170 British Dogs. 



at shows ; the best I have seen being Nero, the property of Mr. Bullock, 

 Prescot, Lancashire, and Mr. R. J. LI. Price, of Ehiwlas, Bala, has 

 shown several good ones, and now Mr. McKenzie's curly-coated Garnet 

 is the best of this variety. The following are his measurements : 



Mr. L. McKenzie's Garnet: Age, 18 months; weight, 781b. ; height 

 at shoulder, 24|in. ; length from nose to set on of tail, 43in. ; length 

 of tail, 17in. ; girth of chest, 30in. ; girth of loin, 2 Sin. ; girth of 

 head, 18in. ; girth of forearm, Sin. ; length of head from occiput to 

 tip of nose, ll^in. ; girth of muzzle midway between eyes and tip of 

 nose, lOin. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. THE RUSSIAN RETRIEVER. 



BY CORSINCON. 



A FEW years ago the Russian retriever was often met with at our shows, 

 and Mr. E. B. Southwell's Czar scored a good number of first prizes in 

 the variety classes, but for two seasons past I do not recollect to have 

 seen a specimen at any show. 



I believe " Idstone's " is the only book on the dog in our language that 

 has deigned to notice this breed. And "Idstone" very summarily dis- 

 misses him thus: "I recollect seeing one of them at a battue, which 

 attempted to fetch a hare from a thick brake, and became so entangled 

 amongst the thorns and ' burs,' that the beaters had to cut away a 

 quantity of his coat to liberate him, and in the confusion the hare was 

 lost. Further comments on the Russian retriever for this country is 

 needless." 



A single glance at the dog would show anyone that he is of no use in a 

 thick brake of thorns, briars, or whins, but it does not follow that he 

 is of no use in this country; and the anecdote related by "Idstone" 

 seems to me rather to reflect on the man who put the dog to work for 

 which he was so evidently unsuited than on the dog. We have unques- 

 tionably dogs far better fitted for retrieving under any conditions in wood 

 or wild, on land or from water, than the Russian retriever, but as a 



