The English Setter 121 
I do not pretend to say, but it evidently marked that clever breaker’s want of 
confidence in his dog’s nose. Of Rhoebe herself I do not recollect enough 
to give an opinion as to this quality in her individually, and among her 
produce I do not remember any but Bruce and Dan that displayed even an 
average amount of scenting powers. Rob Roy was notoriously deficient 
in nose; and Dick, brother to Dan, in his second season was constantly 
making false points, and is so described in the report of the Southampton 
Trials of 1872. For these reasons, although I had always considered the 
Duke-Rhoebe cross superior to the two Laverack-Rhoebe litters, I never 
expected Dan to get such a good bitch as Norna, in point of nose and cor- 
rect carriage of head and flag, according to my ideas. If Nora, as alleged 
by her owner and ‘Setter,’ as well as by the Field reporter at Horseheath, 
is superior to her, I can only make my apology to Dan and admit that he 
has turned out a better sire than I expected, and than might have been 
gathered from the performances of Laura, Leda, and Druid, at the 
Devon and Cornwall, and Sleaford trials of 1874, which I saw. 
“Taking into consideration that the dogs which have been exhibited 
by Mr. Llewellyn have been picked from a very large kennel, and that as 
far as I have seen them perform, they have not proved themselves to be above 
the average, I can only come to the conclusion that Dan has not done any 
great good in improving the Laveracks, except in looks and size. Neither 
do I place him or any of his stock in the first rank of field trials winners, 
which in setters would I think include only Countess, Ranger, and Dash 
II., forming with the pointers Drake and Belle, a quintet in class Ar. Dan 
came out in public only once it is true, though winning three stakes at that 
meeting, but he met the same dogs in all, and the victory was virtually only 
asingle one. After this he put his shoulder out and never appeared in public 
again, but his brother Dick, who was coupled in the braces with him, and 
went equally well in the short trial accorded them, did not do anything 
worth speaking of next year. . . . Moreover Dan had at Shrewsbury 
a very narrow escape of defeat by Rake, as recorded by myself at the time, 
so that on mature reflection I have no hesitation in placing him below the 
first class, but possibly he is entitled to rank in the second class along with 
Plunket and his son and daughter, Kite and Music, (Irish), together with 
Kate, Rex and Lang (Gordons). To them may be probably added the Dan- 
Laveracks Norna and Nora and also Die, all more or less crossed with the 
late Mr. Laverack’s strain. To sum up, therefore, it may be safely alleged 
