Mr. Cowley's Strain. 175 



weapons of various kinds have done more to take the life 

 of the poor otter than the bites of the animal for whom 

 such a victory has been claimed. The Sealy Ham terrier 

 is comparatively unknown out of that part of the Principality 

 in which it is bred. It seldom appears on the show bench, 

 although eight or nine years ago, in a class for " working 

 terriers," Captain Edwardes exhibited one called Tip at 

 Haverfordwest show, and the catalogue stated its pedigree 

 was known for a hundred years, and that it was warranted 

 to go to ground to fox, badger, and otter. 



An excellent strain of wire-haired terriers is carefully 

 bred by Mr. J. H. B. Cowley, of Highcroft, Bovingham, 

 Hemel Hempstead. Here, again, is a short-legged, long- 

 bodied, hard-coated dog. I know of my own experience 

 that there is no better strain for work, and Mr. Cowley is 

 to be congratulated and thanked for having established a 

 variety which, even more than the Sealy Ham terrier, is 

 likely to be used for crossing the "show dog" with advan- 

 tage to the latter. Mr. Cowley's dogs are bred for doing the 

 work for which the terrier was originally brought into the 

 world. It is a treat to see them either making their way 

 to the badger or fox, or in the more plebeian yet equally 

 enjoyable diversion of rat-hunting. Their owner follows 

 the latter as one of the " fine arts." He has all sorts of 

 appliances in the form of nets, rods, &c, with which to 

 catch the rats when the terriers cannot reach them, and 

 when they have been driven about by the ferrets. Mr. 

 Cowley can set half a dozen of his dogs to watch half a 

 dozen different holes, some within the buildings, some 

 outside. A rat scuttles about, bolts, and is quickly 

 snapped up by the terrier waiting for him ; another terrier 

 only a few feet away takes no heed of this, but watches 



