Jvkb 14, 1888.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



417 



it was snowing hard ontside, sat before a cheerful fire and 

 thought that was the kind of weather when the sagacious 

 ■St. Bernard patroled the mountain passes on the look out for 

 storm-bouud travelers. "When some poor wretch half 

 perishing in the snow was found, his freezing blood 

 would be thawed by the dog's warm body and the brandy 

 flask so conveniently attached to the collar. After regaining 

 strength I supposed the traveler would mount the dog's back 

 and the animal trot off with him to the monastery. But it 

 was plain that this St, Bernard (he was a crack too), had lie 

 been large enough to carry a man, could not trot; he was en- 

 tirely too straight in the stifles. It is doubtful if he could 

 have even walked fast enough to keep himself from freezing 

 to death on a real cold night. 



When a friend took me to his home to see a newly im- 

 ported Great Dane, I was again greatly disappointed. To 

 my inexperienced eyes the dog looked exactly like that breed 

 of many names kept by butchers, brewers and traveling 

 Uncle Tom's Cabin companies, which latter used them for 

 [tracking poor Eliza over a sea of canvas ice. I had a mortal 

 hatred of these dogs from the fact that the first time I saw 

 Uncle Tom's Cabin one of the pack that rushed across the 

 |s*age after the fleeing slave took it into his head that the, 

 bass viol player was more suitable game, and made a rush at 

 him. The orchestra and the greater part of the audience, 1 

 among them, took to their heels. So you see my prejudice 

 was well founded. • 



To return to my friend's Great Dane, he appealed to me 

 but little different from the butcher's dog. He was marked 

 exactly the same. It is true he was not so large, and his 

 knees seemed to have a strange magnetic attraction for one 

 another, a point that the other dog lacked. Then my friend's 

 | Great Dane had won several prizes across the water, while 

 the butcher's dog had won nothing except the ill-will of 

 everybody in the neighborhood. 



These instances are the only ones I can recall where I was 

 greatly disappointed when a breed came under my notice for 

 I the first time, but even these few are sufficient to cause me 

 to bear meekly with the outside public, and endeavor to per- 

 Isuade other fanciers to do so too. S. Reicnaf. 



THE LATE ENGLISH FIELD TRIALS. 



IpORMING an opinion from results, there is no doubt that 

 during the past two or three years evidence of the grow- 

 ing popularity of trials for the purpose of ascertaining the 

 merits of pointers and setters as held dogs has been forth- 

 coming. That they will ever become as popular as some 

 other branches of sport, including dog shows, is not at all 

 likely; still there is a satisfaction in finding that, at a period 

 of our history when game shooting, in the ordinary accepta- 

 tion of the term, has sadly degenerated, there is still a means 

 whereby our most valuable field dogs can sustain their re- 

 putation as such. The story of improved farming, artificial 

 manures, modern guns, and short stubbles has often been 

 told. Of course, one way and another, these are by no means 

 eondu cive to the increase of our ordi nary gam e birds. Against 

 such things, however, there is the fact that some varieties 

 can be, and are, reared artificially, and in many districts, 

 if such is not actually the case, extraordinary precautions 

 are taken for their preservation in a wild state. Thus, so far 

 as pheasants aud partridges and red grouse, are concerned, 

 we have as many in the Bi'itish Isles as ever, advancing cul- 

 tivation leaving its mark more in the increased scarcity of 

 snipe, woodcock, ordinary waterfowl, and perhaps black 

 game has likewise suffered from a similar cause; at any 

 rate, that handsome bird is far less numerous in some dis- 

 tricts than was the case twenty years ago. As we have said, 

 field trials for shooting dogs are certainly not on the wane, 

 and already this season three meetings have been held in 

 this country, most likely a fourth will be held during the 

 autumn, and on the Continent several have likewise taken 

 place, and in America such gatherings have of late years be- 

 come very popular. But only with our own meetings shall 

 we deal at present, and strangely these three are held under 

 different rules, In the one promoted by the Kennel Club 

 the dogs are drawn in pairs, and after the first round meet 

 each other as is the custom in greyhound coursing. Thus, 

 though likely enough the best dog in the stake may win, it 

 is extremely unlikely that the second and third best reach 

 the positions their merits would entitle them to, for the 

 second best may be drawn in the first round against the ab- 

 solute best, and thus be defeated the first time of asking; 

