NOTES BY TERROR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2157, 27 June 1895, Page 33

NOTES BY TERROR.

'.* A coincident : •' Fancier," my Wellington contemporary, in his laet wteVs notes favoured his readers with a suggestion vshichhe states he has leceived from a Dui.ediu fanoier to the effect that Wellington fanciers should form a N.Z K.C. I nvght have mentioned in my last notes that tho reason why I then referred once more to the same subject in tho interests of the Dunedin foucy was because of information which reached mo from a member of the Wellington Club, who, slrange to s&y, reuides in Dunedin ! No doubt both " Fancier " and "Terror" have been inspired simultaneously by the same spirit ; let vi hope it was not. aa evil one. Be r ore touching upon some points raised by " Fancisr " I would like to Bay that I thiuk fancUrs when combined for mutual help would do well to encourage a feeling of esprit de corps, and that corrispondeuts desirous of ventilating their opia'ons in u<s<*sp*pers would display a laudable kind of provincialism if they selected loi'a\ mediums for their purposes. Further, I think that a Dunpdiuite suggesting Wellington as a suitable habitat tor the N Z X 0., and failing to reoognisa his oblig*tkm to the local mediums existing for the benefit of the fancy, di plays a lamentable lack of the two admirable qualities above reforred to. "Farci-r" suggests that the present club should ha removed rather than that a rival club s'iouM be formed, and that all the present registrations in the co-called N Z X C. Stud Book should be cancelled and the boak thrown in the fire ; that a n9w stud book i-hould bo opened ; and further, as he considers that thrae heads am better than one, he suggests that his two southern contemporaries s'aould express their views iv tho matter. Now, for my p»rt, I believe in provincialism to a limited extent only ; therefore, though I Bhould like to tee tha N.Z K.C. transferred to Dunedin, for the reasoa that I have evcy confidence that the local fancy could form an energetic working nucleus for a club, still I am qui'e prepared in the interests of the fancy as a whole to favour the matter being put to the vote, so that the local c\uh s can have an opportunity of deciding whether ihiags are to remain as at present, or the club re-established in Christchurch, or transferred to Auckland, Danedin, or Wellington. If this course is adopted I do not think that the beadqaarterß of the club will be ramoved merely to the locality where it happens the largeit show t*bes place, as tin Danedin correspondent of my nor them contt mporary suggests, but, t j where soaae really capable men can bo found willing to undertake the dutie3 in a manner creditable alike to members and the fancy. The question of cancellation of the stud book registrations must of course be left to the consideration of tho local clubs, who will no doubb express their wishes when a body is in existence prepared to acb on suggestions m-vde by them. • . • I had the pleasure the other day of seeing a sab'.e and white collie puppy by Newmarket Ruff out of Newmarket Faith, the property of Mr R^gin, which arrived by the Flora from Wellington. He stopped at Mr Williams's kenuelo, in the North-Eaßt Valley, during his stay in Dnnedin, aud is a very handBomedog. The vistor is «. full brother to Mr Williama's dog aud to Mr Haii es'j bitch, and all three are truly iiMidsocae animals. All points considered, however, tho visitor cannot be compared with his present ke-mel mate. • . • I have been favoured with a peep at a letter sent from one of the biggest retriever breeders and exhibitors in England to a local fancier who is thinking of going in for lvt rievers, and wbo, I bslitve, has sent away by this mail au offer for champion Tiver'oon Beauty. This is cognised as one of the btt a tre'ricvt»rbit.<ms in E gland. He has also sent an offer for a dog of equal merit. It is evident that the dog fiuey is not dying out in Dune.iin, particularly in relriovers, which 1 am very pleased to see. • . • Mr Jowitt's Opawa Fay whelped a ehort time since four dogs and one bitoh to R*noch. They are all doing well aud are very nicely nmksd. I intend having a look over Mr Jewitb'u kennels shortly, and will report. • . • Dog fancying is carried on extensively in China. There are thousands of large breeding establishments scattered over the northern districts of Manchuria and Mongolia, and no dogekius in the world can compare with those tint come from the parts named as regards their size, quality, or lengbh of hair. • . • If the bull terrier men of England abandoned cropping because convinced of its cruelty infinite praise is due to them. Few probably are aware of the tremendous task set the fancy. All the uncropped bull terriers I ever saw had the most praposterous attempts at a medium btstween a ruzorback hog's ears and a fairv'a winga that ever wece seen, and I am quite sure that any of our show cracks would be left out of the ring if they appeared with such oars. Therefore bull terrier men have found a most difficult task when they determine that their dogs shall be shown with natural ears.— Dog Fancier. . •.• Growler i "No use talking— there is somethiDg wrong with civilisation. It has got to be reformed ; patience has ceased to be a virtue. I am going to be an anarchist." Cherrjblet "What has happened?" Growler: "Here I am asiessed 10s dog taxes for a miserable little cur that my boy picked up somewhere, while my rich neighbour with a £500 prize-medal thoroughbred bulldog doesn't have to pay a penny more." • . • Very Expressive.— Extract from Lancashire daily paper :—" Lost, brown and white cock pup. Reward, Clayton Mill, North road, Preston." Our correspondent asks, Cau you enlighten me as to what a cock pup is likely to be ? I confess I cannot. • . • Mexican Dogs.— They come from the State of Chihuahua, in Mexico, and take their name from the State. They are aaid to live in holes like rabbits, in company with snakes and bats, and feed on insects. In May the Indians go with a trained dog of the same species, with which they lure the parents from the hoe. The female offers little resistance, but the male

