150 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Sepr, 18, 1884, 
caught at once;” and page 206, “if a branch with leaves of 
Utrientaria is put in a glass of water with plenty of animal 
life, after a few hours évery bladder has caught one or more of 
them, Ever since Il havetaken the Utriculiuiria as eaters of fish 
embryos, as I call the newly hatched fish till they have got 
their proper form and are able to care for themselves, and 
was under the impression every one Knew it, as the book was 
printed for the use of the higher class of schools (viz.: Uoogere 
Burserscholen).—C. J, BOTTEMANNE, 
The Kennel, 
FIXTURES, 
BENCH SHOWS. 
Sept. 16,17 and 18.—Colliie Bench Show and Field Trials of the 
Ontario Collie Club, Toronto, Ont, Entries close Ang. 28. Mr, A. J. 
Hill, Secretary, Toronto, 
Sept. 16, 17, 18 ang 19.—Bench Show of the Philadelphia Kennel 
@lub. Chas. Lincoln, Superintendent. Mr. Benj. C. Satterthwaite, 
Secretary. 
Oct, 7,5, 9,10 and 11.—VThird Annual Bench Show of the Danburv 
Agricultural Society, Danbury, Conn. Entries close Sept, 27, H. 8. 
Dayis, Superintendent. Danbury. Conn. 
Oct. 16, 17 and 18.—National SBreeders* Show, Industrial Art Hall, 
Philadelphia, Pa. James Watson, Secretary, P. Q. Box 770. Eutries 
close Oct, 3. : 
. Oct. 21, 22, 23 and 24,—First Annual Fall Bench Show of the West- 
minster Kennel Club, Madison Square Garden, New York, Entries 
close Oct. 6. Mr, Chas, Lincoln, Supermtendent, 
FIELD TRIALS. 
Noy. —.—Third Annual Trials of the Robins Island Club, Robins 
Island, L. I.. Open to members only, Mr. A, T, Plummer, Secretary 
Woy. 17.—fisth Annual Trials of the Wastern Field Trials Club, at 
High Point, N. C. W, A. Coster, Secretary, Flatbush, L. I, 
Dec. § —Sixth Annual Trials of the National American Kennel Club 
at Canton, Miss. D. Bryson, Secretary, Memphis, Tenn. 
Dee, 15,—Southern Sportsmen's Association Triais, Canton, Miss. 
Mr. T, K, Renaud, Seeretary, New Orleans, La. 
Ay ha 
S hate AMERICAN KENNEL REGISTDOR, tor the registration of 
pedigrees, ete. (with prize Usts of all shows and trials), is pub- 
lished every Month. Hntries close on the ist. Should be m early. 
Entry blanks sent on receipt oi stamped and addressed envelope. 
Registration fee (45 cents) must accompany each entry, No entries 
inserted unless paid in advance. Yearly subscription $1. Address 
American Kennel Register,” P, O. Box 2832. Ney York, Number 
of entries already printed 1580. VolumeI,, bound in cloth, sent 
postpaid, $1.50, 
IMPORTING DOGS FROM ENGLAND. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
{eadine Mr, Wade's handsome notice of my article on deer- 
hounds, which appeared in yourissue of July 31, gives me 
accasion to point out the errors, which haye crept in through 
my cacosraphy, I expect, rather than from carelessness on 
the printers’ part. Although my particular fancy, like that 
of Mr. Wade, has always been the mastiit, andalthough at 
the present time (the first almost for the last twenty years) I 
do not own & mastilf, or in fact a dog of any description, yet 
I fgel there are others whose fancy lies in other varieties, and 
having kept and studied various breeds, especially the noble 
St. Bernard, the callie, the bloodhound, and ail the short- 
faced breeds, and having judged all classes of dogs at various 
shows in this country, and also collected many notes, at times 
T have a fit of cacoethes scrtbendi and like to alr my views ou 
the various breeds. For the true lover of the dog is some- 
thing like the politician, neither one nor the other can rest 
content if he thinks his particular views are lacking an adyo- 
cate. I think, however, it will be more for the benefit of your 
readers this time instead of writing on any particular breed, 
I venture a fewremarks onthe subject of importing dogs 
from England. This is timely since the love for high bred ani- 
mals is on the increase among your countrymen, who rightly 
and naturally turn to this country, as not only the source 
whence to derive practical information, but also the nursery 
from which to cbtain carefully bred stock. This is simply 
because we have given more and longer attention to the sub- 
ject than you have; although Ifully expect in afew years, 
America will quite equal England in producing high-class 
specimens of allthe larger varieties of the canine race, for 
your country has better facilities than our crowded little 
hive of an island, and I for one haye no mean opinion of 
American talent in breeding dogs as well as other animals. 
