218 THE COLLIE 



at which he was bought, this sum was looked upon 

 as remarkable, but the after-career of the dog fully 

 justified the outlay, and there is no doubt that his 

 purchaser could have made a very handsome profit 

 within a few months. This was nothing, however, to 

 what was to follow. Champion " Christopher " went 

 to America for 1,000 ; in 1895 Mr. W. E. Mason, 

 who had bought the dog for 450, sold Champion 

 " Southport Perfection " to Mr. A. H. Megson for a 

 still larger sum ; and soon afterwards Mr. T. H. 

 Stretch obtained practically 1,500 for Champion 

 " Ormskirk Emerald.'* As far as I remember, the 

 cash was about 1,000, in addition to which other 

 good dogs were received as part of the bargain. 



The appearance of the Collie is so familiar as 

 to call for little description, while his many admirable 

 qualities are also well known, for' it may safely be 

 said that few dogs are more generally found in every 

 part of the country. The great beauty of coat and 

 shape is undeniable. One could not wish for anything 

 finer. My own predilection is for the black, tan, 

 and white markings, which are not, however, as 

 common now as the sable. Occasionally one sees 

 a practically white dog, but it may be imagined that 

 it is no little trouble to keep such a coat in proper 

 condition. The blue merle is a very handsome sub- 

 variety which has been making much progress during 

 the last few years. This colour is so engaging that 

 one will not be surprised to see it become the rage. 



The smooth-coated Collie possesses points identical 

 with the rough except as regards his coat. He should 

 carry a short, dense, flat coat of good texture, with 

 an abundance of undercoat. Run your eye over a 

 good specimen at any show, and you will be con- 



