THE IRISH TERRIER. 3 1 



or sixty years ago, and at a time before the introduction to this country 

 of the Skye, Yorkshire or English Bull terrier, now so fashionable in 

 many parts." 



Mr. Rawdon B. Lee, Kennel Editor of the London 

 " Field," has recently published his work entitled " A His- 

 tory and Description of the Modern Dogs of Great Britain 

 and Ireland," and one of the volumes deals entirely with 

 terriers. Here we find the following : 



" Mr. W. J. Cotton, of Blessington, County Wicklow, who has bred 

 and kept Irish terriers for a great number of years, writes characteristi- 

 cally of their origin as follows : 



" To Sir Walter Raleigh, through potato skins, the Irish cottier, and 

 hardships, we owe the Irish terrier. When Ireland was more thickly 

 inhabited, there were small parties of cottiers grouped together ; each 

 had his cabbage and potato garden badly fenced, and each family spent 

 the greater portion of their time round the turf hearth, watching the 

 murphies boil. The circle was incomplete, and liable to be disturbed in 

 their beloved indolence, without a dog, which was hissed on when the 

 neighboring pig or goat invaded the boundary of the estate. A large 

 dog required too much support ; one with some spice of pluck was, 

 however, required in order to enforce its authority. The combination 

 of Pat, pig, and potatoes, was conducive of rats, — and rats of sport and 

 rivalry. As such terriers were indiscriminately bred, and all ran wild, 

 the dog with the most pluck exercised the largest influence on the breed. 

 We can thus imagine the pups bearing the greatest resemblance to any 

 particular champion were selected ; hence in this respect the survival of 

 the fittest. During the day, as described, these terriers lay at the fire, 

 and at night, though the pig might be given a corner of the cabin, the 

 terrier was shown the outside of the door, to guard the larder, — which 

 was the potato pit, — look after the general safety of the estate, and to 

 find a bed in the ditch or butt of the haycock. Generations of this 

 treatment developed them into the 'pine knots' they are. 



