200 Modern Dogs. 



he obtained from Sir Ralph Payne-Galwey, and from 

 this he traces the purity of the blood as far back as 

 it will go. He advocated a cross with the Great 

 Dane and deerhound, and latterly, on the populari- 

 sation of the Borzoi or Russian wolfhound, has 

 suggested a third cross with that variety. 



He, at the time I write, has a litter of eleven 

 puppies by the Borzoi, Korotai, from his wolfhound 

 bitch Banshee, but whether such a cross is desirable 

 is an open question, and the Irish wolfhound would, 

 I fancy, have found greater favour with the public 

 had the original Great Dane and deerhound blood 

 not been departed from. 



Some of the Irish wolfhounds seen at modern 

 exhibitions are extremely fine animals, docile and 

 quiet as they recline on their benches, and by no 

 means quarrelsome, evidently quite contented with 

 their lot. Indeed, they possess an excellent reputa- 

 tion as companions, especially such as are not the 

 first cross between the two modern varieties already 

 alluded to. 



Never having been the fortunate possessor of any 

 Irish wolfhounds, and being desirous of obtaining 

 the best information about them as companions, 

 I wrote to a friend who at times had kept two 

 or three of them, and who would gladly give me 

 his opinion. That friend says the Irish wolfhound is 



