480 BRITISH DOGS 



near Rothbury. One of these, known as "Piper" Allan, born at 

 Bellingham, Northumberland, in 1704, was celebrated for his Terriers; 

 and Mr. Cook, who thoroughly investigated the matter, seems to 

 establish, without much doubt, that these were the source, or one 

 of the main sources, of the Terriers we now call Dandie Dinmonts. 



Mr. Cook suggests, as a plausible theory, that the gipsy tribes 

 had brought with them from the Continent, on first settling in 

 Britain, foreign Terriers of the Dachshund type. This theory might 

 account for the size and shape of the Dandie Dinmont Terrier ; but 

 a perusal of the older sporting writers will show that the theory 

 is not needed. We find the short or crooked-legged, rough-haired 

 Terrier described by many of them, and in such terms that it needs 

 no stretch of imagination to conceive those animals to be the 

 progenitors of the present Dandie Dinmont Terrier. 



Mr. J. C. Macdona, M.P., was the first to give publicity to the 

 following if authentic unquestionably important document, which 

 he met with in researches he made, some thirty years ago, into the 

 early history of the breed. It is described as being in the hand- 

 writing of James Davidson, with his initials attached, written on old, 

 hand-made letter-paper, yellow with years, and bearing all the 

 evidences of being genuine. The memorandum was originally sent 

 by Mr. Davidson to the Hon. George H. Bailie, of Mellerstain, and 

 is as follows : 



1800. 



Tuggin, from A. Armstrong, reddish and wiry. 

 Tarr, reddish and wiry-haired ; a bitch. 

 Pepper, shaggy and light, Dr. Brown, of Bonjedward. 

 The race of Dandies are bred from the two last. 



J. D. 



Mr. Cook had an opportunity of critically examining the original 

 document above quoted, and points out discrepancies. One of 

 these is that the date is not 1800, as given by Mr. Macdona, but 

 1890. As we have here two readings, and as that suggests want of 

 clearness in the written figure, both may be wrong, and 1820 be the 

 date really meant to be expressed. That 1800 must be wrong is 

 evident, for the term " Dandie Dinmont " had not then been 

 coined ; and 1890 must be a clerical error. Mr. Cook further com- 

 pared the handwriting, in legal documents, of Mr. Davidson with the 

 writing in the pedigree paper referred to, and pronounces them to 

 be widely dissimilar, the writing on the latter being " bold, business- 

 like, and free," whereas Davidson wrote even his own name in such 

 a cramped manner as might naturally be expected from a sheep- 

 farmer of that period. 



Mr. Davidson died in the early part of the year 1820, six years 

 after the publication of " Guy Mannering," and his love for dogs and 



