THE GREAT BREEDERS MR. LUKEV AND MR. THOMPSON. 185 



and more resembling the Kirklees strain. This. dog was the 

 sire of Druid Peveril and Dr. Kerr's Lion, the latter although 

 never exhibited, was, although not quite so large, yet far the 

 best specimen of the three, but his stock proved very small. 

 These three dogs were bred by Mr. Elmsley, out of a fawn 

 bitch the property of a Miss Arkness. being a cross-bred 

 animal, out of a fawn mastiff bitch by a deerhound sire. 

 Nevertheless, the three were perhaps the truest representa- 

 tives of Mr. Lukey's old strain, that have been seen of late 

 years, and that grand dog Cardinal, exemplifies Mr. Lukey's 

 original strain very much both in faults and perfections. Miss 

 Arkness that was. informed me that Wallace had a much 

 ' shorter, broader, and grander head than any of his sons." 

 and he inherited the semi-erect ear of Mr. Thompson's strain, 

 which is discernible in the engraving, in which it is shown 

 that he was much lighter in bone, and more muscular than 

 Mr. Lukey's original sort. 



Both Saladin and Wallace must be considered a fusion 

 between the two great breeders' strains, embodying much of 

 lie good points of each. 



Countess, born in 1859, was perhaps the best specimen, 

 (except Beauty 2355) Mr. Lukey ever bred or owned, slu- was 

 a direct cross from Mr. Thompson's strain, which she resembled 

 both in type and colour, possessing far more of the real old 

 English, and less of the Alpine or Asiatic type, than Mr. 

 Lukey's old sort. Although comparatively small dogs, it is 

 not saying too much in affirming that Quaker and Countess 

 were the two best mastiffs of their day, and met with univer- 

 sal approval on the part of Judges, and their excellence was 

 due far more to the skill and judgement of Mr. Thompson 

 than to Mr. Lukey's acumen. 



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