22 THE MASTIFF TYPE. 



Siberian was of a dirty white colour, with long coarsish coat, 

 somewhat long in head, but broad, blunt and sguarc in muzzle, 

 with very small ears, deep but somewhat narrow in body, 

 standing probably some 31 or 32 inches at shoulder with great 

 bone, but very deficient in muscular development compared 

 to good specimens of the English variety. The other was a 

 lower standing animal, being not more than 29 inches at 

 shoulder, with rounder barrel, short stout limbs, and one of 

 the most typically mastiff heads I have ever seen eyes 

 remarkably small and grey in colour, the muzzle short blunt 

 and very deep, lips extremely pendulous, ears very small, co::t 

 short, very dense and somewhat woolly, colour a deep red 

 chestnut, with blue or slate coloured points, and a white 

 streak up the face, white on breast and paws, stern somewhat 

 thick and brush-like, He had a split nostril, and the skin 

 instead of being black, was bluish slate colour. That this 

 was a true mastiff colour I was aware from having seen an 

 English mastiff bitch of exactly the same colour and markings 

 at Lord Stanley's of Alderley in Cheshire. 



In temper the Russian (which I purchased) was sullen and 

 ferocious to strangers when on chain, when loose however 

 taking no notice of anyone but his master, and he was a most 

 undemonstrative and uninteresting animal in disposition. 



On several occasions he growled ominously at me on very 

 slight provocation, on one occasion growling at me I kicked 

 him broadside into his kennel and clapped the door to just 

 in time, as he rushed at it like a wild beast. 



On another occasion, losing my temper at his repeated 

 snarling I seized him by the collar and beat him with my 

 slipper until I was tired, this completely cowed him, he never 

 showed any ill temper towards me personally afterwards and 



