284 THE BOOK OF THE DOG. 



of the laws of breeding. No dog ever showed more style and quality. Yet that is not the 

 pre-eminent characteristic of the Buffer blood, while as for Buffett's dam, Frolic, a more plebeian- 

 looking matron could not be found in a day's march. Be that as it may, Buffett has certainly 

 transmitted his own style to his son Vulcan, from a bitch of old kennel blood. At the same 

 time the family failings of head and ears have reappeared. Buffett's other distinguished son, 

 Buff, is a far more characteristic representative of the blood, with immense bone and a decidedly 

 plain head and ears. Any defects in the dog himself, however, were more than made up for 

 by his progeny, when at the Alexandra Palace Show of 1878 he burst on the world as the sire 

 of the three best bitch puppies that ever found their way into one class. The merits of the 

 trio, Deacon Ruby, Bloom, and Blossom, are too well known to need comment. Another good 

 son of Buffer is Nimrod, who, like Buff, shows all the characteristics of the family. In 

 spite of his deserved successes on the show bench, even his admirers must admit that he has 

 so far been a most disappointing dog at the stud. As yet Buffer's daughters have failed to 

 rival their brothers, either on the show bench or the stud, with the one conspicuous exception 

 of Dainty, the dam of Dorcas. My own general verdict on the Buffer blood is that, like that 

 of Tartar, it has decided merits, but that it must be handled with very great care, and 

 sparingly used. Its worst feature, in my opinion, is the extraordinary tenacity of its defects. 

 The faults of other strains the fine coats of the Tykes, the wide chests of the Traps, the 

 open feet of so many of the Belvoir Terriers, and the weak hocks and crouching quarters of 

 the Foilers may all be eliminated by careful crossing, but the heavy ears and sour expression 

 of the Buffers seem to reappear unexpectedly after we had hoped that they were completely 

 eradicated. Still, the admirers of Buffer may console themselves with the reflection that as 

 long as they can point to dogs like Buffett, Dorcas, Bloom, Buff, Vulcan, Nimrod, and 

 Gripper, the blood is not likely to lose its popularity. 



There is yet one more alleged subdivision of the Trap family to be considered, though its 

 claims to the title are very doubtful. Hornet entered on public life as a son of Trap and 

 Grove Nettle, though I have found very few breeders who accepted the pedigree as authentic. 

 What Hornet's real origin was is, I imagine, a question never very likely to be solved. The 

 merits of the dog himself were undoubted. Indeed, for a combination of substance and strength 

 compressed into a small compass it would be difficult to name his superior. As might be 

 supposed, however, the rumours about his ancestry rather militated against his popularity 

 with breeders, and his untimely death, the result, I believe, of dumb madness, prevented him from 

 showing such merit as he may have possessed as a sire. Still, he got one or two fair dogs ; 

 and it must be borne in mind that he was the sire of Moss and Brokenhurst Nettle, who 

 perhaps did more than any other two bitches to establish the fame of the Brokenhurst 

 kennel. Nor must it ever be forgotten that Bloom has three crosses of Hornet blood. 



Setting aside the Buffers, who, as I have said, seem to have struck out a line for themselves, 

 the characteristics of the Trap blood are a compact rather square build, with good Terrier- 

 like heads, seldom long, except in the Chance family, small ears, strong loins and quarters, with 

 sterns well or indeed in some cases rather too gaily carried, and especially good legs and feet. 

 Their worst fault is a marked tendency to be broad in the chest, a fault especially found, I 

 am inclined to think, in the bitches at least Nettle, Myrtle, .Vanity, and Vexer, who are otherwise 

 among the best of them, were none of them good in that point. The Tyrant branch of the family 

 are, I think, not always good in coat, while the descendants of Pickle, on the other hand, 

 have generally coats of the very best type, close and hard, appearing fine to the eye, but 

 deep and dense when handled. 



