94 The Irish Naturalist. September, 



suscitated a moribund race is not known. ^^ That the latter 

 theory is the more probable is indicated by the report of 

 the existence of a picture supposed to represent an Irish 

 Water Spaniel painted by the artist, John Wootten, in the 

 early part of the i8th century. It is worth mentioning 

 that the Primate of Armagh, Dr. Peter Lombard, alludes 

 in the year 1600 to a water-dog that pursued water-fowl 

 being bred in Ireland. 



The Irish Setter. 



We fortunately possess an excellent account of this 

 breed by Colonel Millner. Although at present the Irish 

 Setter is of a rich reddish brown colour, described bv some 

 as blood-red, a hundred years ago it usually had a red and 

 white coat. The latter variety indeed is not quite extinct, 

 but being less popular than the other, it is eliminated. Of 

 all the different kinds of Setters, the Irish is furthest re- 

 moved from the Spaniel in appearance as well as in build, 

 but the gradual development of the Setter can still 

 be traced b}^ a study of old pictures of dogs. Millner 

 agrees that the change to the vSetter type must have been 

 accelerated when hawking went out of fashion on the death 

 of Charles I. Shooting at flying birds was only practised 

 in the latter half of the i8th century, and this, with the 

 improvement of shot-guns, made shooting with the long- 

 legged Spaniel a more popular sport. And it is at this 

 period, according to Millner, that the Setter must have 

 assumed its present form. The Irish Setter must, therefore, 

 be looked upon as quite a modern breed. ^^ We cannot 

 expect' it to have an Irish name. Millner states that the 

 term M odder rhii had been applied to it, but I think 

 Madadh ruagh as it should be spelled, was often, and is 

 still used, meaning " Fox." It could not be claimed as a 

 suitable rendering of the words " Irish Setter." Gogan 

 tells rhe that gadhar gunna is actually used in some 

 parts of Ireland, but I should prefer words indicating its 



30 Phillips, C. A. and R. Claude Cane : The Sporting Spaniel. Man- 

 chester, 1906. 



31 Millner, J. K. : "The Irish Setter, its history and training." 

 London, 1924. 



