82 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 



circumstance that Mr. Jones, of Oscott, who was then a prominent member of 

 the committee, possessed two specimens of the breed, which he had recently 

 obtained from Ireland; but, to his disgust, Major Irving, who judged the class, 

 awarded the first prize to Mr. E. F. Onslow, of Herefordshire ; Mr. Jones getting 

 a second only with his Carlo, with which rlog, however, under the same judge, 

 he beat a better class in 1861, including Mr. Watts' Eanger, a slashing one in 

 appearance, but, unfortunately with a pedigree which was disputed. In 1863 

 Major Hutchinson brought out Bob, whose pedigree exhibits a strain of the 

 celebrated La Touche breed, and with him he carried off the chief prizes at 

 Birmingham, Cremorne, and Islington in 1864, leading to his selection for the 

 illustration of the article on the Irish Setter in 1865. He, was, however, not a 

 typical specimen, being too heavy both in frame and head, and obviously over- 

 topped, although otherwise useful, and, I have reason to believe, thoroughly 

 good in the field. In 1867 Capt. Allaway exhibited his beautiful brace, Shot 

 and Grouse, which were generally accepted as showing all the peculiarities of 

 the breed, and were of such a fine formation, that Shot, considered by me inferior in 

 shape to his brother, obtained the silver cup for the best setter in the show, 

 after a warm dispute between the two judges, Messrs. Lang and Walker, in 

 which the former, an excellent and experienced judge, stuck to the Irishman 

 throughout, while the latter was as strongly in favour of Fred II., a well- 

 known Laverack, and I as referee was called on to decide between them. Capt. 

 Allaway maintained his position till 1871, when Capt. Cooper brought out his 

 Eanger, a son of Hutchinson's Bob, and also straining back on the dam's side 

 to the La Touche kennel. At length, in 1873, Dr. Stone came out with his Dash, 

 who was admitted to be almost perfect in shape, and of the true type. He took 

 every prize until age compelled his retirement in favour of Mr. Hilliard's Palmerston, 

 who may now be considered the best public representative of the breed. Dash 

 is of Dr. Stone's own strain, which he has kept to himself for twenty-five years, 

 in colour blood-red, showing white on his head and toes, and also on his neck, 

 with great quality, and a faultless frame. 



There is no reason to suppose that any improvement had taken place in this 

 breed in its native country until very recently, when the institution of local shows 

 seems to have stimulated Irish breeders to fresh exertions ; but in the exhibits 

 which have been made on this side the Channel the chain of progress has been 

 unbroken from Carlo to Dash and Palmerston. In the field trials, the Eev. J. C. 

 Macdona has raised its character by producing his Plunket at Shrewsbury in 1870, 

 after which he was sold to Mr. Purcell Llewellyn, and took prizes at Vaynol, 

 Southampton, and Shrewsbury. This dog was very small and bitch-like in ap- 

 pearance, and rather light in colour, but his pace was very great, though not 

 perhaps quite equal to that of the Laverack Countess, while his style of going 

 and his attitude on the point were far superior to hers. He was bred by the 

 Hon. D. Plunket, and combines the blood of that gentleman's kennel with the 

 La Touche and Hutchinson strains. Mr. Purcell Llewellyn purchased him in 

 the height of his successes, and bred several average dogs from him out of Kate 



