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 II. 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 II., 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 
