254 The Dog Book 



but he sired two good ones in Red Doc and the black La Tosca. Beatrice 

 W. was a very good-bodied bitch of true cocker character; Helen, the 

 extreme of the long and low type, and not straight in coat; Juno W., one of 

 the other sort, too high on the leg and pinched in muzzle, but a taking, 

 active cocker. Lady of the Lake was a bitch owned by Mr. Curtis (who 

 lately bred the white cocker Purity), and was much above the average 

 in body and coat as well as movement,* but a little weak in face. Shina 

 was next to Miss Obo IL in the opinion of pretty much all the cocker experts, 

 some even preferring her on account of her shorter body and better loin, 

 but she lacked the beautifully moulded muzzle of the crack and her exquisite 

 quality. 



Following those named came Mr. Willey's Jersey, a dog very much on 

 the lines of Obo IL, his sire, while the well-known Darkie was his dam. 

 He was bred at Salmon Falls by a friend of Mr. Willey, named Mr. P. 

 Cullen, who sold him to Mr. Shaw, of Trenton, and when it was found 

 that he was a worthy candidate for admission to the Willey kennels he was 

 purchased by that exhibitor. When his career ended Mr. Willey may be 

 said to have retired, for his business would not permit of his giving the 

 attention to spaniels he had previously done, though he still made occasional 

 entries. 



While we had many good cockers in the States at that time, that is, 

 up to 1888, there were plenty in the Dominion that also ranked high, espe- 

 cially in the other than black classes; Messrs. Charles M. Nelles, James 

 Luckwell and Andrew Laidlaw being the prominent Canadians of that 

 time. Mr. Nelles had that good dog Brant, and Mr. Luckwell brought 

 out Black Duke, a dog that was to be unbeatable after a while, but was 

 then such an indifferent shower that the judges could not do justice to his 

 really good points. At times he actually crawled in the sawdust, but after 

 passing into the hands of Mr. George Douglas he improved wonderfully, 

 and his career of success only ended with his retirement when Mr. Douglas 

 had a good one to succeed him. We do not think we ever asked or knew 

 what Black Duke weighed, but he would surely have been perilously near 

 the present-day high limit, for he was a good-sized dog, well built, possessing 

 substance, with freedom of movement and "liberty." His head was 

 exceptionally good, ears well hung, neck of good length, and a well-propor- 

 tioned body, with good legs and feet, the whole set off with a coat of good 

 texture and colour, and plenty of feather. Beyond any question he was the 



