Old English (Bob-tailed) Sheep Dog. 153 



" I remember, as quite a boy, that the generality 

 of old English sheep-dogs were grey or blue in 

 colour, with white feet, and white head and neck. 

 Nearly every drover had one, and every shepherd, 

 for we had no collies then. An old drover who died 

 here (near Woodbridge) in 1889, at a very great 

 age, named Chuffy Plant, told me that my dogs 

 were the right stamp, but they were ' little rat- 

 dawg things ' ; too much quality ; were not big 

 enough or strong enough. I could not argue with 

 the old man, as I felt he was an authority, but 1 

 explained to him that I had to breed for the show- 

 bench. Whereupon he anathematised the show- 

 bench with this remark : ' Drat it all, ye can allus 

 breed minnifers ; dround them and rear the 

 big 'uns ! ' Minnifer or miniver signifies the weasel, 

 but is a term applied in Suffolk to any small or 

 weedy specimen of animals." 



Sir Cavendish, now the property of Dr. Locke, 

 of Tenby, but bred by Dr. Edwardes-Ker, I con- 

 sider the handsomest and best of his breed hitherto 

 seen ; moreover, he possesses to a remarkable 

 degree all the attributes required to approach 

 perfection. He may well be considered the typical 

 specimen of his variety, and, as such, particular 

 trouble has been taken to obtain his full descrip- 

 tion, which, in combination with the general one 



