150 British Dogs. 



owned, which was considered to be one of the best of them, I bred from 

 twice, and in each litter several of the puppies were liver and tan, being- 

 tanned from the knees downward and under the tail. I came to the 

 conclusion that she, at any rate, had been crossed with the bloodhound. 

 In Ireland, too, there exists two totally distinct varieties, which are 

 now known as the North and the M'Carthy strains ; the former are in 

 appearance like a third-rate specimen of their southern relation, but are 

 generally much smaller, have less feathering on legs, ears, and head, 

 often a feathered tail, and oftener still are inclined to be crooked on their 

 fore legs. The McCarthy strain are a very much more aristocratic 

 looking animal than either of the afore-mentioned, and are 

 now found in greater perfection on this side the Channel than 

 on their native soil. Capt. E. Montresor, Eev. A. L. Willett, 

 Mr. Eobson, and the writer are the oldest English breeders, and 

 in later years Mr. Lindoe and Eev. W. J. Mellor went into the 

 breed for a short time, and Mr. Engelbach and Lieut.-Col. Verner 

 should also be classed amongst the older breeders. Both from Mr. 

 Engelbach and the late Sir Wm. Verner I have derived benefit from 

 crossing with their strains, also from that of Mr. W. S. Tollemache's, who 

 for a period of over thirty years kept the breed in its purity, and although 

 he never exhibited them he has owned some of the finest dogs of the breed 

 it has ever been my lot to look upon. Mr. Morton, of Ballymena, 

 Ireland, has for a long time been foremost in this breed in his own 

 country, and the most formidable opponent I have had to meet at our 

 shows. We have rung the changes repeatedly in crossing to our mutual 

 advantage. 



It has been argued that the Irish water spaniel is too impetuous and 

 hard-mouthed to be worth much as a field dog. To this I must say that 

 the dogs which have caused this remark to be applied to the whole breed 

 have either been cross bred animals, or else have had a defective 

 education. With true bred dogs the reverse is the case, they being 

 tender-mouthed enough to please the most fastidious, and if they are 

 taken in hand young enough and trained properly, the libel will die 

 out. When Blarney (now Mr. P. J. D. Lin doe's, if not dead) was a 

 puppy, I had her and her brother Fudge (who died of distemper) , and I 

 trained them to retrieve by means of a tame pigeon, which from some 

 cause or other could only fly a short distance. I used to put it in my 



