The Smooth-coated Sheep Dog. 141 



land about twenty years ago. This was a peculi- 

 arly coloured brown bitch with a natural bob-tail. 

 She belonged to a butcher, and was quite as good 

 in work with either cattle or sheep as her appear- 

 ance would imply. No sheep dog I know now, had 

 nearly the character or expression she possessed. 

 Mr. W. W. Thomson about the same time had an 

 excellent black, white, and tan called Yarrow ; Mr. T. 

 Swinburne's Lassie was another good one of similar 

 type. More recently Mr. W. Arkwright had a 

 bitch called Melody, which many good judges 

 considered the best of her race, and Mr. E. 

 Hutton, of Pudsey, near Leeds, has from time to 

 time had animals of this variety above the average 

 in quality. More recently Mr. A. H. Megson has 

 had some good specimens. The best of these is 

 undoubtedly Heatherfield Tip, who is by many 

 persons considered the best' of his variety yet shown. 

 Anyhow, he has not met defeat up to the time this 

 was written. He was pupped in August, 1892, is a 

 dull sable and white in colour, possesses a coat 

 neither too short nor too long, his ears and 

 expression are very good, and all round he is 

 most symmetrical and characteristic. 



To my mind, the handsomest smooths are those 

 "mirled" or (( marbled " in colour, with " china " 

 or wall eyes. This colour is sometimes intermixed 



