SHORT-HAIRED CATS. 



287 



" I would here remark upon the absence of white I have ever seen penned, winner of nine 



men who take up breeding cats as a hobby, 

 and yet the short-haired variety is essentially 

 a man's breed. They require very little 



first prizes and championships, the property 

 of Lady Alexander. This cat has held her 

 own in her class for the last seven years a 



grooming and attention compared to the long- most remarkable feat. 



haired varieties. 



Silver tabbies I must certainly class 



" Several of the most prominent judges of among the most aristocratic of the breeds. 



cats are also recognised authorities in the dog 

 world. I may mention the late Mr. Enoch 

 \Ydburn ; Mr. F. Gresham, the keen, ' all- 

 round ' judge ; Mr. L. P. C. Astley, also at 



Fanciers will tell you how difficult it is to 

 obtain a good one. Either the tabby mark- 

 ings are not clear, nor sufficiently defined, 

 the black is jjot dense enough, the butterfly 



home both in one or the other ; Mr. Sam markings are not distinct, or the eyes are not 



of the correct colour. To get anything like a 

 perfect type in silvers is a great feat, and only 

 the outcome of judicious mating. One of the 

 great faults of many silvers on the bench to- 

 day is that they are deficient in size, and unless 



Woodiwiss, the well-known fancier and expert ; 

 Mr. Lane, who also adjudicates on both breeds ; 

 and Mr. Louis Wain, to whom we are indebted 

 for those delightful pictures depicting cat life. 

 " Tortoiseshells are most difficult cats to 

 breed. Either they come too dark or too 

 light, or the colours are not sufficiently well 

 blended. One of the singularities of the 

 breed is the nearly entire absence of males 

 in every litter ; in fact, I remember the 

 saying was that a tortoiseshell torn was as 

 scarce as the dodo. At the 

 present time, however, we 

 have two good toms viz. 

 'Champion Ballochmyle 

 Samson,' winner of no fewer 

 than twelve first prizes and 

 championships, the property 

 of Lady Alexander, and 

 ' Champion King Saul,' 

 winner of numerous cham- 

 pionships and first prizes, 

 owned by Mrs. Herring. 

 Both these males are very 

 good, and whenever they 

 have been penned together 

 it has always been a difficult matter for me to we attend to this I am afraid that shortly we 

 decide the winner. In females, ' Ballochmyle are likely to produce a diminutive type which, 

 Bountiful Bertie ' (sire, ' Champion Balloch- of course, is greatly to be avoided. I hardly 

 myle Samson '), also the property of Lady think this breed is sufficiently supported, 

 Alexander, winner of several firsts and cham- taking into consideration the richness in colour 

 pionships ; ' Fulmer May,' the property of and markings of the silver tabby. 

 Lady Decies, winner of many firsts they are " Among the many winning males, ' Cham- 

 both grand females, of the right colour and pion Jimmy ' stands out very prominently, 

 type ; the tortoiseshell-and-white ' Champion having won numerous championships and 

 Ballochmyle Otter,' the best tortoiseshell-and- first prizes ; he was the property of Mrs. Herring. 



SLEEPING AND WAKING TABBIES. 



(Photo : T. Fall, Baker Street, W.) 



