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., 12s. 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 7s. 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

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 which more later on, they did not shake the popularity of our great coursing meeting, that known as the Waterloo, over the flats of Altcar, not far from

and run Liverpool.

A

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. 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 thirtytwo 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 greyhounds to win "the Cup" is an honour as high as

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, Pretender, Chameleon, Muriel, Peasant Boy, Gallant Foe, with Coomassie (only 444lb. weight), the smallest greyhound that ever won the "Cup," and she did so twice. Of course there were other great greyhounds, 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

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 fêted; 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

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 was 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 purchased 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 companion 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