May 23, 1889.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



369 



SMUT. 



So many accounts of the wonderful Master McGrath have 

 appeared in priut tbat it is hardly worth while to repeat 

 thein here. The only one which I do not remember having 

 seen was an account of his course with Lobelia (4Slbs,), when 

 he made his remarkable kill. As is well known his pace, 

 cleverness and tact were almost supernatural. He jumped 

 a ditch into the road, Lobelia side by side, neck and neck 

 with him; the hare fairly shot back over the hare bridge, 

 the dog jumping back like a flash and nailing her as she 

 came over. Mr. Warwick said in all his experience in cours- 

 ing he had never seen a kill so clever and masterful, it 

 being "just like a cat pouncing on a mouse." 



That greyhounds with short, thick necks may still be 

 good killers is especially illustrated in the great fawn dog 

 Oliver Twist, who was considered when he ran to be the 

 very best of killers. He won the 64-dog stake at Lytbam 

 Without being even oaee challenged, and in addition 

 to this victory killed every hare himself in grand style. 

 Though he had great strength of body, still these kills were 

 considered all the more remarkable since he went at a rat- 

 tl.ng pace and had an abnormally thick and short neck. 



Mr. Sharpe's Hugbie Graham (brother to Bonnie Scotland 

 and Bell the Cat) won the Waterloo in 1851. In his final 

 course with Haymaker he got away very badly from the 

 slips, and so gave his competitor a fine chance to lead in a 

 long racing stretch. Ilughie, however, crawled up inch by 

 inch only it seemed, and finally, after a long punishing 

 course, headed his opponent fully 60ydf. from the hare. He 

 gave the hare three or four good wrenches, and ended the 

 course by turning her into Haymaker's mouth. His finest 

 trial both of speed and endurance was with Mockingbird, by 

 Figaro, in the last but one round for the Waterloo. Mock- 

 ingbird's great characteristic was her particularly fine eye 

 to the hare, for she seemed, and a resum6 of her work 

 verifies it, to be able to locate the exact spot where a hare 

 would reappear after it had disappeared over a hill or in a 

 ground hollow. This peculiar ability enabled her to score 

 many a win against a better dog. By this clever calculation 

 she was always able to gain a few lengths on her opponent. 

 This was illustrated well on the course in question with 

 Hugbie. The hare disappeared in a hollow, and by thetime 

 Hugbie had again sighted her his adversary was many 

 lengths ahead of him. Settling himself down to earnest 

 work he rapidly regained his lost ground, and finally turned 

 the hare into the bitch's mouth. Mockingbird showed to 

 the best advantage with a very fast strong hare, as she was 

 far from a good worker, but finally met her match in this 

 regard iu Mr. Etwall's Ebb, by Westward, who gave her a 

 jii-eat drubbing at Amesbury. The remark of Mr. Nightiu- 

 gale best describes this quality when he says: "She throws 

 herself at her hare further off than any greyhound I ever 

 saw." 



I have in several instances referred to Mr. Nightingale 

 from which the reader no doubt appreciates the fact that he 

 was not only held in great esteem as an honorable judge at 

 all great meetings, but was a true gentleman. His eye for 

 a. properlv formed greyhound was a most correct one and he 

 rarely failed in his estimate either as to the speed of the 

 dog or his ability to stand a long and exhaustive course. 

 The Roman Camp near Dalkeith was a great meeting of the 

 Midlothian Club (now defunct), an exceedingly aristocratic 

 club which prided itself greatly upon its meets as well as its 

 grand dinners. To the dinner after the meet I refer to, the 

 Duke of Buccleuch sent venison, Sir G. Montgomery black- 

 face mutton, Lord Melville pork, Mr. Geo. Wanchape peri- 

 gord pie, etc.. etc. Many members kept no dogs at all and 

 only attended the meets, and later on appeared at the dinner. 

 After having accepted t he invitation to judge at this meet- 

 in g, Mr. Nightingale found to his disappointment that it 

 clashed with the Waterloo. The Waterloo card, however, 

 was sent down to him, and of course the many friends of 

 the Chief Justice requested him to advise upon it. It was a 

 difficult task at the very best. He, however, ran over the 

 card very carefully and gave the subsequent result perfectly 

 correct, save that of the course between the brother and 

 sister War Eagle and Wicked Eye, on which he said he 

 dared not hazard a guess. His summing up of the entire 

 meet was something remarkable, almost beyoud belief. His 

 final remark was '-the ground should suit Cerito and Neville 

 best. " and the result verified the prediction, as they were 

 respectively first and second. It is doubtful if there ever 

 lived a courser who could repeat such successful predictions. 



