204 The Dog Book 



Colley, which possesses much sagacity, both as a sporting and fancy dog, 

 and has the faculty of smell to a surprising degree." One more anecdote 

 is given by the author regarding another of Mr. Torry's setters, which is 

 not described; so that very evidently Mr. Torry was a shooting man and con- 

 versant with setters. Therefore his statement as to colour and origin of his 

 small setter bitch was undoubtedly correct, and it only goes to show how 

 widespread the black and tan setter was at that period, and in how many 

 gentlemen's kennels the colour could be found. 



"Idstone" on the Origin and Colour 



It is to "Idstone" that we owe the best account of the early Gordons 

 of the English show bench, for he was an exhibitor and breeder during that 

 period and took more particular notice of the Gordons than any other 

 writer of modern times. "Idstone's" "The Dog" was published in 1872. 

 With regard to crosses and the colour dispute, "Idstone" says with truth 

 that "no dispute has ever been raised as to their quality, and dogs with any 

 trace of descent from the Duke's blood command the highest prices. To 

 trace back to his Regent, Old Bang, Old Don, or to Mr. Coke's Pan or 

 Fan — for Mr. Coke and the Duke bred from the same stock — is ample 

 warrant for purity of lineage." On the authority of a gentleman, then 

 living, and who had shot with the Duke, "Idstone" stated that black and 

 tans and tricolours were kept at the castle. Howitt, the artist-engraver, is 

 quoted as calling them black, but as "Idstone" remarks, it is nothing out 

 of the way to hear colours misnamed in this way, such as black and white 

 or black and tan, for a tricolour collie. Howitt, it appears, tells nothing 

 except that one might as well ask the Duke for a church living as for one of 

 his setters. Perhaps we are in error as to the Howitt "Idstone" refers to, 

 but that is the only man of the name of any prominence in connection with 

 dogs or the sports of the field that we know of. He lived in the early part 

 of the last century, and his best work was done from 1798 to 1800. In our 

 copy of "The British Sportsman," a series of seventy-two plates, drawn and 

 engraved by Howitt, that of the setter is unfortunately one of the two miss- 

 ing, but the setter appears in some of the others, including that of grouse- 

 shooting, and not one is a black and tan or a tricolour so far as can be 

 judged. If this is the Howitt referred to, it is all the more to be regretted 

 that Colonel Thornton gave us no information regarding any setters at 