 and in the next round the actual third best may lose its 

 chance of a prize for a similar reason. The disadvantages of 

 this method are so marked, that it is extremely likely an- 

 other year the Kennel Club will modify their field trial 

 rules, and make them more nearly approach the "spotting 

 system" adopted by the National Club at its Shropshire 

 meeting. This arrangement of so-called "spotting" the win- 

 ner is with competent judges the best possible, for, after 

 drawing the dogs in the usual fashion, the award of the 

 prizes is altogether left to the discretion of the judges. Two 

 dogs down together may run well in the first round; then 

 they are given another trial, while other two dogs that per- 

 formed badly are at once thrown out of the stake. Then, if 

 judgment does not err, in the end only the very best animals 

 are brought out for the prizes. The Pointer Club, who for 

 the first time held a meeting of its own, adopted a mode of 

 judging by points; but, as it is merely a matter of opinion 

 how many points are to be awarded for a certain display of 

 work, we fail to see any advantage therein. One judge will 

 think a dog's pace, or quartering, or backing, or nose perfect, 

 and give the maximum number of points, while another 

 judge, whose ideal of perfection is higher, might decrease 

 that maximum considerably. Again, the judges have con- 

 siderable trouble in dealing with the figures when allotting 

 them, nor do they always come quite satisfactorily in the 

 end, an instance of which may, perhaps, be cited in the case 

 of the winning pointer puppy Rocket R., who immediately 

 after the conclusion of the stake was credited with a grand 

 total of 85 points in a possible hundred. Later on this total 

 was advanced 5, the actual official return giving that good 

 young dog 90 points of merit. Judging by points either in 

 the show ring or in the field sounds well enough in theory, 

 but in practice no greater exactitude as to judging the re- 

 spective merits of the competitors is reached than can be ob- 

 tained in the usual way. Still it is satisfactory that, follow- 

 ing so soon after each other, we had these meeting judged 

 on different lines, and so opportunity was afforded of com- 

 paring the various rules. We shall not be isolated in our 

 opinion, when it is expressed strongly in favor of the method 

 adopted by the Shropshire meeting. 



The varying quality of the competitors forward during the 

 spring of* 1888 will no doubt have already been noted, and 

 the puppies all round can be set down as unusually promis- 

 ing. The older dogs were not nearly so satisfactory— a fact 

 arising from a dislike they no doubthave to continually run- 

 ning without having the pleasure of game being killed to 

 them. After a season or two of field trial work they become 

 cunning, and about the only animal in the all-aged stake 

 who went with the dash of puppyhood was Mr. Hey wood 

 Lonsdale's two-years pointer Deuce, who won at the Wrex- 

 ham meeting. His equally successful setter Bruce did not 

 run half so well as he did as a puppy in 1880; but the great- 

 est failure was Mr. Barclay Field's pointer Dartford, whose 

 performance at the two meetings where he ran was far and 

 away below that which placed him at the top of the Acton 

 Reynald Stakes in 1887. The Irish setters Mac's Little Nell 

 and Drogheda both went well for old ones, and were perhaps 

 quite as good as anything else of their age out this year; and 

 certainly Mr. Ellis's dog was, at any rate, unlucky in his 

 trial with Blue Maud of Cranfield at Welbeck. Mr. Lloyd 

 Price's pointer Luck of the Goat showed to a great degree 



cunning running, and no doubt, had he been allowed to work 

 the ground as he liked, would, at least, have done so to his 

 own satisfaction, and found birds too. His worker had re- 

 peatedly to call or whistle to this dog— a proceeding cer- 

 tainly against the work of his opponent. Roderick of Alten- 

 berg— that peculiarly spaniel-like setter— at times ran well, 

 but we fancy his pace is not so great as it was last year; still, 

 he is a wonderful little dog, and no one need desire a better 

 to shoot over. Mr. Hatfield Harter's Blue Maud of Cranfield 

 ran to the end of the all-aged stake through her excellence 

 as a game finder, and by making fewer errors than her oppo- 

 nents; still, she was lucky in winning the trial against the 

 red dog Drogheda. 



