Another very prevalent but equally erroneous, if somewhat ingenious, theory at one time advanced was that the Collie owed some of its beautiful appearance to a cross with the Gordon Setter. There is, however, nothing very tangible in what has been adduced in respect of such a cross. It must be confessed to border so closely on the imaginary as not to be worth consideration, and may be dismissed accordingly.

Classes for Collies have been provided at the shows for more than thirty years; but it was not until June, 1885, that the breed had obtained a sufficient hold upon the public to warrant a specialist show. In that year a fairly successful show of Collies was organised by the Collie Club, the judges on that occasion being Mr. A. N. Radcliffe, Mr. W. W. Thomson, and Mr. J. Pirie. This was followed by a second show under similar auspices in October of the following year, when Mr. W. P. Arkwright was the judge-elect. From that time onward other shows have been held, and the breed has gradually progressed. At one time the show dogs were almost entirely in the hands of gentlemen; but of late years lady Collie fanciers have become a power in the Kennel World, and have to be reckoned with wherever classes for Collies obtain. It would not serve any good purpose to enumerate all the breeders that have contributed to the greatness of the present-day Collie, as these may be learned from such public records as the Kennel Club Stud Book and the Collie Stud Book. There are, however, a few breeders whose names stand out so conspicuously that it would hardly be just to leave them unmentioned - Queen Alexandra (when Princess of Wales), the Rev. Hans Hamilton, Mr. S. E. Shirley, the late Mr. H. Panmure Gordon, Mr. W. P. Arkwright, the Messrs. Stretch, the Messrs. Charles, Mr. Robert Chapman, Mr. A. H. Megson, Mr. C. H. Wheeler, Mr. Robert Tait, Mr. Hugo Ainscough, Mr. Barlow, and Mr. Powers are but a few that will go down to posterity as breeders and owners of renown.

To select a Collie puppy practically from the nest is no easy matter, and even really good judges not infrequently find themselves "at sea." The usual time at which the average novice is called upon to make a selection is just after weaning. At that age the puppies have not the correct ear-carriage of the adult, and with this variety, as with all others, it is not wise to discard an otherwise promising puppy on account thereof. Often even after the time when the ears are "up" they are carried indifferently, if the teething process is incomplete. There must, however, be a great distinction drawn between ear-carriage and ear-placement, as obviously the latter does not alter. A Collie's ears should be set on high, and the smaller they are the better. The head should be long and level, and neither too broad nor too narrow - the happy medium, in fact. The eyes should be small and intelligent-looking. The back should be short and strong. The fore legs should be straight. The tail should be short, and though a gay carriage is not desirable in the adult, too much importance must not be placed upon this in the case of the young puppy. The age at which the ears are raised varies in individuals, but is usually about the sixth month.

With regard to colour in Collie puppies, it may be stated that they always darken with age. As an instance of this the well-known Metchley Wonder may be cited. As a puppy he might have been correctly described as a pale sable; but at five years of age he had developed a black saddle. Mr. A. H. Megson relates how he once thought that he had a white Collie, which was most unusual; but when three months old it was of a cinnamon colour. He also states that he has bred puppies of quite a blue shade that ultimately turned out black.

In selecting, therefore, a Rough Collie puppy, the animal that most closely approximates, so far as points go, to the one described will probably make the most typical adult. Practically everything that has been said in connection with the Rough variety holds good with the Smooth, save that in the latter the shorter and smoother the coat is, the more promising the individual - so long as the desired coat is a natural and not an artificial production.

Something here may be very well said with regard to colour in the Collie, despite the fact that in the Club's descriptions this is said to be immaterial. Sable and sable-and-white are the fashionable colours, although there is no denying the beauty of the black, white, and tan. With many of the older school of Collie fanciers the last-named was considered the colour. Mr. Thomson Gray was an admirer of them. He wrote: "There is no colour so pretty in a Collie as a black, white, and tan, the tan being confined to the lower part of the legs, and to spots above the eyes; the chest white, with a large, broad, white collar, and the tip of the tail white. Such a dog, with a white muzzle and blaze up the face, is a picture to worship. Washed and kept perfectly clean, there is nothing in dog-flesh so pretty." The much-admired sable-and-white colour, so often found in the best specimens on the show-bench, is rarely met with in working Collies, which are mostly black and white in colour. So-called white Collies sometimes occur, but they do not command much favour. Of those preferring the sables and sable-and-whites the late Mr. Panmure Gordon was one, and he was one of the foremost supporters of the colours.

To show a Rough Collie in first-rate condition is by no means an easy matter : it requires plenty of good grooming, for which a dandy-brush is excellent, and periodical washing, say a couple of days before the show. The brushing should be a daily operation, and always in the direction of the head, or upwards. A comb is not used, except in the case of a matted coat. The Collie that is required for show should have good bedding material, straw being the best, constantly renewed. Like many another variety, the Collie in the past has not been free from the faker's attentions; but nowadays ears and tails cause the exhibitors the greatest anxiety. Lozenges are frequently employed some time beforehand in order to induce a better ear-carriage; or an extra gaily-carried tail not infrequently receives a hard knock prior to an exhibit entering the ring; while a Rough that is bad in coat has ere now been shown as a Smooth. It may be stated that the use of lozenges is forbidden by the Kennel Club, and if any tell-tale marks exist, a dog so exhibited stands a good chance of being disqualified.