150 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Sept. 15, 1887. 



not get aAvay with Lucifer for the special. She is a bit light 

 in muzzle, f airly good in head with nice ears that are not 

 properly carried. She is also a trifle wide in front and in 

 consequence doos not stand quite straight on her forelegs; 

 take her all in all, however, she is a veiy hard one to beat. 

 Richmond Dazzle, looking well . made a very good second. 

 Third went to Verdict, also in good form, Warren Saucy 

 winning fourth place. Warren Jingle, reserve, is a nice 

 young bitch with beautiful outline, a good head and body 

 and stands straight on her legs, her ears are badly carried, 

 she lacks bone and is a trifle too long in loin. Richmond 

 Myrtle, vhc, was in good condition, as was Gretchen, also 

 vhc. Meersbrook Nan, he, has not improved. Warren 

 Spangle, also he, is off in head and does not stand straight 

 in front. 



The dog puppies were an excellent lot, showing a great 

 improvement over anything before seen in this country. 

 Sentinel, the winner, is very good in body and legs, and 

 stands straight on his pins. He is rather plain in head, heavy 

 in ears, and might be better in coat and feet. The Warren 

 Spider, second, won the reserve card in the open dog class. 

 He was second at New York last May. Third went to Sly 

 Mixture, a nice dog with rather heavy ears. Suffolk 

 Trap, reserve, is too long cast and has heavy ears, which are 

 badly cai*ried. Warren Swagger, vhc, was he. in the open 

 dog class. Raby Bounce, he, would not have disgraced 

 another letter. He is fair in head and body, with plenty of 

 bone, and is straight on his legs. Rustic, e, would have 

 been higher were he straight in front. Dandy Mixture, also 

 c, is quite a fair dog with heavy ears. Two or three others 

 in the class will "make show" dogs when their legs get 

 straight. 



The bitches were not so good as the dogs. Warren Jingle, 

 reserve, in the bitch class, had no trouble in securing first 

 from Praulein Mixture, a nicely made one, but too small. 

 Third went to Beverwyck Nellie. She has a fair head, with 

 badly carried °ars, she is also slack in back and rather weak 

 in loin. No commendations were bestowed although Clover 

 Jilt and Rustic Beauty are both very pretty, but too young 

 and small to show. If Jill gets straight in her legs she will 

 do to show again. 



Only two of the six entries in the wire-haired classes put 

 in an appearance, Laddie and Meg, both well known. They 

 were given first in their respective classes. 



The veteran class brought out four. Mixture, looking 

 well, scored an easy win. Old Royal, also looking very well 

 for his twelve years, made a good second. Venom III. de- 

 served a card for her gamy appearance. Jeopardy, the re- 

 maining eatry, was not in good condition, All of those that 

 were noticed in the novice class were also winners in other 

 classes and have been already noticed. 



SPECIAL PRIZES. 



Mr. Thayer captured first m the stud dog stakes with Luke 

 and Praulein Mixture, the Messrs. Rutherfurd coming second 

 with The Warren Spider and W arren Jingle. The battle for 

 the challenge cup was the most important event of the show. 

 The contest soon nairowed down to Lucifer and Rachel. 

 After a long and careful examination the judge ordered them 

 turned loose in the ring and with a brief comparison of their 

 action he handed the coveted ribbon to Lucifer. He moves 

 much the better of the two and beats the bitch in character, 

 front and coat, while Rachel beats him behind and shows 

 the most quality. Rachel was an easy winner of the cups 

 for the best in the open and novice classes. Mr. Belmont 

 showed a rare good team for the best exhibit of four in Luci- 

 fer, Bacchanal, Sentinel and Rachel, and easily captured the 

 prize. Lucifer and Rachel also won the cup for the best 

 brace, dog and bitch, and Lucifer won the prizes for the best 

 in the champion classes and for the best in the show. In 

 awarding the prize for the best puppy the judge wrongly 

 reversed his decision in the novice class and gave" the cup to 

 Warren Jingle over Sentinel. Mr. Hoey stated to us that in 

 this competition Jingle did show that she could carry her 

 ears properly, but even with this improvement she is not 

 good enough in bone and loin to beat her competitor. Fol- 

 lowing is a list of the 



AWARDS. 



SMOOTH.— Champion — Dogs: 1st, Blemtou Kennels' Lucifer; 

 2d, L. & W. Rutherfurd's Sphiuger. Bitches: 1st, J. E. Thayer's 

 Richmond Olive: 3d, L. & W. Rutherfurd's Cornwall Duchess. 

