Volume 6f Number 131 
New Serlesi Number 9 I \ 
SATURDAY, JUNE 26, 1875. 
FEMALE WHITE PELIf AXS WITH f EATER- 
BOARDS. 
In The Rod and Gxts of June 12[h, I observe that 
Mr. 51. E. Goss of Xeosho Fulls, Kansas, has also dis- 
covered and made public the interesting fact that the 
curious crest which surmounts the culuien in the White 
Pelican is not exclusively distinctive of the male. I say 
because in the Oterrer of Xature oi June 4, (Law- 
rence, Kansas), Prof F. H. Show states that Dr. Con- 
nell of Thayer, Kansas, had sent to him a female of this 
species with a fully developed horny crest. There was 
no question as to its sex. Prof. Snow ascertained it to 
he a female. Tliis specimen was taken on the 19th of 
April. 
Three days previous to this date on .V])ril 10th, 1875, 
Capt. Charles Bendire visited Lake Milhear in SoutI - 
eastern Oregon, and there found the Wliite Pelicans 
breeding in immense numbers. I have seen very inter- 
esting letters from him in regard to the breeding and 
other habits of this .singular bird which I shall publish 
in the Proceedings of the Boston Natural Ilistor}’ Sot 
ciety. lie has ascertained, and was, so far as I know, 
the first of our ornithologists to do so, that this so-called 
“center-board” is not confined to the male, but in the 
breeding season is common to both sexes. A few, sup- 
posed to be young birds of the previous season, were 
without them. The fanciful notion that they are wea- 
pons of attack and defence, in the males, therefoie, 
won’t hold water. Capt. Bendire also writes me that 
the usual number of eggs is two, and in some instances 
there were as many as three and four, apparently depos- 
ited by the same female. He also informs me that so 
far as he observed, the occipital crest of this bird, is in- 
variably white, and not 3’ellow. 
These are interesting facts, and go to rc-afBnn the 
often repeated caution, how unsafe it is sometimes to 
theorize or isolate. When 5Ir. Kidgway found this 
Pelican breeding, each with her one egg, the birds had 
been several times previously robbed of their eggs and 
it was late in the season, and this way explains the single 
egg at that time. It may be that the female sheds her 
crest much sooner than the male and this is, perhaps, 
the reason why 5Ir. Ridgwaj' observed only the males 
thus wearing them. The absence of yellow in the oc- 
cipital crests of those taken by Capt. Bendire, it is not 
so easy to explain. It may be indica'ive of specific 
differences, or, to be more nice, differences of race. 
Thomas 51. Brewer. 
(LASSIFIC.ATIOA AT DOG SHOWS. 
BY SET-rER. 
In starting any new enterprise (especially one de- 
signed to reform a long existing evil) it is highly essen- 
tial that the rules and principles upon which it is to de- 
pend, shall be sirictly correct; otherwise instead of 
being benefltted by the neiv departure, we may find it 
only a blind leader, under whoSe guidance we fall into 
a deeper ditch than that we seek to escape from. This 
fact was forced upon my recognition by the bad classifi- 
cation of the dogs at the recent Springfield Show, and 
as wrong impressions and false conceptions of what 
constitutes the various breeds of our imported animals, 
may easily result from the promiscuous entry- of dogs in 
classes to w-hich they did not at all belong, I desire to 
offer the following remarks on Class 1 in the hope of 
saving some of j'our readers from error. 
“Class 1 — Laverack.” So ran the programme. Now 
an idea seems prevalent in this country-, that all that is 
necessary to establish a claim to this title is a mixture 
of blue or bliia;k with white in the coat, a low stature, 
and a reputed English origin, no matter from yvhat 
source or how far back. A short time since I noticed 
in one of the sporting papers an advertisement of “A 
Laverack setter for sale bred from imported stock.” 
This is an example of the error 1 allude to, for it is pos- 
itively certain that the dog in ((uestiou had no drop of 
Laverack blood in him, since this is a name yvhich be- 
longs exclusively to that family- of English setters bred 
by 5Ir. Laverack, and to their direct descendants. 5Ir. 
