STRENUOUS DOGSAND SPORT IN AMERICA 159 



Captain Heywood Lonsdale's Rob Roy, but that this race 

 of in-breds is still valuable (and in America by far the most 

 valuable) is owing to those three -hour stamina trials by 

 which the sires are selected. It was because of the severity 

 of those tests that the writer felt sure that he could select in 

 America superior material to any our breakers have to work 

 upon. That idea was not very popular when it was first stated 

 some five years ago ; but those who had taken the opposite 

 view were generous when they saw Rob Roy's performance, 

 and, as one of them remarked, they " took it all back." The 

 crosses of this energetic strain cannot fail to improve our 

 setters, and if we could only import the severity of selection 

 of the best winners by further more severe stamina trials, 

 we should not be long behind America. There the breed 

 has a Stud Book registration to itself, for which any cross 

 whatever disqualifies. They are registered as "Llewellin 

 setters," which was for some reason substituted for the " Field 

 Trial breed " which the author had given. In conversation 

 they are spoken of in America as " straight-bred," and in 

 England the best designation is " the American straight-bred 

 setters," since it is necessary to know that we are not speaking 

 of the same breed as Mr. Llewellin's recent field trial represent- 

 atives, which are crossed, and could not be registered in the 

 American Stud Book as Llewellin setters or straight-bred ones. 

 About thirty-five field trials for pointers and setters are held 

 every year in America, and honours rarely, if ever, fall on 

 any other race except setters, either straight-bred or having 

 90 per cent, of the blood, and on the pointers. 



