


The  Modern  Sportsman's  Gun  and 
Rifle. 

Including  Game  and  Wildfowl  Guns,  Sporting  and  Match 
Rifles,  and  Revolvers.  In  Two  Volumes  :  Vol.  L, 
Game  and  Wildfowl  Guns  ;  Vol.  II. ,  The  Rifle  and 
Revolver.  By  the  late  J.  H.  WALSH,  "  Stonehenge," 
Editor  of  the  "  Field/'  Author  of  "  Dogs  of  the  British 
Islands/'  "  The  Greyhound,"  "  British  Rural  Sports," 
&c.  Demy  8vo.,  in  TWTO  Volumes,  price  155.  each,  by 
post  155.  6d.  each. 

"  A  perusal  of  Mr.  Walsh's  book  has  forced  upon  us  the  conclusion,  one  that  will  be  shared  by 
neariy  every  leader,  that  it  is  indisputably  the  standard  work  on  the  subject,  and  is  likely  'ong  to 

remain  so— a  position  it  richly  merits We  are  only  fulfilling  a  duty  to  the  public  when 

we  say  that  no  man  connected  in  any  way  with  guns  or  gunnery  should  be  without  a  copy  of  Mr. 
Walsh's  masterly  volume."— Birmingham  Daily  Gazette,  Nov.  21,  1882. 

Sporting  Sketches  with    Pen   and 
Pencil. 

By  the  late  FRANCIS  FRANCIS  and  A.  W.  COOPER.  Demy 
4to.,  with  twelve  full-page  illustrations,  some  of  which 
contain  Portraits  of  Sporting  Celebrities,  and  twenty- 
four  vignettes,  price  los.  6d.,  by  post  us. 

CONTENTS. — The  First  of  September;  A  Day  in  a  Punt;  Mark  Cock!  T  routing; 
Long"  Tails  and  Short  Ones;  Paying"  the  Pike;  Rabbit  Shooting";  Reaching;  Grouse 
Shooting;  Salmon  Fishing;  Snipe  Shooting;  Grayling  Fishing. 

The   Cattle  of   Great   Britain : 

Being  a  Series  of  Articles  on  the  Various  Breeds  of  Cattle 
of  the  United  Kingdom,  their  History,  Management, 
&c.  Edited  by  the  late  J.  COLEMAN,  Editor  of  the 
Farm  Department  of  the  "  Field,"  and  formerly 
Professor  of  Agriculture  at  the  Royal  Agricultural 
College,  Cirencester.  Illustrated  with  full  -  page 
engravings  drawn  principally  from  life  by  Harrison 
Weir.  In  Imperial  4to.,  bevelled  boards,  gilt  edges, 
price  i8s.,  by  post  i8s.  gd. 

"Field"   Office,   Windsor  House,  Bream's  Buildings,  E.C. 


Works  Published  by  Horace  Cox, 


The   Sheep    and    Pigs    of    Great 
Britain  : 

Being  a  Series  of  Articles  on  the  Various  Breeds  of  Sheep 
and  Pigs  of  the  United  Kingdom,  their  History, 
Management,  &c.  Edited  by  the  late  J.  COLEMAN, 
Editor  of  the  Farm  Department  of  the  "  Field,"  and 
formerly  Professor  of  Agriculture  at  the  Royal 
Agricultural  College,  Cirencester.  Illustrated  with 
full-page  engravings  drawn  principally  from  life  by 
Harrison  Weir.  In  Imperial  4to.,  bevelled  boards,  gilt 
edges,  price  i8s.,  by  post  i8s.  gd. 

Estate    Management : 

A  Practical  Handbook  for  Landlords,  Agents,  and  Pupils. 
By  CHARLES  E.  CURTIS.  With  a  Legal  Supplement 
by  a  Barrister.  Third  Edition.  In  demy  8vo.,  price 
i os.  6d.,  by  post  i  is. 

CONTENTS. — Letting"  and  Leases;  Farm  Valuations;  Forestry;  Underwood; 
Fences;  Grasses  suitable  for  Woods  and  Plantations;  The  Home  Farm;  Repairs 
and  Materials;  The  Blights  of  Wheat  and  other  Cereals;  Accounts;  Useful  Rules 
of  Arithmetic  and  Mensuration. 

Poultry  for  the  Table  and  Market 

Versus  Fancy  Fowls,  with  an  Exposition  of  the  Fallacies  of 
Poultry  Farming.  By  W.  B.  TEGETMEIER,  F.Z.S. 
Second  Edition  nearly  ready,  revised  and  enlarged, 
with  many  additional  engravings.  Demy  8vo.,  price 
2s.  6d.,  by  post  2s.  yd. 