Scotland Yet, the dam of some of the greatest greyhounds 

 the coursing world ever saw, was, according to John Wilson, 

 alias Jack <? Dalzeg, her trainer, not only "very fast and of 

 a very jumping sort, but a grand bitch withal." She divided 

 a 64-dog stake at the Caledonian meeting with Baron, and 

 the next year ran up for the Waterloo to Judge. Mr. Camp- 

 bell was very much dissatisfied with this course, for he said, 

 "It is no course at all. The hare weighs but 41bs." The 

 judge said, "She kilied her hare too soon. Judge went off 

 at a tremendous pace, went round and turned the hare right 

 into the bitch's mouth, who killed her before she could get 

 in any real solid work, which was her great forte." 



Mr.* Lister's Chloe, winner of the Waterloo, 1883, was con- 

 sidered a little short of fire from the slips, but had good 

 pace, always greater than Rebe'siu her stretches, smooth in 

 her work and very clever with her teeth. As to her thighs, 

 hocks and ribs, they were said to be perfection. If she had 

 a structural fault, it laid in her forelegs, which by many 

 judges were considered at least a half inch too long. In 

 point of bench show qualities, it is doubtful if there is a 

 bitch now on exhibition that could surpass her. She had a 

 beautiful coat, and her color, white and black, made her 

 particularly at-ract^e to look at. 



Cerito and Master McGrath were the only greyhounds 

 that ever won the Waterloo • Cup three times, the former 

 achieving this wonderful feat iu 1850, 1852 and 1853, the lat- 

 in 1868, 1869 and 1871. The formei was most beautifully 

 bred, being by Lingo out of Wanton, which was pure Lan- 

 cashire blood. She had fine pace and sense to correspond. 

 Though a most successful bitch she received a heavy beat- 

 ing at Altcar where she met for the stakes the great Dalton, 

 a dog noted for his ability of putting in the greatest 

 amount of work possible in the shortest space of time. As 

 a killer it is chronicled that there was nothing to compare 

 with her perfect safety and truly scientific work. Her out- 

 lines were perfect, being in all parts the accepted measure- 

 ments. She seemed to abhor a flying kill and never was 

 known to make one, waiting for a later opportunity when 

 she could effect it either just on the bend or the broadside, 

 and for this effort she would draw herself a little back and 

 then plunge. Though she ran well over any sort of a course 

 her forte was grass. As Cerito was perfect in her killing 

 abilities so was Lord Eglintars's celebrated Waterloo (by 

 Dusty Miller) equally bad in this regard. He was simply a 

 rank bad killer. His great forte lay in working his hare, 

 and when he came to heavy ground or a plowed field he 

 flew over it just as light as a cork. He was a great dog and 

 if any of my readers has a copy of the Caledonian Coursing 

 Picture he will find him in the foreground with his tongue 

 out. 



For thorough work, pace and fencing, all combined, it 

 seems as if Riot never had a peer, though she failed at 

 Waterloo, after having essayed to win it on two occasions. 

 Still she has to her credit the remarkable score of winning 

 "74 out of 84 public courses. Maid of the Mill, whose blood 

 we find in many of the great dogs of to-day, was a fine big 

 racy-looking red bitch, by Judge, and won the Waterloo in 

 grand style in 1860. The beauty of her outline was marred 

 by having too much arch in her back, and being very short 

 between the couplings gave her action a very stilty and 

 rather awkward appearance, yet for all this she was very 

 .elever and fast, and in her course for the Waterloo with the 



little Irish dog Blue Hat (by Legar Hill) she fairly ran 

 round him. In the next course she beat Lord Serton's | 

 Sampler in fine style. Though the former course was 

 rather a short one the latter made up for the deficiency, as 

 it was not only a very long, but a very severe one. 

 In speaking of the length of courses it is said that Regan 



iby Barrator) led Wood Pigeon further than any other grey- 

 lound was known to lead his antagonist. 

 Though there were many dogs that performed remarkable 

 feats, both as to courage, speed and cleverness, not one per- 

 haps surpassed Beacon, who had such sterling qualities as 

 enabled him to win in good form the Caledonian, Altcar 

 and Irish challenge cups, all within about three weeks. 

 These events were not second-rate ones, but such as brought 

 together the best dogs of the land. 



Those gentlemen who have any greyhounds from the stock 

 of those I have made mention may be able to account for 

 the peculiarities they have noticed in their favorites, as cer- 

 tain traits are without doubt hereditary where sire and dam 

 are of a very positive character. Hence, it is a subject of 

 vital importance what dog should be selected as a sire in 

 order that the deficient qualities of the dam may be over 

 come by the stronger character. There are innumerable 

 instances where second rate bitches have been bred to a 

 high-class and positive-charactered dog, and great results 

 have been achieved by such crossing. 



