tjseful Companions of Man. 63 



to breeding has developed both size and weight. " Sir 

 Redvers/' when he was exported to America, stood 34J 

 inches at the shoulder, and his weight was upwards of 

 200 pounds; and "Lord Bute," stood 36 inches high, 

 and weighed 220 pounds when he was just turned two 

 years old. The leading animal of recent days is the 

 rough coated bitch " Lady Mignon," the property of Mr. 

 Samuel Jagger, of Honley, near Huddersfield. Her 

 career has been unexceptional, having secured no less than 

 fifty-four first prizes, specials, and championship Birming- 

 ham, in one year, the winner being under two years old. 

 The Bulldog is indisputably of British origin, and 

 has never been permanently introduced into any other 

 country. His courage is so great that it has become 

 proverbial, and, witK the exception of the game cock, 

 there is no other domestic animal at all coming up to 

 him. Independently of this quality, there is much dif- 

 ference of opinion as to the mental peculiarities of this 

 breed. By some authorities the bulldog is stated to be 

 quarrelsome and wantonly savage, so that he can never 

 be made a safe companion ; while others allege that he is 

 mild and gentle in disposition, never showing his teeth 

 until he is induced to do so by some special cause. As 

 usual in such cases, the truth lies between two extremes. 

 The bulldog is no doubt dangerous when his blood is 

 up, and even his master runs some risk in meddling with 

 him then, but he may generally be controlled wdth perfect 

 facility, and he is mild, fondling, and gentle in his manner 

 as a general rule. Still, he is not capable of strong at- 

 tachment, and he cannot be taught more than the com- 

 monest forms of obedience. He is silent in his attacks, 

 so that he does not make a good Avatch-dog. Formerly 

 the breed was kept pure wdth great care, for the purpose 

 of baiting the bull, in which his tendency to pin the most 

 vulnerable point (the nose) made him invaluable, no other 

 dog having either the same desire to go at the head in 

 preference to all other parts, or the same unflinching hold 

 of the grasp when once obtained. Bulldogs have had 

 their legs cut off after pinning a bull, without letting go, 

 and other equally horrible cruelties have been practised 

 to show this peculiarity. In the present day, when bull- 