 Very high com., Blemton Kennels' Marguerite,— Open— Dons: 1st, 

 4th and very high com., J. E. Thayer's Rabv Mixer, Luke and 

 Raby Jack; 2d, Blemton Kennels' Bacchanal; 3d, E. Kelly's Earl 

 Leycester. Reserve and high com., L. & W. Rutherfurd's The 

 Warren Spider and Warren Swagger. Com., Beverwyck Kennels' 

 Beverwyck Tippler. Bitches: 1st, 3d and very high com., Blemton 



ana JieersorooK. JNan; 41 li, reserve anrt ruga com., L. & W. Ruth- 

 erfurd's Warren Saucy, Warren Jingle and Warren Spangle. 

 Com., Fanciers' Kennels' Nellie A.— Puppies— Dogs: 1st and com., 

 Blemton Kennels' Sentinel and Rustic; 2d and very high com., L. 

 & W. Rutherfurd's Wurren Spider and Warren Swagger; 3d, high 

 com. and com., J. E. Thayer's Sly Mixture, Raby Bounce and 

 Dandy Mixture. Reserve, J. Mortimer's Suffolk Trap. Com., 

 Beverwyck Kennels' Beverwyck Tippler. Bitches: 1st, L. & W. 

 Rutherfurd's Warren Jingle; 2d, J. E. Thayer's Fraulein Mixture; 

 3d, Beverwyck Kennels' Beverwyck Nelly. 



WIRE-HAIRED.— Dogs : 1st. W. M. Connors's Cheshire Laddie. 

 Bitches: 1st, W. M. Connors's Meg. Puppies: Absent. 



VETERAN CLASS. — Smooth or Wire-Haireu — Dogs or 

 Bitches : 1st, J. E. Thayer's Mixture ; 2d, L. & W. Rutherfurd's 

 Royal. 



NOVICE CLASS.— Smooth on Wike-Haired— Dogs or Bitches: 

 1st and 2d, Blemton Kennels' Rachel and Sentinel; 3d and high 

 com., L. & W. Rutherfurd's Warren Jingle and The Warren 

 Spider. Reserve, very high com. and com., J. E. Thayer's Sly 

 Mixture, Fraulein Mixture and Raby Bounce. 



STUD DOG STAKES FOR 138".— 1st, J. E. Thayer's Luke and 

 Fraulein Mixture; 2d, L. & W. Rutherfurd's The Warren Spider 

 and Warren Jingle. 



SPECIAL PRIZES. 

 Challenge Cup, Blemton Kennels' Lucifer; best in open classes, 

 Blemton. Kennels' Rachel; best exhibit, Blemton Kennels' Lucifer, 

 Bacchanal, Sentinel and Rachel; brace, Blemton Kennels' Lucifer 

 aud Rachel; 

 wire-haii 

 Blemton 



best shown by a lady, Miss N. B. Dresser's Trig. 



VIRGINIA FOXES AND HOUNDS.— Liberty, Va.— In 

 the year 1877 I owned one of the best packs of dogs I ever 

 owned in my life. During 1877-78-79 I bagged with this pack 

 of hounds sixty-five foxes; sixty-three of them were reds; 

 and during all that time I never saw a red fox climb a tree, 

 although I have caught them time after time in the woods 

 where trees were plentiful. I have run hundreds of them 

 into holes, caves, bluffs, hollow logs, etc. , but I never saw a 

 genuine red fox take to a tree yet. We have a species of 

 gray fox here in Virginia which I think is a cross between 

 the red and gray fox. It is an excellent tree climber, and it 

 resembles a red fox very much, but it is not the genuine old 

 red that can, here in this section of country, hold a pack of 

 the best dogs in the State from five to twelve hours in tune. 

 I have an old foxhound dog that is 13 years old and has been 

 at the death of over 125 foxes, and if he dies a natural death 

 I expect to send him to Mr. Lucas, at the National Museum. 

 — L. L. B. [The gray fox is the Southern gray fox (Urocyoit 

 cinereo argentatus) well known as a tree climber.] 



"THE MASTIFF."— The Wacouta Kennel, of St. Paul, 

 Minn., has published a very neatly gotten up pamphlet with 

 this title. The work is mostly a compilation from the 

 writings of the best known authorities, and contains anec- 

 dotes and sketches illustrative of the characteristics and 

 noble qualities which distinguish the breeds 



THE ST. BERNARD IN SWITZERLAND. 



