40 The Fox Terrier. 



Here, then, were a sufficient number of strains of diverse 

 blood to perpetuate and improve even to perfect any 

 one variety, and our fox terrier classes on the show bench 

 at the present day prove that every advantage has been 

 taken of the material at hand. One strain has improved 

 another, until little animals as near perfection as possible 

 are produced, and a couple of hundred candidates for 

 honour at one show is nothing unusual now, whilst in 1860, 

 at Birmingham, only about three bond-fide fox terriers 

 were on view, and there was no special class provided for 

 them. 



Reverting to The Field correspondence,' " Cecil," writing 

 in December, 1858, said, ''that during one of his visits into 

 Cheshire he had the honour of an introduction to a gentle- 

 man who was for many years a first-rate performer over a 

 country, and has ever ranked highly in the estimation of 

 his numerous friends for his hospitality, exquisite port wine, 

 and an unrivalled collection of terriers. An invitation to 

 dine and inspect his unique little pack of terriers afforded 

 me the greatest pleasure. I might possibly be transgressing 

 the bounds of etiquette if I were to record the kind recep- 

 tions I met with on such occasions ; and I am the more 

 cautious in the introduction of gentlemen's names, having 

 recently caused some annoyance to an old and valued friend 

 by mentioning him in these columns, in conjunction with 

 others, as a most liberal preserver of foxes, and a popular 

 resident in a country far distant from this. Knowing, 

 therefore, that some gentlemen entertain objections to 

 being brought before the public, more especially as regards 

 matters of a private nature, I feel that I need not offer any 

 further apology for not giving greater publicity to one of 

 Cheshire's most highly respected and worthy country 



