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shown the outside of the door to guard the larder, which was the potato pit, look after the general safety of the estate, and to find a bed in the ditch or butt of the haycock. Generations of this treatment developed them into the 'pine knots' they are.

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Driving along the roads any hour of the night, this state of things you will find still to exist, and it is a matter of wonder how the inmates sleep and quite ignore the choruses of howls on moonlight nights. I believe myself that the Irish garrisons distributed over the country the bulldog, which was used for crossing. As many native fanciers say, to this day, there is nothing like a 'crass' of the bull, and I think the Irish terriers' disposition largely shows it. You find them still of all types, long in legs, and of all colours, red, black, blue brindle, and those with tan legs often have the best coats. I know at the present time brindles showing more of the modern type as regards length of leg and general conformation than the other colours.

There is a glen, Imaal, in the Wicklow mountains that has always been, and still is, justly celebrated for its terriers. It would be hard to specify their colour in particular-the wheaten in all shades to that of bright red. In Kerry I think the black blue is most prevalent; quite black very

uncommon, and I hardly ever saw a good specimen that colour. Mr. Charles Galway, of Waterford, the breeder of the celebrated greyhound Master M'Grath, long before the Irish terrier came into fashion, always kept and bred the variety, and I am told there was no getting one from him. I am also informed the coats of his terriers were rather inclined to curl, and that the dogs themselves were undeniably game.

"The father of the present pedigree family was Killiney Boy, bred by Mr. Burke, of Queen's-street, Dublin. He passed from him to a Mr. Flanaghan, residing at Castlenock, which place was purchased by Mr. Donnegan, Dane-street, Dublin, who found Killiney Boy running about deserted. The dog was duly adopted, and afterwards given to Mr. Howard. Waterhouse, with whom he died a short time ago; his dam was a rough black and tan bitch, the type now accepted as the Welsh terrier, hence the black. and tan puppies so often found in the strains. descended from him." It has been said that Killiney Boy was worried and almost eaten by a litter of puppies of which he was the sire.

Mr. C. J. Barnett, of Mill End, Hambleden, whose name is a household word in connection with Irish terriers, says: "There is no doubt that the Irish terrier was the common terrier of Ireland

a century ago, and is to this day the friend and companion of the native. Before railways were introduced, inter-breeding in certain localities caused a type which might have varied slightly in different districts, and as colour was a minor consideration, we so often find puppies even to the present day black and tan, grey or brindle in colour. This does. not show bad breeding, but rather the contrary, to continue the colour through so many generations, for these dogs, like the Welsh ponies, no matter whatever they are crossed with, appear to perpetuate their peculiar characteristics. I have heard it stated that the pure Irishman was originally a large terrier, and to reduce the size a cross with a Manchester terrier was used, hence the black and tan puppies that are so often produced.

"I am happy to say I cannot find the slightest foundation for this statement; I have myself tried such a cross carefully and it quite failed, and I am convinced it would take years to breed out the black and tan strain, with its sleek coat, and get back to the somewhat rugged outline and waterproof jacket of the Irish terrier.

"At an early Irish show, in 1874, there were classes given for Irish terriers under 9lb. weight, clearly showing that small terriers were fashionable then. In my rambles through Ireland I have

generally asked for the man who kept the best. terriers in the village, and, on hearing where he was, I went to see his dogs. He was always anxious. to show me not only his own but those of his neighbours as well. I have seen good terriers which would get a prize at many of our English shows, but which were kept so out of sight, partly through fear of the corner boys,' that resident fanciers who regularly show were ignorant of their existence. These were owned by cotters in the small towns and villages. I noticed that the majority of such dogs had a few grey or black hairs in their coats, but as a rule they were inclined to be a light red in colour and very hard in texture; the ears are also larger as a rule than is fashionable in England, but well carried.

"At a small public-house near Sion Mills, Strabane, some years ago, was an Irish terrier dog, 16 years of age, not at all the fashionable type, as he was very low on the leg and rather thick in front, but he had a charming head, with a most intelligent expression, and a good pair of ears. Wherever the Irish terrier may have got his type, there is no denying his real native expression and general characteristics, which have made him so popular in England.

"The foundations of the present generation of

show terriers are nearly all descended from Mr. Waterhouse's Killiney Boy, and it is a difficult matter to find one that has not some drop of his blood in his veins. The red or yellow are now considered the correct colour, and the dark puppies are usually destroyed, but as the dam of Killiney Boy was a rough black and tan, colour is merely a question of fashion. When red puppies are born in the same litter as black and tans, the former are nearly always a good bright red; but the black and tan have the better coats, invariably as hard as pin wire. I am by no means certain that by not using the latter to breed from we are losing the hard, wiry coats, and brighter red colour; and were it not for the art of trimming many of our winning terriers would have coats almost as shaggy as are found on some mountain sheep.

"When Irish terriers were first shown it was the fashion to crop their ears to a point, making them look very sharp. As they were often used as fighting dogs in the so-called good old days, this might have been of some service, but of late years a strong feeling has grown up against it, and acting on the advice of the Irish Terrier Club, the Kennel Club passed a rule that no cropped Irish terrier born since Dec. 31, 1889, can compete at shows under their rules.'

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