i68 



THE BOOK OF THE CAT. 



When judging the silver tabbies at the 

 Crystal Palace in 1902, I was greatly struck 

 with the number of cats and kittens which 

 ought really to have been marked " Wrong 

 Class," for some of these were absolutely 

 wanting in any definite marks at all ; some 

 had faint grey pencilling on the head and legs, 

 but not a sign of the dense mottling on the 

 sides. It is, no doubt, disappointing to 

 exhibitors to have their specimens labelled 

 " Wrong Class," or for really lovely kittens 

 to be passed over without even a card ; but 

 it is only by thus treating exhibits so lacking 

 in the essential point of the class for which 

 they are entered that fanciers will learn 

 to discern between the genuine article and 

 what may be called a spurious one. These 

 pretty nondescript silvers, which are neither 

 one thing nor the other, should be disposed 

 of as pets ; but to enter them at our shows 

 in classes for tabbies is only throwing away 

 money and risking the animals. No cat has 

 come nearer to the perfect ideal of a silver 

 tabby in our day than Lady Pink's " Shrover 

 II.," now gathered to his fathers. He 

 possessed the wonderfully clear silvery white 

 ground with distinct dark markings, and was 

 always the admired of all admirers at our 

 leading shows. Lady Pink is not without 

 some worthy descendants of her famous 

 " Shrover II.," and writes to me thus : " I 



have a smoke male 

 by 'Shrover II.,' 



" BEAUTIFUL DUCHESS." 

 OWNED BY MRS. G. H. WALKER. 



and hope to show him at Westminster. 

 'Shrover III.' is just like his father 'Shrover 

 II.,' but I shall not exhibit him, as I am too 

 afraid of losing him. I have suffered man y 

 losses after shows. ' Shrover III.' is a fine, 

 big fellow, even better marked than his father, 

 with long silky, wavy coat, lovely eyes, and 

 a perfect temper." 



Mrs. Herring has bred some fine silver tabbies, 

 notably " Duchess Lestock," a sensational 

 kitten at the Westminster show of 1900, when 

 she was claimed at a high price by Mrs. G. H. 

 Walker, of Woodheys Park. Mrs. Herring's 

 " King Alfred " was the sire of " Shrover II.," 

 and is quite " one of the best." Miss Anderson 

 Leake is justly celebrated as a most enthusi- 

 astic and successful breeder of silver tabbies, 

 and is our greatest authority on this variety. 

 As far back as 1887 " Topso of Dingley " was 

 exhibited by Miss Leake at the Crystal Palace. 

 This cat was said to be of Irish descent, but 

 his ancestors were sunk in oblivion. Not so, 

 however, his progeny, for the winnings of his 

 son " Champion Felix," owned by Miss F. 

 Moore, of Beckenham, are fresh in the minds 

 of those who, like myself, can remember 

 beautiful cats of bygone years. In 1889 

 Miss Leake entered " Topso " and two toms 

 in a class for " blue or silver tabbies, with or 

 without white." " Felix " was also in this 

 class, as a winner of the Challenge Cup. Miss 

 A. Leake's " Abdul Zaphir " and the present 

 representatives of the breed " Abdul Hamet " 

 and " Marquis of Dingley " are house- 

 hold names amongst silver tabby fanciers. 

 Miss Derby Hyde has long been faithful 

 to this breed, and " Thames Valley Silver 

 King " and " King Alfred " have often 

 had to fight it out together at our shows, 

 sometimes one being favoured by the 

 judge and sometimes the other carrying 

 off the honours. Miss Cope has recently 

 been bitten with the silver fever, and her 

 tabby kittens are always to the fore. 

 Her "Roiall Fluffball" took first and seven 

 specials at Westminster in 1901, and her 

 "Silver Tangle" is a well-known winner. 

 Mr. Furze, another Midland fancier, is also 



