the colour, have been resorted to, to the detriment of the dog for both show-bench and field purposes. Probably the pale buff in the place of the tan, frequently verging 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 generations to eradicate.

The head of the Gordon Setter is much heavier than that of the English Setter; broad at the top between the ears, the skull being slightly rounded, the occiput well developed, and the depth from the occiput to the bottom of the lower jaw much greater than in the English Setter. The width between the eyes should perhaps not be too great, speaking with caution. The nose should be moderately long and broad across the top, giving room for the nerves of scent (in fact, the opposite to snipiness), the nostrils well distended, making this the widest part of the nose. The shape of the under 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 Gordon Setters 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 are much shorter. These are also matters of fancy, and therefore of minor importance. The body of the Gordon Setter is also heavier than that of the English Setter, but may be judged on the same lines. The tail is often long, giving a 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. The black should be a jet, not brown or rusty; the tan should be a rich dark mahogany, and should be exhibited on the inside of the thighs, showing down the front of the stifle to the ground, and on the forelegs 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 hunting 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 Setter. If purity of blood is maintained, we may not only recover the qualities that 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 that intelligence which is the great charm and usefulness of the dog.

Some years ago one met with odd specimens of this breed characterised by an extremely short flag, a short, straight neck, high

withers, and rather drooping quarters. They had a great reputation as working dogs, and undoubtedly possessed great staying powers. A number of these were observed in America, where the Blackand-tan Setter was a great favourite, and is deservedly so at the present time. In France and Belgium this variety is even more popular than on this side.

While this variety probably owes much to the Red Setter, and we have a number of examples of this introduction-as Moll IV., bred by a Champion Irish Setter out of a Black-and-tan bitch-still, those who have tried it in recent years find it difficult to produce the desired result, usually getting the progeny all black with an odd red one. Mr. Purcell Llewellin has crossed with the Laverack, producing a beautiful orange Belton.

This handsome Setter will always have his admirers, and the success of Stylish Ranger in recent field trials may probably induce others to compete more frequently with the English and Irish varieties, and possibly repeat the success gained by this breed in the early sixties. Stylish Ranger was bred by Mr. Chapman, and is by Heather Crack out of Fairy, and trained by his owner, Mr. Isaac Sharpe (Keith, N.B.). In the opinion of the latter, "If you get the right breed of Gordon, I think they are the best of all Setters; but I don't like them too heavy nor with thick shoulders. Most of the puppies quarter their ground naturally, and point first time they go on the moor, and I think they are more easily trained than any other breed of Setter. I have had Gordons for twenty-five years, and I very seldom get a waster." Heather Crack, the sire of Stylish Ranger, was a frequent winner on the bench, which is another link in support of our belief that our sporting dogs, or at least our Setters, have not been ruined by "benching" them.

Many good sportsmen who have had experience of this variety believe that they are hardier and have greater stamina than any other breed of sporting dog, and on a bad scenting day they certainly often excel in "picking up a scent." They are invaluable at finding wounded game, and, possibly owing to their fondness for dropping their nose, have had some detractors. Again, it has been asserted that they are hard to train and are difficult to control. Undoubtedly the Gordon is a bold dog, of high courage, and of a lively temperament, and while there may be instances of dogs impatient of control, still the average of this variety is a very high one, and, to again quote from those gentlemen whose names have been already mentioned in this article, "they don't often have a bad Gordon."

In the selection of a puppy of this breed the colour is naturally of the first importance, because, no matter how handsome he may be in other respects, the loss of the characteristic markings will deprive the puppy of the greater part of his beauty. Luckily for

the novice, this is evident even at birth, and one finds one or two far above their fellows in the richness of their tan. Many of the puppies are almost black, while others have a considerable amount of white on the breast and feet. Occasionally you may find that the majority of the puppies have good black-and-tan markings, but this is very rare. For this reason the selection is much less difficult than in other varieties.

Of further assistance at this early age is the curious and interesting fact that the best and largest puppies are almost invariably the best black-and-tan, and if the novice, in making his selection at perhaps six weeks or so, when the puppies are fit to be weaned, is able to secure the biggest puppy with the biggest head, the richest tan, and no white markings, then he has made an auspicious start. Many puppies exhibit Many puppies exhibit a small quantity of white on the chest, but if small in amount, this is nearly always invisible when the coat grows. If two puppies were of equal merit as to size and colour, then the final choice should be given to that with the highest skull and occiput; and if further discrimination is necessary, the size and position of the ears may assist, giving preference to the puppy with small ears springing low from the head.

