376 



The Dog Book 



appreciators of quality in a dog have taken up the breed in this country. 

 Mr. Jarrett, of Chestnut Hill, was the first to show them here, he being then 

 one of the leading exhibitors in roughs. Probably he found little call 

 for them, as in a short time he sold them out in block to Mr. Rutherford, 

 of Allamuchy, N. J., who in addition to fox terriers is an extensive breeder 

 of Dorset sheep, and we understand that among those who purchase sheep 

 from the Tranquility Farm there is a good demand for smooth sheep dogs. 

 The third to take up the breed was Mrs. J. L. Kernochan, and here again 

 we have one who is an expert and has an eye for a symmetrical dog. Mrs. 

 Kernochan had by far the best kennel of the breed we have had in this 

 country, particularly bitches, till she sold them out to Mr. T. King, of 

 Hempstead, L. I. 



There is a peculiarity in this breed which is noticeable in but few others, 

 and that is that the bitches are apt to be much smaller than the dogs, the 

 latter frequently adding coarseness to their size. This size peculiarity 

 is also seen in Scotch deerhounds. The result is that many judges con- 

 versant with rough collies, but not with this breed, have put back bitches 

 that really ought to have won, placing dogs over them that were not entitled 

 to that distinction, the decision being based on size. 



Far greater attention is paid to this variety in England than with us, 

 and the classes given at various shows are much better filled, but even there 

 they are not what can be called popular. Not only do they suffer in the 

 matter of coat when compared with the roughs, but in colour also, there 

 being none of the showy sables, the majority being black and tan. Occa- 

 sionally there are merled, or mirled, dogs — a contraction of marbled. These 

 are of various mixed colours, such as gray-blue or roan with darker blotches, 

 or a reddish shade with brown and black blotches. In some of these 

 merled dogs we have the white wall or "china" eye. We lately came 

 across a rough collie bitch, sable with dark blotches in the colour, and in 

 her litters there were always some blue merles with a wall eye. As near as 

 we got at the pedigree of this collie, she had been obtained from Mr. Rocke- 

 feller, of Greenwich, or from his manager, when a puppy, and her owner 

 said that he understood the dam came from Mr. Pierpont Morgan's. As 

 this gentleman had some blue merles at Cragston, she was undoubtedly 

 of that strain. Why the china eye should be tolerated in this dog, when a 

 light eye is considered a disfigurement in almost every dog, is hard to tell, 

 but it is so. Undoubtedly it is very old, as it was rather conspicuous in 



