4OO British Dogs. 



head and muzzle of the original being superseded by the one in vogue. 

 The writer I have quoted describes the nose as short, but the present 

 fashion is to encourage the noseless, and, indeed, Mr. Julius, about two 

 years ago, exhibited several almost, if not quite noseless, which he named 

 "the noseless," in ridicule, as I understood, of the present fashion, for 

 he has exhibited several great beauties with a development of nose more 

 in accordance with Nature's designs and the dog's requirements, and, I 

 might add, the comfort of the owner. 



There are few things more annoying and disagreeable than the noisy 

 breathing and snuffling of these artifically short-nosed pets, unless it be 

 the paralysed protruding tongue, which is a concomitant evil. Let us 

 have a short-nosed dog by all means the best authorities describe the 

 original as such but that is a very different thing from a nose so 

 deformed that it can only exercise the functions of that organ so indif- 

 ferently as to make the animal a nuisance. 



I am quite aware that it is practically useless to attack or oppose the 

 omnipotent goddess Fashion, but I comfort myself with the reflection that 

 she is as capricious as powerful only wear a thing long enough and it is 

 sure to come in, were it only a broad-brimmed hat, and I do not despair 

 of seeing that occult power exercise her influence on Blenheims in a 

 more sensible direction than at present. 



" Idstone," a most trustworthy authority on the breed, expresses my 

 views so entirely views I held long before his book was published that 

 I quote and adopt his words : " I would allow (indeed I would, insist upon) 

 a deep indentation between the eyes, added to the high skull and a 

 moderately short face ; but the projecting lower jaw, the frog mouth, and 

 the broken nose, free from all cartilage, I decidedly object to. Such 

 animals are offensive from their snuffling and snoring ; and if tolerated 

 in sanded parlours are not fit to be admitted into drawing rooms, where I 

 should expect to see a spaniel with a pretty face, well coated all over, 

 large eared, large eyed, rich coloured, with a bushy flag, well feathered 

 feet, and diminutive in stature, in preference to the snuffling apple- 

 headed, idiotic animals too often bred by 'the fancy,' and which ought to be 

 discouraged ; though, if judging, I would not put them aside until some 

 definite conclusion had been arrived at, as an adverse decision would be 

 unfair to the exhibitor during the present state of things." 



The points of the Blenheim and King Charles spaniel, taking the 