At present, however, some of your countrymen are some- 
what astonished and even appalled atthe prices that first- 
class breeding and show dogs exchange handsfor among Hng- 
lish fanciers, while others unwarily become, too frequently, I 
tear (either for the permanent good of the English breeder, or 
the pocket of the American purchaser), the dupes of such Eng- 
lishmen as, 1 blush to admit, are sufficiently unscrupulous to 
ask and receive high prices for stock that they know to be not 
eyeu second-rate, and which in this country would be almost 
unsaleable, in fact, a drue in the market, Ihave heard only 
recently from American correspondents of importations of 
dogs into America costing over £50, which in this country 
could easily be beaten both on the show bench and for breed- 
ing purposes, by specimens that could be procured for from 
£% to £25, Importing such outsiders does muchharm. The 
importer naturally deems he has secured valuable breeding 
stock, andis only undeceiyed too late, when he has not only 
sunk a handsome sum himself in the eruel deception, but has 
in many instances innocently partly recouped himself by sell- 
ing the offspring for high prices to American gentlemen who 
have not had the advantages of seeing the number of high 
class specimens that we 80 Constantly do, collected together 
at our frequent shows. a eal 
Again, another mistake Americans fall into 1s in applying 
direct to breeders forspecimens, Much paper and ink have 
been used over this subject, and some very nasty but not 
altogether uncalled for reflections have been made on the Eng- 
lish breeder, but the whole matter may be summed up in the 
fact that nearly every English breeder is anxious to keep the 
best of his young stock for himself for future exhibition, and 
it is ouly the surplus and draft stock that he wishes to part 
with. Americans shotild bear this in mind; also, that for the 
draft’ some are unscrupulous enough to ask long prices from 
the American purchaser, whois often too credulous and over 
sangnine of the merits of such costiy culls. 
Since the appearance of my article on deerhounds, | have 
received a letter (for which 1 had to pay extra postage as well 
as that forforwarding) and revarding the lady whosereally high 
bred kennel I noticed, in teference to purchasing puppies. ete. 
Tn this instance 1 can safely say that I fee] Miss De la Pole is 
one who would scorm to send out anything but high bred, 
healthy specimens, and all her dogs are well bred. But a 
writer has often to mention good dogs as well as horses that 
belong to very questionable parties, and there are too many 
breeders of indifferent stock in this country who would be only 
too glad of the chance to dispose of any and every mortal 
thing they own in the way of dog flesh ee iach and | would 
wari my readers that these Shylocks are rather longer-sighted 
than the celebrated merchant of Venice. al: 
i would suggest to all intending importers theadvisabilty of 
either getting a friend in England to select for them or else to 
employ some known, competent judge as agent, remunerating 
him for his time, trouble and necessary small expenses, I 
venture to say from £5 to £7 laid out im this way would, in 
nine cases out of ten, secure to the importer an animal twenty- 
five per cent, better In quality than if he dealt even with a 
straightforward breeder who has his own draft stock to dis 
pose of—to say nothing of falling into the hands of those that 
would not seruple to pluck the unwary. 
Another point. I would advise all purchasers to insist on 
the dam of the specimen they are about to purchase being 
by a noted dog, and if possible the’maternal grand dam also 
by a noted sire, for there are many that put their indifferently 
bred bitches to the best. and most noted sires, but breeders in 
this country are too wary to purchase, The ofispring, which 
ave often im results little better than three quarters bred, 
having a vast proportion of inferior blood in them. An agent 
in Hngland, if he knows what dogs should bs, has every ad- 
vantage and inducement to secure good and well bred speci- 
mens, for itis to his advantage to send out to his employer a. 
good article, hoping it may lead to further commissions; while 
the Euglish breeder and the vender of indifferent stock is well 
aware that his yictim is not likely to come a second time and 
therefore he must squeeze all he can out of him at the first 
hanl. This is nota pleasant picture I have drawn but it is 
nevertheless only too true. 
The errors in my article on the deerhound were as follows; 
1. The name of the sister to Derriz is Clovn, not Clover. 2. 
| The last litter by Hector was whelped out at Los Angelos, 7. e., 
the place, 5. For vertvaba read vertraga, 4. In transposing 
from the Greek character in which I wrote the word, the 
rinter has rendered it baiu, whereas it should be baion, 45. 
