THE SETTER. 147 
appreciated in the English breeds, and indeed is very rarely 
met with among them. Until very recently, Irish setters were 
not often seen out of their own country, a prejudice existing 
against them in England, where they were supposed to be difficult 
to break, and always inclined to be unsteady. Since the institu- 
tion of shows, however, and the exhibition of the splendid specimens 
which we have seen in them, the Irish setter has been more highly 
valued, and now takes his share of the work on Scotch and Welsh 
moors as well as on his native mountains. I have seen several at 
work, and certainly have no reason to think them more unsteady 
than their English rivals, but, neither will compare with the pointer 
in that respect. They are slashing goers, with heads and flags 
well up, and the latter lashed merrily in most cases, though, like the 
English dog, not invariably so. In endurance they are quite up to 
the best English form, but not above it, as far as I know, though 
I confess I have not had sufficient experience of them to settle this 
vexed question. The differences in shape from the English breed 
are not great, but sufficient to distinguish the one from the other. 
The most famous old strains are the La Touche, Lord Clancarty’s, 
Lord Dillon’s, Lord de Fresne’s, Lord Lismore’s, the Mont Hedges, 
the Marquis of Waterford’s, and Lord Rossmore’s. 
The value of the points is nearly the same as in the English 
dog, the following being the variations, as laid down by the Irish 
Terrier Club :— 
Poixts oF THE IRIsH SETTER (AS LAID DOWN BY THE IRISH 
Szrrer Civs). 
Head should bé long and lean, the skull oval (from ear to 
ear), having plenty of brain-room, and with well-defined occipital 
protuberance ; brow raised, showing stop ; the muzzle moderately 
deep, and fairly square at end. From the stop to the point of the 
nose should be long, the nostrils wide, and the jaws of nearly 
equal length ; flews not to be pendulous, The colour of the nose 
dark mahogany or dark walnut, and that of the eyes (which 
ought not to be too large) rich hazel or brown. The cars to be 
of moderate size, fine in texture, set on low, well back, and 
hanging in a neat fold close to the head. 
