THE IRISH SETTER. 55 



fringe of moderately long hair, decreasing in length as it 

 approaches the point. All feathering to be as straight and 

 as flat as possible. 



Color and markings. The color should be a rich, golden 

 chestnut or mahogany red, with no trace whatever of black; 

 white on chest, throat, or toes, or a small star on the fore- 

 head, or a narrow streak or blaze on the nose or face, not 

 to disqualify. 



NOTES ON OUR DOGS. 



In head we have not enough uniformity, some dogs show- 

 ing the long, narrow head, without the proper stop at the 

 eyebrow, giving the face an indescribably brainless expres- 

 sion; while others have the wide and round skull, entirely 

 at variance with the standard. The color of eye seems to be 

 a matter of the strain, some specimens having the beautiful 

 dark-brown eye, while others are of a hazel, or even near a 

 dark-oak shade. These are minor points, and I consider 

 none but the gooseberry eye seriously objectionable. The 

 ears are often badly set, folding back and outward, and in 

 this case generally too short; again, many are Hound- 

 like, thick, and too long (relative of the Bloodhound). 

 Rarely do we find a perfect neck in our present Red Setter, 

 and in most specimens it is too short and thick, the head 

 resting almost on the shoulder-blades; we must improve in 

 this point. 



In body, legs, and feet, our Setters are, as a class, I 

 believe, more perfect than most other breeds of dogs, having 

 a deep chest, strong loin, more arched than the English 

 Setter, and a good development of muscle in the limbs. 

 Demerits in these parts we must carefully weed out in 

 breeding; and we have a long way yet to go to reach per- 

 fection. The Red Setter is supposed to be higher on the 

 leg than either the English or Black and Tan, and I think it 

 rather an advantage to leave him so, for the best develop- 

 ment of speed; yet I am not favoring a " big dog," for we 

 want no lumber, but a good, upstanding Setter, with per- 

 fect slope of shoulder, well-bent stifle and the longer the 

 bone between stifle and hock, the better for speed. 



