DOGS 489 
tains internal evidence tending to show that it is spu- 
rious; that is to say, there are only four and five gen- 
erations given to cover a period of about forty years, 
showing that much of the breeding was done when 
the dogs and bitches were old, and ordinarily, in many 
instances, past the years of reproduction. Neverthe- 
less, the Laverack setter, when at his best, was beauti- 
ful in physique and a grand worker. 
The pure Laverack setter, in the years near the end 
of Laverack’s life, became very delicate and difficult 
to rear. The mortality was extremely high. At the 
time of Mr. Laverack’s death—he died in 1877—he 
had nearly lost the breed. There probably is not a 
pure Laverack setter in existence to-day, but its blood 
predominates in the Llewellin setter. 
The colors of the English setter are orange and 
white, liver and white, black and white with tan mark- 
ings, roan, lemon and white, black and white ticked 
with large black splashes, known as blue Belton—a des- 
ignation first employed by Laverack, naming it after 
a village in Northumberland County, England—and 
solid colors, liver, black, white, orange, lemon, though, 
as solid colors are difficult to distinguish when the dog 
is working afield, parti-colors are more desirable. 
Dogs should weigh from forty-five to sixty-five pounds, 
and bitches a few pounds less. A dog, when too light 
in weight, finds great difficulty in heavy going, whether 
mud or dense vegetation. 
The origin of the Irish setter is unknown. He un- 
doubtedly originated very far back in the past. While 
