384 Modern Logs. 



before the dogs of the show bench, and Mr. Shirley 

 remembers black retrievers in the kennels there forty 

 years ago. These dogs were much wavier in the 

 coat than is the present fashion. In addition to 

 those at Ettington Park, in the time of the father of 

 the present popular owner, the neighbouring gentry 

 round about Stratford-on-Avon had strains of their 

 own, and these the late Mr. Shirley made use of in 

 founding his kennel. One dog in these early days 

 was especially valued, for he excelled all others 

 in work as well as in looks. This was Nep, who 

 belonged to Wey, then head keeper to Captain 

 Peach, of Idlecote. The dog was, however, too 

 valuable to stay long with his breeder, and Wey sold 

 him for 20, a very high price then, to the late Mr. 

 West, of Alscot Park. In due course Nep was the 

 sire of a dog called Moses, who will no doubt be 

 recollected by retriever breeders as the father of 

 Mr. J. D. Corse's well known Sailor. 



The blood of this dog still remains in the best 

 dogs in Mr. Shirley's kennels, and it is some twenty- 

 five years since he began to give special attention 

 to improving the retriever for show purposes. This 

 he did by purchasing and using the best dogs 

 obtainable, and by careful selection got them to the 

 uniformity of type and general excellence as they 

 are seen to-day on the benches at Birmingham and 