Lay-erack has a clear pedigree of over eighty years for 
his dogs, and thej- are noyv recognized by English dog 
breeders as a distinct cla.ss, solely and alone entitled to 
this name. Each dog springing from this stock has a 
w-ell-defined pedigree and can be readily traced, so 
“bred from imported stock” yvill not pass muster with 
the initiated. Again yve have indubitable proof that 
but iour of These dogs have ever been imported into this 
country! Of the.se, 5Ir. Rai'inond of 51orris Plains 
owns “Pride of the Border,” “Fairy” and “Ruby,” and 
.Mr. Demutb of Fort Dodge owns “Pickles,” so that the 
dog adveitised cannot I'C a Laverack, as he is too old to 
be one of thc^pups yvhich have sprung from the above 
dogs, and there are no other Laveracks in America. 
This last fact brings us at once face to face with one 
evil resulting from the classification at Springfield, for 
with but four representatives of this blood in the 
country of suitable age to enter, provided the class yvas 
strictl}- adhered to, competition must of necessity be 
limited to 5rr. Raymond and 5Ir. Demnlh, and in case 
either yvas absent the other would have a yvalk over for 
the prizes. This being apparent, an effort was made to 
correct the evil, wbich resulted in a still greater one, 
for instetid of making an open class under the title Lav- 
eracks and others, the original name was retained, and 
dogs that were not Laveracks were entered with those 
that were, thus giving the former a false rank with 
sportsmen who do not know the true breeding of each 
individual; as for example in the Laverack class yvere 
entered 5Ir. Adams’ “Rock” and “Duke” and 5Ir. 
Strong’s “Rock;” 5Ir. Adams’ dogs are of the true Field 
Trial blood, and 5Ir. Strong’s “Rock” is half Gordon 
and half Laverack (being out of “Rubj-,” now owned 
by 5Ir Raymond, b}- Dr. Gautier’s Gordon dog). 
Such a jumble has the effect of still further confusing 
the public as to yvhat the Field Trial breed is, and as 
the dogs of that blood stand second to none of any race 
or name, great injustice ma}- result from thus robbing 
them of tbeir title. Some of the sporting papers have 
defined this breed as made up of a cross betyveen the 
Laverack and Gordon; this is true so far as it goes, but 
it goes only a verj- little way. A dash of Gordon blood 
indeed belongs to this stock, but it came into it two or 
three generations back, has not been reneived, find even 
then was no kin to the so-called Gordons of the present 
day. The name of Field Trial of right belongs to a dis- 
tinct and limited family. The breed sprang from 5Ir. 
Thomas Statter’s bitch “Rhoebe” yvhose dam was 
Statter’s “Ps3'che,” (a cross betyveen the South Esk and 
Gordon kennels; here isyvhere the Gordon came in) and 
whose sire was 51r. Hackett’s “Rake” (a pure English 
.setter). “Rluebe” was put to 5rr. Barcla3' Field’s Eng- 
lish setter “Duke,” and from this union came the 
Field Trial setters. No dogs of this name had ever ex- 
isted before the “Duke” and “Rhoebe” union. This 
name was given to the descendants of this union, be- 
cause the3- yvon so many prizes at field trials, that the3' 
practicall3' shut out the representatives of all other 
breeds. The originator of this name claims the right 
to confine it to the de.«cenJants of .“Duke” and “Rlioe- 
be,” or to such dogs as have the blood of one'of this 
pair mixed yvith the Laverack; and as the original blood 
is confined to three kennels in England, viz., Thomas 
tjtatter’s, BarclH3' Field’s and R. LI. Purcell Llewellin’s, 
any assumption of it b3- other parties for strains not 
obtained from these gentlemen, is as unyvarrantable as 
if a man having a dog descended from English stock 
I Established A. D. 1871, 
IS4<aYear, 10 cts a Copy 
should call him a Laverack. A Field Trial dog cannot 
be manufactured b3' any composition of blood outside 
of the original strain yvhich gave it birth, and its subse- 
quent limited manifestations. Since the dogs rightfully 
entitled to this name have become so distinguished, it 
has become fashionable to call all yvinners at field trials 
Field Trial dogs, but if the winning confers the title, it 
can with equal propriety be assumed by the grand 
pointers yvhich have won so many honors within the 
last feyv 3'ears and thus the name ceases to represent an3- 
breed of setters as distinguished from all others, a thing 
I think setter breeders would instantly revolt against, 
though they have been ready enough to take the honor 
from the original proprietors, and clothe with it their 
dogs of different blood but of good performance. 
