COURAGE AND HARDIHOOD. 129 



them. Mr. W. Graham, writing in the Live Stock Journal, says : ' In disposition the Irish 

 Terrier is very tractable, steady at work, and easily kept under command, compared with 

 other breeds possessing the same amount of courage ; I am sorry to say they are kept by 

 some parties for fighting purposes. I once went to purchase pups, when the owner insisted 

 upon me seeing the dam, a champion bitch (the Fly already spoken of), draw the badger 

 before taking away my purchase ; and I know a prize dog lately killed a badger before his 

 hold could be removed. Again, I know a bitch puppy under nine months that killed the 

 first cat she ever saw, and in a very short time.' Mr. Galloway writes : ' My Irish Terrier 

 bitch (Eily O'Connor, by Sporter) jumped into the river Logan to retrieve in the month of 

 January last, at which time the river was half frozen over, when my Retriever refused point- 

 blank to go, although he saw the duck drop, and the said Retriever boasts of England's 

 best blood by sire and dam.' 



" Rabbiting. Looking at them as workmen, rabbiting must first be mentioned. This is 

 their special function, and there are few things I can imagine so enjoyable as a day's ferreting 

 with a couple of Irish Terriers. Rely upon it, their quick noses never make a mistake ; they 

 never pass a burrow where a bunny lies, nor do they stop a second at an empty one ; and 

 once the ferret in, bolt the rabbit ever so rapidly, he'll not escape the attention of the wild 

 Irishman waiting outside for him. It is marvellous the pace these dogs go ; their action repre- 

 sents the level sweep of a thorough-bred, and their powerful hind legs propel them forward 

 at an enormous rate. It is only when one sees them at full speed that one can understand 

 the necessity for insisting upon their peculiar build. Hunting in the furze, they fear 

 nothing, but boldly push in through brambles, pricks, &c,, that would make a thin-skinned 

 dog yell out with pain. At this work they are superior to the conventional Spaniel, 

 who works too slowly and carefully, and his long, thick coat holds him often enough ; but 

 the short, hard jacket of the red Paddies is no impediment, and they work about with a 

 dash and fervour enjoyable to witness. Again, see them working hedgerows ; how assidu- 

 ously and well ! You would never want to use another breed. 



" Stamina. They will bear any amount of hard work and rough usage ; constitution 

 appears to never trouble them, they can give most breeds points for stamina. Mr. Graham 

 says : ' As I work all my Terriers with ferrets, and require a good game dog, also a con- 

 stitutionally strong one to work in winter for a whole day, and probably sit for hours in 

 frost and cold should the ferrets lodge, I find no breed suits me nearly so well as Irish 

 Terriers. They are more hardy, require less care, and are more free from disease than any 

 other Terrier with which I am acquainted.' 



"Badger. At badger the Irish Terrier is not to be touched. No punishment frights them 

 off", they will hold on till death. 



"Foxes. With regard to foxes, a well-known breeder writes: 'I have experience of five 

 packs of Fox-hounds, and not one Terrier of any breed is kept in either kennel. When the 

 varmint is earthed, some persons detach themselves from the crowd, and run to the nearest 

 house where lives an Irish Terrier. They need not be trained nor specially bred ; they will 

 do the work if Irish Terriers proper, without tuition. In the winter of 1874, in the county 

 Louth, I was at the killing of five foxes. From the meet, at 9 A.M., until 3 P.M. there were 

 three of them earthed, and these were unearthed by two different Irish Terriers, one 10 Ibs. 

 and the other 27 Ibs. weight. The pack was owned by Viscount Massareene and Ferrard." 

 I prefer to give these quotations, as they contain facts and not general remarks. 



" Otters. Here the Irish Terrier is in his element, and all his qualities are brought into 

 17 



