98 DOMESTICATED DOGS FOE THE GUN. 



A great many different strains of English setters might be ad- 

 duced from all parts of the country, but notably from the north of 

 England, with claims superior to those of Mr. Laverack's strain, 

 up to the time of the institution of field trials. Among these were 

 the Graham and Corbet breeds, those of the Earl of Tankerville, 

 Lord Waterpark, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Bayley, Mr. Lort, Mr. Jones (of 

 Oscott), Major Cowan, Mr. Withington,Mr. Paul Hackett, and Mr. 

 Calver, the last two being a good deal crossed with Gordon blood. 

 None of these strains were, however, so generally known beyond 

 the immediate circle of their owners' friends as to have gained a 

 Universal reputation ; and it was not until the public appearance of 

 Mr. Garth's Daisy, and afterwards that of Mr. Purcell Llewellyn's 

 Countess and Nelly, that the Laverack strain attained its present 

 high reputation. Before Daisy came out, Mr. Garth had produced 

 a brace of very bad ones at Stafford in 1867 ; and it was with con- 

 Biderable prejudice against them that the above celebrated hitches 

 first exhibited their powers, in spite of the high character given of 

 them by Mr. Lort, Mr. Withington, and other well-known sports- 

 men who had shot over them for years. It is Mr. Lort's opinion 

 that Mr. Withington possessed better dogs than even Countess ; 

 but it must not be forgotten that private trials are generally more 

 flattering than those before the public. 



I come now to consider the value of Mr. Llewellyn's " field trial " 

 strain, as they are somewhat grandiloquently termed by their " pro- 

 moters," or as I shall term them, the " Dan-Laveracks," being all 

 either by Dan out of Laverack bitches, or by a Laverack dog out 

 of a sister to Dan. As a proof of the superiority of this cross to 

 the pure Laveracks, "Setter" states, that during the last two 

 years ten of this breed " (Laveracks), " and ten of the Duke-Rhoebe 

 and Laverack cross, have been sent to America ; the former includ- 

 ing Petrel, winner of the champion prize at Birmingham, Pride 

 of the Border, Fairy, and Victress ; the latter including Rock, Lei- 

 cester, Rob Roy, Dart, and Dora, the same men being owners of 

 both sorts. At the American Shows both sorts have appeared, and 

 the Rhoebe blood has always beaten the Laverack. At field trials 

 no Laverack has been entered ; but, first, second, and third prizes 



