The Druid's Versatility. 243 



ance is nothing very great, and although she 

 slightly resembles old Beeswing she has by 

 no means so good a back, and only contrived 

 to win two races out of ten starts. Still, 

 she is a mare who would always attract 

 attention in a field, even by the side of 

 Easter, Ellerdale, Alice Hawthorn and 

 Mountain Sylph. Barbelle is now rising 

 twenty, and her breeding luck has been 

 singularly chequered. Her first foal, in 

 1842, was a brown filly by Muley Moloch, 

 which was not trained. In 1843 she missed 

 to the Bard, and in 1844, '45 and '46 came 

 Van Tromp by Lanercost, De Witt by the 

 Provost, and the Flying Dutchman by Bay 

 Middleton. Then began a series of mis- 

 haps. In 1847, sister to Van Tromp died, 

 and his brother, D/. Ruyter, ruined his 

 back when a foal. In 1849 she missed 

 to Lanercost ; Vanderdecken by Bay 

 Middleton arrived in 1850, and in 1851 

 and 1852 she missed to Bay Middle- 

 ton. In 1853 a fi ne racing-like colt by 

 Orlando, named Zuyder Zee, was born, and 

 Melbourne was next thought of, but Lord 

 Eglinton decided to send her to his especial 