Of the puppies, at least those that ran into the money, 

 only praise must be written Mr. Pilkiugton's Woolton 

 Game was unfortunate in her preliminary trial at Welbeck, 

 where Nicholson says she handsomely beat her opponent, 

 Pride of Wilts, by finding birds well, 'which unfortunately 

 the judges did not see. "Anvhow,the following week she 

 ran through the Juvenile Stake at Whitchurch, her raiding 

 up to birds right being particularly good, and she beat out 

 her ground in a creditable manner. Mr. Richardson ran at 

 Welbeck an extraordinarily good pointer puppy in Rocket 

 R., who followed up some' fairly run trials by making a 

 brilliant performance against Bendigo of Kippen (and beat- 

 ing him), a dog who had just come with a great reputation 

 from the Continent^ whither he has now returned. Born 

 late in May, Rocket is by Sussex Don II., from Milton Ri Ag- 

 let, who is by the show dog Graphic, from Bloom, by Bang 

 II. out of Bell, who had for her sire Wagg II., by Squire. 

 Here there is a good admixture of blood for bench and field 

 trials. Graphic's stock have certainly not proved great 

 successes in the field, but here is a young dog possessing 

 some of his blood that has proved an exception to the rule, 

 and possibly when a happy cross is hit, as has been the case 

 by Mr. Richardson, other winners may be produced. The 

 Belgian-bred dog was so old-looking a puppy until hismouth 

 was examined that Mr. Lowe wished the breeder, Mr. Mor- 

 ren, to publish the date of birth, which was done in these 

 columns last week. Beudigo, peculiarly enough, has Graphic 

 blood in his veins, his dam, Hetty, being by Grandee, a son 

 of Mr. Norrish's old champion. Prince Bang, Bendigo's sire, 

 was by Master Bob, a son of Priam's, Miss Bang, dam of 

 Prince Bang, was by Young Bang, from Polly, litter sister 

 to Sir T. B. Lennard's Teal, dam of Priam. This pedigree, 

 too, is interesting. In our report at the time, we said 

 Rocket R.'s performance against Bendigo was the best run 

 trial of the season; still, it is possible that in the long run 

 the bitch. Woolton Game, might have beaten him had they 

 met at Wrexham, where, unfortunately, Mr. Pilkington's 

 bitch could not go. At any rate, a meeting of the two 

 cracks would have been watched with great interest. After 

 the Kennel Club meeting, Rocket R. was purchased by Mr. 

 P. Lowe, and for him ran almost unchallenged through the 

 Puppy Stakes at Wrexham. Woolton Game, a heavily 

 marked, liver and white pointer bitch, of medium size, and 

 by no means a bad-looking one, is of exceptional breeding, 

 being by Gough, from that good bitch Larkspur, who was by 

 Lake — Dingle, while her sire was by Garnet from Doxie. 

 Here we have again a combination of both bench and field 

 qualities; and through Lake, the sire of Larkspur the 

 pedigree can be traced back to Lord Sefton's Marquis. 