ALTHOUGH a great deal has been written of late years 

 about the St. Bernard breed as it now exists in its 

 native land, I believe that the interest of the subject is not 

 yet exhausted, and therefore am induced to offer to your 

 readers some of the results of my present visit to the Hospice. 

 It has also seemed to me that we have hitherto received too 

 much of personal impressions and opinions, and too little of 

 bare facts. Not being gifted with the utter self-abnegation 

 — I use the expression in all sincerity — of my present enter- 

 tainers, I shall not be able to refrain from airing my own 

 views and theories, but I propose to give, first, a description 

 of the dogs now belonging to the monastery. The rest of 

 this letter may be left unread by those who wish to form 

 a perfectly unbiassed opinion, and my feelings will not be 

 seriously injured if you, Mr. Editor, should think fit to sup- 

 press my subsequent remarks altogether. 



It will be a shock to all who are interested in the breed to 

 hear that the Monastery possesses at this moment at most a 

 dozen dogs of all ages— viz., eight on St. Bernard Pass, and 

 from two to four — the steward was not certain of the exact 

 number— at the Simplon Hospice. 



Before proceeding to describe individually the seven ani- 

 mals which I have just seen and handled, I will mention the 

 points which all alike exhibit. All have eyes lighter in color 

 than is approved of in England, as well as smooth coats and 

 double dew-claws on both hind legs, and none have the slight- 

 est approach to a " business" fifth toe, or indeed, to a fifth 

 toe on the ground at all. 



1. Castor is a dog about four years old. He is good in bone, 

 and has a well shaped head. 'His height, carefully taken bv 

 myself with a standard, is just over 29>£in. The color of the 

 body is a blackish orange tawny with a little white, and the 

 head, neck, and legs are entirely white with the exception of 

 the earsj which are spotted with a light liver color. The 

 coat, which he is changing at present, is evidently of good 

 smooth quality when in order. 



2. Barry has a very massive body, with grand chest and 

 bone all round; his head is also very good, being short, 

 square, and deep in jaw. The coat is of the best quality, 

 but is very slightly feathered under the tail, which is carried 

 right over the back. The body has large patches of orange 

 tawny, and the head is perfectly and evenly marked with 

 blaze running straight through to the collar. Castor, being 

 the largest, was the only dog I measured. Barry would be 

 about an inch lower. He suffers from rheumatism in one 

 hind leg, which makes him go stiff at starting, but his 

 action, when once warmed up, is very good. 



3. Pluto is an eleven months' puppy. He has good bone, 

 substance, and symmetry, and a capital head. In color he 

 is a rich orange tawny, with perfectly even markings and 

 blaze running through to the collar. ' The left ear and the 

 tip of the right are white, spotted with liver color, like 

 Castor. Coat very good but for the very slightest tendency 

 to curl .over the loins. 



4. Dog puppy about six months old. He is remarkable for 

 his enormous bone and substance. In color and markings 

 he closely resembles Pluto, and his coat shows a somewhat 

 greater tendency to curl on the back. The root of the left 

 ear is white and the rest of it spotted like Castor's and 

 Pluto's. 



5. This is said to be the best of the bitches, but I did not 

 see her as she was being led down the pass by the main 

 track while I was coming up by a short cut. I believe she 

 was being taken to one of the valley farms in order to pup, 

 as litters are never allowed to be born in the very low 

 temperature which prevails all the year round at the Hos- 

 pice. 



6. Pallas. This bitch, though small, is very good in bone, 

 substance and head. Her color is orange tawny, with per- 

 fectly even markings. Her age, if I remember right, is six 

 years, but she has only reared one (her first) litter. Since 

 then her pups have appeared with the greatest regularity, 

 but always prematurely. 



7. Bellone is another bitch with, as usual, a well-shaped 

 head and fair bone. Her body is pale orange tawny in color, 

 with a little white. The head, neck and legs are entirely 

 white, with the exception of the spotted ears noticed in 

 Castor, Pluto, the unnamed pup, and Lionne (below). 



8. Lionne has the good qualities of the other bitches, but 

 has even less color, as she is all white except small orange 

 tawny patches on the right flank, left hip and root of tail 

 and the spotted ears. 



