THE ALPINE MASTIFF. l6l 



derivation of the St. Bernard from a sheepdog ancestor, and 

 this rudimentary claw has been transmitted through the St. 

 Bernard to the English mastiff, and is generally accompanied 

 with coarser bone, a longer coat, and more pointed or sheep- 

 dog type of head, and although admissible, as there is no use 

 disqualifying a dog otherwise good because he shows this 

 mongrel characteristic, yet they generally disappear with 

 careful breeding. 



\Ye also find another breed closely resembling the Spanish 

 mastiff existing in the Alps, and owing to the similarity in 

 type, there is every reason for believing the old Alpine mastiff 

 was identical with the Alan, and probably derived from Spain. 

 Col. H. Smith mentions this second closer and shorter haired 

 variety, and gives a coloured plate of one of them. 



This . dog, named Bass, belonged to Sir Thomas Dick 

 Lander, having been brought from Great St. Bernard in 

 1837, and his portrait was taken by Stewart between that 

 year and June, 1^39. The coloured plate, no. 6, shows an 

 animal agreeing in nearly every particular with the Spanish 

 mastiff I saw at Bill Georges, about 1863, except the colour 

 of the patches on the head and ears, which are tan instead of 

 black, otherwise both were nearly all white in colour, the head 

 is massive, muzzle blunt and truncated, lips pendulous, ears 

 medium sized and pendulous, barrel well rounded, limbs very 

 ponderous, stern carried up. The clog resembles a vast white 

 mastiff, with stop well defined, but somewhat longer in head 

 than the English variety should be. 



Richardson, who wrote about 1647. mentions that he had 

 been at considerable trouble to ascertain the true type of the 

 St. Bernard or Alpine mastiff, and was impressed \vith the 



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