The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-04 00:00:00

some structure, erected at a cost of £B,OOO, upon
ground which cost £B,OOO more.
But for variety of taste in the choice of hobbies,
and division of labour in the culture of fancy things,
a visitor might be equally au fait among the cattle,
the birds, the produce, the machines, or the dogs.
Mankind, however, having divided themselves into
groups giving their lives to specialities, you need a
handbook at every new show you enter, whereby
otherwise imperceptible excellencies may reveal
themselves it may be in roses or melons, in silk-
worms or white mice. You admire the intermin-
able ranks of handsome, lively bits of intelligence
and faithfulness ; the graceful, sturdy, • alert, pom-
pous, or comic creatures that growl, whine, and
bark their own in Curzon-hall; but you don't under-
stand a dog, and are perhaps unaware that one side
of your newspaper might be filled with the points of
perfection and demerit in the numerous breeds and
their subdivided strains. Look then at tke picturesque,
warm your heart with the affection of these playful
pets, feel physically powerful in the company of
those noble hounds. Perhaps some compassionate
critic may lead you round by the elbow and discourse
technically of minute differences in build, carriage,
and colour of the animaisbefore you, till you wonder
whether canine study is not an encyclopaedic science.
For instance, here is Class 1. The simple-minded
answer to the catechism-question, " What is the
chief end of man ?" " His head, Sir !" does apply
to a pointer ; for this shell of the brain is the seat
of that marvellous smelling faculty that forms his
main qualification. His jaw is not narrow like that
of a hog, his long soft ears hang close to his cheeks,
and his throat is devoid of a hairy dewlap. Strength
for work demands a broad muscular loin and limbs
with strong bone ; a speed requires a well-set
shoulder ; his round, cat-like feet have natural shoe-
soles of horny pad, and his " stern," that warning
index to the sportsman, is long and sharpened to a
point. That you may readily espy him in a leafy crop
his coat shines white, with lemon or liver-coloured
patches adorning it. You learn that the breeding of
these dogs is a difficult art, the great aim being to
combine the graceful elastic frame of the smaller
strains with a more stalwart size for working among
tall growing green crops and busy heather. The
judges value the symmetry and constitution of the
dog, but of his stanchness, courage, action, and son:-
sitive nose they can tell little without shooting over
him.

You should like a setter's head lighter than a
pointer's, though without a snipe nose ; his ears
round-ended, not pointed like a vine-leaf ; his body
marked more by depth than breadth ; his feet stand-
ing straight ; and you are to notice the arching of
the toes with the tufts of hair between. 'The stern
curves upward, with a depending silky " feather,"
thinning off at the tip ; but the fine coat must not
curl, though beautifully fringing the profile of the
body.

If you are well up in your Field, you will under-
stand the great point of colour in the Irish setter--
the coat being deep blood-red and rich chesnut or
mahogany, not golden yellow, fallow, nor fawn, so
unmixed with black that when tested in a strong
light there must be no black waves or shadows, much
less a black fringe to the ears or the profile of the
frame. And you will doubly admire the setter of
true Gordon blood when you know that he is ac-
cording to rule in being raven black, with a blue or
plum bloom on the bright lights, in having his "tan',
a rich red or burnt sienna colour, with brilliant red
on cheeks, lips, throat, and feet, a spot of tan over
each eye, an allowable " white shirt frill," and a
stern like a sting—the greatest trouble to breeders
being the long " teapot tail" with a curl at the end.
His virtues consist in going longer without water
than other setters, and displaying more variety of
attitude " on the point."
The pointers and setters in the present show sur-
pass in numbers and merit the display of former
years. The foxhounds make a very fine show, in-
cluding some of the most famous sires from the best
kennels. 'The greyhounds are inferior ; the retrievers
excellent; the spaniels remarkably meritorious.
There is a splendid show of bulls and bull-terriers,
of Newfoundlands, St. Bernards, and toy-terriers.
A peculiar feature this year is the provision of
classes for dogs of small size and for puppies of
every breed. The show is altogether by far the best
we have ever seen.

The Cattle Plague.

BRADFORD.

The cattle disease is seriously on the increase in
this district, especially in the magisterial division of
East Morley. Mr. Collins, one of the inspectors of
the division, reports that during the past week he
has examined no fewer than 26 new cases of cattle
disease, and that in 17 of these cases the cows had
died. The owners of the beasts resided in Allerton,
Thornton, Rodley, and Baildon. Mr. Carter, in-
spector of one-half of the division, also reports that
daring the past week the disease has appeared for
the first time on seven different farms in Wyke and
Hortishead, causing the death or slaughter of no
fewer than 12 cows. In the Keighley district Messrs.
Emmott and Holmes, the inspectors, report that at
Wilsdon one stirk has died during the week, and
that two cows and another stirk are so ill that they
are not likely to recover.