THE SETTER 
forepart, and his action was, as might be supposed from that formation, 
stilty. He laboured, and his was a rocking-horse action. This was the 
fault of many of his get. 
The bitches were much better than the dogs, and Old Moll (Handy’s), 
though having the Gordon wide chest and round barrel, was a well-made, 
good bitch. So also v/as Mr Horlock’s Moll; and his Scamp was a fine 
specimen of the old heavy Gordon. The Rev. Mr Stokes’s Shot was one 
of the same stamp, as were Reuben, Russell, and Romp, all the property 
of Mr Sam Lang, of Bristol. These were all fine examples of the old Gordon 
as it was in the sixties, and were very successful at the shows. The type 
was the same in all those mentioned, i.e., a big, heavy dog, but well formed, 
v/ith good legs and feet and bone, the head well formed, a straight coat 
in most instances, and of satin texture. They differed from the English 
and Irish setter in having a more heavy head, longer ears, a squarer muzzle, 
and the eye frequently showed some of the “ haw ” which was considered 
a good sign of blood. The tail was shorter than that of the English dog, 
though some had a large and more curled tail; as a rule their tail was 
shorter and neater than either the Irish or English. Some few were in- 
clined to be curly. Mr Lang’s Beau was as curly as a retriever, but in 
all other respects he was a beautiful dog: long, low, racing-like, with 
a long, well -shaped head. In spite of his curls he won prizes under that 
superb judge of all animals, the late Mr William Lort, and his judg- 
ment was upheld during the somewhat acrimonious discussion fought 
over Beau by the “Prior of Markyate ’’ (Adye), who said that if Beau’s 
critics could have seen him as he saw him “ sweeping across the Fells 
of Cumberland, they would have no more doubts as to his being all pure 
setter.’’ In frame and setter character. Beau was about the best Gordon 
ever before the public. 
Such were the characteristics of the old Gordon, which was a hand- 
some dog in its way, and particularly pleasing owing to its colour, 
which was its chief distinction from the English setter. This colour should 
be deep rich black over the whole of the upper part of the body, head and 
neck, with plum or raven-black shades in certain lights. The sides of 
the face, inside of the ears, legs, belly, and underside of tail rich tan, 
with tan spot over each eye. Many, and good dogs, too, had tan of a lighter 
shade, and of small proportions, and curious as it may be, and unaccount- 
able to the writer, he has observed that the worst coloured of these dogs 
were generally the best in the field. The above-mentioned Beau, for 
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