84 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. 



5 and 6. In frame the Irish dog is higher on the leg than either the English 

 or black and tan, but his elbows are well let down nevertheless ; his shoulders 

 are long and sloping ; brisket deep, but never wide ; and his back ribs are some- 

 what shorter than those of his English brethren. Loin good, slightly arched, 

 and well coupled to his hips, but not very wide ; quarters slightly sloping, and 

 flag set on rather low, but straight, fine in bone, and beautifully carried. Breeders 

 are, however, going for straight backs like that of Palmerston, with flags set on 

 as high as in the English setter. 



7. Legs very straight, with good hocks, well-bent stifles, and muscular but 

 not heavy haunches. 



8. The feet are hare-like, and moderately hairy between the toes. 



9. The flag is clothed with a long straight comb of hair, never bushy or 

 curly, and this is beautifully displayed on the point. 



11. The coat should be somewhat coarser than that of the English setter, 

 being midway between that and the black and tan, wavy, but not curly, and by 

 no means long. Both hind and fore legs are well feathered, but not profusely, 

 and the ears are furnished with feather to the same extent, with a slight wave, 

 but no turn. 



12. The colour should be a rich blood red, without any trace of black on 

 the ears or along the back ; in many of the best strains, however, a pale colour 

 or an occasional tinge of black is shown. A little white on the neck, breast, or 

 toes is by no means objectionable, and there is no doubt that the preponderance 

 of white, so as to constitute what is called " white and red," is met with in some 

 good strains. 



In his work the Irish setter is fast and enduring ; his nose is quite up to the 

 average of fast dogs in delicacy, and to those who are limited to a small kennel 

 he is an invaluable aid to the gun. His style of going is very beautiful, with head 

 well up and feeling for the body scent ; he has a free action of the shoulders; 

 hind legs brought well under him, and a merry lashing of the flag on the slightest 

 indication of scent often, indeed, without it. His advocates contend that he is 

 as steady as any other setter when once broken, but, as far as my experience 

 goes, I scarcely think this position can be maintained. Neither Plunket, nor 

 any that I have seen of Mr. Purcell Llewellin's breeding, nor indeed any of 

 those which I have had out in private, have been always reliable, and I fear that, 

 like almost all other setters of such high courage, it must be admitted that he 

 requires work to keep him in a state of control fit for immediate use with the 

 gun. In this respect, and indeed in delicacy of nose, both the English and 

 Irish setter must yield to the black and tan of the best strains; but to do the 

 same amount of work, at least a double team of the last mentioned must be kept. 



Having been charged, by Mr. Adcock, in the case of the bulldog, with selecting 

 inferior specimens for illustration, it is perhaps necessary that I should explain 

 my reasons for choosing a dog without any public reputation to represent the 

 Irish setter in preference to Mr. Hilliard's Palmerston, who has taken all the chief 

 prizes since the last appearance of Dr. Stone's Dash at the Crystal Palace in 