H. W. Huntington. 



REDUCING THE SURPLUS DOG SUPPLY. 



THE dog is a noble animal, and beyond all others the 

 friend of man. serving him with a faithfulness, a devo- 

 tion and a zeal that has no parallel ; but when we bear testi- 

 mony to the excellent characteristics of the dog we do so 

 intending it to apply in a general way only. We all recog- 

 nize that under certain circumstances dogs, that is some 

 dogs, may become a very grave nuisance and a danger. 



Every breed of dogs has some special characteristics which 

 render it valuable, and every breeder of dogs aims by a 

 judicious selection of stock to perpetuate in the progeny the 

 best characteristics of the selected breed or breeds, and the 

 fact that dogs thus carefully bred are valuable and always 

 in demand results ordinarily in their being well cared far, 

 and to a greater or less extent, in their faculties being culti- 

 vated by exercise. Such dogs thus carefully educated and 

 treated with consideration are very properly characterized 

 as well bred, gentlemanly dogs, whether kept as companions 

 or for the chase. 



Any mongrel similarly treated might develop as high 

 social and moral qualities, but we have to deal with the 

 fact that mongrels very rarely enjoy these advantages; the 

 very fact that mongrels exist is in itself evidence that their 

 parents were not carefully looked after, and mongrels, 

 having nothing to commend them to dog fanciers of taste, 

 and consequently of no value, are forthe most part ill fed, ill- 

 cared for, uneducated and left to promiscuous intercourse 

 with all the vagabond dogs of their neighborhood. The fact 

 that such dogs are obtainable without money results in 

 great numbers of them being reared and harbored by people 

 who think it a fine thing to have a dog, but who do not 

 trouble themselves with their responsibilities as dog owners. 

 The dogs are allowed to roam at large, are ill-fed and have 

 to forage for themselves. Every village and city in the 

 country is infested by such neglected worthless dogs, a 

 nuisance to the community and a danger to life and prop- 

 erty. Some of these neglected curs are bold, powerful dogs, 

 which subsist in great part like the wolf, by ravaging the 

 farmers' flocks, others prowl among the garbage heaps of 

 cities, subsisting on carrion, diseased carcasses and other 

 putrid and unwholesome food, which renders them so unclean 

 that their bite is always apt to be followedby blood poison- 

 ing, whether man or beast is the victim. 



Accustomed too to ill treatment, their morale is low, and 

 their temper often savage, which renders them dangerous, 

 especially to children. The presence of few or many such 

 dogs in almost every community, necessitates legal measures 

 for restricting their increase, and guarding against the 

 danger to life and property attendant on their presence; but 

 at the very outset it is recognized that a crusade cannot be 

 waged against curs and mongrels especially: the danger to 

 be apprehended from dogs of this class is due primarily to 

 their not being kept under proper restraint nor properly 

 cared for, and if dogs or their owners are to be rendered 

 liable to penalties, the penal laws must be based on evi- 

 dences of want of proper care on the part of owners. 



Dogs are in some States the subject of State legislation 

 and taxation, but this fact does not debar the cities from 

 imposing further taxation, from requiring that special pre- 

 cautions be taken, nor from proceeding against either the 

 dog or his owner for violation of the requirements of the 

 local law. 



We have been at the pains to communicate with the local 

 authorities in every city of any importance in the Union, 

 with the object of ascertaining in how far the imposition of 

 a dog tax or license is general, how the difficulty of un- 

 licensed or stray dogs is met, whether such dogs are killed, 

 and if so by what methods. This has brought us a mass of 

 interesting correspondence, which we have prepared for 

 publication, and from which it will be gathered that the 

 basis of all legislation on this subject is compulsory regis- 

 tration of dogs, the imposition of a license or dog tax, and 

 the requiring that every dog thus registered and licensed, 

 shall bear the -evidence of it on his person. 



Beyond this elementary requirement the procedure varies 

 widely in different localities. In some localities dogs are 



left unmolested at all times and seasons, but their owners 

 are prosecuted and fined if they neglect to take out licenses. 

 In other localities the owner is left unmolested, and the un- 

 li licensed dog is shot on sight or impounded and otherwise 

 disposed of. In some localities a dog is at all times safe 

 from the minions of the law if duly provided with collar 

 and registered tag; in others he may not be at large without 

 the addition of a muzzle, or he must be heldby a short chain, 

 while iu one place at least, the roaming of a dog at night is 

 held so objectionable that collar, tag and muzzle conjoined 

 afford no security from the murderous constable. In some 

 places unlicensed and stray dogs, or dogs without evidence 

 on their persons of their owners' names and of registration, 

 may be shot on sight; in othersthey are first impounded and 

 held for periods varying from one to three days for redemp- 

 tion. Nor is there any lack of variety in the modes in which 

 dogs are done to death — they are shot, drowned, poisoned, 

 knocked on the head, or asphyxiated by carbonic acid or 

 other gas, according to the temper and moral culture of the 

 society whose laws their owners have violated or neglected 

 to comply with. 