To mix Laveracks and Field Trials in one class under 
either name, is a palpable error yvhich must be avoided 
in all future slioyvs. 5Ve want noyv to enliglitcn sports- 
men as to the distinctive and special qualities of each of 
our n-.w importations, not to confuse them still further 
b3' using names at random or giving them to dogs not 
entitled to them. Our shows and trials must be the 
means of introducing and e-xhibiting the new strains to 
men who desire fresh blood in their kennels ; hence I 
trust that bad classification wilt be done away with, and 
each breed, whether Field Trial or Laverack, Irish or 
Gordon, have a chance to stand upon its oyvn merits. 
The Cleveland Herald, in reference to the great tour- 
nament, says: 
The tournament has been a decided success, finan- 
cially as yvell as in ever3' other particular. The prizes 
were the largest ever offered for competition in the 
world, the assemblage of marksmen the largest ever 
gathered together, and the shooting the best, on the 
general average, ever witnessed. Some few participant* 
in the shooting leave the city in a very unhappy mood, 
and have indulged in considerable grumbling, but a* 
they belong to the class of “constitutional kickers” that 
are always on hand on occasions like this and must be 
tolerated, but little attention is paid to them, and their 
“growling” was not permitted to interfere with the great 
pleasure enj.ived by all lovers of pigeon shooting. Great 
credit is due 5Ies3rs. Farrar and Turrill for the projec- 
tion and bringing to a successful termination this grand 
National Tournament, and no expense or pains have 
been spared by them to reach this very desirable end- 
ing. Their efforts received pleasant approval of 5Ion- 
day evening, yvben they were voted the thanks of th« 
participants and greeteil yvith three rousing cheers and 
a tiger. It yvould be unjust to close our report of tho 
great tournament without mention and recognition of 
certain gentlemen from abroad, yvho lent generous aid 
and united yy ith the management to make the tourna- 
ment a success in ever3- yvav. Prominent among the.se 
were “Jake” Winner of Niagara Falls, Fred Abbey of 
Chicago, E. B. Hamilton and John Sidway of Buffalo; 
T. J. South of Franklin, Ky. ; “Hod” Silsby of Seneca 
Falls, N. 5’., and last, but not least, T. C. Banks, trav- 
elling correspondent of The Rod akd Gux, yvhose ser- 
vices as referee were ever in demand, whose decisions 
gave universal satisfaction, and yvhose great experience 
and sound judgment rendered his suggestions regard- 
ing certain details of the shoot invaluable. 
Graxd Poultry, Pigeon- and Dog Snoyv.— The 
first exhibition of the National Poultry Association will 
be held in the Exposition building, Chicago, from Jan. 
20th to 2Sth, 1870, and will include all varieties of 
Poultry-, Pigeons, Dogs, Rabbits, Fish, Singing and Or- 
namental Birds, and small p.ds of all kinds. Dog show 
to commence January 25th and close January 28th. The 
American Poultry Association will hold its annual con- 
vention at the same time and place. The premium list, 
now in preparation, will be the most liberal evtr offered 
! at a similar exhibition, and yvith the uncqualed facili- 
; ties for a large show, it is confidently- expected that the 
exhibition will be the largest ever held in America. For 
premium list or other information, address Charles P. 
Willard, Sec. N. P. Asso., cor. Redfield and Steiu sts., 
Chicago, 111. 