The Archbishop of Rheims was Fulco, nob Tules, 6, Wor Harl 
of Mae, read Earl of Mar, M, B. WYNN. 
Tu Dims, Rothley, Loughborough, Leicestershire, Mng., Aug., 1884, 
SPECULATIONS AND SPECULATORS. 
Aditor Forest and Stream: 
Since your refusal to print my Fish Lines (thereby placing me 
in very embarrassing relations with a number of FOREST AND 
STRHAM readers, who yery kindly sent me their poetical pro- 
ductions), [had about made up my mind to let you go your 
way and [’d go mine, But now that a subject has come up on 
which I want some light, I propose to come to you for it, 
T have seen the remarkable and futile attenzpt which has 
been made to prejudice the public against the coming National 
Breeders’ show, and have noted with great satisfaction your 
own fair and sensible treatment of the same enterprise. | 
lave indubitable evidence that you are right in your course, 
and i try to have faith that those who haye shown such haste 
to exhibit their envy, malice and all uncharitableness, will not 
preyail. Now to my questions. 
What is a speculative dog show? How does it differ from 
other dog shows? Isit wholly a question of profits or of the 
anticipation of profits? The first show given by the Wéstmim- 
ster Kennel Club was so profitable that a sporting paper (The 
Country) was started on the proceeds, Subsequent Westmin- 
ster Club shows are understood to hayepaid well. The second 
shew given by the Massachusetts Kennel Club entailed a loss 
of some $2,500 or over. The third show (the so-called “paper” 
show)was So profitable that the Club got back the $2,500 and 
something more. 
Now, are the Westminster mexubers, because they have 
made something out of their exhibitions, to beset down as dog 
show speculators? Some persons may think so, but J don’t. 
The idea is preposterous, Were the Massacnousetts Clb men 
speculators? On the first and second occasions I think not; 
the third time they may have reasoned that haying given 
$2,500 (or to be more exact $2,700) to the cause, it was right to 
getit back, Lam now inclined to agree with them, though 
at the time I did talk rather loudly at my winning dog receiy- 
ing a diploma instead of a prize. Grantmg then, that at this 
time the Boston men did go into the enterprise for speculation, 
was there anything inimical to the kennel interests of the 
country about it? 
Again, Mr, Charles Lincoln has given several shows at dif- 
ferent points, commonly reputed to have been for his own 
individual profit. Some were successful and others not. The 
proceeds, where there were any, went to Mr. Lincoln. Were 
these shows speculative? 
Not so very long ago, at Chicago, a_ bench show was given. 
The men who got it up are understood to haye been Messrs, 
Charles Lincoln, C. B. Whitford (or his employer), of Chicago, 
and John Olcott, of Cincinnati. This show, it is also currently 
reported, was a profitable enterprise, and the profits went into 
the pockets of the three (or three of the four) individuals 
named. Was this a speculative affair? If it was, how comes 
it that we haye been treated to this rant about speculative 
shows from the pen of the employer who directly (or indi- 
rectly throtigh his employee) made something ont of the Chi- 
cago show? 
One more question: Is it to be taken for granted that Amer- 
ican breeders have no memory? I ask this because I am 
totally at a loss how to satisfactorily reconcile the recent tor- 
vent of indecent rant about parasites who prey on dog owners 
with a certain little transaction by which that N. A K. C. 
Stud Book, its fees and appurtenances, disappeared from pub- 
lic view promptly and to all appearances irrevocably. 
There is yet another point. At many of our bench shows— 
fot example, the one to be held this week at Fhiladelphia— 
breeders are urged to show because they will have ‘ta good 
opportunity to dispose of their surplus stock”—that Is, they 
are to show for spectilative purposes. Is it legitimate to show 
for speculative purposes? If so, is it legitimate to organize a 
show for speculative purposes? If not, where and what is the 
hair-splitling distinction? Mrat-Hawk. 
P.S.—Gan you give me any information about the Cotton Cen- 
tennial Hxposition, which is to he held in New Orleans this fall? 
J have heard it intimated that the whole show is gotten up for 
speculative purposes, and in direct opposition to the Centen- 
nial Exhibition which was held in Philadelphia in 1876, and it 
is understood that it will not be given ‘‘with the sanction” of 
the Centennial managers. M. H. 
[We will print ‘‘Meat-Hawk’s” poetry if he will send it to us, 
but since there is no speculative dog show now before the 
public, we beg to defer a discussion of that subject until there 
is some reason and per'tineney in taking it up.) 
