204 The Dog Book 
Colley, which possesses much sagacity, both as a sporting and fancy dog, 
and has the faculty of smell to a surprising degree.” One more anecdote 
is given by the author regarding another of Mr. Torry’s setters, which is 
not described; so that very evidently Mr. Torry was a shooting man and con- 
versant with setters. Therefore his statement as to colour and origin of his 
small setter bitch was undoubtedly correct, and it only goes to show how 
widespread the black and tan setter was at that period, and in how many 
gentlemen’s kennels the colour could be found. 
“TpsTONE”? ON THE ORIGIN AND’ COLOUR 
It is to “Idstone” that we owe the best account of the early Gordons 
of the English show bench, for he was an exhibitor and breeder during that 
period and took more particular notice of the Gordons than any other 
writer of modern times. “Idstone’s” “The Dog” was published in 1872. 
With regard to crosses and the colour dispute, “Idstone” says with truth 
that “no dispute has ever been raised as to their quality, and dogs with any 
trace of descent from the Duke’s blood command the highest prices. To 
trace back to his Regent, Old Bang, Old Don, or to Mr. Coke’s Pan or 
Fan—for Mr. Coke and the Duke bred from the same stock—is ample 
warrant for purity of lineage.” On the authority of a gentleman, then 
living, and who had shot with the Duke, “Idstone”’ stated that black and 
tans and tricolours were kept at the castle. Howitt, the artist-engraver, is 
quoted as calling them black, but as “Idstone” remarks, it is nothing out 
of the way to hear colours misnamed in this way, such as black and white 
or black and tan, for a tricolour collie. Howitt, it appears, tells nothing 
except that one might as well ask the Duke for a church living as for one of 
his setters. Perhaps we are in error as to the Howitt “Idstone” refers to, 
but that is the only man of the name of any prominence in connection with 
dogs or the sports of the field that we know of. He lived in the early part 
of the last century, and his best work was done from 1798 to 1800. In our 
copy of “The British Sportsman,” a series of seventy-two plates, drawn and 
engraved by Howitt, that of the setter is unfortunately one of the two miss- 
ing, but the setter appears in some of the others, including that of grouse- 
shooting, and not one is a black and tan or a tricolour so far as can be 
judged. If this is the Howitt referred to, it is all the more to be regretted 
that Colonel Thornton gave us no information regarding any setters at 
