These are a few points to which Mastiff breeders of the future should give their attention, and we would commend to their favourable notice the following extract from an interesting letter of Mr. Sidney Turner on Mastiffs and their points :-"The short square head, which most of our present judges admire, is not likely to be found associated with great length of body and well let down hocks, because the head is a sort of fifth limb, and if the shafts of the long bones are of unusual length, the bones of the cranium naturally follow the same law, and vice versa. . . . As in most things, the happy medium seems to promise the best success. This should be the keynote of our theme, and the harmonies should be sought to correspond, and no discordances permitted in the ideal Mastiff of the future."

The following is the Old English Mastiff Club's description of the Mastiff. It is a description of what a perfect Mastiff should be, although no Mastiff that is perfect in all points has yet been seen, and in all probability never will be; but the breeder's aim should be to produce one as nearly corresponding to this description as possible. The numerical value of the points is not intended to be used in judging, but was added in 1890, as it · was suggested that it would be a help to the novice, who, without some such guide, had no means of knowing whether any particular points were of more importance than others. Figs. 20 and 21 show a brindle and a fawn respectively.

General Character and Symmetry (VALUE 10).-Large, massive, powerful, symmetrical, and well-knit frame. A combination of grandeur and good nature, courage and docility.

General Description of Head.-In general outline, giving a square appearance when viewed from any point. Breadth greatly to be desired, and should be in ratio to length of the whole head and face as 2 to 3.

General Description of Body (Height and Substance.) (VALUE 10).— Massive, broad, deep, long, powerfully built, on legs wide apart and squarely set. Muscles sharply defined. Size a great desideratum, if combined with quality. Height and substance important, if both points are proportionately combined.

Skull (VALUE 12). -Broad between the ears, forehead flat, but wrinkled when attention is excited. Brows (superciliary ridges) slightly raised. Muscles of the temples and cheeks (temporal and masseter) well developed. Arch across the skull of a rounded, flattened curve, with a depression up the centre of the forehead from the medium line between the eyes to half-way up the sagittal suture.

Face or Muzzle (VALUE 18).-Short, broad under the eyes, and keeping nearly parallel in width to the end of the nose; truncated, i.e. blunt and cut off square, thus forming a right angle with the upper line of the face, of great depth from the point of the nose to under jaw. Under jaw broad to the end; canine teeth healthy, powerful, and wide apart; incisors level, or the lower projecting beyond the upper, but never sufficiently so as to become visible when the mouth is closed. Nose broad, with widely spreading nostrils when viewed from the front; flat (not pointed or turned up) in profile Lips diverging at obtuse angles with the septum, and slightly pendulous, so as to show a square profile. Length of muzzle to whole head and face as 1 to 3. Circumference of muzzle (measured midway between the eyes and nose) to that of the head (measured before the ears) as 3 to 5.

Ears (VALUE 4).-Small, thin to the touch, wide apart, set on at the highest points of the sides of the skull, so as to continue the outline across the summit, and lying flat and close to the cheeks when in repose.

Eyes (VALUE 6).—Small, wide apart, divided by at least the space of two eyes. The stop between the eyes well marked, but not too abrupt. Colour hazel-brown, the darker the better, showing no haw.

Chest and Ribs (VALUE 8).-Neck slightly arched, moderately long, very muscular, and measuring in circumference about 1 or 2 inches less than the skull before the ears. Chest wide, deep, and well let down between the fore legs. Ribs arched and well rounded. False ribs deep and well set back to the hips. Girth should be one-third more than the height at the shoulder. Shoulder and arm slightly sloping, heavy, and muscular.

Fore Legs and Feet (VALUE 6).-Legs straight, strong, and set wide apart; bones very large. Elbows square. Pasterns upright. Feet large and round. Toes well arched up. Nails black.

Back, Loins, and Flanks (VALUE 8).—Back and loins wide and muscular; flat and very wide in a bitch, slightly arched in a dog. Great depth of flanks.

Hind Legs and Feet (VALUE 10).- Hind-quarters broad, wide, and muscular, with well-developed second thighs. Hocks bent, wide apart, and quite squarely set when standing or walking. Feet round.

Tail (VALUE 3).—Put on high up, and reaching to the hocks, or a little below them, wide at its root and tapering to the end, hanging straight in repose, but forming a curve, with the end pointing upwards, but not over the back, when the dog is excited.

