350 The Dog Book 



and the Mayor of Maidstone's Cup at the Southern Counties' Show. On 

 August 19, 1875, he was sold by auction at the Midland Counties' Reposi- 

 tory, Birmingham, the hammer falling to the bid of Mr. D. Tomlinson, 

 who in a short time afterward sold him to Mr. J. Bissell, the age of the dog 

 being then nine years or thereabouts, and the first litter begot by him for 

 this owner marked the commencement of the show success of the Great 

 Barr Kennels. 



"Old Cockie was a medium-sized dog, as compared with some of the 

 giants of the present day, very compactly built, and sound in legs and feet. 

 His head was consistent in length, and certainly true collie in type, ears 

 semi-erect, coat on body not extra long but very dense, being well supplied 

 with a wet-resisting undercoat, and the habit of his coat was such that 

 it formed a distinct mane on the neck and a cape on the shoulders. In 

 colour he was rich sable, with white markings, and it is an absolute fact 

 that, at the present time, every collie of the sable colour dates back to 

 Old Cockie as the introducer of the colour. 



"Carlyle, who was bred from an old Scotch strain of working collies, 

 came from Denbigh, in North Wales, and was first exhibited by Mr. Skid- 

 more by the name of Garryowen. He was very good in type of head, 

 placement of eye, and collie character; was likewise good in coat and ears. 

 In colour he was black-and-tan, but, being heavily marked with tan similar 

 to a bloodhound, was often called sable colour. His greatest sin, however, 

 was an overshot mouth. 



"Mr. W. W. Thomson introduced Marcus, a black-and-white dog 

 (without tan), bred in Scotland. A nice-headed dog this, with good ears 

 and the right sort of coat. Old Mec and Old Hero, both black-tan-and- 

 white, were good-coated dogs. The former had the better-shaped head of the 

 two, but, being very dark in eye, just lacked the pleasing collie expression, 

 whilst the latter's head was wanting in character, being too square in muzzle. 



"Mr. S. E. Shirley brought out several black-tan-and-whites, which 

 were bred on his estate in Ireland, and they met with success on the show 

 bench. These were Tricolour, Trefoil, Hornpipe, Hualakin and Tartan, 

 and, although they were long-coated animals, there was a distinct taint of 

 the setter about them, more especially the latter, who favoured the setter 

 type more than that of the collie. Nevertheless, the crossing of this strain 

 with those of Old Cockie and Old Mec proved successful, as evidenced by 

 the production of the illustrious Charlemagne. 



