336 British Dogs. 



I do not care to characterise this as I think it should be characterised, 

 the facts being that several great prize winners, of whom I may mention 

 Mr. J. Pratt and Mr. Duncan Cunningham as examples, have, in the 

 only public records of canine pedigrees existing, proved their prize dogs 

 to be of long descent, whereas not one of the signatories to the manifesto 

 have ever published a pedigree of one of their dogs. 



Another charge against prize-winning Skyes is want of courage and 

 ability to do the work of a terrier. 



A more groundless statement could not be made, as I can testify from 

 practical experience; and men must surely be absolutely blinded by 

 prejudice who, by such reckless statements, would injure other people's 

 property. 



I will only further remark that the journal " which need not be 

 named " was The Country, of which I was Kennel editor, and that the 

 words attributed to me shows a lack of accuracy and candour on the part 

 of the quoter. 



The manifesto is as follows , 



' ' The Skye terrier defined, as existing in the Western Isles and High- 

 lands of Scotland. 



" During the last three years a widespread agitation has been main- 

 tained in the columns of leading journals on sporting matters, with 

 reference to the question ' What constitutes a Skye terrier P ' and, how- 

 ever explicitly it has been demonstrated by gentlemen qualified to speak 

 as to facts that the breed belongs to the Western Isles and Highlands of 

 Scotland, and are essentially ' terriers,' being utilised in the destruction 

 of all kinds of vermin to be met with in this country, strange to say, 

 Southern breeders, as a class, are strongly opposed to this view, on no 

 stronger ground, apparently, than it does not accord with their preconceived 

 notions about Skye terriers. In one journal (the name of which need not 

 be specified) a statement recently appeared from the pen of an editor 

 professedly well versed in canine matters, to the effect that the term 

 ' Terrier ' is not now restricted to its original meaning ; but it would 

 have been more correct to say that the application of such term to dogs, 

 such as are generally exhibited in the Skye terrier class, is to ascribe a 

 meaning to the word ' Terrier ' at variance with its derivation. The 

 same authority adds that Skye terriers have for many years been bred, 

 both north and south, for the drawing room rather than the otter's 



