386 THE BOOK OF THE Doc. 



done much to impress upon certain breeders the importance of the black or deep-coloured 

 fringe to the cars or trace down the back; but this is nevertheless, in our opinion, a decided 

 fault, as being indicative of Gordon Setter blood. Another feature in this breed of dog, 

 in which the Gordon cross is very wont to claim its presence, is in the ears, the heavy 

 "caddie-flap" ear betokening the bar sinister beyond a doubt. What Abject the promoters of 

 this most undesirable cross had in first attempting it, it is very hard to guess, and the 

 success of their experiment is more than questionable, as it is probable that both breeds of 

 Setter the Gordon and the Irish would suffer from its connection with the other ; and what 

 was meant to be an improvement would in reality turn out an injury to the breeds. There 

 was, no doubt, a strong cross of Gordon blood in the dog which Mr. Laverack says he saw 

 at Cockermouth Castle, which will account for that animal begetting black stock. Mr. 

 Laverack himself admits that the introduction of black is a fault in the Irish Setter, though 

 he frankly adds that, " notwithstanding this stain of black in the breed, the best and most 

 perfectly-formed Irish Setters I have ever seen had this stain or taint of black, which I should 

 never object to, although I am aware many of the most eminent Irish breeders state that 

 they ought to be without any tint of black whatever iu their coats. As far as I have seen 

 and been informed, for general goodness and working properties, those possessing this tint of 

 black have been quite as good, if not better, than those without it." 



It is, in our mind, quite probable that, possibly at its first introduction into the sister 

 isle, the Irish Setter was crossed with a black Setter ; and the existence of both the black 

 and red coloured dogs being clearly proved from the illustration given in a preceding chapter, 

 we think it very probable that the cross was then a common one, and that the modern dogs 

 throw back in many instances to their ancestors of the early portion of the century. But be 

 this as it may, it is by no means uncommon for black puppies to appear in litters of Irish 

 Setters the pedigree of which is irreproachable on paper. 



One of the earliest Irish Setter celebrities on the bench was Carlo, who was owned by 

 that great Setter enthusiast, Mr. Jones of Oscott ; and when in the possession of this 

 gentleman he won him many prizes. This dog showed what would now-a-days be considered 

 unmistakable signs of a Gordon cross, for he had the black tips to his ears which are 

 pronounced to be evidences of this taint in blood. The next great star of the Irish Setter 

 bench was Captain Hutchinson's Bob, who was a whole-coloured red. It was reserved for Dr. 

 Stone, of Coleraine, in Ireland, to bring out a greater champion, which he did in Dash, whose 

 general contour was beyond criticism, though his colour was much objected to, as he showed 

 a quantity of white upon his head, feet, and neck. This dog in time had to make way 

 for Mr. Milliard's Palmerston, who, since his first appearance on the show bench, reigned 

 supreme until increasing age rendered his retirement compulsory. This grand dog had only 

 the smallest snip of white upon his forehead, and was otherwise of a beautiful colour. 

 His shape and symmetry were perfection, and his popularity with every judge is evident, 

 as his many successes in every part of the country go far to prove. He died in the early 

 part of the autumn of 1880, full of honours, and having attained the great age of eighteen 

 years. The stock of this dog are generally of the highest merit, as are those of his 

 relative, Dick, a splendidly-coloured dog, though cursed with a dreadful temper on the 

 bench. We have often been assured, however, by those who have seen this latter dog at 

 work, that when in the field he was amiability itself, and never attempted to injure cither 

 the sportsmen who shot over him, or the Setters who worked in his company. 