In several States the fees derived from the dog taxes and 

 fines are very logically appropriated to compensate for dam- 

 ages done by dogs iu the State, and thousands of dollars are 

 in this way recovered by farmers whose shepp have been 

 killed or worried by unknown dogs. In some States the im- 

 post of the tax and code of regulations are instigated mainly 

 as a protection against hydrophobia; in some States the dogs 

 are taxed as personal property, and in still others they are 

 regarded as respectable citizens, free to go and come un- 

 taxed, and left alone as Jong as they leave others alone. 



Our own interest in the matter is confined mainly to the 

 mode in which dogs are put to. death uuder the law. It is a 

 recognized fact that dogs without value and owned or har- 

 bored by people who care so little for them that they will 

 not take ordinary precautions for their safety, are a nuis- 

 ance, and more or less dangerous to life and property. The 

 readiness of an owner to pay taxes is the best evidence he 

 can afford as to his concern for the safety of his dogs, and 

 there is a general concurrence of opinion that dogs whose 

 owners will not pay tax for them must be put to death; but 

 in the name of humanity it is desirable that the dogs be 

 killed in the least painful and objectionable manner, and 

 that the best method or methods in force in one place be 

 held up for general imitation. 



We purpose following this paper with the letters we have 

 received on the subject from mayors and other officials, 

 reserving the most important cities to the last, following 

 this with criticisms on the measures in vogue, and closing 

 with suggestions for future legislation. 



SMUT. 



\T17E give this week a picture of the black setter bitch 

 V\ Smut, who died May 10. She was whelped Feb. 35, 

 1876, and was by Copeland's Pete (Hill's Trim— Scranton's 

 Smut) and out of Thompson's Queen Bess (Brains— Thayer's 

 Tib). She was owned by Mr. Newton Earle, of Providence, 

 R. t, It is sufficient to say she was a good dog. 



I have just received a note from Mr. T. M. Aldrich saying 

 that the well-known black setter bitch Smut died May 10, 

 at the ripe age of 13 years and 2J.» months. The history of 

 Smut is well-known to the older readers of Fouest and 

 Stream, as the reports of the field trials of the Eastern 

 Field Trials Club, when they were run at Robins Island, 

 contained full accounts of her performances.- In 1879 at the 

 inaugural trials of the club, Smut ran with Grousedale iu 

 the Brace stake and the pair won second place. Iu 1880 she 

 rau in the All-Aged stake, and although she was not placed, 

 there was a feeling among many of the spectators that the 

 little lady was about as good as the best. I well remember 

 every important phase of that notable meeting. I was 

 handling Sensation and had carefully and anxiously watched 

 the performances of the dogs in each heat, and at no time 

 during the running of the stake did I have the least fear 

 that the grand old pointer would be defeated until near the 

 finish of his heat with Smut, then I must own that I was 

 scared, as the little bitch had gotten in some very fine work 

 and was, to my mind, ahead, but the judges thought other- 

 wise, however, much to my relief, as I considered her a very 

 dangerous competitor. 



Although Smut has always been described as a native 

 setter, there is imported blood in her veins and good blood 

 too. For more than forty years I have owned and shot over 

 her ancestors and relatives and have ever found them to be 

 the very best dogs for New England shooting that it has 

 been my good fortune to find, hardy and enduring, with lots 

 of hunting sense and very companionable withal; they are, 

 for the sportsman who keeps but one dog, as good as the 

 best. Shadow. 



PERVERTED TASTE. — Editor Forest and Stream, Per- 

 haps you or some of your readers can tell me why two blue- 

 blooded, well trained, daily groomed Graphic pointers, that 

 w'on't touch raw meat, and were brought up in a neat and 

 pious family, should take every available opportunity to roll 

 themselves on a decayed bird or stinking piece of meat. If 

 these can ; -t be found near by, they will go off a mile or two 

 to find some field covered with stinking phosphate, and rob 

 the poor farmer of all that will stick to their coats. I have 

 talked with the dogs about it a good deal, but they don't 

 explain why they they do it. They have come home con- 

 scious of offense, and penitent, but do it over again, all the 

 | same. Is it perverted taste or is it instink ?— A. P. C. 



