MR. LORT ON SETTER POINTS. 371 



was sold for a few shillings, when worn out, at Aldridge's Repository in 1878, for the public 

 never seemed to realise that very likely much of Ranger's excellence was inherited from 

 his brave old sire. Count Wind'em, Countess Moll, and Countess Bear, are the bright particular 

 stars of Mr. Llewellin's kennel, and the first-named is a great, big, useful-looking dog. Mr. 

 James Fletcher's blue-ticked dog Rock, late Mr. S. E. Shirley's, has done a lot of winning, 

 and Mr. Lort's own brother to him Jock is a successful sire, having fathered Belfast 

 and other good ones. Milano, a black-tan-and-white (very little tan-and-white) dog, and 

 Bandit, have done much to sustain the prestige of Mr. Bowers' kennel, and Mr. Shorthose's 

 Novel has kept his name well before the public. Another English Setter who is, in our 

 opinion, a very grand but unlucky dog, is Mr. J. Robinson's Emperor Fred ; his chief fault is 

 a want of spring in the ribs, but, with this exception, he is a Setter all over. Mr. T. B. Bowers, 

 in addition to Bandit, is the fortunate possessor of an excellent bitch in Maid of Honour, who 

 closely resembles the great dog in both colour and formation. 



Having thus endeavoured to trace out the history of the English Setter from its earliest 

 origin until the present day, and having drawn attention to many of the men who have 

 done best for it, and many of the dogs who have done most to support the English 

 Setter's reputation, there remains for us but very little more to say. Opinions on the 

 Setter's merits must always be re-occurring when the large number of sportsmen is taken 

 into consideration ; and even in former days, as we have already shown, it was a debatable 

 subject in sporting circles as to which was the better dog in the field the Setter or the 

 Pointer. For our own part we should prefer the Setter, but a good dog, like a good 

 horse, is good under any circumstances. Mr. William Lort, in answer to a question, has 

 written us as follows : " I am often asked which is the better dog the Pointer or the 

 Setter. It is difficult to say. I. keep and use both, and the only disadvantage I see in the 

 Pointer is that on high, storm-swept hills he does sometimes, after a protracted lunch, shiver 

 and shut up ; but this is only on exceptionally wet and cold days. The Setter is un- 

 doubtedly the best dog we have for grouse-shooting, and this is beyond a doubt the poetry of 

 all shooting. 



" Now, as to the points of the English Setter, it is really difficult to give them in an 

 understandable form general appearance, or tout ensemble, goes for so much. The head ought 

 to be long, and the eyes, which should match or be in keeping with the colour or complexion 

 of the dog, should not be too wide apart, or placed in too deep a stop, or be separated by 

 too much of a groove all or any of these defects spoil the expression, a most important 

 point in a Setter. The ears should not be set on too high or be carried too far from the 

 head. The front part of the ear should not gape open so as to show the inside of the ear. 

 The ear should not be Spaniel-like and large. The neck should be long and well set back 

 into the shoulders. The chest should be deep, and the ribs carried well back towards the 

 hips. N.B. Some loose-loined, badly ribbed-up Setters go a great pace, but they are usually 

 bad feeders, and not every-day workers. The stern should not be too long ; it should be 

 carried in a line with the back, and be straight, and be ornamented with a little pendant 

 fringe. Nothing indicates mongrel blood in a Setter more than a defective stern. The fore- 

 legs should be straight, strong, and not too long ; the hind ones should be muscular and 

 well-bent. The feet should be round, and well supplied with hair between toes, not too 

 far apart. The coat is affected by climate; the most approved is devoid of curl. The best 

 colours are black-and-white, ticked, or blue Beltons, lemon-and-white, and lemon-ticked, 

 Laverack preferred the blue Beltons ; he thought them rather hardier than dogs of other colours." 



