The St. Bernard. 251 



of the present Shefford Kennels, gave a considerable impetus to the St. 

 Bernard fancy, and to that gentleman, above all others, I believe the St.. 

 Bernard owes its great popularity to-day, for his lavish expenditure of 

 time, money, and skill in importing and breeding did more than anything 

 else to establish the breed in public favour. In fact it only wanted good 

 specimens of these magnificent and colossal dogs to be shown to an 

 appreciative British public to secure them a lasting home here, and this 

 Mr. Macdona did both in his imported specimens and those bred by 

 himself, and I can assure those who read this that it was a very grand 

 sight to see six or eight of those noble animals scampering over the sands 

 and breasting the waves round Hilbre Island like some gigantic sea dogs. 

 Of other importers of good dogs I must specially mention Mr. J. H. Mur- 

 chison, who brought Thor into this country, a dog the sire of more present 

 winners than any other. He has proved a great boon to breeders. Among 

 those of his get I may mention the Rev. G. A. Sneyd's Hector, Mr. F. 

 Gresham's Shah and Dagmar, Mr. M'Killop's Simplon, Mr. Armitage's 

 Oscar, Mr. Du Maurier's Chang all of the very first rank. Thor and 

 also Miss Hales's Jura and many other good ones brought over here 

 were bred byM. Schumacher, of Berne, whose name is most prominent in 

 England as a Continental breeder. 



It is almost needless to observe that there are two varieties recognised, 

 the rough and the smooth-coated, but these are so closely allied, and 

 differing in no other point, that rough and smooth whelps may appear in 

 the same litter, a notable example of which was Mr. Gresham' s champion 

 smooth-coated dog The Shah and his late rough-coated bitch Dagmar, 

 by Thor, out of Abbess. 



The general appearance of the St. Bernard is very pleasing, which effect 

 is no doubt enhanced by his picturesque markings, for although I think 

 colour is too often overrated in summing up the aggregate points of a 

 dog, its effect on our first impressions is telling ; but, independent of 

 colour and markings, the dog's colossal size and symmetrical shape, to- 

 gether with his fine intelligent head, gives him a commanding and majestic 

 appearance. The most common faults are, as in the mastiff, slackness of 

 loin, not being well coupled, as he should be, with strong sinews con- 

 necting the ribs and hind quarters, and a tendency to cow-hooks, which 

 gives an awkward gait. Mr. Macdona, in Webb's book, says : "Tha 

 gait or carriage of the dog much resembles the march of the lion," an 



