THE SETTERS 135 



appearance of style and outline there is very little difference ; 

 in fact, none, if the chiselling of the head and colour of the 

 coat be except ed. The beautiful rich golden, chestnut colour 

 which predominates in all well-bred specimens is in itself 

 sufficient to account for the great favour in which they are 

 regarded generally, while their disposition is sufficiently 

 engaging to attract the attention of those who desire to have 

 a moderate-sized dog as a companion, rather than either a 

 very large or very small one. Probably this accounts for so 

 many lady exhibitors in England preferring them to the 

 other varieties of Setters. We have to go over to its native 

 country, however, to find the breed most highly esteemed 

 as a sporting dog for actual work, and there it is naturally first 

 favourite ; in fact, very few of either of the other varieties 

 are to be met with from one end of the Green Isle to the other. 

 It has been suggested that all Irish Setters are too headstrong 

 to make really high-class field trial dogs. Some of them, on 

 the contrary, are quite as great in speed and not only as clever 

 at their business, but quite as keen-nosed as other Setters. 

 Some which have competed within the past few years at the 

 Irish Red Setter Club's trials have had as rivals some of 

 the best Pointers from England and Scotland, and have 

 successfully held their own. 



The Secretary of the Irish Setter Club is Mr. S. Brown, 27, 

 Eustace Street, Dublin, and the standard of points as laid 

 down by that authority is as follows : 



Head The head should be long and lean. The skull oval (from ear 

 to ear), having plenty of brain room, and with well-defined occipital 

 protuberance. Brows raised, showing stop. The muzzle moderately 

 deep and fairly square at the end. From the stop to the point of the 

 nose should be fairly long, the nostrils wide, and the jaws of nearly 

 equal length ; flews not to be pendulous. The colour of the nose 

 dark mahogany or dark walnut, and that of the eyes (which ought not to 

 be too large) rich hazel or brown. The ears to be of moderate size, fine 

 in texture, set on low, well back, and hanging in a neat fold close to the 

 head. Neck The neck should be moderately long, very muscular, 

 but not too thick ; slightly arched, free from all tendency to throati- 

 ness. Body The body should be long. Shoulders fine at the points, 

 deep and sloping well back. The chest as deep as possible, rather 



