THE GREAT BREEDERS MR. LUKEY. l8l 



The size of Mr. Lukey's old strain may be gathered from 

 the following measurements : 



Wallace stood 33 inches at shoulder, girthed 50 inches, and 

 weighed 172 Ibs; Nelson at twelve months old stood 33 inches, 

 and weighed 158 Ibs; Bruce ist stood 31 inches, girthed 48 

 inches, and weighed 160 Ibs : Bell, a broad muzzled muscular 

 bitch with half erect ears, who died in 1857, weighed 143 Ibs. 

 Mr. Thompson in a letter remarked : " I had a son of old 

 Bruce 73 inches in length." Bruce 2nd in August, 1850, 

 stood 31 inches, girthing 41, and in May, 1856, measured 27 

 inches round the head ; Nelson, a dark brindle Mr. Lukey 

 had, in October, 1861, stood 33 inches, and weighed 158 Ibs. 



I may here point out that these weights and heights show 

 that in proportion to their stature, many of Mr. Lukey's old 

 breed were sadly deficient in weight, owing to want of muscle, 

 broad backs, well formed loins, and good hind quarters, their 

 chest measurements being very good. 



Mr. Lukey's Bruce ist was a dark brindle with almost 

 black head, and a white streak up his face; Mr. Lukey had 

 a splendid oil painting of his head, by Harrison Weir, an 

 artist whose talent and works, justly high as they are esti- 

 mated by some, are yet not sufficient!} 7 appreciated by the 

 present generation, but in a historical light alone posterity 

 will value his works as highly, or more so. than we now do 

 those of Bewick. 



The painting of animal portraiture in an artistic point of 

 virw is not sufficiently practised or studied by Royal Acade- 

 micians, although the general public would be far more 

 impartial and competent judges of the merits of such subjects, 

 than the majority are of ideals taken from the classics, In 



