132 



THE BOOK OF THE CAT. 



such a perfect type of cat, despite her one 

 fault, and thus " The Mighty Atom " reigned 

 supreme. " Trixie " and " Doris," two of 

 Miss Jay's noted blues, have also both won 

 specials for the best cat in the show at the 

 Crystal Palace. Miss Jay is fortunate in hav- 

 ing some descendants of these precious cats 

 in the luxurious catteries at Holmwood (of 

 which an illustration is given). Many lovely 

 blues may be seen revelling in the well- 

 appointed houses set apart at the end of the 

 long terrace for their special use. Miss Jay 

 about a year ago retired from the cat fancy, 

 and withdrew her name from the two clubs ; but 

 she is still a vice-president of the Blue Persian 

 Cat Society, and often acts as judge. Her 

 name always draws a good entry, and, as 

 a well-known fancier once remarked to me, 

 " You can be sure of getting your money's 

 worth when Miss Jay has the handling of the 

 classes." The following few remarks from 



the cat that I would soonest have given to me 

 that day, with the object of showing it again 

 at once. The point to be decided is the best 

 cat that day. It is no use beginning to think 

 which cat will be the best in a month's time 

 or which cat might have been best a month 

 ago ; it is there that day which is best ? And, 

 to my mind, if I award first to the cat I would 

 rather have, with the one object of continu- 

 ing to show it, that surely must be the best cat 

 in my opinion, and to that cat the first card 

 goes. And so on through the class, only giving 

 one V.H.C., one H.C., and one C., unless the 

 class is a very large one. I know some judges 

 who say commended cards are very cheap, and 

 they please the exhibitors. True ; but are you 

 not pleasing them in a wrong way by making 

 them think their cat is better than it is ? " 



Mrs. Herbert Ransome is well known in 

 the feline world as a successful breeder of 

 blue Persians, and as the hard-working secre- 



'' SCARED." 



Two BLUES BELONGING TO LADY MARCUS BERESFORD. 

 {Photo : Cassell & Company, Limited.) 



Miss Jay on her method of judging will be 

 read with interest : 



" I fear my way of judging is unlike most 

 other people's, because I do not judge by 

 points unless it comes to a close fight between 

 two cats. Of course, I consider shape and 

 colour first, and then I mark all those un- 

 worthy to be in any prize list ; next get to 

 work with the remainder, and this I do, as I 

 say, unlike most other judges, for I pick out 



tary of the Northern Counties Cat Club, and 

 more recently as the editor of Our Cats. 

 Her two blue stud cats, " Darius " and " Darius 

 III.," have earned a great reputation, not only 

 in the show-pen, but as the sires of many lovely 

 prize-winning kittens, notably " Orange Blos- 

 som of Thorpe," owned by Mrs. Slingsby, of 

 Ouseburn, Yorkshire. 



It is only of recent years that the name of 

 Mrs. Paul Hardy has become known in the 



