REMINISCENCES OF THE LEWS. 93 



black-and-tan pointer, Fowler (from his per- 

 formances called the Prof essorhj those who may 

 yet remember him in Ireland and in Norfolk). 



And here comes a singular link in the pedi- 

 gree. Shortly after littering young Die took 

 the distemper, and, being obliged to leave 

 home, I left her and her litter in charge of my 

 cousin's huntsman, who falsely reported her 

 and her young dead. One had survived, which 

 he sold to a neighbour. Of this neighbour I 

 some years afterwards purchased Whack, one 

 of the best (if not the best) muir dogs I ever 

 owned, and, after many pressing inquiries as to 

 his parentage, it came out that his dam was 

 my purloined puppy, his sire a fox-hound. 

 This accounted to me for a something in Whack 

 that was constantly reminding me of poor old 

 Die. I crossed Whack with Meg, an excellent 

 and fine bitch from the Eokeby kennels. Meg 

 was a cross of Lord Wharncliffe's and Lord 

 Althorp's (the Minister) breeds, supposed to 

 be the two best of their day. From Meg, 

 before I got her, sprang many of the Rokeby 

 pointers, which were, when I knew them, 

 among the handsomest and best I ever saw, 

 and I understand their character is still the same. 

 From Whack and Meg came Venus, or Vin, a 

 small but very strong bitch, who was as good 