Coat Colour (VALUE 5).-Coat short and close lying, but not too fine over the shoulders, neck, and back. Colour, apricot or silver fawn, or dark fawnbrindle. In any case, muzzle, ears, and nose should be black, with black round the orbits, and extending upwards between them.

One often hears sung the praises of the cross-bred dog known as the Bull-mastiff-a dog that is frequently employed for service with night-watchmen and gamekeepers. Some are wont to assert that the animal is a more formidable foe than the Mastiff proper, but they have never been able, so far as we can remember, to show why. Our own contention is that, generally speaking, it is far better to keep a variety that breeds true to type than a mongrel, especially when the former, alike as regards size and general fitness, has superior claims to the latter. Many are under the impression that what is required in a night-dog is ferocity. No greater mistake could be made, as those who have witnessed the work of night-dogs, alike in this country and abroad, can testify. Strength, a good dark colour, and the knowledge of how to floor an "undesirable" are essentials in any night-dog. The first two are to be found naturally in the Mastiff; while the last may be readily imparted, and is, in fact, the product of skilful training. In the old days it was popularly supposed that wherever a Bulldog cross was used, gameness was the invariable result. Whatever may have been true in respect of the Bulldog of old does not necessarily hold good of its twentieth-century representative, and, therefore, until we find some material advantage in possessing a much smaller cross-bred dog, we shall continue to stand by the pure-bred animal.

CHAPTER III

THE THIBET MASTIFF

THESE dogs are comparatively rare in England, and only occasionally met with at our shows; but they are such magnificent animals that it is to be regretted that they are not bred here, as they are really well worth cultivating for their noble appearance, and under the skill and care of English breeders their natural good qualities, grand proportions, and noble bearing would be developed to the utmost.

In their native country they are used as guardians of the flock and the family; and half a dozen of them, with "their bristles up," would certainly present a formidable front to marauders, human or lupine.

In general contour they bear a resemblance to our English Mastiff, although the rough, dense coat and black colour form a strong contrast to the rich fawns and fallows of our home breed, with their close-lying, short, and shining jackets.

The subject of our illustration (Fig. 22)-Siring-was a remarkably fine specimen, one of two exhibited by the King, at that time the Prince of Wales, at the Alexandra Palace Show, December, 1875. The pair were exceedingly well matched, and were much admired, Siring being, perhaps, a shade the better. Both the specimens were well formed, strong in the back and loins, deep ribbed, with well-developed quarters, and standing on stout, straight legs.

In size they are not quite equal to our native Mastiffs, although the long coat gives them an advantage in appearance. The coat is about as long as a Newfoundland's, and very dense; not sleek and glossy, but rough, without being harsh. The colour is black, inclining to brownish-black on some parts of the body, and the soft undercoat is of a fulvous colour. The tail is large, well furnished with hair, and carried pretty high, and with a good swirl-in fact, the term "gawcie," which Burns uses to describe the Scotch Collie's tail, pretty accurately applies; but unfortunately there is no exact equivalent in English-bushy, yet showy, comes near it. The Thibet Mastiff carries his stern much higher than the Collie-in fact, well over the hips.

The head, wherein the character of the animal is stamped, and where we always look first in considering the type of dog, differs

considerably from that of his English namesake, and partakes somewhat of the character of that of our Bloodhounds, although equally distinct from that; and it might fairly be described as a

compromise between the two, as it possesses features common to both. The skull is shorter than that of the Bloodhound, and not so massive as that of our Mastiff. The ears are small, like those of the latter dog. The eyes are deep sunk, like the Bloodhound's, and show some haw; there is also a good deal of flew, the lips

falling very deep, quite as much so as in many specimens of the Bloodhound; and with this there is the usual concomitant throatiness, although this latter feature is not so noticeable under the thick ruff that surrounds the throat and neck as it is in the smooth-haired Hound. The muzzle is a trifle longer than in our Mastiffs, and the nose is wide and capacious, showing inherent ability to hunt, although that quality may not be developed, as the dog is principally used as a guard. The general appearance of the breed stamps it as a distinct variety, and one of such noble qualities that if encouragement were given to it at our principal shows breeders would be stimulated to produce and bring it forward in greater numbers.