i66 The Dog Book 



Stonehenge's Description 



Stonehenge very fortunately inserted in his first edition of "The Dogs 

 of the British Islands" (1867), and also in the second edition (1872), 

 a number of letters which had appeared in the Field, regarding Irish setters. 

 The main controversy seems to have been as to the colour of the Simon 

 pure article, but interspersed throughout the letters there is a fund of infor- 

 mation as to what was known to the correspondents, whose knowl- 

 edge extended back for upwards of fifty years in some cases. We will 

 however first of all give Stonehenge's description of an Irish setter, a 

 description we have never seen equalled in faithfulness to the correct type, 

 and it should be studied by those who persist in placing English setter 

 bodied and shaped dogs in the prize list at our present day shows. 



"We suggested, when describing the Gordon setter, that the black- 

 tan came from Ireland. That opinion has been corroborated [W^ith this 

 we do not agree. — Ed.]; but the blood-red or rich chestnut, or mahogany 

 colour, the deep rich red — not golden, nor fallow, nor yellow, nor fawn, 

 but deep, pure blood red — is the colour of the Irish setter of high mark. 

 This colour must be unmixed with black, and tested in a strong light, there 

 must not be black shadows or waves, much less black fringe to the ears 

 or to the profile of the frame. There are good Irish setters nearly white, 

 red and white, black-tan, or intimately crossed with black-tan, and in the 

 last case showing the distinctive markings of the cross in the black tipping 

 of the coat, which Irish judges consider a very great fault in colour. 



"The head should be long and light, the cranium large, the brow 

 well developed and projecting, and the sparkling hazel eye, full of fire and 

 animation, will carry off the appearance of suUenness or bad temper. The 

 ears should be long, set low, moderately wide, tapering toward the base, 

 and the edges should be very moderately fringed. 



"The Irish setter is rather more 'on the leg' than the English dog. 

 His ribs are a little more hooped. His brisket is very deep. In his back 

 ribs he is a little deficient, and he might be improved in that respect. His 

 loin is very strong, though his quarters are drooping; but his thighs and 

 hocks, which are powerful, make up for this defect. 



"His feet are round, hard and well protected by the sole and feather. 

 His stern is rather straighter than that of the Gordon or English breeds, 

 and the feather longer, but yet comb-like and flat, and of good quality. 



