THE ENGLISH MASTIFF. 173 



Governor and Harold, by Mr. Lukey's bitch Countess, and so certain was I of the 

 vast size of the breed in him that I stated beforehand, much to Mr. Lukey's 

 incredulity, that the produce would be dogs standing 33in. at the shoulder the 

 result being that both Governor and his brother Harold were fully that height. 

 In choosing the whelps Mr. Lukey retained for himself the best marked one, an 

 animal that took after the lighter of the two strains that existed in the sire ; for 

 Governor, grand dog and perfect mastiff as he was, compared to most others of the 

 breed, was nevertheless shorter in the body, higher on the leg, and with less 

 muscular development than Harold, while his head, large as it was, barely 

 measured as much round as did his brother's. I, who went by the development 

 of the fifth toe (in this case only a dew-claw), chose Harold, a dog which combined 

 all the best points, except colour, of both strains/.and was a very perfect reproduction 

 on a larger scale of his dam Countess. This dog was the finest male specimen of 

 the breed I have met with. His breast at ten months old, standing up, measured 

 13in. across, with a girth of 41in., and he weighed in moderate condition 1401b., 

 and at twelve months old 1601b., while at 13^ months old Governor only weighed 

 in excellent condition 1501b with a girth of 40in. ; and inasmuch as Governor 

 eventually weighed 1801b. or even more, the size to which Harold probably 

 attained must have been very great. His head also in size and shape promised 

 to be perfect. 



" I will mention three other dogs. The first, Lord Waldegrave's Turk, better 

 known as ' Couchez,' was the foundation of Mr. Lukey's breed. This dog has 

 frequently been described to me by Bill George and Mr. Lukey, and I have a 

 painting of his head at the present moment, He stood about 29^in. or 30in. at 

 the shoulder, with great length and muscular development, and, although he was 

 never anything but thin, weighed about 1301b. Muzzle broad and heavy, with deep 

 flews ; skin over the eyes and about the neck very loose ; colour red, with very black 

 muzzle. He was a most savage animal ; was fought several times with other 

 animals, and was invariably victorious. The second was a tailless brindled bitch, 

 bought by Mr. Lukey from George White of Knightsbridge. She was a very large 

 massively built animal, standing 30in. at the shoulder. Her produce with Couchez 

 were remarkably fine. ' Long-bodied, big-limbed, heavy-headed bitches. They 

 were mastiffs Mr. Lukey had in those days ! ' is Bill George's eulogium of them. 

 This bitch was bred by the Duke of Devonshire, and must therefore have been 

 one of the Chatsworth breed. The third animal, L'Ami, was a brindled dog of such 

 vast size and weight that he was taken about and shown in England, in the year 

 1829, the price of admission being one shilling. Of the head of this dog also I 

 have a drawing, and it shows him to be very full and round above the eyes, with a 

 broad heavy muzzle and remarkably deep flews, the ears being cropped close. This 

 dog, with the exception of rather heavier flews, answered exactly to the type of 

 Vandyke's mastiff. 



" Now the point to which I wish to draw attention is, that both Couchez and 

 L'Ami came direct from the Convent of Mount St. Bernard. The mighty dogs 

 which used to be kept at Chatsworth (and one of which stood 34in. at the shoulder) 



