THE ST. BERNARD 37 



substance. The general outline should suggest great power and 

 capability of endurance. Coat In the long-coated variety the coat 

 should be dense and flat ; rather fuller round the neck ; the thighs 

 feathered but not too heavily. In the short-coated variety, the coat 

 should be dense, hard, flat, and short, slightly feathered on thighs and 

 tail. Colour and Markings The colour should be red, orange, various 

 shades of brindle (the richer colour the better), or white with patches 

 on body of one of the above named colours. The markings should be 

 as follows : white muzzle, white blaze up face, white collar round neck ; 

 white chest, forelegs, feet, and end of tail ; black shadings on face and 

 ears. If the blaze be wide and runs through to the collar, a spot of the 

 body colour on the top of the head is desirable. 



The weight of a dog should be from 170 Ibs. to 210 Ibs. ; of a bitch 

 160 Ibs. to 190 Ibs. 



During the past twenty-five years St. Bernards have been 

 bred in this country very much taller and heavier than they 

 were in the days of Tell, Hope, Moltke, Monk, Hector, and 

 Othman. Not one of these measured over 32 inches in height, 

 or scaled over 180 Ibs., but the increased height and greater 

 weight of the more modern production have been obtained 

 by forcing them as puppies and by fattening them to such 

 an extent that they have been injured in constitution, and 

 in many cases converted into cripples behind. The prize- 

 winning rough-coated St. Bernard, as he is seen to-day is 

 a purely manufactured animal, handsome in appearance 

 certainly, but so cumbersome that he is scarcely able to 

 raise a trot, let alone do any tracking in the snow. Usefulness, 

 however, is not a consideration with breeders, who have 

 reared the dog to meet the exigencies of the show ring. There 

 is still much left to be desired, and there is room for con- 

 siderable improvement, as only a few of the more modern 

 dogs of the breed approach the standard drawn up by the 

 Clubs that are interested in their welfare. 



