62 The Collie or Sheep Dog. 



matter of opinion whether he was a black and tan or very 

 dark sable. Some, who were not colour-blind, held to the 

 former, and others, with equal claim to such knowledge, 

 held quite opposite opinions. 



Now, the little dog Scotforth, from the same kennels, that 

 he has shown lately, would be about perfection had he 

 absolutely straight fore legs, and were he a size larger. In 

 character and true collie attributes I believe he can easily 

 beat any of his contemporaries he fails where I have said. 

 Marigold and White Heather are also lovely bitches ; the 

 latter has worn a little lately, and in a degree lost her 

 bloom. When fit and well she was one of the best of her 

 sex that ever graced the bench the equal of Messrs. 

 Charles's Bertha, mentioned earlier on. Both these were 

 better than some of the so-called wonderful puppies (of 

 which Pitch Dark was an example), who blaze forth, 

 meteor-like, for a few days, are sold for exorbitant figures, 

 and in the end sink into oblivion. A dog should be bred 

 to last and keep his form, not to be seemingly perfect at 

 nine months old, and when matured become as coarse and 

 rough as a cart-horse. One often wonders what becomes 

 of all the prize dogs, for there are few that continue such 

 for more than twelve months, and some there are that 

 have run their race in half that time. 



Mr. T. H. Stretch, of Ormskirk, has, during the past few 

 years, come very much to the fore as exhibitor and 

 breeder, and to him and to the Rev. Hans Hamilton are 

 due, in a great measure, the gaudier-coloured strains of the 

 collie now so often seen. The dog that won in the open 

 class at Liverpool this year (1890), Christopher, bred by 

 Mr. Hamilton, owned by Mr. Stretch, is one of our best 

 animals of his variety, neither too big nor too little a 



