The Bulldogs of Spain and the Continent. 



worthy of perpetuation as his toy descendant, because his head was not so 

 great in size, in proportion to the number of pounds weight as the toy dog. 

 It is a matter of some surprise that the fact, that the head of a King 

 Charles spaniel, or that of a toy terrier is much greater in proportion for 

 weight, than any 401b. toy bulldog should have escaped the notice of 

 these gentlemen, and also the fact that dwarfs of all the animal creation 

 have heads greatly out of proportion to their stature. 



I think my readers will agree with me, that it is far more desirable 

 to rescue the remains of this breed, for which England was once so 

 famous, than to attempt to cultivate that which is simply a puny 

 and imperfect imitation. That nearly all the dog show winners owe what 

 they possess to the cross with the Spanish dog Bigheaded Billy, or to my 

 Toro, a reference to the Kennel Club calendar will prove, and I have no 

 doubt there is a large reserve of English gentlemen of broad views who 

 will join the ranks of those who have, during the last ten years, done so 

 much to reinstate a dog unquestionably more desirable in every way than 

 the absurd apology once so high in favour : 



The following description and measurements of Toro are taken from 

 The Field of the 27th Sept., 1873, and may be of some service as a guide 

 to breeders : 



" Toro is a huge, massive dark chestnut or 'carroty' brindled dog, 

 with blackish muzzle ; he has very deep flews, high temples, large 

 nostrils, and is very much underhung, and, for his size, short in the face. 

 His eyes are tolerably full, and a good deal of the white is shown ; the 

 ' stop ' or indentation between the eyes is large and deep, and runs high 

 up the head. The skin about the head is very loose, and fails into 

 wrinkles and folds when the ears of the dog are erected ; and a deep 

 double dewlap runs from the angles of the mouth to the sternum. His 

 ears have been cut out, very little of the burr being left, and this greatly 

 detracts from the apparent size of his head. His neck is arched, short, 

 very thick and muscular, and covered with quantities of loose skin ; the 

 shoulders broad and flat at the top, standing well out from the ribs, and 

 very muscular ; the elbows well out from the ribs ; the forearm very thick, 

 and slightly bowed ; feet large and round, and furnished with very strong 

 claws ; the chest is great, and not only broad, but deep, and the ribs are 

 very round. There is a considerable fall at the shoulders, and from that 

 point the loins begin to rise, the arch terminating at the insertion of the 



