THE IRISH SETTER. 71 



special for one of best kermel, Boston, 1886; special for 

 one of best kennel, Hartford, 1886. 



The most successful sires of the past and present are, 

 about in the order named. Champion Elcho, Plunket, Rufus, 

 the great Glencho, Berkley, Erin, Elcho, Junior, Biz, 

 Champion Norwood, MaxWenzeFs Chief, Rory O'More, 

 and Stoddard's Bob. The list of winnings these dogs and 

 their descendants have to their credit would fill a book. It 

 might be profitable to some of the breeders, and, would-be 

 breeders, of the present day, to carefully study and con- 

 sider the breeding of some of these dogs; for in this breed, 

 as in all others, there is wisdom in choosing from good 

 families, and in the light of the past it should not be diffi- 

 cult to pick out the successful dogs. 



We come now to consider the Irish Setter as a field dog. 

 The cardinal points on which depend the value of every 

 pointing dog are the same in all breeds, and I can not do 

 better than to quote from one of England' s highest authori- 

 ties, "Idstone," who speaks of the Irish Setter as follows: 



"They have been jealously protected from mongrel out- 

 crosses for many years by their native breeders, and they 

 owe their popularity, in Ireland and elsewhere, to their 

 quality quite as much as their color. They are exceedingly 

 fast, and very resolute, hardy, and thoroughly blood-like, 

 genuine Setters. A finer, more open-hearted, frank, good- 

 tempered race, no man can find. . . ; 



" The thorough Irish dog is a very fast and persevering 

 worker and a rapid galloper. . . . An admirable water 

 dog, and invaluable in fens and swamps, for snipe. In 

 heather, his power and muscle enable him to do a long 

 day's work without fatigue, and he has a comparatively 

 noiseless and stealthy gallop. He is inclined to be head- 

 strong, and is accused of being hard to break. He demands 

 patience, severity, and judgment. . . . 



' 4 When, however, he settles down to his work, and dis- 

 covers the tactics of his owner, he is exceedingly valuable, 

 and is regarded with envy by all who witness his mathe- 

 matical precision, his firm style, his stanchness and 



