1 70 THE GREAT BREEDERS OF THE MODERN MASTIFF. 



It is therefore evident that Dr. Ellis's Lion, son of this 

 Bruce and Mr. Thompson's Juno, was bred in 1850 or 1851. 



In 1856 Mr. Thompson sent an agent to inspect the dogs 

 at Lyme Hall. In his short Essay he says : " Opinions are 

 " so conflicting in reference to the Lyme Hall mastiffs, that 

 " in 1856 I purposely sent a man to see this proverbial kennel, 

 "and his report was that they were of the true boarhound 

 "type, of a red colour, having no similitude to Mr. Lukey's 

 " fine old strain. About 1840, writes a friend and breeder of 

 " good repute, 1 personally visited Lyme Hall for the purpose 

 " of testing the ubiquitous reputation this breed had obtained, 

 " and found them a myth, in fact nothing more than a few 

 " dogs of the boarhound type, and of a rufus colour/' 



Again writing March 25th, 1873, M r - Thompson remarked: 

 " I agree with Mr. Lukey and others that the Lyme Hall 

 "breed is a myth; I sent a man more than 15 years ago 

 " purposely to see their stock, and they had then nothing but 

 " a large high standing greyhound looking dog of a red or 

 " rufus colour, with rather a thick bushy stern. Mr. Lukey 

 " called personally some thirty years ago, and he hands me 

 " by letter, the same description of the dogs as my man gave 

 " me." Mr. Thompson further wrote May I5th, 1873 : "So 

 " many lies are told about the Lyme Hall breed, that I have 

 "no faith whatever in any assertion. When you find men 

 " basely asserting they are of the Lyme Hall breed, and you 

 " can clearly prove such tales to be mere invention, you lose 

 "confidence; several instances, have come under my notice 

 " for years back, indeed you may rely that Lyme Hall mastiffs 

 " are a traditionary myth.' 1 



