No sooner was the most absolutely necessary business of the morning dispatched, than the Reichskanzler sallied off with the Reichshund" at his heels, and for the rest of the day, the long light coat, and the battered felt hat of the famous statesman, were not greater objects of interest than the huge dog which followed him everywhere, on horseback or on foot.

At the present time the best Great Danes in England are owned by Mr. Reginald Herbert, Mr. E. W. Adcock, Mr. M. Riego, Mr. C. D. Baddeley, Mr. R. Coop, Mr. J. E. Wilbey, Mr. Adolph Stolte, Mr. R. T. Martin, and some few others. He is not in many hands, and, although the entries in the Kennel Club's stud book keep up their members very well, the Great Dane Club itself has but twenty-seven members, though at its establishment, in 1884, it had thirty-eight members on its books. However, now there is a ladies' branch in connection therewith, and here there are eleven members additional.

Perhaps the best all-round Great Dane we have had here was the brindled bitch Vendetta, first exhibited by Mr. Reginald Herbert, and sold by him to Mr. Craven for a large sum. She was not a particularly big bitch, though perhaps taller and heavier than she looked by reason of her lovely symmetry. She stood 31 inches at the shoulder and weighed 140lb.; but in general form and correctness of type of head, without lippiness or hound-like appearance,

she was pretty nearly perfect. Windle Princess (Mr. Coop's) is another beautiful bitch, and again not a very big one. Mr. Adcock's Ivanhoe, a very richly coloured brindle dog, has repeatedly and deservedly won prizes at our leading shows. Mr. Wilbey's Hannibal the Great is thought to be the best of his year, an enormous animal of immense power, but perhaps a little heavier and too mastiff-like in head to quite please some of our insular prejudices. He came to this country with a reputation as the best of his race in the land of his birth, which was Germany. This dog unfortunately got strangled in his kennel in August, 1892. Other good dogs are War Cry, Corsica, Harlequin Nero, Bouchan, Sea King, Leal, the Baron of Danes, Norseman, Queen of Saxony, Uric, Windle Princess, Gretchen, Earl of Warwick, and Windle Queen.

As to the heights and weights of recent winners, the following may, perhaps, not be without interest: -Norseman is 33 inches at the shoulders, weight, 155lb.; Sea King, 32 inches, weight, 168lb.; Leal, 33 inches, weight, 182lb.; Young Leal, 33 inches, weight, 154lb.; Prince Victor, 33 inches and 150lb. weight; Cedric the Saxon, 33 inches and 170lb. weight; Baron of Danes, 33 inches and 155lb. weight; Ivanhoe, 33 inches and 1681b. weight; Dorothy, 30 inches, 125lb. weight; Challymead

Queen, 30 inches and 125lb. weight; Corsica, 31 inches and 140lb. weight; Ranee 29 inches, 105lb. weight.

The following description of the Great Dane is issued by the Club. and, further, there is a rule which ought, perhaps, to appear in the standard of points. It says that any dog or bitch with a cankered mouth, a joint or any part of the tail removed, is incapable of taking a prize; and no Great Dane answering to this description shall be exhibited "for competition" by any member of the club.

I do not know that Danes are more afflicted with cankered" mouths than any other dog; but, with respect to the "tails," cases have occurred where a dog has had a joint or two amputated, in order that the appendage did not curl at the end. The sore or bare place remaining was accounted for by the hound dashing his tail against the kennel walls or benches, a habit which frequently causes trouble to the caudal extremity of some big smooth-coated dogs.

STANDARD OF POINTS.

1. General Appearance.-The Great Dane is not so heavy or massive as the mastiff, nor should he too nearly approach the greyhound in type. Remark

able in size, and very muscular, strongly though elegantly built, movements easy and graceful; head and neck carried high; the tail carried horizontally with the back, or slightly upwards, with a slight curl at the extremity. The minimum height and weight of dogs should be 30 inches and 120lb. ; of bitches, 28 inches and 100lb. Anything below this shall be debarred from competition. Points: General appearance, 3; Condition, 3; Activity, 5; Height, 13.

2. Head.-Long, the frontal bones of the forehead very slightly raised, and very little indentation between the eyes. Skull, not too broad. Muzzle, broad and strong, and blunt at the point. Cheek muscles, well developed. Nose, large, bridge well arched. Lips in front perpendicularly blunted, not hanging too much over the sides, though with welldefined folds at the angle of the mouth. The lower jaw slightly projecting-about a sixteenth of an inch. Eyes, small round, with sharp expression and deeply set. Ears, very small and greyhound-like in carriage, when uncropped; they are, however, usually cropped. Points, 15.

3. Neck.-Rather long, very strong and muscular, well arched, without dewlap, or loose skin about the throat. The junction of head and neck strongly pronounced. Points, 5.

4. Chest.-Not too broad, and very deep in brisket. Points, 8.

5. Back. Not too long or short; loins arched, and falling in a beautiful line to the insertion of the tail. Points, 8.

6. Tail. Reaching to the hock, strong at the root, and ending fine with a slight curve. When excited it becomes more curved, but in no case should it curve over the back. Points, 4.

7. Belly. Well drawn up. Points, 4.

8. Fore-quarters. Shoulders, set sloping; elbows well under, neither turned inwards nor outwards. Leg: Fore-arm, muscular, and with great development of bone, the whole leg strong and quite straight. Points, 10.

9. Hind-quarters.-Muscular thighs, and second thigh long and strong, as in the greyhound, and hocks well let down and turning neither in nor out. Points, 10.

10. Feet.-Large and round, neither turned inwards nor outwards. Toes, well arched and closed. Nails, very strong and curved. Points, 8.

11. Hair.-Very short, hard and dense, and not much longer on the underpart of the tail. Points, 4.

Colour and Markings.-The recognised colours are the various shades of grey (commonly termed