88 The Fox Terrier. 



consider her a model ; some good judges think her the 

 best terrier ever shown. In gameness, I am told, nothing 

 can excel her, but she is, of course, too valuable a piece 

 of goods to trust to the by no means tender mercies of 

 fox and badger underground. 



In the summer of 1889 another terrier of more than 

 ordinary excellence was introduced from Messrs. Vicary's 

 kennels viz., Venio, by Vesuvian Venilia. After being 

 brought out at a local exhibition in Devonshire, Venio 

 was sent to London, where he won in all the classes 

 for which he was entered at the Kennel Club's Show, 

 in the end securing the challenge cup likewise, the latter 

 awarded to the best smooth-coated fox terrier of all 

 classes. Venio was then but ten months old, but he 

 sustained his reputation later on, when he took most of the 

 chief prizes at Birmingham in the winter of the same year. 

 A fatality soon after attended his dam, who was run over 

 by a baker's cart and killed. The Devonshire men said 

 "the loss of this bitch was little short of a national calamity." 

 Venio has lasted well, and even as I write, when he is six 

 years old, few, if any, younger animals are able to lower 

 his colours in the prize ring. Mr. Wardle's drawing of 

 this dog is an excellent portrait. 



But the above are not the only high class terriers Newton 

 Abbot has produced, and from the commencement, when 

 Mr. Vicary formed his kennel in 1872, he has periodi- 

 cally sent new terriers to the shows which could more 

 than hold their own against all competitors ; even when 

 he had sold one of his cracks, Vice Regal, of which 

 more in due course. At the Kennel Club spring show 

 in 1894 a young dog of Mr. Vicary's, Visigoth, made a 

 favourable first appearance, following up its successes at 



