126 Dog Shows and Doggy People 



specimens being the result. Another lucky hit was the purchase 

 of Angus from the Wellesbourne kennels, as Champion Ruthven 

 resulted, who, from union with Champion Madge, sired Champion 

 Peggy II. 



Mr. Hamilton always had a high opinion of the " Cockie " blood, 

 whose male offspring have been better than the females ; he also 

 thinks highly of Trefoil in the same way, but found the female 

 descendants of Marcus superior to the males. 



Soon after this time Mr. Hamilton added Bissell's Wolf to his 

 string, and although he claimed him at Birmingham, where he took 

 high honours, at what was thought then a fancy price, he was offered 

 double before he took him home ! By Wolf and Eva good litters 

 were bred, amongst others Rhoderick (black-and-tan), and by 

 Champion Charlemagne and Eva, Champion Monteith came. 



When Peggy II. visited the afterwards celebrated Metchley 

 Wonder, Mr. Hamilton's star began again to " shine in the ascendant." 

 Few breeders can claim to have turned out so fine a team in one 

 litter as Christopher and Grace III., with Percival, Dorothy, Archibald, 

 and Leonard. The two first named caused such a sensation in the 

 Collie World that their names are household words. Dorothy proved 

 a valuable brood bitch. I may mention here that the writer of an 

 article which appeared in the Stock-keeper at the time of a visit to 

 the Hamilton kennels was certainly appreciative of Collie quality, 

 for he said of a litter as follows, in February, 1888 : 



"The pick of the kennel, to our idea, was the (Metchley Wonder 

 Peggy II.) nine months old puppy Christopher, a grand-bodied 

 dog, with profuse coat, magnificent head, sable colour, with white blaze 

 up face, perfect white broad collar, white chest and feet, good tail 

 carriage ; in fact, an exact counterpart of his sire at that age, only 

 a trifle larger, and a living illustration of the perfection to which 

 Collie breeding has now been brought." 



And he goes on to say of others in the same litter : 



" His litter brother Percival, same colour and markings, but only 

 three-quarter collar, is not quite so big as Christopher, but in other 

 respects resembles him very much. Dorothy, their sister, has nice 

 head and ears, is very fair bodied, with good limbs and coat. 

 One of the most promising and most stylish bitches we have lately 

 come across is Grace III., another of same litter as above. She is 

 a very roomy bitch, with lovely head, nice ears, good coat, sable 



