The points of excellence in the Gordon, closely resemble those of the English Setter, but, I may observe, that the great features of true Gordon blood are, that they can go much longer without water than the generality of Setters, and that they show more variety in their attitude on 'the point.' The length of their shoulders, their large bone, and their development of muscle, enable them to race, and to keep it up. The colour of the Gordon is a great point. The black should be raven black, with a blue, or plum bloom, on the bright lights. The tan a rich red, of burnt sienna, colour. It should be, by no means, yellow or tabby, or mixed with black or fawn, but rich, deep, a sort of bright new mahogany. The cheeks, lips, throat, feet, back of the forelegs to the elbow, front of the hind legs up to the hips, belly, inside of thighs, vent, underside of flag, inside of ears, should all be brilliant red, and there should be a large brilliant spot of tan over each eye. There is no objection to a white short frill, although the absence of all white is a good thing. White toes behind, are less objectionable than white toes in front, and several of the very best Gordons have even had a white foot, or feet, but this is not to be desired if it can be avoided.

The origin of the breed is not well known. The late Duke of Gordon, at any rate, brought it up to its present excellence. There is a suspicion it came originally from Ireland, and the fact that nearly all the best Gordon bitches have had in every litter, one or more deep red, or orange, whelps, leads one to believe there has been an Irish cross. The Gordon Setter's stern is shorter than that of the English Setter, but 'sting like.' Failing this, breeders find they have that greatest trouble to the Gordon breeder, the 'teapot tail,' or a long stern with a curl at the end, badly carried in action. He is a long, low, Setter, his gallop noiseless, and he is remarkably quick in his turn, from the power of his shoulders and loins, length of his neck and general muscular development, a trifle heavier in his head, shorter in his stern, rather deeper in his 'brisket,' more bony and muscular than the English Setter, with a remarkably gay temperament. ' Always busy,' he is quite the beau ideal of a sportsman's favourite, but he has his failings.

He is more frequently 'gunshy,' more often the victim of distemper, than the English, and, occasionally, so headstrong as to be totally irreclaimable, these may be the faults of education, and generally are so, but undeniably they are more often the results of inbreeding or injudicious crossing.

CORDON SETTER. CH .  MARQUIS.  T.JACOBS. OWNER .

CORDON-SETTER. CH . "MARQUIS." T.JACOBS. OWNER .