Excerpt from The Dogs of the British Islands: Being a Series of Articles on the Points of Their Various Breeds, and the Treatment of the Disease to Which They Are Subject

Ince the third edition of this book was published so Short a time has elapsed that very little change in, or addition to, the Dogs of the British Islands is to be noticed. In the sporting division a warm controversy has for some time been going on with regard to the breeding of the Laverack setter, one party alleging that all of this breed are descended from one pair mentioned by Mr. Laverack as the sole progenitors of his strain, while the other maintain (1st) that Mr. Laverack himself admitted, both orally and in writing, that he had used importations from other kennels; and (2md) that it is incredible that the average age (9) necessary to show the truth of the Adam and Eve theory is within the bounds of possibility. My own Opinion is that the second of these objections is enough to dispose of this theory to the satisfaction of any person of average powers, but that the first is not by any means 'proved. In any case the question is of no importance, for the breed is now to be regarded from actual results, and not from theoretical grounds which ought entirely to give way before our experience of its merits or demerits, whichever may be in excess. Now, on the Show bench, the Laveracks (so called) have held their own both in this country and abroad, but in the field they have stood no chance against the crosses with other strains, and especially with those used by Mr. Purcell Llewellin, whose breed, now called Llewellin's, should therefore be preferred. With this exception there has been little or no novelty in any class of sporting dogs described by me in the previous editions, but I have added an article on the French Basset, now extensively bred in this country, written by Mr. Krehl, which will be read with especial interest by the admirers of that dog, and also by hound men in general.

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