THE ENGLISH SETTEE. 75 



body scent. In proof of this defect it is only necessary to say that he was beaten 

 by Hamlet and Young Kent in this quality at Bala in 1867, when the judge gave 

 him only thirty-one out of a possible forty for " nose ;" while at Stafford in the 

 following spring Eex found birds twenty yards behind the place where he had 

 left his point, and thereby gained the cup, Sir V. Corbett, the breeder of Duke, 

 being one of the judges, and loud in admiration of Eex's nose, at the same time 

 finding fault with that of Duke. Indeed, this defect was always made the excuse 

 for E. Armstrong's constant interference with him by hand and voice whether 

 rightly or wrongly I do not pretend to say, but it evidently marked that clever 

 breaker's want of confidence in his dog's nose. Of Ehoebe herself I do not recollect 

 enough to give an opinion as to this quality in her individually; and among her 

 produce I do not remember any but Bruce and Dan that displayed even an average 

 amount of scenting powers. Eob Eoy was notoriously deficient in nose; and 

 Dick, brother to Dan, in his second season, was constantly making false points, 

 and is so described in the report of the Southampton Trials of 1872. For these 

 reasons, although I had always considered the Duke-Ehoebe cross superior to the 

 two Laverack-Ehoebe litters, I never expected Dan to get such a good bitch 

 as Norna in point of nose and correct carriage of head and flag, according to my 

 ideas. If Nora, as alleged by her owner and " Setter," as well as by the Field 

 reporter at Horseheath, is superior to her, I can only make my apology to Dan, 

 and admit that he has turned out a better sire than I expected, and than might 

 have been gathered from the performances of Laura, Leda, and Druid, at the 

 Devon and Cornwall, and Sleaford trials of 1874, which I saw. These two bitches 

 were slow and without any style whatever, while the dog, though moderately 

 fast, was well beaten by Eanger at Sleaford at all points. 



In 1875 it is true he turned the tables on Mr. Macdona's dog, who was out 

 of all form at that meeting, but he could only get second to Viscount Downe's 

 Sam, who was consequently at once added 'to Mr. Llewellin's kennel. Taking 

 into consideration that the dogs which have been exhibited by Mr. Llewellin are 

 picked from a very large kennel, and that as far as I have seen them perform, they 

 have not proved themselves to be above the average, I can only come to the 

 conclusion that Dan has not done any great good in improving the Laveracks, 

 except in size and looks. Neither do I place him or any of his stock in the 

 first rank of field trials winners, which in setters would, I think, include only 

 Countess, Eanger, and Dash II., forming with the pointers Drake and Belle, a 

 quintet in class Al, as remarked above. Dan came out in public only once, it 

 is true, though winning three stakes at that meeting; but he met the same 

 competitors in all, and the victory was virtually a single one. After this he put 

 his shoulder out and never appeared in public, but his brother Dick, who was 

 coupled with him in the braces, and went equally well with him in the short trial 

 accorded them, did nothing worth speaking of next year, except to win the brace 

 prize at Southampton, " by a succession of false points, in which he was splendidly 

 backed " by his companion Euby ; and to divide the Stoneham Stakes with his 

 only competitor Eobin, " neither being able to find birds," though Dick " made 



