56 The Sporting Dog 



they were regarded somewhat doubtfully by 

 shooting men, had gradually assumed the first 

 place in popular favor. Their most notable 

 characteristics were smoothness and symmetry 

 of proportion and beautiful, fine, fleecy, straight 

 coats, with the aristocratic color of lemon belton 

 or blue belton. It was the opinion of Stonehenge 

 and most of the English authorities that Mr. 

 Laverack's bitches were far superior to his dogs, 

 at least in field quality ; the Laverack tendency 

 to heavy and thick shoulders being a defect 

 more conspicuous on the male side. However 

 that may be, the blue belton bitch. Countess, 

 and her sister, Nellie, brilliantly distinguished 

 themselves both on the bench and at field trials. 

 At the same time, Mr. Statter's Dan and his 

 brother Dick achieved distinction in the trials. 

 Dan was a very large white-black-tan dog, the 

 upper part of his body being nearly all black. 

 He had been bred by Mr. Statter. His sire was 

 Barclay Field's Duke, a black-and-white dog, 

 one of the best early winners at trials and de- 

 scribed as very fast and extremely intelligent in 

 bird work. 



Dan's dam was Mr. Statter's Rhoebe. She 

 was not at all a brilliant field performer. Mr. 

 Llewellin describes her as "great, big, long, low, 

 and heavily built." Mr. Brailsford says that she 

 was slow, but that Mr. Statter regarded her 



