The St. Bernard. 45 



were again provided, and once more did the Hilbre 

 House kennels furnish the leading winners, the 

 smooth dog Monarque making his debut on this 

 occasion, taking an easy first, with his kennel com- 

 panions Victor and Jungfrau second and third. Tell 

 won in the other class, with Sir C. Islam's Leo 

 second, and Mr. Macdona's Hedwig third. It will 

 be seen, such advances had the variety made, 

 that in all six prizes were given. So came about 

 the popularisation of the St. Bernard, and, as the 

 saying goes, he has never looked behind him since 

 gone on prospering rather, for where at that time 

 one good enough to win at a big show would be 

 worth fifty or one hundred pounds, to-day one with 

 similar ability would, perhaps, command three or 

 four times that sum. For as well as being the 

 biggest and handsomest of the canine race, he is 

 the most valuable. 



Much has of late been written as to the deterio- 

 ration of the mastiff, owing to its so-called admirers 

 breeding them for certain points to an exaggeration, 

 but such cannot with fairness be said with regard 

 to the St. Bernard. Whether the latter is easier to 

 breed true to type than other large varieties of the 

 canine race it is difficult to say, but there is no doubt 

 that there are more good St. Bernards to be found 

 now in 1893 than there are of any other big dog. 



