Cocksie." 57 



had he stood a little higher on his legs and possessed more 

 character in his expression. His coat, head, ears, and 

 general shape were tip top, and these, with his other good 

 qualities, he in many cases managed to impress upon his 

 sons and daughters, and " Rutland blood " is still much in 

 request. 



Before, however, proceeding with the strains that bring 

 one rapidly right up to the present time, something must 

 be said about Mr. M. C. Ashwin's Cocksie, a dog that has 

 often been confused, owing to the resemblance in name, 

 with his sire Cockie. As I write, Cocksie is still fresh and 

 well, though fourteen years old this very day (February i6th), 

 and he has never been out of the hands of his present 

 owner, who bred him from Lassie, a winning bitch without 

 pedigree, a brown sable and white in colour. Cocksie was 

 remarkable for his extraordinarily profuse coat, of good 

 quality, which he still retains. He was a good all-round 

 dog, but not quite equal to his sire in character and expres- 

 sion, though he won a large number of first prizes at the 

 leading shows, being twice second at Birmingham, in 1879, 

 beating Charlemagne, and on several occasions he was 

 placed at the head of affairs at the London shows of the 

 Kennel Club. It is thirteen years since Cocksie won his 

 first prize, a gold medal, presented by Mr. Panmure Gordon 

 for the best collie at the Islington show, 1877, which had 

 never previously won a prize. 



So long-lived a dog as this favourite of Mr. Ashwin's, 

 naturally carries us over a great many years, and is, indeed, 

 a connecting link with the past and present generations. 

 Much - exhibited dogs are not long - lived, some eight 

 years or so being, as a rule, the limit of their span, and 

 seldom do they retain their good looks to take a premier 