 Messrs. James Bishop and Dickin's setter Bonny Daisy was 

 actually the heroine of the year, a plain-looking, small blue 

 and white bitch, who ran through the Derby at Mansfield 

 and the Puppy Stakes at Whitchurch in great form. Born 

 late in May, 1887, she affords proof of the value of field 

 trial blood, for through her dam Flora she inherits the 

 strain of Beau of the Ball, who won the Field Trial Derby 

 in 1880, the latter being sire of Venus, who was dam of 

 Flora. Daisy is own sister to Brave Tom, sire of Brave 

 Prince, who will be remembered as the best setter in the 

 Derby in 1886, and who the same year ran second in puppies 

 at Shrewsbury. Beau had for his granddam Darling, own 

 sister to Mr. Llewellyn's Dick and Dan. 



One of the best setters of the year is E. Nicholson's Master- 

 Sam, whose performances and excellences have already been 

 described. Particularly in his pedigree on the sire's side to 

 be noticed, he. being a son of Monk of Furness, the hand- 

 somest setter of the day, and himself a fair performer at 

 field trials, where he has twice competed, though without 

 success. Moreover, Monk of Furness is sire of Nun of Kip- 

 pen, the fastest puppy out this year, possibly the best, had 

 her breaking been more finished; she is a winner on the Con- 

 tinent; her brother, Mon k of Kippen, also ran fairly well; 

 and still another with the same sire, Bess of Braunfels, 

 whose performance was by no means a bad one. Monk of 

 Furness is from Mr. Cockerton's kennels, Cartmel Fell, N. 

 Lancashire, and the blood on one side is easily tracable back 

 to a bitch he got from Mr. Laverack almost a quarter of a 

 century ago. Then the old Rock strain is apparent, he bei a g 

 sire of Belle of Furness, and then Sir Allister is there, who 

 carries the strain back to Tarn o' Shanter and Daisy, the 

 latter by Blue Prince from Old Kate, by Dash II. Master 

 Sam's darn. Bonny Belle, is by Mr. Barclay Field's Brag 

 (brother to Beau of the Ball, mentioned above). With such 

 a pedigree there is no wonder a good performance from their 

 young blood is at last recorded. As a rule, field trial setters 

 have not been the handsomest in the world, being so unlike 

 the pointers in this particular, but there is no reason why a 

 good looking setter should not excel in work, and in this 

 new field trial blood we appear to have obtained the two, 

 for Master Sam won on the bench at the last kennel club 

 show, and both Monk of Kippen and his sister Nun are good 

 to look at, and either have won or are pretty certain to win 

 prizes in the ring.— London Field. 



RICHMOND DOG SHOW. . 



RICHMOND, June 8.— Editor Forest and Sti 'ea m: Please 

 announce among your fixtures that the Virginia Field 

 Sports Association will have a dog show under the auspices 

 of the American Kennel Club at the great Va. A. M. & T. 

 Exposition in October. The show will begin October 9 and 

 close October 12. Mr. George H. Hill, of Madcria, O,, has 

 been engaged as superintendent. Entries close October 1. 

 The prizes offered will be the same as those offered by the 

 Westminster Kennel Club. We have secured Mr. J. M. 

 Tracy as judge of setters and pointers, and will secure the 

 best judges to be obtained in the country for th e oth er cl asses . 

 Our premium list is now being printed and will be distrib- 

 uted within the next thirty days. The prizes, leaving out 

 specials, aggregate 82,000 in cash, and nothing will be spared 

 to make this a first-class exhibition in all respects. 



We appeal to our friends through the country to rally to 

 this exhibition and make exhibits, so as to sustain us in this 

 effort to make our show a successful exhibition. 



For further particulars address The Bench Show Manage- 

 ment, Room 26, Shaf'er Building, Richmond, Virginia. 

 John S. Wise, President Virginia Field Sports Ass'n. 



MARYLAND KENNEL CLTJB. — The Maryland Kennel 

 Club has been incorporated and the list of officers is as fol- 

 lows: Sherlock Swann, President; H, Malcolm, Vice-Presi- 

 dent; Geo. N. Appold, Treasurer; W. Stewart DiffenderfEer, 

 Secretary. Governors— Gilmore Hoffman, Alexander Brown, 

 J Olney Norris, Dr. B. Holly Smith, C. Malcolm, J. Ed- 

 ward Duker, Frank W. Thomas. Dr. Robert V. Ward, 

 Veterinary Surgeon. 