fights fiercely, and hen -io be killed before f ha yourig can bo secured. A traveller says th« race ib rapidly becoming extinct in Moxico, and they are now so valuable that a Mexican will freely commit murder to secure one, A peculia* foature of the breed is that many have complete donble stts of teeth — some are underhung ; and all, without exception, havo the toe nailnso long tbat they carl round and require cutting regularly ; also, thoy never bark. • . • The Queen, s*ys the British Fancier, has always taken a kindly interest in the royal buckhousds, and when, some years ago, Frank Goodall had a bad fall, - the first thing the Queen did was to go and see him. She was told that an old hound had licked Goodall'a face, and standing over his huntsman, declined to let anyone touch bim, and forthwith the hound had to be fetobed from the kennel, and her Majeity gave it as her oommiud that the faithful animal was to be pensioned and kept comfortable for life. • . • A meeting of the committee of the Dunedin Fanciers' Club was held on Menday evening iv Mr Myera's rooms ; present — Rtebsis Myers, Ferguson, Hides, Williamc, Freed, Browulie, Russell, Orbell, R inkin, Laing, Sbor!-, and Dodds (secretary). Mr Barnard, an < x-vice-president of Hie club, was alsj present by sptcial invitation. Mr Myers w&s voted to tho chair. Mr Rutherford, tectttary of tie Duuedin Homing Pigeon Society, wrote that his committee would willingly undertake the m%nngp.ment of the lljingracain connection' with the show. The offer was accepted with thanks. In relation to this race it ■ waß resolved, on the motion of Mr Williams, that the schedule be altered, and that it should be open to all flyers withia a radius of 12 miles from tho Dunedin Post Office. Mr Loaaby wrote that, in conjunction with Mr Peterson, he would have much pleasure iv acting as judge of the cmary sctt'on of the show. Mr Pafcersun ' sent a verbal me3?age to the like effect. Mr Bannister, secretary of the New Zealand Poultry Association, Wellington, wrote th*t the Bth July was the da^o of closing entries for the champion shew, and asking tbe secretary of, tbiq club to receive all loaal cntrifs for tho same. — Agreed to. He also iutimated that the annual meeting would be held on the 20th July, and requested ton club to appoint delegates thereto. — Ib was resolved to appoint the Hon. George M'Lean, M.L C. (president of the club), and Mr Kf lining (late treasurer) delegates, with instructions to use their best endeavours t) have the nc j xfc champion phow of the .association (in 1896) held in Dunedin. The "traffic manager, New Zealand railways, Dunedin, having declined to grant excursion fares on the railways on the ccc«>ion of the show, tbe secretary was directed to communicate wirh Mr Piokerton, M.H.R , and ths president asking them to interview the Minister lor Railways on the subject. Mr Brownlio, utn.. was unanimously appointed superintendent of the show rcom. Mr Williams proposed that a guessing competition be held in order to assist the fund foe paying fcr the new pigeon coops' and Mr Ferguson aud himself were appointee a Bub-commit'.ee to arrange details. It was al«o decided to have an additional class, to _be numbered 306b, for rough-coated collie puppies, under 12 months, owned in Otago or Southland. The secretary was directed to write to Mr Buckland and ask him if he would officiate as a judge at the show. It was also resolved that in the dog section the word *' champion" should be deleted from all classes, so as not to clash with the Kennel Club role*. The secretary was instructed to write to Mr Connell, secretary of the Kennel Club, Cbmtchurch, inquiring when the annual meatiog of the clab would be held, and to express a wish that ifc be ' held on or about the 9th August next. In was decided to call' in all collecting oards this week, and a sub committee was appointed, to meet on Tuesday, 2ad July, to allocate the special prizes. After transacting a little routine basinesß the committee adjourned with the usual vote of th*nks to the chairman for presiding.