Shooting Breeds ai 



in those likely to come before the amateur in the 

 next twenty years, so that the inheritance as- 

 sembled in a dog's pedigree can be intelligently 

 studied by the owner who may be curious — as 

 every owner ought to be — about the potentiali- 

 ties of his dog's family history. 



One cannot always follow the venerated coun- 

 sel, " experto crede," in overhauling the virtues of 

 ancient dog heroes. They were not all grace and 

 glory as the " expert " pencillers and rhapsodists 

 pictured them. When reading about them, one 

 can see that the writers and artists were exercising 

 their own powers instead of laboring for science ; 

 in which they followed the old rule of historians 

 and court painters. We must do what we can to 

 get at the plain truth. 



Humans who have the eye for dogs will be 

 broad in spirit. There is room and there is 

 reason for many tastes. The true sportsman is 

 a connoisseur, and the true connoisseur would 

 rather revel in the perception of beauties and 

 achievements, than join the unhappy hunt for im- 

 perfections. Every expanded mind is first appre- 

 ciative ; every mean mind is first depreciating. 



If a man has seen much of dogs, he can explain 

 certain inconsistencies of the apostles by remem- 

 bering his own inconstancies. I confess that I 

 have had many an enthusiasm. 



When I have seen a bloodlike Laverack, say 