INDIANA FIELD TRIALS.— The entries for the second 

 annual Derby of the Indiai.a Kennel Club number 08, of 

 which 38 are setters and 30 pointers. The list was received 

 too late for publication and will appear next week. 



TYPE AND ITS INTERPRETATION. 



From the American Kennel Register, 



SREICNAF" lately had an excellent article in FOREST 

 • AND Stream on "Exaggeration of Type," and while 

 I would not be disrespectful to Forest and Stream by trans- 

 ferring a matter original in their columns to yours, still such 

 a journal as yours is the fitter one for the philosophy of sub- 

 jects connected with dogs and breeding. The illustrations 

 of more than exaggeration of type, amounting even to dis- 

 tortion, as quoted by "S. Reicnaf, illustrated by mastiffs, 

 spaniels, etc., must have impressed themselves on any 

 thoughtful show-goer; and I recently noted in T?ie Bazaar 

 a most remarkable statement as to the collie Caractacus. 

 Mr. Dalziel gave his measurements as skull 5in. and muzzle 

 9in.. a total of 14in. 



Now, this seems incredible, although the lengthening and 

 narrowing of the collie's head in the last few years has fre- 

 quently been noticed and commented on, but such a length 

 of head as Win. is beyond even greyhound measurement. 

 Still, I do not see how the statement can be wrong, for in 

 the same article there was a typographical error, giving the 

 height at shoulder as 37in., and the breeder of the dog was 

 also wrongly given. Mr. M. II. Lowe, an intimate friend of 

 Mr. Dalziel's, corrected these errors in a subsequent com- 

 munication to The Bazaar, but took no exception to the 

 length of head, nor did Mr. Dalziel, in explaining how the 

 errors occurred, have anything to say as to this point. Mr. 

 Dalziel gave the measurement as furnished by Mr. Megson, 

 owner of the dog, and Mr. Megson has made no correction; 

 so it seems fair to infer the statement was correct. A con- 

 sideration of the English Collie Club standard shows that 

 no such proportions could fairly be deduced from it. Then 

 why this strange distortion of the standard? The explan- 

 ation is not as difficult as might be supposed, nor is the 

 action of breeders in breeding such animals, and judges in 

 awarding them prizes, particularly absurd. The root of the 

 whole matter is, that "type" is not definable in exact terms, 

 nor is it a matter susceptible of exact mathematical demon- 

 stration. It is simply the concurrence of the majority of 

 breeders, judges and fanciers, guided by prevailing fashion, 

 or if that is too belittling a word, say general consent. It is 

 very true that this consent is often under protest, as in the 

 case of the "long and low" spaniel, but when protestors get 

 courage to make themselves heard, fancy immediately shapes 

 itself to suit the prevailing breeze, as has been demonstrated 

 in the case of spaniels in this country. 



The case of mastiffs is a still more striking instance of the 

 impossibility of exactly applying the terms of a standard, 

 for there an "exact definition was given to "square" as ap- 

 plied to the muzzle, that positively debarred undershot 

 muzzles, yet it is well known that a fair majority of winners 

 contradict in this point the very standard they are judged 

 under; and it cannot be said that the fashionable head in 

 collies complies with the definition "skull of moderate 

 width." All this seems most preposterous to the beginner, 

 and so it is, in the light he considers it in, but it soon van- 

 ishes when we remember that it is impossible to secure ex- 

 act conformity in even the definition of such a compilation 

 as a standard,' and doubly so to secure exact application of 

 it. 



The notions, fancies, preferences, etc., of men must and 

 will vary, and show judges are no exception to the ordi- 

 nary rules applying to human nature. The true mode of 

 dealing with the matter is to remember that a standard 

 is meant to guide a judge, not to make him its mere mouth- 

 piece. Of course the judge, to be honest, must always keep 

 in his eye the dog meant by a standard, his private "fancies 

 have nothing to do with the decision, but he has a right to 

 interpret the standard in the light of a prevailing fashion, 

 although I can hardly say that he has a right to directly 

 contradict what the standard demands, no matter what 

 fashion may say. * Bulger. 