Having so quickly reached the end of this catalogue, one 

 naturally endeavors to explain its brevity. Two principal 

 causes may be mentioned for the terrible diminution in 

 numbers of the stock. Of these I should place in-breeding 

 first. The monk (holding the office of house-steward) from 

 whom all my information is obtained, suggested in-breed- 

 ing as responsible for certain bad points which are conspicu- 

 ous in most of the dogs, and it seems more than probable 

 that the great mortality among the puppies which has de- 

 veloped itself in recent years must be attributed to the same 

 cause. But a recent disaster has accelerated the gradual 

 diminution which has been taking place. A few weeks ago 

 two bitches, both within a fortnight of pupping, were 

 (maliciously, it is supposed) killed by poison. To use the 

 monks own words. "There are vmuvais sujets everywhere, 

 even on the St. Bernar. !." 



Perhaps the uses of the St. Bernard dog do not come with- 

 in the province of this letter, but, nevertheless, 1 will venture 

 to correct, on the best authority, the erroneous views which 

 are so often expressed. Some people think that the dogs are 

 occupied throughout the winter in grubbing the snowdrifts 

 for lost travelers, and in pouring cognac down their throats 

 when found. Others allege that the. dogs were never of much 

 real use, and that, since the St. Gothard Railway has pierced 

 the Alps, they are of no use at all. All these persons are alike 

 mistaken. The St. Gothard Railway being a long way fur- 

 ther east, and the St. Bernard Pass having always been 

 crossed in winter almost exclusively by the poorest of the 

 poor, the number of its passengers remains virtually un- 

 changed. As to the rescue of perishing travelers, this is a 

 rare and occasional incident of a Hospice dog's life, but the 

 service which he renders to humanity is quite as real, and far 

 more frequent and arduous. His regular duty is rather to 

 prevent fhe traveler from falling into danger than to save 

 him from its consequences. To explain. For the last five 

 miles the path to the Hospice on the Swiss side leads up a 

 deep, narrow, and rugged valley, through which it winds 

 from side to side, crossing aud recrossing the torrent at sev- 

 eral places. In winter vast quantities of snow accumulate in 

 this valley, completely obliterating the path, the stream, 

 and, in fact, almost every landmark. 



These drifts are often of immense depth, covering chasms 

 between rocks, the deep bed of the stream, precipices, and 

 other dangers. The position of the drifts is also so often 

 altered by furious gales of wind, which remove them from 

 one spot and heap them up in another ( that the most experi- 

 enced of the, monks cannot tell where it is safe to tread. In 

 this emergency the instinct of the dog is found infallible. 

 On every winter morning one man and one dog goes down 

 each side of the pass to escort to the hospice the travelers 

 who have been passing the night at the refuge below. The 

 dog goes in front, the man numbly follows in his steps, 

 and is never led astray. This duty is generally performed 

 by four of the oldest and hardiest dogs (always males), the 

 two most trusty being reserved for the severest weather. 

 The serious state of the kennel at present is most clearly 

 indicated by the fact that only Castor and Barry will be 

 available next winter. Pluto will no doubt be tried, but as 

 two years and a half is ordinarily the minimum age for going 

 on duty, he cannot be expected to do much. 



This account of the St. Bernard dog's services will not be 



complete until I have added that he suffers severely frdin 

 his exertions, rarely escaping from rheumatism even in his 

 first winter. The bitches and young stock are, as a rule, 

 kept at the Hospice only during summer* This letter has 

 now reached such an unconscionable length that, after all* 

 you will be spared the threatened infliction of my Own fads, 

 fancies, and (perhaps) fallacies. I cannot, however, close 

 without hinting to our "smooth men" that an opportunity 

 now offers itself of doing the same service to the breed which 

 was performed some twenty years ago by Herr Schumacher. 

 It should be remembered, too, that almost all the pillars of 

 the St. Bernard stud book came either from Herr Schu- 

 macher, or from the Hospice, after its kennel had been re- 

 generated through his exertions. At the same time the 

 monks show little anxiety to obtain fresh stock, being, ap- 

 parently, more fearful of destroying by admixture of blood 

 the practical qualities of their present stock than they are of 

 losing that stock altogether by the degeneracy which results 

 from in-breeding.— W. 0. Hughes-Hughes, iyi the Stock- 

 Keeper. 



Hospice Ob' tub Great St. Bminaiid, Aug. 27. 



