478 The Dog Book 



worth describing: Beautiful long lean head, cropped, with that game- 

 looking eye and expression peculiar to the breed that we are fast losing; 

 nice neck, with perfectly placed shoulders, good legs and feet, wonderfully 

 perfect body, stern, and hard dark red coat, not heavy in bone or forelegs, 

 which were not low, but forming a perfect symmetry. As she was when I 

 bought her in 1880 she could have beaten any terrier now showing. She- 

 poor Vic! died last year in my brother J. R. N. Pirn's possession. He 

 bought her from me, and became for some years a very successful exhibitor 

 and breeder. Her first and famous litter to Killiney Boy produced the 

 Champions Playboy, Pagan II., and Poppy; also Pretty Lass, etc., the best 

 of their day from 1882 to 1887 (I consider Playboy the best dog we have 

 ever seen); and afterwards Droleen (first Challenge Darlington, 1891), and 

 several other good ones. 



"The club was now started (1879) by Dr. Carey, Mr. George Krehi, 

 and others; it still stands as one of the largest and best of to-day, and may 

 it long remain to do good service to the breed ! I still think it made a mistake 

 in stopping cropping too quickly, but I hope in a few years to see as good 

 ears on Irish as on fox terriers. 



"1883. Mr. Waterhouse had a grand terrier, Peter Bolger (13,548), 

 cropped, who won at the Kennel Club and other shows. 



"1884. Mr. Lamb's Gaily, a good bitch with a white chest; Mr. 

 Krehl's Kitty, very nice, with also too much white; Mr. Graves' Phaudry, 

 with his queer expression; and Mr. Waterhouse's Killiney Boxer (16,711), 

 a rare nice terrier, with good drop-ears and perfect front, but hardly an 

 Irish terrier; can a light tan and black coat be the thing ? Mr. Graham's 

 Garryford (14,578), a good dog bar his wide chest, and his Gilford (16,058), 

 correct in type, but too large. 



"1885. Mr. Barnett's Bachelor was a big winner, a dog a little too 

 much of the fox terrier in build, who has, I am afraid, given us (with his 

 brother Benedict) that dark expression in their progeny; he had many 

 good points, viz., ears, legs, feet and texture of coat; Mr. Backhouse's 

 Buster (16,057), a ^ r dog of good type; Mr. Kerrigan's Fiddle (first Dublin), 

 a good red bitch, but wanting in character; Mr. Graham's Extreme Care- 

 lessness, a grand one, bar her black hairs (Mr. Graves was now buying at 

 big prices); and Mr. Nicholson's Poppy II., a lovely terrier, light of bone 

 were the pick of this year. 



" 1886. Another good buyer in Mr. Hoare turned up, who afterwards 