IN RELATION TO REGISTRATION. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I am weary of the pressure indirectly brought to bear up- 

 on me to help pay the expenses of the official book clique 

 and consequently I send this letter for publi cation in Forest 

 AND STREAM; it will answer several correspondents who have 

 been urged to write me in a similar strain. — VICTOR M. Hal- 

 DEMAN. 



MtLEORD, Del,, June 6. J. C. McClure, Esq., West Fair- 

 field, Pa. Dear Sir: Your favor of the 4th iust. at hand and 

 I must first thank you for your expression of confidence. 



On the postal card written by Mr. A. D. Lewis, he, as you 

 say, is "in doubt as to Sandycroft Brag being a mastiff." 

 This is only an illustration of his non-compentency for the 

 position he holds, which I believe is that of editor of the A. 

 K. C, stud book. 



Sandycroft Brag is registered in the American Kennel 

 Register, No. 4984 I have used this trustworthy register be- 

 fore the A. K. C. stud book was known, and wiU continue 

 to use it after the "official" has been forgotten. 



The A. K. C. stud book is for "revenue only," they are 

 after the half dollars and appear to be accepting anything in 

 the shape of a pedigree offered, this being particularly the 

 case in English mastiffs. For example, the reliable A. K. B. 

 long since refused entries of a well known pedigree "faker," 

 whose advertisements are no longer allowed In any reputable 

 kennel paper. Notwithstanding the publicity given this 

 man, his dogs are still admitted in the A. K. C. stud book. 

 Mr. W. Wade has just called attention to the last two bogus 

 pedigrees numbers 881 1 and 8852. 



The American Kennel Club has never missed blundering 

 when it was possible to do so, and its management of the 

 stud book has proved no exception, on the contrary, the ap- 

 parent greed for the money to accrue from this speculation 

 will eventually be its ruin. 



What is an "official" registration worth ? The very fact 

 of its being in the club's stud book, and not in the A. K. JR. 

 only shows that it may be "manufactured." You now un- 

 derstand why I do not wish to see any dogs of my breeding 

 put in with such questionable companions. Yours very 

 truly, Victor M. Haldeman. 



[We are told by the secretary of the stud book committee 

 that it is proposed to have committees from specialty clubs 

 inspect pedigrees.] 



REGARDING SO SO.— 2035 Bainbridge street, Philadel- 

 phia, June 9.— Editor Forest and Stream: In your issue of 

 M»y $l Mr. Wade has made a statement in his letter on 

 "The Sir Coliu Substition" to the effect that Dr. H. M. 

 Perry substituted one bitch for another. The bitch So So I 

 suppose is the one he refers to; if so I know she was in the 

 show as entered. Referring to my catalogue of the show 

 (October, 1885). I find a note that she was very sick; the doc- 

 tor called my attention to her, as veterinarian to the show; 

 I examined her on her bench and prescribed for her.— Alex- 

 ander Glass, V. S. [It is late in the. day to go over this 

 ground. The Philadelphia Kennel Club, upon protest by 

 Mr. Lindsay, reversed the decision of the judge respecting 

 the collie award, on the ground of fraud committed by the 

 owner of So So, that bitch not having been present in the 

 show at the time of judging. The case may be found re- 

 ported in our issue of Oct. 22, 1885.] 



FOX-TERRIER LOST.— On the night of May 30 a small 

 7mos old fox-terrier puppy was stolen in Montclair, N. J. 

 He is all white with the exception of a small spot on the 

 middle of one ear. Any information as to his whereabouts 

 will bJ thankfully received by his owner, Mr. L. Daniels, 

 j 301 Produce Exchange Building, New York. 



