Early History 
noting their excellent work, I confess my prefer¬ 
ences always went to the Blue Caps. In the matter 
of type, the Rowetts are perhaps stronger in head 
points and truer in expression, but those are distinc¬ 
tions of little value when field merit is considered, 
although I do not mean that the Blue Caps were 
superior to the Rowetts, even in those early days. 
The Blue Caps have always been credited, how¬ 
ever, with having a greater love for the scent of 
the rabbit than any other strain, bin it seemed that 
the crossing of this strain with the blood of Banner- 
man was particularly successful. Bannerman, as 
before stated, came from a small strain and he did 
much to keep the height at shoulder down within 
the limit, not only in breeding to the Blue Caps but 
also with the Rowetts, for Bannerman was equally 
successful as a cross with the latter. The Blue 
Caps, however, were bred about as pure as any¬ 
where up in Canada, where Hiram Card held forth 
in Ontario. 
Bannerman died at a ripe old age in the kennels 
of F. W. Chapman, of Ellsworth, Maine. He did 
as much good for the breed, though perhaps not in 
a direct line, as did Frank Forest, but through his 
descendents in various combinations. Jack Banner- 
man was one of his sons that did much toward 
bringing down this blood to present generations. 
Among the breeders who have been successful in 
breeding the Bannerman-Rowett combination and 
keeping the size down very small was W. E. Deane, 
of Somerset, Mass. He evidently did not consider 
markings alone and the same may be said of C. S. 
