The English Setter 121 



I do not pretend to say, but it evidently marked that clever breaker's want of 

 confidence in his dog's nose. Of Rhoebe herself I do not recollect enough 

 to give an opinion as to this quality in her individually, and among her 

 produce I do not remember any but Bruce and Dan that displayed even an 

 average amount of scenting powers. Rob Roy was notoriously deficient 

 in nose; and Dick, brother to Dan, in his second season was constantly 

 making false points, and is so described in the report of the Southampton 

 Trials of 1872. For these reasons, although I had always considered the 

 Duke-Rhoebe cross superior to the two Laverack-Rhoebe litters, I never 

 expected Dan to get such a good bitch as Norna, in point of nose and cor- 

 rect carriage of head and flag, according to my ideas. If Nora, as alleged 

 by her owner and 'Setter,' as well as by the Field reporter at Horseheath, 

 is superior to her, I can only make my apology to Dan and admit that he 

 has turned out a better sire than I expected, and than might have been 

 gathered from the performances of Laura, Leda, and Druid, at the 

 Devon and Cornwall, and Sleaford trials of 1874, which I saw. 



"Taking into consideration that the dogs which have been exhibited 

 by Mr. Llewellyn have been picked from a very large kennel, and that as 

 far as I have seen them perform, they have not proved themselves to be above 

 the average, I can only come to the conclusion that Dan has not done any 

 great good in improving the Laveracks, except in looks and size. Neither 

 do I place him or any of his stock in the first rank of field trials winners, 

 which in setters would I think include only Countess, Ranger, and Dash 

 II., forming with the pointers Drake and Belle, a quintet in class Ai. Dan 

 came out in public only once it is true, though winning three stakes at that 

 meeting, but he met the same dogs in all, and the victory was virtually only 

 a single one. After this he put his shoulder out and never appeared in public 

 again, but his brother Dick, who was coupled in the braces with him, and 

 went equally well in the short trial accorded them, did not do anything 

 worth speaking of next year. . . . Moreover Dan had at Shrewsbury 

 a very narrow escape of defeat by Rake, as recorded by myself at the time, 

 so that on mature reflection I have no hesitation in placing him below the 

 first class, but possibly he is entitled to rank in the second class along with 

 Plunket and his son and daughter, Kite and Music, (Irish), together with 

 Kate, Rex and Lang (Gordons). To them may be probably added the Dan- 

 Laveracks Norna and Nora and also Die, all more or less crossed with the 

 late Mr. Laverack's strain. To sum up, therefore, it may be safely alleged 



