Jan. 14, 1886.] 



FOREST 



attached, and as these run upward and backward to the 

 spine, a sufficient length of ribs and measurement (avoiding 

 the expression depth) of chest can only be obtained, with this 

 position of the breastbone, by an equal and early rise of the 

 spine from back of the top of the shoulders, with a graceful 

 curve into the neck. What the chest loses in depth it should 

 gain in height, sacrificing none of its vohime, girth or meas- 

 urement. Whether this conformation of the spine is second- 

 ary to that of the position of the breastbone, or whether the 

 reverse is the truth, appears to me unimportant, though I 

 should prefer to describe the spine first and the position of the 

 breastbone as a resultant. 



To give full expression to my conception I here insert 

 sketches of the cbest conformation of Dash and Gath — A' and 

 B'. The radical distinction between the two is in the rise of 

 spine, that of the former evolving abruptly from a level back, 

 from in front of the top of shoulders, and in the latter from 

 behind the shoulders. This apparently unimportant requisite 

 does, nevertheless, carry Avith it almost every other feature 

 involved. The entire chest receives a partial evolution, the 

 breastbone tilts forward and upward, and the ribs, instead of 

 simply downward, slope downward and forward from spine 

 to breastbone. Further, as the shoulder blade, whether long 

 or shoi-t, is attached to exactly the same ribs in every dog, its 

 position and slope depends entirely upon the slope of the ribs 

 underneath. 



Furthei'more, inasmuch as the thi*ee upper bones of the fore- 

 legs, viz , the shoulder blade, the upper and the lower arm, 

 are placed at compensating angles to each other, the greater 

 slope of shoulder naturally resulting from the altered direc- 

 tion of the true ribs also necessitates a less inverse angle at the 

 elbow. The dog stands straighter on his forelegs from point 

 of shoulder to foot and carries no more weight in front of the 

 perpendicular line of his forelegs than is necessary ; how much 

 this is I am at a loss to define, except after seeing an individual 

 dog's balance when in motion. This conformation also in- 

 creases the apparent length of the neck and facilitates its high 

 carriage. Length of neck alone does not do this, as I can re- 

 call many dogs with a very long clean neck, but with a hori- 

 zontal back, to whose bad field form but httle would have 

 been added by cutting it off altogether. 



I have giTen the above personal views simply for the pur- 

 pose of elucidating tbe few qiiestions I wish to ask of the 

 framers of the standard, with whom I think it is clear that I 

 am in almost enth-e harmony as to results, if not as to causes. 



As I have explained, I regard the paragraph relating to 

 shoulders and chest as involving the most impoi-tant change; 

 and it is right here where I ask for information. The older 

 spaniel form of the setter was hung too low in the brisket, 

 and too much of the dog was in front of his forelegs ; there was 

 as much inverse crook to the elbow as there was converse 

 crook to the stifle. The whole dog was hung low, and more 

 than half was hung in the elbows. The part of this para- 

 graph already quoted appears to do away with this, stating 

 that "great depth at this point [chest] is objectionable, since 

 it puts too much weight on the shoulders and forelegs." And 

 I might here add, "and as it causes the dog in his gallop to 

 dwell too long on his forelegs before taking them off the 

 ground." The standard further requires rehef of the fore 

 end "by placing the greater volume of chest behind the 

 shoulders." 



As I agree to all this I am obliged to ask for a measurable 

 degree of the angle required "to bring the forelegs well un- 

 der the dog," as described in the first sentence of the same 



Is anything short of stiltiness, avoiding the perpendicular 

 hue from point of shoulder to toe, enough? or is a straight 

 line from point of shoulder to toe sufficient as long as its di- 

 rection places the feet well under the body? or lastly, is more 

 ■ or less of an inverse angle between the upper and lower arm 

 required at the elbow to withstand any shock, regardless of 

 the increased slope of the shoulder? Are the forelegs in the 

 sketch properly placed or too straight? 