AN OLD-TIME, STORY. 
ee following story is an old one. Tt has been in print 
severaltimes. ‘We copyit from the “Lite and Adventures 
of Dayy Crockett.” Crockett writes: : : 
While walking along and thinking whether it was alto- 
gether the right grit to leave my poor country at a time she 
most needed my services, IT came to a clearing, and | was 
slowly rising a slope, when J was startled by loud, profane 
and boisterous voices, which seemed to proceed from a thick 
covert of undergrowth about two hundred yards in advance 
of me and about one hundred to the right of my road, 
‘CY ou kin, kin you?” 
“Yes, [kin, and am able to do it! Boo-o0-00!—O! wake 
shakes and walk your chalks! Brimstone and —— fire! Don’t 
hold me, Nick Stoval! The fight’s made up, and Jet's go at it. 
—— my soul if I don’t jump down his throat and gallop every 
chitterling out of him before you can say ‘quit!’” 
“Now, Nick, don’t hold him! Jist let the wildcat come, and 
T'll tame him. Ned’ll see me a fair fight—won’t you, Ned?” 
“Ol yes, ll see you a fair fight; blast my old shoes if T 
don’t.” 
“That's sufficient, as Tom Haynes said, when he saw the 
slop Hane Now let him come.” , ; 
hus they went on, with countless oaths interspersed, which 
T dare not even hint at, and with much that I could not dis- 
tinetly hear. “ 
In mercy’s name! thought I, whata band of ruffians is at 
work here. I quickened my gait, and had come nearly oppo- 
site to the thick grove whence the neise preceeded, when my 
eye caught indistinctly, through the foliage of the dwarf 
oaks and hickories that intervened, glimpses of a man ormen, 
who seemed to be on a violent struggle, and I could occasion- 
ally catch those deep-drawn emphatic oaths which men in 
conflict utter when they deal blows. I hurried to the spot, 
but before I reached it I saw the combatants come to the 
ground, and after a short strugele I saw the uppermost one 
(for I could not see the other) make a heayy plunge with both 
his thumbs, and at the same instant I heard a ery in the accent 
of keenest torture, ‘Enough! my eye is out!” 
I stood completely horror-struck for a moment, The accom- 
plices in the brutal deed had all fed at my approach, at least 
[ supposed so, for they were not to be geen. 
“Now, blast your corn-shucking soul,” said the victor, a lad 
of about eighteen, as he rose from the ground, “come cuttin’ 
your shines "bout me agin, next time I come to the Court 
House, will you!—Get your owl-eye in agin if you can.” 
At this moment he saw me for the first time. He looked as 
though he couldn't help it, and was for making himself 
particularly scarce, when J called to him, ‘Come hack, you 
brute, aud assist me in relieving the poor crinur you have 
ruined forever.” 
Upon this rough salutation he sort of collected himself, and 
with a taunting curl of the nose he replied: “You needn't 
kick before you're spurr’d. There an’t nobody there, nor 
han’t been nother. Iwas just secin’ how I could a “font.” 
So saying he bounded to his plough which stood in the corner 
of the fence about fifty yards from the battlezround. 
Now would any man in his senses believe that a vational 
beme eould make such a darned fool of himself? All that I 
heard and seen was nothing more nor less than what is called 
a rehearsal of a knock-down and drag-out fight, in which the 
young man had played all the parts for his own amusement, 
and by way of keeping his hand in. I went to the ground 
from which be had risen, and there was the prints of his two 
thumbs, plunged up to the balls in the mellow earth, about the 
distance of a [phantom dog show]man’s eyes aparb, and the 
ground around was broken up, asif two stags had been eu- 
gaged upon it. 
THE KENNEL HOSPITAL. 
