POINTS OF A BLENHEIM. 160 



same place, she ran to the old barn, and, putting her fore-feet against the wall, she did her 

 utmost to get up to have a peep at the place where the dead shrew had been laid six 

 years before. 



" Generosity is another property natural to the Blenheim. I have known instances 

 where one has kept another supplied with food, when he was tied up and unable to obtain 

 it for himself. This happened more than once with two puppies of my own breeding. 

 'Bloom/ being a mischievous fellow, was very often imprisoned under a crate; when hungry, 

 he had only to make a whining kind of cry, and ' Petal ' (the brother) would forthwith start 

 off and bring him bread or anything in the way of comestibles that he could find. 



" The Blenheim is an exceedingly difficult breed to rear, hence the scarcity of good 

 specimens. They are liable to brain diseases, supposed to be caused by the unusually large 

 size of the head in comparison with the body. We find intense excitement very injurious to 

 them when young, sometimes causing fits, which, however, rarely prove fatal unless the subject 

 is exceedingly delicate. 



"The best food for rearing puppies (we think) is a little finely-minced meat, with plenty 

 of soaked bread twice a day, alternated with a little Swiss milk and bread. 



POINTS OF A BLENHEIM. 



" The Under-jaw should be wide between the tusks, and well turned up ; undershot, but 

 not to show teeth. 



The Nose should be black, wide and deep, and as short as possible, almost in a line with 

 the eyes ; the nostrils being large and open. 



"The 'stop' is wide, and as deep as in a fine Bull-dog, but the nose should not recede 

 as in that animal. 



" Eyes as large as possible, perfectly black, wide apart, and at right angles with the line 

 of the face. Weeping at the corners is owing to a defect in the lachrymal duct. 



" Head should be very large and round, with a dome-like appearance at the top. The 

 forehead should project well over the eyes, so as almost to touch the nose. 



" Ears as long as possible, not curly ; about eight inches in length from where they join 

 the head. They must be low down on the side of the head, almost on a line with the ears. 



" Shape. Thick-set and cobby ; chest deep and wide ; strong legs ; short back ; arched 

 neck. Tail carried gaily, but not over the back ; it should be almost on a line with the 

 back. Well cut up from chest to loin ; the latter should be strong and as sturdy as 

 possible. 



" Colour should on no account be whole, but rich ruby red and pure pearly white. 

 The white should form the ground, and the red should be in detached spots scattered over 

 the body. The fore-legs and nose should be slightly 'ticked.' The ears and cheeks should 

 be red, and a blaze of white up the forehead, in the centre of which should be a spot of red 

 as large as a sixpence, called ' the spot.' The best marked dogs are those with well-defined 

 red markings on the sides and back, and a ' splash ' at the root of the tail. Some few good 

 specimens are cinnamon and white, but this is not a desirable colour. 



" Coal should be fine, silky, long, and as free from curl and mixture as possible. 



"The Ckest, Feet, and Tail should be well feathered, and also the back of the legs. 



" Weight from six to twelve pounds, but the best specimens are from eight to ten 

 pounds. 



"The Feet should be small and well-knit together, with the toes strong and well made; 

 22 



