THE NOTED BREEDERS MR. LUKEY AND MR. THOMPSON. 189 



" consider the true type. The points, with two or three ex- 

 kt ceptions, are good. I should give more for a good stern, 

 and also more for good legs and feet. I should also give 

 " fewer points for height. The ponderous size has come from 

 ' the Great Dane, or from the Asiatic cross. As to dewclaws, 

 I would ignore their admission by all means. If you can 

 " obtain great size without sacrificing stamina, courage, 

 " activity, and a well balanced proportionate head, you are 

 right, but if you realize great size at the expense of these 

 attributes, you are wrong." 



Again April 22. 1873, " Mr. G's opinion goes to prove that 

 ' the English mastiff cannot maintain its superiority for size, 

 " without the aid 'of imported specimens. For instance, he 

 " admits Lion to have been bred in America, L'Ami, Couhez, 

 the Chatsworth dogs, and others, were all of foreign extrac- 

 " tion, and from the introduction of this blood into England 

 ' we are indebted for keeping up size. The old English mas- 

 tiff without the aid of foreign assistance, was never a large 

 "dog." 



Again April 8th, 1873, " I am not prepared to say what 

 'Mr. G.'s convictions may be about the English mastiff 

 being able to maintain his superiority for size, without the 

 " aid of imported specimens, but I do know that the whole 

 pith of his observations tend to show that Mr. Lukey's and 

 his own owed their descent to foreign extraction. 



Further, he wrote May 26th. 1873, " A dog standing 30 

 inclit-s, head marking 26 or 27 inches, and proportionate 

 " frame, and strong and active on his legs, would be the height 

 " of mv ambition. 



