The Non-Sporting Classes were a good average all through, the largest entries being in Mastiffs, Sheep-dogs, Bull-dogs (where I first notice my friend Mr. J. W. Berrie showing King Cole, and the names of Messrs. Dan Parsley, J. Hinks, and R. Fulton being amongst the winners), Bull-terriers over and under 18 lb., Black-and-tan and Smooth- and Broken-haired Terriers, and Toy Terriers. I should have said that in a separate class for Wire-haired Fox-terriers Mr. T. Wootton took all the prizes with his Wasp, Venture, Turpin, and Tip; and those who have read his interesting articles in Our Dogs will probably agree that he knows as much of the Fox-terriers of the past as any one you could meet with in a long day's walk.

The next show of importance I am able to trace was held in the Curzon Hall, Birmingham, on December 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, 1873, with an entry of 944.

The judges officiating were the following: Pointers, Messrs. T. Llewellin Brewer, E. Lewis, and Colonel Welfitt; Blood-hounds, Mastiffs, and Sheep-dogs, Mr. M. B. Wynn; St. Bernards and Newfoundlands, Rev. J. Cumming Macdona; Deer-hounds and Greyhounds, Mr. S. Mallaby; Setters and Retrievers, Messrs. S. E. Shirley, M.P., and W. Lort; Otter-hounds, Harriers, and Beagles, Mr. J. Walker (Wrexham); Fox-terriers, the Hon. T. W. Fitzwilliam and Mr. J. Walker (Wrexham); Bull-dogs, Dalmatians, Bull-terriers, Black-and-tan and Smooth Terriers, and Large Non-Sporting Foreign Dogs, Messrs. Charles Collins and Peter Eden; Skyes, Dandies, Bedlingtons, Broken- and Wire-haired Terriers, Mr. James Nisbet; Pomeranians, Pugs, Maltese, Italian Greyhounds, Toy Spaniels and Terriers, and Small Non-Sporting Dogs, Mr. John Percival.

Sporting Classes generally were well filled, the largest entry being in Pointers (with the names of Whitehouse, Lloyd Price, and Arkwright well in front). Setters came up well, supported by such exhibitors as Messrs. R. Purcell-Llewellin, Lloyd Price, J. Fletcher, Major Cowen, and others; also Retrievers of both varieties; and all kinds of Spaniels, with Mr. Skidmore, Rev. A. L. Willet, Messrs. P. Bullock, W. W. Boulton, Captain the Hon. W. Arbuthnot, and Mr. W. S. Holmes, amongst the winners.

This is the first show where I have noticed Dachshunds provided with a classification, the winners belonging to the Hon. G. W. Lascelles and Mr. John Fisher, who wrote an interesting account of the breed in a book on Dogs I have read.

The Non-Sporting Classes also came up well, the largest being Mastiffs (with Mr. E. Hanbury well in front), St. Bernards (in which my friend Mr. F. Gresham took most of the prizes in Smooths), Bull-dogs (with Messrs. F. Adcock, F. Lamphier, and D. Parsley "in the money"), Bull-terriers (with Messrs. Yardsley, Godfree, and others as winners), Black-and-tan and Smooth Terriers (with Messrs. H. Lacy, R. Taylor, and P. Swindell fairly in it), and Skyes (supported by Messrs. A. Boulton and J. Bowman); and a good few entries in most of the other classes for Toys and Pet Dogs, and a fair assortment of the several Large and Small varieties of Foreign Dogs.

The last show I am able to give any details of in this year was called the Thirteenth Dog Show, and held at Belle Vue, Manchester, on December 24th, 26th, and 27th, 1873, when a good entry resulted.

The judges who acted were the following: for Sporting Dogs, Messrs. W. Lort and W. Cropper; for Non-Sporting Dogs, Messrs. John Douglas, D. Ives, and J. Monsey.

