The Irish Setter. 349 



a friendly rivalry existed, and both evidently admired each other's 

 breed, as they eventually bred their favourites together, a red 

 bitch, the property of the commoner, visiting a dog of the Earl's. 



Mention may also be made of Mr. Evans, of Dungannon (land 

 agent to Lord Ranfurley), who had a kennel of red Irish setters, 

 and kept no others. Mr. Moore relates a curious instance of a 

 pure bred red bitch, which he used to one of the red and white 

 variety, and which, when mated with whole coloured dogs, in every 

 subsequent litter threw a pup or two of similar marking to the first 

 cross. 



Mr. Moore seldom exhibited his dogs in the early days of dog 

 shows, preferring them for their working qualities alone, and 

 the famous old champion Palmerston had a narrow escape of 

 being lost to the admiring gaze of the public. Mr. Moore, finding 

 him rather a delicate dog for field work (though most persevering 

 and with an excellent nose) ordered his man to drown him, 

 as he did not wish to give him to any one who would use 

 him for shooting purposes, as he had then passed his prime. 

 The late Mr. Milliard met the poor old dog on the way to what 

 was expected to be his watery grave, and begged him from Mr. 

 Moore. The dog was given conditionally that Mr. Hilliard would 

 keep him for show purposes alone. The result is known to most 

 of my readers. 



It would appear from Mr. Moore's remarks that a white patch 

 on chest or white on the feet was little regarded, and he has 

 frequently known a patch on the back of the neck appear in the 

 best red setters, and that this is still the fact is well known to 

 breeders. Now, may it not be reasonably asked, is not this some 

 former cross with the red and white variety repeating itself ? For, 

 although in all self-coloured breeds, such as the black retriever, 

 the black Field spaniel, the Irish terrier, a patch on the chest is 

 but little thought of, while on the toes, and, worse still, on the 

 neck or body the mark is regarded with much disfavour. 



The Palmerston strain, as most breeders are aware, frequently 

 had what the late Mr. Lort called " the Palmerston snip," a thin 