At three months and later the same remarks will assist the novice in his choice. Colour will again first catch his eye, but he will be able to examine other points. The puppies are now able to run about, and whether for sport or exhibition he must pay particular attention to the legs and feet. This and the following six weeks is the critical time for most puppies, as at this period most go wrong in their legs. At no price should he accept one that has crooked fore legs, is out at elbows, or knuckles over at the pasterns. Of course a small proportion of these may improve at this early age, and the defect would be fatal if present at six months old. This also applies to the feet. You want a firm, compact foot with well-arched toes and good pads. Even at this stage the novice will notice the difference in the feet of the various puppies. The head too now changes much, and some indication is obtained whether the skull proper is going to be high and round or low and flat, and the muzzle will also be getting longer in proportion. The permanent colour of the eye will now be seen, and this is an important point in all sporting dogs. As in the horse, it is an indication of the character and temperament.

What the novice should look for is a full, dark, hazel eye, avoiding a small eye, particularly if light yellow. Though many good working dogs have this defect, as a general rule they are wild, haremscarem creatures, much more difficult to train and more difficult to control after. A puppy with a short tail is more likely to carry it well than if longer, and less liable to twist or curl it when fully

developed. All these remarks will apply to the puppy till he is six months old. By this time one can determine still better what he is fit for his size, his legs, his colour and character have advanced. One can now criticise his movements. Turn the puppies out into a field or a paddock, and scrutinise them carefully at play. Note carefully if the puppy you fancy gallops well and carries his head well up; see that he has a firm back over the loins and that his short ribs come well back, because he won't stay well if he is very weak in these points.

As a general rule it is a heavy shoulder with wide chest in front and "elbows" which cause a dog to "labour." If, further, he has long, well-bent stifles, and is short from the hock to the ground, then he will swing over the moor as he ought. Above all, choose a bright, lively puppy who is always "on the move," if you intend him for work. If intending to exhibit, make a point of attending some of the leading exhibitions during the judging, and when possible get some of the well-known breeders to give their opinions on the various exhibits.

In course of time the novice will be able to picture in his mind an ideal dog of this particular breed, and by this standard measure all others. If, also, he has facilities for training a dog which he has bred himself, he will find a satisfaction indeed--an additional reward, far exceeding his original pleasure in the sport alone.

CHAPTER XXVII

THE IRISH SETTER

"A VETERAN Sportsman," author of "A Correct Delineation of the Canine Race," writing in 1803, says: "The sporting gentlemen of Ireland are more partial to Setters than Pointers, and probably they are better adapted to that country. Setters, it is presumed, cover more ground than Pointers, are not so liable to be footsore, and can bear the changes of weather much better than the latter, which they term the Smooth Spaniel. The fields in many parts of Ireland are large, very rugged, and stony; the rains sudden, sharp, severe, and driving. Setters, therefore, particularly suit the country they go over; to this may be added the grouseshooting, which is excellent, and it is a universally received opinion that this variety of dog only is equal to the fatigues of it."

The writer above quoted does not attempt any description of the Setter in use in Ireland in his sporting days, nor does he dwell on the dog's points, after the manner of our modern dog-show critics; but, instead, he gives briefly the fact that the dog selected by Irish sportsmen was one especially adapted to the circumstances of the country and climate in which he had to work—a most important fact which dog-show promoters, judges, and others cannot have too often brought under their notice, for there is undoubtedly an evil tendency in our dog-show system to forget the fitness of the dog for his work which should exist, and indeed should be made a sine quâ non, and to exalt far above their legitimate value points of beauty and arbitrary standards of perfection, giving undue weight to matters of comparatively little moment, such as the existence of a few dozen white hairs more or less, the colour of the eye, and the precise carriage of the tail to a line minutely described and insisted upon. Most unquestionably, beauty and utility may be combined, and it is this combination all true sportsmen and lovers of the breed should strive for, as, unfortunately, the tendency of the day is to attach more importance to bench winnings than to field performances. Great care should therefore be exercised that desirable characteristics are not sacrificed to fancy standards and fads of show judges.

Although, under the management of the Kennel Club, dog shows