ORIGIN OF THE ST. BERNARD. 55 



rough bitches ever seen Dagmar now unfortunately dead. Since Mr. Macdona's disposal of 

 the majority of his dogs, Mr. F. Gresham has been left in undisputed possession of the field, and 

 his wonderful collection of St. Bernards, at Shefford, near Bedford, cannot be rivalled in any part 

 of the world. In addition to Monk and Abbess, both great prize winners and the latter we 

 believe the best St. Bernard for some time before the public Mr. Gresham has a grand young 

 dog in Cyprus, sired by Monk, and several others only second to his cracks. At the present 

 time there appears a chance of the public often seeing Mr. Macdona once more amongst the list 

 of prize winners with his grandly-framed dog Bayard. Mr. J. Russell, M.D., has also sonic 

 uncommonly fine specimens ; whilst Mr. W. A. Joyce, of Tulse Hill, certainly should make his mark- 

 as a breeder in rough bitches with his magnificent trio Queen Bertha, Queen Bess, and Queen 

 Mab. Among other notabilities of the present we must not omit Mr. A. C. Armitage's grand dog 

 Oscar, Dr. Russell's Mentor and Cadwallader, Mr. S. W. Smith's Barry, Dr. D. E. Seton's Moltke, 

 H.R.H. the Prince of Wales's Hope, H.S.H. Prince Albert Solms' Courage, Mr. Youile's Simplon, 

 and Mr. De Mourier's Chang ; and among the finest bitches we may enumerate Messrs. Gresham 

 and Tatham's Abbess, Augusta, and Gruyere, Mr. Tinker's Mab, the late Miss Aglionby's Jura, 

 and Dr. Russell's Murcn. 



The origin of this dog is a matter of great uncertainty, and the monks of St. Bernard 

 are themselves unable to throw any light upon the matter. Beyond pointing out to their visitors 

 the portrait of Bernard de Meuthon, in which he is accompanied by a dog possessing many 

 Bloodhound characteristics, they seem to be incapable of giving any information on the subject. 

 The value of any reliable data, even if such existed, would however be sensibly diminished 

 from the fact that in the early part of this century the breed nearly died out, and the 

 monks were compelled to re-cross the few remaining dogs they had left in their possession with 

 others which they obtained from outside the Hospice. According to one eminent authority, a 

 cross with the Newfoundland was first tried by the monks in their dilemma, but was subsequently 

 abandoned when it failed to succeed. Other good authorities, as will presently be seen, and 

 apparently with reason, attribute more to this cross ; and to it we are most probably indebted for 

 the existence of Mr. Macdona's Meuthon, a black-and-tanned dog, something after the stamp of 

 a Thibet Mastiff, and a considerable winner in his day. This was doubtless more on account 

 of his ample proportions than of his colour, which would keep him in the background in the 

 present time. Another writer gives it as his opinion that the blood of the Pyrenean Wolf- 

 hound was introduced at this later time into the breed, and still remains there. The ten- 

 dency to a lanky, wolf-like form, with lightish frame and tucked-up flanks, combined 

 with a light tapering muzzle, which crops out in undoubtedly well-bred litters, lends some 

 strength to this theory ; but mere conjectures, based on hearsay evidence, can have but little 

 effect on the future of the St. Bernard, who has for ten years occupied the proud position 

 of the most eagerly-sought-after large dog of the day, and whose popularity, instead of 

 diminishing, is decidedly on the increase, if steadily-increasing entries at shows are to be cited 

 as authorities. 



The most authoritative and probable account of the origin of the modern St. Bernard 

 is that derived from M. Schumacher; and we are gratified, considering the great interest 

 of the question, that the Rev. J. Cumming Macdona, of Cheadle Rectory, Cheshire, whose great 

 services to this breed in days of yore have been duly chronicled above, has been kind enougn 

 to forward us the narrative of this gentleman, who is the greatest authority abroad on this 

 class of dog. His views and statements are contained in a long letter, dated Holligen, 291!) 

 of August, 1867, and we are glad to be in a position to make the following extracts from it : 