The dog is often compared to the race horse, and although 

 they have much in common, a flat racer offers but a poor 

 comparison, as a hunting dog is a much better steeplechaser 

 than any horse that ever won the Grand National. In pro- 

 portion to his size the most ordinary hunting ground ofirers 

 obstacles at almost every stride, and that for days, greater 

 than any horse has ever to overcome for a race lasting but a 

 few minutes. Liberty and elasticity in every part of his loco- 

 motive organs, an untuing balance in his working gallop, but 

 not the essentials of a short-coursed greynound or race horse, 

 are the requisites of the hunting dog. His action should move 

 the body as little up and down as consistent with the ground 

 he runs over ; the legs should work as much forward of their 

 own perpendicular line as possible, the feet striking the ground 

 well forward and on their soles, reducing the chances of 

 stumbhng. As the hindleg is provided with a good bend in 

 stifle and large crook in hock, they also are well adapted to 

 the required forward action, and I regard a dog which ex- 

 tends the hindleg too far backward when galloping as faulty 

 in conformation, the fault being often found in a weak or flat 

 loin. 



I haive but one more point to refer to. 



The paragraph describing quarters and stifles, calls in one 

 line for stifles "well bent." In the next line it says, "a little 

 bow at stifles is a point of merit," etc. I take it that the 

 "bend" is to be observed in the side view and the "bow" in 

 the rear view, meaning "stifles spread to clear the body, 

 but not to an extent to cause cowhocks. " 



Am I right in this? Antwerp. 



THE JESSICA WHELPS. -Memphis. Jan. 3.— Editor For- 

 est and Stream: In your issue of Dec. 31 1 notice in "Names 

 Claimed" and "'Whelps" that Mr. J. J. Prentiss, of Chicago, 

 111., claims certain names and publishes the whelping of pup- 

 pies by my dog Paul Gladstone, out of Jessica (Count Noble- 

 Nellie). These same puppies were advertised for sale by the 

 Lake Shore Kennels some months ago. I immediately wrote 

 to those kennels that if these puppies were not killed I should 

 give the facts concerning them to the public, which would 

 place those kennels in a very unsavory hght. The advertise- 

 ment was withdrawn, with the promise that the puppies 

 should be killed. You can, then, imagine my surprise in 

 reading the notice in your paper. Mr. Prentiss was pei-fectly 

 aware of the facts connected with these puppies, and also of 

 my letter to the Lake Shore Kennels. The facts in the case 

 are as follows: I had arranged with Mr. Prentiss— not the 

 Lake Shore Kennels— to let Paul Gladstone serve Jessica 

 when she should come in season. Both were at the Chicago 

 show last June; Jessica was in season, got loose from her 

 stall and was served by a liver or orange and white setter of 

 no known pedigree; preventive measm-es were taken, so they 

 say, vsdth water, and the next day she was served by Paul 

 Gladstone. I was not notified of what had happened tUl I 

 received a letter from Mr. Prentiss and the return here of 

 the gentleman that had Paul in charge, or I should not, under 

 any circumstances, have allowed Paul to serve her. 1 feel it 

 my duty to give these facts to the public, and shah protest the 

 breeding of these puppies to the bitter end. I cannot under- 

 stand how any persons or kennels valuing their reputation 

 could claim puppies as purely bred under such circumstances. 

 — W. B. Gates. 



YORKSHIRE TERRIERS.— JEJcZ iter Forest and Stream: Is 

 white on the breast of a Yorkshire terrier admissible? I have 

 always rejected one with it. I have Vero Shaw's book, also 

 Stonehenge, neither of whom say anything regarding it. Is 

 there any work which gives the colors admissible for show 

 dogs?— .R. S. Ryan. [There are blue and tan and silver York- 

 Shire terriers. White is not admissible 'on the former but 

 would not detract from the value of the latter]. 