Sporting Classes opened with a good entry of Pointers (amongst the winners being the names of Messrs. R. Lloyd Price, C. W. Brierley - so well known since in other branches of the Fancy - H. P. Charles, and Arkwright), Setters (with Messrs. J. Fletcher, T. B. Bowers, and Brierley, winners), and good lots of Retrievers, Spaniels (well supported by Messrs. J. Fletcher, H. B. Spurgin, W. W. Boulton, T. B. Bowers, and T. Statter), and Fox-terriers (where I notice for the first time Mr. J. Fletcher's Rattler, so long associated with my old friend Mr. George Hellewell in his triumphant career, and another departed friend Mr. S. W. Smith, so well afterwards known amongst St. Bernards as a winner of two or three prizes!).

Non-Sporting Breeds were well represented, particularly Mastiffs, Black-and-tan Terriers (with Mr. H. Lacy well in front), Scotch Terriers (with Mrs. M. A. Foster in her usual place), and Toy Terriers. The entries in Toy Spaniels and the other Small varieties were very scanty, and only one class for the now popular breed Pomeranians.

The next show on my list is one held in the Agricultural Hall, Wolverhampton, on January 30th and 31st, and February 1st and 2nd, 1874, under the secretaryship of Mr. T. J. Barnett, with an entry of 406.

The following judges officiated: Messrs. W. Lort, H. Gibson, J. Llewellin Brewer, and Charles Collins.

Sporting Dogs had the largest classes, especially Pointers (with Messrs. R. Lloyd Price, J. Bishop, and G. H. Hawleyin front rank), Setters (with Messrs. G. Jones and Purcell-Llewellin "in the money" as usual), Retrievers (with Messrs. J. W. Morris and J. Bishop as extensive winners), Spaniels (with Mr. J. Fletcher in the first flight), and Fox-terriers (with Messrs. Astbury, S. W. Smith, J. Terry, A. C. Bradbury, and T. Wootton amongst them); and I have not before noticed the Rev. F. W. de Castro's Buffer, who took second here to Mr. S. W. Smith's Meter in open class. Deer-hounds were another good lot, with Messrs. G. Hickman and Rev. G. F. Hodson amongst the winners.

Nearly all the Non-Sporting Classes were badly filled, about the best being Bull-terriers, Black-and-tan and Smooth English Terriers, a few Sheep-dogs, Dandies, Rough-coated Terriers (in which Mr. T. Wootton was first and second with his Tip and Venture), and small lots of Toys and variety classes, the many since extensively provided for at our shows of fancy varieties having no classes here.

On March 17th, 18th, and 19th, 1874, the Second Great Central Exhibition of Sporting and other Dogs was held in the Corn Exchange, Northampton, with an entry of 349. Mr. J. S. Muddeman acted as hon. secretary.

The judges were the following: the Rev. G. F. Hodson, Messrs. W. Lort and J. Walker (Halifax).

Sporting Classes had the largest entries in Retrievers (with Messrs. J. W. Morris and S. E. Shirley, M.P., amongst the winners), and Fox-terriers (with Messrs. T. Wootton, S. W. Smith, J. Fletcher, and J. Terry all in the prize list). In Spaniels most of the prizes went to Messrs. J. Fletcher, T. B. Bowers, and W. W. Boulton. Setters, in the same way, were mainly indebted for their entries to Messrs. Purcell-Llewellin, J. Fletcher, and T. B. Bowers. I do not remember meeting with Mr. E. Brough's name as an exhibitor of Blood-hounds before this show, where he took first and second with Clotho and Rufus.

Non-Sporting had the largest entries in Bull-dogs, with Messrs. F. Lamphier, S. E. Shirley, M.P., F. Adcock, and G. Dawes all amongst the winners. Black-and-tans and Bull-terriers were the best supported of the remainder, and there was a good entry in variety classes. This show was memorable as being the first appearance, amongst a small entry of Sheep-dogs, of Mr. S. E. Shirley's Trefoil, a very well-shaped and typical tricoloured Rough Collie some of my readers will remember as a great winner, and of Mr. H. Lacy's Mec, also a great winner in his time, black-and-tan in colour.