CONTENTS. — Introductory;  Game  Fowls;  Dorking;  Cochins;  Brahmas;  Lang- 
shans,  Plymouth  Rocks,  and  Wyandottes;  Malays,  Indian  Game,  and  Aseels; 
French  Table  Breeds — Houdans,  Crevecoeur,  and  La  Fleche ;  Non-sitting  Varieties — 
Spanish,  Minorcas,  Andalusian,  and  Leghorn;  Non-sitting  and  Other  Varieties; 
Housing;  Feeding;  Hatching;  Rearing  the  Chicken;  Breeding  for  the  Market — 
Eggs;  Breeding  for  the  Market — Chickens;  Fattening;  Turkeys  and  Guinea  Fowl ; 
Ducks;  Geese;  Diseases  of  Poultry ;  Fallacies  of  Poultry  Farming;  Fowls  in  Small 
Runs;  Caponising. 


"Field"  Office,   Windsor  House,   Bream's  Buildings,  E.C. 


Advertisements. 


ANDERSONS' 
CELEBRATED    "  BREADALBANE "    WATERPROOF 

SHOOTING    COSTUME. 


Extract  from  the  "  FIELD,"  Dec.  i2th,  1891. 

SIR,— The  letters  on  "Shooting  Garments  for  Rough  Weather"  in  your  last  issue  will 
doubtless  be  read  with  interest  by  those  who,  like  myself,  require  garments  which  when 
donned  will  not  only  allow  the  wearer  to  SHOOT  WITH  EASE 
AND  COMFORT,  but  which  will  comply  with  the  (to  my  mind) 
far  more  important  conditions  of  LIGHTNESS  AND    DURA- 
BILITY, and  of  allowing  the  wearer  to   put  them  on   and   off 
without   loss  of  time.     I   have  at   length 
secured  what  I  have  for  some  time  been  on 
the  look  out  for,  viz.,  combination  water- 
proof   garments,    which,    while    fulfilling 
the  above   conditions,   also   keep   me    ABSO- 
LUTELY DRY  IN  THE  HEAVIEST  RAIN. 
MY   "COMBINATION,"  the  excellence  of 
which    I    have    had    lately    ample   facility  of 
putting  to  the  proof,  is  of  the  following  descrip- 
tion :    Besides  the  usual    shooting  cape  (fitted 
with  straps  passing  under  the  arms,  to  admit  of 
the  cape  being  thrown  off  the  shoulders  when 
required),  I  wear,  when  the  weather  demands 
it,  a  skirt  or  kilt  of  the  same  material  as  the 
cape.     THIS  SKIRT  buckles  round  the  waist, 
and  reaches  down  a  couple  of  inches  or  so  below 
the  top  of  the  gaiters.    TH  E  CAPE  is  made  long 
enough  to  reach  down  some  loin,  below  the  top 
of  the  skirt,  thus  covering  TWO  CAPACIOUS 
CARTRIDGE  POCKETS  (which  are  also  pro- 
tected by  flaps)  placed  on  either  side  of  the  skirt. 
Capes  are  all  very  well  to  keep  the  shoulders  dry, 
but  naturally  they  drip  at  the  corners,  thereby 
before  very  long  effectually  wetting  the  thighs 
and  legs — the  wet,  moreover,  eventually  soaking 
into  the  boots.    I,  in  common  with  many  others, 
can  no  longer  risk  with  impunity  sitting  down  to 
lunch  with  wet  legs  and  feet.   TH  E  CAPE  AND 
SKIRT  worn  together  will,  as  I  have  stated, 
keep  legs  and  thighs,  as  well  as  the  shoulders, 
absolutely  dry  in  the  heaviest  downpour.  •  The 
material  I  selected  is  very  light  and  durable,  as 
well  as  perfectly  waterproof,  and  the  two  gar- 
ments can  be   put  on  and  off  in  a  very  short 
time  (which  is  more  than  can  be  said  of  the 
smock),  and  are  quite  comfortable  to  walk  in. 
They  fit  into  a  valise  about  i8in.  by  8in.,  which 
can  be  slung  over  the  shoulder,  and  weighs  but 
little.       Messrs.     Anderson,     Anderson,     and 
Anderson,  of  37,  Queen  Victoria  Street,  made 
mine  to    order,  and    though    I  claim 
no    originality   for    them    (I    believe 
they  have  been   used  before   now),   I 
am  bound  to  say  they  fulfil  the  con- 
ditions  I    insisted  on — that   I   should 
be  able   to    SHOOT   WITH    EASE, 
WALK     ANY    DISTANCE    WITH 
EASE,  AND,  ABOVE  ALL,  KEEP 
DRY.  SOLDAT. 


FISHING  WATERPROOFS   YACHTING 


Carefully  Note 
Address, 


A  ~M"T\T~D  O  A"KTdJ         THE  WATERPWOOF  MANUFACTURERS, 

AIN  JJJCjIloUlN  O  37,  QUEEN  VICTORIA  ST.,  LONDON,  E.G. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


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