66 The Collie or Sheep Dog. 



as the best dog at Liverpool Show under eighteen months 

 old. On the latter occasion he was beaten in his class by 

 his sire. Stracathro Ralph is a medium-sized dog of the 

 fashionable sable and white colour, fairly uniform in quality 

 throughout, without any predominating excellence in any 

 one particular. His coat is of good quality and perfectly 

 straight ; his ears might be improved, and so might his 

 expression, and he gives one the idea of being the kind of 

 dog likely to develop a cobbiness and shortness in back 

 with increasing age. Nevertheless, though a very good 

 dog indeed, I considered him inferior to Mr. Chance's 

 Great Alne Douglas, a bigger and stronger dog than Ralph, 

 though he does not as a rule carry so much coat. This 

 notwithstanding, he beats Mr. Campbell's dog in character 

 and expression, and in my opinion, at the time this is being 

 written, there is not a collie living that I have seen, and 

 almost all the best have come before me at one time or 

 another, that can on all points beat Mr. Chance's well-bred 

 son of Metchley Wonder and Sweet Fanny. His portrait 

 is given on the adjoining page. 



Another successful breeder is Mr. H. C. While of Sutton 

 Coldfield, his Maney Squire and other Maneys often been 

 seen in the prize-ring, and many besides, more than 

 .average dogs, continue being introduced. Mr. V. Kilvert's 

 Cestrian Wonder, Mr. R. Barklie's Umba, Mr. V. T. 

 Thompson's Tuppence; another of the best bitches, 

 Mr. J. Pirie's Paramount, Mr. W. R. DockrelPs Flurry, 

 Scotilla and Dublin Scott, and Mr. F. G. Oliver's Barbillon, 

 may be specially mentioned ; nor must the name of Mr. T. 

 Mercier be omitted, who, although living in Co. Down, 

 Ireland, is not too far away to send good specimens over 

 to this country and take the highest honours with them. 



