218 Modern Dogs. 



which scaled 65!!}., and was good enough to win at 

 Birmingham in 1872, did not satisfy him. So, as 

 before hinted, he went to Spain to seek for a bigger 

 animal, with the result above stated. However likely 

 Toro was to improve the bulldogs of this country, 

 and his appearance led one to believe that he would 

 do so, at stud he proved a complete failure. This 

 was unfortunate, for then, an introduction of new 

 blood would have been very useful, especially so far 

 as improving the activity and strength of the modern 

 article. And Toro was an active dog. He may 

 have been a "fluke" somehow or other, for if his 

 parents, or one of them, or his uncles or aunts, or 

 grandparents had been as good as he, he must have 

 got better stock than was actually the case. Per- 

 sonally, I considered Toro an exceptionally fine dog, 

 and would prefer him to many of the leading winners 

 of the present day. What he resembled will be seen 

 from the following description from the Field at 

 that time : " Toro is a huge, massive dark chestnut 

 or ' carroty ' brindled dog, with blackish muzzle ; 

 he has very deep flews, high temples, large nostrils, 

 and is very much underhung, and, for his size, 

 short in the face. His eyes are tolerably full, and 

 a good deal of the white is shown ; the ' stop,' 

 or indentation between the eyes, is large and 

 deep, and runs high up the head. The skin about 



