2 1 6 THE BOOK OP THE DOG. 



specimens, wherever to be had, regardless of cost, and at his death, some twelve years ago, 

 he left a kennel of really fine dogs. The pick of these bequeathed to a friend a bitch, 

 eventually came into the possession of the writer, and from her and from dogs of the 

 writer's own breeding his present strain has sprung. The strain of Mr. Mahoney was 

 originally procured from Sir John Power, and Mr. Mahoney thus speaks of them : 



"The pedigree I had, but I do not think I could now find it. I remember that the 

 grandsire or the great-grandsire was one of the last old Irish dogs which I have an idea 

 belonged to the famous Hamilton Rowan ; but of this I am not certain. As wolves 

 disappeared in Ireland the dogs gradually fell away also. They were expensive to keep, and 

 fiom the fifteenth century the diet of the people gradually changed from .being almost 

 exclusively animal to being purely vegetable. Thus there was no food to preserve the size 

 and power of the dogs. The race of red deer also became extinct, except in the mountains 

 of Kerry, where a few wandered ; but under the care of Lord Kenmare and Mr. Herbert, 

 and their successors, have developed into noble breeds without a cross. Thus there was no 

 inducement to extenuate the old powerful dog into the swifter but sparer Deerhound, and 

 the few specimens that remained preserved the original characteristics ; while in Scotland the 

 cause that preserved the race from extinction tended to change its qualities and older heroic 

 proportions into the modern Deerhound. 



" My idea was that by selection, avoiding in-breeding, and proper feeding, the old 

 characteristics might in some generations be somewhat recovered. The colours were dark 

 brindle, bluish-grey, and fawn. The bitch was usually lower, and therefore looked stouter 

 than the dog ; indeed, she was so in proportion. They were stouter than Deerhounds." 



Lord Derby, grandfather of the present lord, bred Irish Wolfhounds of evidently much 

 the same character as the strains just alluded to. One of them is thus described by a gen- 

 tleman : " She was a dark brindle brown, the coat of long wiry hair, the build heavier 

 and head more massive than that of the Deerhound, the hair on the head thicker and 

 lying flatter, and the ears rather larger, though lying close to the head." Some of her 

 descendants were nearly black. 



The writer has not only studied the subject carefully, but has bred extensively, with more 

 or less success, though death and disease have hitherto robbed him of the finest specimens. 

 Dogs have been bred approaching his ideal closely in looks, though wanting the required height 

 and power ; also dogs of very great height, &c., which were somewhat wanting in character. 

 Yet the very certain knowledge has been gained from these efforts that it is perfectly possible 

 to breed the correct type of dog in the course of a few years bar losses from death and disease. 

 It has been the steadfast endeavour of the writer to get crosses from such dogs of acknowledged 

 Irish Wolfhound blood as were to be found, in preference to simply crossing opposite breeds to 

 effect the desired object. 



The Irish Kennel Club was courageous enough to establish a class for the breed of 

 Irish Wolfhounds at their show, April, 1879, and it is strenuously to be hoped that this 

 step in the right direction will be followed on the part of other shows. 



Scot, the subject of the illustration, was from a Kilfane sire out of a fine red bitch. He 

 is a powerful dog of strong red colour, deficient in coat, notably on head, and loses much 

 in appearance thereby. Taken on the whole, however, he gives a very fair idea of the 

 breed as to form and bulk ; but instead of standing only 29^ inches, as he does, he should 



