As the rough Scotch greyhound is to the present deerhound, so is the deerhound to what the Irish wolfhound was!

It may be of interest to mention here that the last wolf is said to have been killed in 1710, but there is no accurate information as to the date. The height of the European wolf varies from 28in. to 30in., and he is, though of comparatively slight form, an animal of very great power and activity.

Richardson, being an enthusiast on the subject, and not content with simply writing, took measures to recover the breed. With much patience and trouble he hunted up all the strains he could hear of, and bred dogs of gigantic size, to which the strains now in existence can be distinctly traced. A gentleman of position and means in Ireland, deceased some six or eight years, possessed a kennel of these dogs, on the breeding of which he expended both time and fortune freely. They were, though not equal to the original dog, very fine animals. It has been ascertained beyond all question that there are a few specimens of the breed still in Ireland and England that have well-founded pretensions to be considered Irish wolfhounds, though falling far short of the requisite dimensions.

In conclusion, the writer would again earnestly urge that some decided action may be taken by gentlemen possessing both leisure and means to restore to us that most noble of the canine race - the Irish wolfhound.

Since the foregoing was written by Capt. Graham the subject of the Irish wolfhound has been occasionally before the public both in this country and in America, but no new and authenticated facts have, so far as we are aware, been elicited in the discussion, and, unless we accept statements unsupported by evidence, we are left in the position that although there are dogs unquestionably possessing some of original Irish wolfhound blood, none are known to exist of absolutely pure pedigree.

In March, 1878, a sketch of a supposed scion of this race appeared in "The Country " newspaper of New York, followed by a fair resume of historical notices of the breed. A month following a letter appeared in the same journal from Mr. Frank Adcock, of Shevington Hall, Wigan, in which he says, "It may interest your readers to know that this dog (the Irish wolfhound) is still in existence and exhibits all the various attributes ascribed to him by ancient writers. Those that I possess are blackish grey and grizzled in colour, with stiff wiry coats. In shape they resemble the great Scotch deerhound, but are somewhat more stoutly made, and very much superior in size and courage, the head also, although as long, is more massive and punishing in character, and the sense of smell is marvellously acute."

We, through the same medium, expressed our surprise at Mr. Adcock's statement that the pure breed existed and were in that gentleman's possession, knowing him to be an exhibitor of rare breeds, and yet that he kept such an interesting fact from his countrymen, and had given them no opportunity of seeing, even at a Kennel Club Show, one specimen of this rarity, and suggested that he should substantiate a statement which had astonished more than ourselves. Unfortunately, the American " Country" is now more extinct than the Irish wolfhound, but in its last issue appeared a letter from Mr. Adcock, in response, we presume, to an editorial article on the subject, in which occurs the following sentence: "It certainly seems strange that the first intimation of it (the existence of the breed) should have been published in our columns, but we have no complaint to make on that score, if Mr. Adcock will make his claim good by proving that he really owns, as he has stated, more than one of the original breed." The letter from Mr. Adcock, however, is headed "Wolfhounds," says a good deal about Spain and the Pyrenees wolf dogs, and distinctly adds, "the wolfhounds I allude to are not to be confounded with these mongrels, but are more or less identical with the dog known as the Irish greyhound or wolfhound."

Feeling strongly interested in the recovery or resuscitation of the Irish wolfhound, this controversy led us to make further enquiries respecting the breed, but there are few indeed who appear to know much of it or take any practical interest in it; and for the following notes referring to the last known pure strains we are indebted to the writer of the foregoing article, who possesses a more thorough knowledge of the breed and all concerning it, who has had more practical experience in breeding up to standard of the true Irish wolfhound than any man living, and who has in his dogs various combinations of, as far as we know, the only strains that possess authentic claims of descent from the original stock.

Captain Graham writes us: "With regard to the Caledon breed of Irish wolfhounds, the present lord tells me that his father kept them, and that he can just remember them in his extreme youth. He very kindly made strict inquiries when on his Irish estates last year, and from the older keepers and tenants he has gathered the following particulars, which he filled in on a form containing a series of questions which I sent him. The Irish wolfhounds kept by the late Earl of Caledon were as tall as the largest deerhound now seen - if not taller - of a stouter make throughout, broader and more massive; the ears were similar to a deer-hound's; rough, but not long coated; fawn, grizzly, and dun in colour; some old men have mentioned a mixture of white.

" The late Earl of Derby had a similar breed, I am assured positively by a gentleman (a clergyman) who had one given him many years ago - over fifteen, probably twenty; but from Knowsley direct I have not got any information, though I wrote; probably the old keepers who had charge of the menagerie have disappeared and knowledge of the dogs has died out. A clergyman to whom one of my dogs was given some nine or ten years ago told me that the present Lord Derby had seen this dog, and considered him a finer dog than any he had formerly had. I understand he grew to be very high - thirty-two inches - and massive in proportion; his sire was only thirty and a half inches, but his grandsire was thirty-two, or considered to be so.