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Fkkhh Importations. —There arrived, March 18, per steam- 

 ship jSfan, from Liverpool, a very handsome pair of red Irish 

 setter puppies, dog and bitch, four months old, by Osborne's 

 Bosco (second at Bristol, 1878), J. "W. Princep's My Duchess. 

 They were purchased in Bristol, England, for Geo. J. Leach, 

 of Raleigh, N. C, and will be forwarded to their destination 

 after the close of the coming show in this city, where they 

 are to be exhibited in the puppy class under six months old. 



Geeihotjntjs Retrieving. — Ban Francisco, March 19. — In 

 looking over my copies of the Forest and Stream my eye 

 was struck with an article entitled, " Retrieving Greyhounds," 

 and I thought my experience with them as retrievers might 

 not be out of place, even at this late period. About forty- 

 three miles on the line of the Stockton railroad is situated a 

 town called Pleasanton, where resides a friend o£ mine who 

 is a great hare hunter, and always keeps alarge pack of grey- 

 hounds, several of which will retrieve rabbits and hares in a 

 manner that would not disgrace a setter. The best retriever 

 I ever saw belonged to myself. She was a email blue slut, 

 and would retrieve a ball or stick with pleasure, and when 

 hunting would bring all the game I could shoot. She was a 

 good duck retriever, and would bring me a crippled duck 

 alive. There is a hound in the city now, called American 

 Girl, that is an excellent retriever, and will bring in pigeons 

 at a pigeon match as well as a setter. She will run m the 

 next coursing match, a| Merced. Yours fraternally, 



W. S. KlTT^B. 



"ANSER" TO "IVANHOE." 



Editor Forest and Stream s 



Allow me to say a word concerning " Ivanhoe's " letter to 

 your valuable paper. No doubt the gentleman did not an- 

 ticipate stirring up such a hornet's nest when be dealt so sum- 

 marily with his dogs in general and our Western dogs in par- 

 ticular. On August 12. 1878, I had the pleasure of traveling 

 from St. Paul to Worth higton with "Ivanhoe," a friend of 

 his, and a man whom I supposed to be their breaker. They 

 had a brace of dogs, a red Irish setter and a Gordon— two 

 beauties. I had with me my brace, the liver and white and 

 the liver pointer, both of which dogs you will remember to 

 have seen and to have complimented very highly. His party 

 spent considerable time in baggage car, wheie the two braces 

 were, and were apparently highly pleased with the general 

 appearance of the pointers. At Manksto we took supper, after 

 which I took ray dog* off the chain and turned them loose for 

 a few minu'es' run and freedom. My recollection is that they 

 were surprised at my venturing to do it in a strange place and 

 while the cars stopped for so short a time. When the bell 

 rang I whistled up my pointers, put them on the chain again, 

 and moved on for Worthmgton, when we separated, they 

 stopping there to shoot and I going on to Sioux Falls, T>. T. 

 I returned in a few days and inquired how the young men 

 got along. A party with whom they were out said they did 

 pretty well, considering they nor their drgs knew nothing of 

 chicken hunting. Every time a bird was killed there was a 

 neck aod-heels chase— dogs, men and chickens— and devil 

 take the hiodmost, until the bird was bagged. The dogs 

 were not to blame ; the lack of training was the trouble. A 

 cool sportsman to take either of those dogs singly, a good 

 whip and a strong check-cord, and plenty of birds, in half a 

 day's time would have brought him down to where the sport 

 would have been grand. When I saw they did not dare turn 

 those setters loose for a chance to run and to rest their weary, 

 tired bodies at Mankato, 1 knew there couldn't help being 

 music when they struck gama for the first time. I am not 

 surprised at their blue-blood noses beiDg slightly elevated at 

 the dogs seen at Wonhington, as there are a few hard citi- 

 zens there among the canine fraternity. My advice to the 

 young gentlemen, if they try the prairies another season, 

 would be to form the acquaintance of some sportsman where 

 they propose to hunt— men that have good dogs and who 

 know their use, and are prepared to show tbem how the thing 

 is done in this part of the country. Then I think when they 

 leave it, it will be with a different opinion of the country, the 

 sport and our canine friends. It surprised me somewhat that 

 he was bo sweeping in his denunciation of the Western curs, 

 as to my knowledge he had seen some of our test— some, 

 whose immediate ancestors have proved themselves on both 

 bench and field to have been worthy of consideration. 



Submitting the above as from one interested, in harmony 

 prevailing in all classes, but more especially that of sports- 

 men, I have the honor to remain, 



Yours for the good of the common cause, Ansbr. 



COCKER SPANIELS. 



Toronto, MarcU 19, 1SJ9. 



EDITOR FOKEBT AHD STREAM : 



As a breeder of cocKer spaniels (in a small way) I have reta the 

 articles and letters tliat Dave appeared on that subject lately with a 

 great deal of interest. The one that suited my ideas best was that one 

 about the "Devonshire Cockers." My brood bitch Brownie answers 

 to the descript'on very well, and as she is considered to be, by long 

 odds, the best cocSer in this dog-loving city, I do not thiak that it will 

 be amiss if I give a short description other: 



First, as to pedigree : She is by one of the ordinary large iiver-and- 

 white cockers, an imported dog and very handaome, out of a black 

 bitch, also Imported, weighing about thirty pounds, and, bb far as I 

 can make out, a "Devonshire." Brownie is brown, as her name Im- 

 plies ; not the ordinary dark liver color, but a rich brown, with the 

 slightest suspicion of a red or golden tinge. She weighs only twenty- 

 one pounds when in working condition, but at pre.-ent, being heavy 

 with pup and pretty fat into the bargain, she will probably weigh 

 twenty-four pounds. Her legs are short and as straight as can be ; her 

 head is Bmall and delicately shaped, ears long and silky, feathers the 

 pame, tail set on low, and, of conrfe, cropped; and, in fact, as the 

 " Devonshire" man eaya she is, "the very beau-ideal of symmetry m a 

 dog " She is under-bung slightly, though her lips quite cover it, and 

 yon have no Idea what an improvement it is ; It gives a eort 0' piquant 

 appearance to her face which is quite charming. Her first litter was 

 got by a thoroughbred King Charles spaniel weighing about fifteen 

 pounds, color black and tan. In one dog pup she threw back to her 

 dam and produced an almost exact Image of her in size as well bb 

 everything else. This dog (Hollo) took second prize at a bench show 

 held here in 1SU. being beaten by the dog that took first prize at the 

 Centennial. As I have been unable to g»t the Btamp of dog that I 

 would like to breed Brownie to of other blood, I have tried in-breed- 

 ing on the strength of " StoneheDgeV assertion that it is not injuri- 

 ous', and I have found it answer very well so far. She has had one 

 litter by him, and is now In pup to him again. I had saved the small- 

 est pup, a bitch, for myself, but was 80 unfortunate aa to have her 

 stolen from me some three months ago. I do not believe in in- 

 breeding myBelf when It can be avoided ; at least not so close as in the 

 present instance-and could I obtain a black dog not more than twenty- 

 five pounds in weight and with a small nose, I would much prefer to 

 breed her to such an one. The reason that I aay a small nose is that a 

 great many dogs called thoroughbred cockers, and even taking prizes 

 aa such, have lone, square, broad noses, which I consider excessively 

 ukIt It any gentleman saould Bee this who haB aocb a dog aa I 

 would like I would be glad to hear from htm. In fact, I would be 

 glid to hear from any one interested in cockers, for I think that they 

 are ihe dogs lor gentlemen who nrc fond of sport and yet have not 

 sufficient spare time to seep a setter In proper training, and aa com- 



