350 The Dog Book 
and the Mayor of Maidstone’s Cup at the Southern Counties? Show. On 
August 19, 1875, he was sold by auction at the Midland Counties’ Reposi- 
tory, Birmingham, the hammer falling to the bid of Mr. D. Tomlinson, 
who in a short time afterward sold him to Mr. J. Bissell, the age of the dog 
being then nine years or thereabouts, and the first litter begot by him for 
this owner marked the commencement of the show success of the Great 
Barr Kennels. 
“Old Cockie was a medium-sized dog, as compared with some of the 
giants of the present day, very compactly built, and sound in legs and feet. 
His head was consistent in length, and certainly true collie in type, ears 
semi-erect, coat on body not extra long but very dense, being well supplied 
with a wet-resisting undercoat, and the habit of his coat was such that 
it formed a distinct mane on the neck and a cape on the shoulders. In 
colour he was rich sable, with white markings, and it is an absolute fact 
that, at the present time, every collie of the sable colour dates back to 
Old Cockie as the introducer of the colour. 
“Carlyle, who was bred from an old Scotch strain of working collies, 
came from Denbigh, in North Wales, and was first exhibited by Mr. Skid- 
more by the name of Garryowen. He was very good in type of head, 
placement of eye, and collie character; was likewise good in coat and ears. 
In colour he was black-and-tan, but, being heavily marked with tan similar 
to a bloodhound, was often called sable colour. His greatest sin, however, 
was an overshot mouth. 
“Mr..W. W. Thomson. introduced Marcus, a black-and-white dog 
(without tan), bred in Scotland. A nice-headed dog this, with good ears 
and the right sort of coat. Old Mec and Old Hero, both black-tan-and- 
white, were good-coated dogs. The former had the better-shaped head of the 
two, but, being very dark in eye, just lacked the pleasing collie expression, 
whilst the latter’s head was wanting in character, being too square in muzzle. 
“Mr. §. E. Shirley brought out several black-tan-and-whites, which 
were bred on his estate in Ireland, and they met with success on the show 
bench. These were Tricolour, Trefoil, Hornpipe, Hualakin and Tartan, 
and, although they were lonp-coated animals, there was a distinct taint of 
the setter about them, more especially the latter, who favoured the setter 
type more than that of the collie. Nevertheless, the crossing of this strain 
with those of Old Cockie and Old Mec proved successful, as evidenced by 
the production of the illustrious Charlemagne. | = *: ' 
