is heavily feathered) proudly curved or plumed over the back. In size they vary considerably, but the smaller they are the better, provided type and quality are not sacrificed. When divided by weight, classes should be for under and over 7lb.

Coat.-The coat should be long, profuse, and straight, free from curl or wave, and not be too flat; it should have a tendency to stand out, more particularly at the frill, with profuse feathering on the tail and thighs.

Colour. The dogs should be either black-and-white or red-and-white-i.. parti-coloured. The term red includes all shades of sable, brindle, lemon, and orange, but the brighter and clearer the red the better. The white should be clear white, and the colour, whether black or red, should be in evenly distributed patches over the body, cheek, and ears

Head. Should be large for size of dog, with a broad skull-rounded in front; eyes large, dark, set far apart; muzzle very short and wide, and well cushionedi.e. the upper lips rounded on each side of the nostrils, which should be large and black, except in the case of red-and-white dogs, when a brown-coloured nose is as common as a black one.

Ears -- Should be small, set wide apart, and high on the dog's head, and carried slightly forward, V-shaped.

Body. Should be squarely and compactly built, wide in chest, "cobby" in shape. The length of the dog's body should be about its height.

Legs and Feet. The legs should be straight and the bone fine; the feet should be long and hare-shaped. The legs should be well feathered to the feet on the front legs and to the thighs behind. The feet should also be feathered.

CHAPTER LVIII

CHINESE (PEKINESE) SPANIELS AND

PUGS

THERE does not seem to be any valid reason why the first-named variety should be called Pekinese. A far more appropriate name would be Chinese Spaniels, as they are by no means confined to Pekin, but are to be met with in many other parts of that interesting celestial kingdom. Essentially a pet variety and not extensively. known as yet, the Chinese Spaniel is being taken up warmly by quite a number of zealous fanciers. It is also included in the Club recently formed, for the benefit of some of the Asiatic toy varieties, and has received recognition at the hands of the Kennel Club by the granting of challenge certificates, all of which will tend to bring it more to the front than heretofore. His Grace the Duke of Richmond has kept the breed for a long time. Fig. 126 gives readers a fair notion of the sort of animal that is known under the above

name.

Chinese Spaniels have a little in common, so far as appearance goes, with a rough-coated Pug, but are very short on the legs. They have rather sturdy bodies covered with soft fluffy hair; the fore legs are slightly and the hind legs profusely feathered, as is the tail, which is carried curved over the back. The eyes are large, dark, and brilliant. The colours are usually shades of tawny fawn or drab, but sometimes dark brown and even black. White markings do not disqualify, but are very objectionable. Chinese Spaniels have a comical, self-assertive look about them, quite different from other varieties. The reason that until lately they have been in very few hands is no doubt in a great measure due to the difficulty in obtaining genuine specimens.

At the present time the best-known owners of this variety are Her Majesty Queen Alexandra, Lady Gooch, the Marquis of Anglesey, Lord John Hay, Lady A. Gordon Lennox, Mrs. C. Austin, Mrs. W. Ridler, Mrs. Browning, Mrs. H. B. Samuelson, Mrs. A. C. Tomkins, and Mrs. Douglas Murray. Quite respectable entries of Chinese Spaniels are seen at some of the larger shows when the classification and judge are satisfactory.

The Chinese Spaniel is decidedly hardier than the Japanese Spaniel, and consequently is better able to rough it. This is partly due to the fact that the Japanese Spaniels are not appreciated unless small, whereas Chinese Spaniels are often found winning at shows that turn the scale at 12lb. or more. Chinese Spaniels are much less trouble to keep than Japanese Spaniels, but the former have not the dainty charms of the latter.

Chinese (Pekinese) Spaniels are often confused by novices with the Japanese Spaniels, from the latter of which they differ in being larger-bodied, and somewhat of a lion shape, as fanciers term the heavier front and mane and the falling away behind that should characterise a good specimen. A comparison of the illustration of

CHIFU.

Japanese Spaniel and that of the Chinese Spaniel will be sufficient to show at once the main points of difference between the two varieties. In head it will be seen that the Chinese Spaniel is very like his Japanese relative, though somewhat coarser and with larger ears; while the front legs are slightly bowed. Again, the Chinese Spaniel is in turn confounded with

the Chinese Pug, a variety somewhat of a rarity in this country, but abundantly distinct, and not much removed in general appearance from our own Pugs. In size he is a trifle bigger than the Spaniels above named; but he is more thickly set than the Fawn or the Black Pug, and nothing like so long on the leg.

Below are given the points of the Chinese Spaniel as described by the Japanese and Pekinese Spaniel Club :

General Appearance.-That of a quaint and intelligent little dog, rather long in body, with heavy front chest, and bow legs (i.e. very much out at elbow), the body falling away lighter behind. The tail should be carried right up in a curve over the animal's back, but not too tightly curled.

In size these dogs vary very much, but the smaller the better, provided type and points are not sacrificed. When divided by weight, classes should be for under 10lb. and over 10lb.

Legs. Should be short and rather heavy in bone, but not extravagantly so, as coarseness is to be avoided in every point; they should be well out at elbow, and the feet turned outwards also. Both legs and feet should be feathered.

Head. Should be of medium size, with broad skull, flat between ears, but

rounded on the forehead; muzzle very short (not underhung), and very wide. The face should be wrinkled and nostrils black and full. Eyes large and lustrous; ears set high on the head and V-shaped, they should be moderate in size (the tips never coming below the muzzle), and should be covered with long silky hair, which extends much below the leather of the ear proper.

Colour. These dogs should either be red, fawn, sable or brindle, with black masks, face and ear shadings, or else all black. White patches on feet or chest, although not a disqualification, should not be encouraged.

Coat. Should be long. flat, and rather silky except at the frill, where it should stand out like a lion's mane. The feathering on thighs and tail should be very profuse, and it is preferable that it should be of a lighter colour than the rest of

CHAPTER LIX

THE GRIFFON BRUXELLOIS

To Belgium the country that gave us the coal-black little Schipperke, we are indebted for yet another variety of pet-dog in the Griffon Bruxellois, and one that promises to out-distance in the race for popularity several other breeds that have been much longer naturalised here. The actual constituents from which it has been made are not known, though Continental and English fanciers alike have given their opinions upon the origin of the breed. Certain it is that the Griffon Bruxellois approaches the Terriers, and, in the writer's opinion, partakes somewhat of the Yorkshire Terrier, though much smaller in the skull and shorter in the face than is associated with that breed; added to which he has a protruding chin, a very harsh coat, and an altogether quaint expression.

Though the breed, so far as this country is concerned, has not been long with us, it has made rapid headway, and if the "faddists " will but keep it of a respectable size and not sacrifice all that is typical to diminutiveness, we shall have in the breed one of the most popular of all pet-dogs. Again, it will be a mistake to recognise as Griffons either the smooth-coated or silky-coated specimens that are found in litters. If the former, as is supposed, is necessary for the production of the coats of the Griffon Bruxellois proper, then for show a classification should be found for them under some other name than Griffon," irrespective of what is done in other countries. As showing the rapid strides that the breed has made here, it may be instanced that within three years of separate classes being provided for it at shows, the Kennel Club authorities thought fit to give it a place in their Stud Book. Two clubs have been formed to watch over the interests of the breed; while Mrs. Handley Spicer has to all intents and purposes published a monograph thereon.

From whatever constituents it was originally evolved, the variety breeds fairly true to type, though in the same litter coats differ considerably in texture and length. There is, however, one blotch upon its escutcheon—namely, the practice that now and again is resorted to in order to give an unorthodox coat the orthodox colour, as was