DISIHMPHR: ITS NATURE, CAUSE AND PROTECTION, 
A LTHOUGH a correct knowiedge of the nature and cause 
af of distemper will not totally prevent outbreaks in this 
coultry, it will go a long way, if acted upon, to limit the 
spread of the disease. The majority of the owners of dogs 
fancy that an attack of distemper at least cnce in an animal’s 
life is inevitable—that there is something in the dog’s nature 
which under some indefinite circumstances is certain to gene- 
rate the aifection. This is not so; the disease is a specific one, 
and only arises under one definite condition. Distemper is a 
contavious febrile disease of dogs, analogous to influenza in 
the horse, orinfluenzgain man. ‘These three diseases are not 
due to the same case, they are not interchangeable or com- 
munieable from one species of animal to another. They are 
similar but not thesame. Hach is swi generis, but_they are 
allso analogous as to admit of classification together under 
the same natural order of discases—catarrhal feyers, Distem- 
per then is the specific catarrhal feyer of the dog. It is caar- 
acterized by an inflammatory condition of the membyanes of 
eyes and nose, giving rise to a discharge from those organs, 
and is usually accompanied by sneezing or cough, by more 
or less prostration, and a tendency of local complications of 
various kinds, depending upon extrinsic causes ov structural 
weaknesses. There is no such thing as a “dry distemper,” and 
there is no case of distemper capable of beimg cut short or 
suddenly and permanently arrested. Such conditions are posi- 
tive evidence of the non-existence of disteraper. It isa febrile 
disease, and all feyers run a definite course. It is a catarrhal 
fever; and all catarrhal fevers are characterized by ~some de- 
erée of inflammation, leading to discharge from the eyes and 
nose, Distenyper has been called a typhoid disease. It has 
no analogy to the human typhoid fever whateyer, either in its 
essential symptoms or its post-mortem lesions, Some authors 
have, following the great Dr. Jenner, deseribed it ag a variol- 
ous disease, 7. ¢., as analogous tosmall-pox, This is an error 
traceable to the fact that some few cases present a pustular 
eruption on the thighs and belly like the pustule of variola or 
smallpox. This e1uption is, however, comparatively rare. 
Instead of being a diagnostic symptom, asin small-pox, it is 
merely an occasional complication. The essential symptoms 
of distemper are fever with discharge from nose and eyes 
and the nature of the disease only admits of its classification 
in the pathological group of specific catarrhal fevers. The 
cause of distemper isin many cases uifficult to trace, bub when 
traceable its origin is always found in contagion, There are 
certain circumstances favorable to its orizin—the congrega- 
tion together of large numbers of dogs, the transit of dogs 
through the same places and in the same vehicles, contact with 
strange dogs—all of which are simply facilities for the con- 
yeyance and transmission of the specific poison of the disease. 
In kennels of hounds the most common time for outbreaks of 
distemper to appear is when the young entries arrive, 7, é., 
when the young hounds which have been farmed out at 
various places return home. Any of these may have been m 
contact with a dog suffering from distemper, and if one be in- 
fected all in contact with it sutfer. The possibilities of the 
introduction of disease are in exact proportion to the number 
of places from which the animals are collected. 
Dogs shows are a fruitful cause of thespread of distemper. 
Wo matter how well managed they may be, the mere fact of 
collecting from various places a vast number of dogs renders a 
large show almost certainly a focisfrom which the disease is 
disseminated widely, In some casesa large show has been 
the means of infecting nearly every puppy sentto it, The 
malady is not at once made evident, but shows itself afew 
days after the return home of the animals. This cannot 
altogether be preyented. Dogs just convalescent and free 
from any apparent disease are sent to shews and are capable 
of communicating distemper to others. Even healthy dogs 
haying an immunity from thedisorder, because of a previous 
attack, may carry the disease in their coats if they have been 
in recent contact with adiseased dog, and so spread the malady 
without ever being suspected. Some of these risks might be 
obyiated by requiring all exhibitors to state that for one month 
previously their kennels have been free from contagious dis- 
ease and that their does have not been in contact with diseased 
dogs for a week anterior to the show. Hailway boxes, ham- 
pers and portable kennels are sources of possible contagion 
which might be lessened were disinfection and washing more 
methodically carried ont, 
Distemper can be easily transmitted from a diseased to a 
healthy dog by a nasal discharge. Ibis often spread by means 
of the food which a diseased dog has left. Its contagious- 
ness probably no one disputes, but most men bslieve that there 
are cases which arise quite independently of any contazion 
The basis of such a theory is the fact that insome cases the 
exact method of communication is not traceable. Until a case 
can befound under cireumstances which render the convey- 
anee of the eegre poison an impossibility, this theory has 
absolutely zo facts to support it. The method of communica- 
tion of disease is often difficult to trace; we can satisfactorily 
account for ninety cases out, of a hundred by contagion, and 
it can hardly be called begging the question to say that the 
odd ten, presenting the same sign, running the same course. 
and being equally contagious, are due to the same cause that 
actuated the ninety, . 
There are many alleged causes of distenrper. They are— 
sudden changes of temperature, improper bathing, cold wet 
weather, damp dark dwellings, badly ventilated kennels, the 
immoderate use of animal-food and insufiictent exercise, oyer- 
growing, fatigue and debility. Now dogs have often been 
submitted to each of these without showin Uae ects: of dis- 
temper, and on the other hand dogs have often had the disease 
when none of these conditions haye been present oe 
im - 4 
. 
