The Gordon Setter 205 



Gordon Castle on the occasion of his visit, to which we have made reference, 

 and which was made shortly before Howitt's best work was done. 



Referring to the collie cross, "Idstone" says he does not give much 

 credence to the story, but acknowledges that he has seen the tail of the collie 

 occasionally in the very best and most authentic strains which trace directly 

 to the Duke's breed. Also that he had one from Wemyss Castle which ran 

 around its game "like a Scotch sheep dog round a flock, and from first to 

 last determined to put the birds between herself and me." This bitch showed 

 something of the collie in her appearance and "Idstone" always was of the 

 opinion that she was not pure setter. He also had two curled-tailed puppies 

 in the first litter he ever bred from dogs of undoubted Castle strain, and 

 from Ruby by Ranger. "These were Argyle II., one of the best dogs I 

 ever saw, and a dog so close to Kent when he first appeared that the judges 

 had hard work to decide between them. He was to my mind far superior 

 to Kent except in stern. ['Idstone' owned them both.] The other was 

 the bitch Ruth, which I subsequently sent to Lord Bolingbroke." 



After stating that the breed does not differ in any essential point 

 from the English setter, "Idstone" proceeds: "He fails, however, in some 

 points wherein the English setter excels. He has not so finely formed a 

 head; it inclines occasionally to the heavy and bloodhound type. His ears 

 are frequently too large and weighted with coat, as well as leather. He is 

 far too heavy — I am writing of the common type observed at our shows — 

 and he must be refined at any cost. ... In spite of his wide chest 

 and loaded fore quarters, he is free, active and lithe in his gallop, and a 

 good specimen (I mean a narrow, deep-chested, long and low Gordon setter) 

 will more than hold his own. I have seen better setters of the black and 

 tan than of any other breed." 



He then credits them with not being so thirsty as the other setters, 

 but admits that they are nervous dogs, and though one may require no in- 

 struction another may be the veriest dullard. One good word is that he 

 never saw one of them go lame, and he speaks of their grace on point. 



Improbability of Any Irish Cross 



"Idstone" thought they must have tried Irish blood at the Castle, "for 

 in every litter, provided it descends from his kennel, there are a brace or 

 more of red setters. These have the peculiarity of being almost white until 