NEW ENGLAND FOX HUNTING.— Providence, R, I., 

 Sept. 3.— There is camped out near the Devil's Pond, in 

 Rehoboth, a party of men, including Capt. Rufus Jencks, 

 Albert and Fred Bowen, Bill Ballou and several others, who 

 are enjoying life immensely. All of the members of the 

 party are fox hunters, and yesterday, before sunrise, Ser- 

 geant Parker and Officers Slocum and Goodwin started for 

 the rendezvous to join the campers and have a day at the 

 sport. When all was ready the number of the party was 

 found to be eleven persons, with as many guns, and nine 

 dogs, aud it seemed as if reynard was to have a day of it, 

 The party started out, and, as a result of the day's sport, 

 obtained four foxes, Sergeant Parker killing one "of them, 

 and this, it mav be said, is considerable fox hunting for one 

 day. . . .HARTFORD, Conn., Sept. 8— In the still hours of Sat- 

 urday' morning, in pursuance of a previous arrangement, 

 some members of the Hartford Fox Club, including Dr. 

 Crary, Joe Lane and George and Wesley Deming, slipped 

 quietly out of bed and into their hunting suits, and before 

 they were missed by ordinary risers they were beating the 

 bush, out in the vicinity of the reservoir. They were not 

 long in striking a fox trail, and before the dogs had got 

 fairly started Dr. Crary had the luck to bring down a good 

 fat fellow. Later on he had an opportunity to run his eye 

 down along the barrel of his rifle, and, discovering that it 

 covered another fox, he pulled the trigger and of course the 

 animal succumbed to the Doctor's unerring aim. The medal 

 was awarded to the Doctor until the next meeting, and he 

 will cheerfully hand it over to the member beating this 

 record. 



STAFFORD SPRINGS DOG SHOW. — The third annual 

 dog show of the Stafford Kennel Club will be held at Staf- 

 ford Springs, Conn., Oct. 12 and 13, in connection with the 

 Tolland County Fair. A large and convenient building has 

 been erected for the exclusive use of the club, and it is their 

 intention to hold a first-class show in every respect. The 

 secretary's address is R. S. Hicks, Stafford Springs, Conn. 



. . .Babylon, L. I., Sept. 9.— Editor Forest and Stream: I 

 was surprised on my return from Newport to find in your 

 paper a notice signed R. S. Hicks, Sec'y, saving that ar- 

 rangements had been made with me to judge "all other 

 sporting dogs" at the Stafford Springs show. No such ar- 

 rangement has ever been made with my consent, and the use 

 of my name is entirely without authority.— J as. Mortimer. 



A. K. C. METHODS. — Editor Forest and Stream: The 

 latest freak of Secretary Vredenburgh is to call upon dele- 

 gates to send in their credentials, quoting as his authority 

 the article of the Constitution which refers to representation 

 at the annual meeting. The meeting to be held on the 24th 

 inst. is a quarterly meeting of the executive committee. It 

 seems impossible for our present president and secretary to 

 make even the simplest move without committing a blunder. 

 More incompetent officials it would be difficult to imagine, 

 much less obtain, and when the secretary is being paid at 

 the rate of $101) a month for the few hours' work he does 

 every week, I think it is high time he improved or else gave 

 place to a man possessed of the necessary qualifications. — 

 J as. Watson. 



ST. PAUL DOG SHOW.— There are over 300 entries for 

 the dog show at St. Paul this week. There are 63 setters, IT 

 pointers, 25 mastiffs, 22 St. Bernards, 25 spaniels, 44 terriers 

 of the various breeds, 17 pugs, 12 greyhounds, 12 Chesapeake 

 Bay dogs, 11 beagles, 11 collies and 6 Great Danes. The 

 entries in other classes are light. 



GRAPHIC KENNELS— It is rumored that the Graphic 

 Kennel partnership has beeen dissolved and the dogs have 

 been divided. 



KENNEL NOTES. 



NAMES CLAIMED. 

 Notes must be sent on the Prepared Blanks. 



Nick of the Woods, Naso of Bergen, Eouisette and Nanon. By G_ 

 W. McNeil, Jersey City, N. J., for pointers, two black and white 

 dogs and lemon and while and liver and white bitches, whelped 

 Aug. 2, 1887, by Nick of Naso (Naso II.— Pcttigo) out of Temptation 

 (Don — MaudS.). 



Empire Kohrrt Bruce, Empire. Donald of Dundee and Empire 

 Jim. By N. V. Ketch um. Savannah, Ga., for three Skye terrier- 

 dogs, whelped July 15, 1887, by Jim (Berkie— Highland Mary) out 

 of Lass o' Gowrie (Jim— Queen Mab). 



Broivn Diclc and Daion. By Mignon Kennels, Cortland, N. Y.„ 

 for black and tan and black, with white star on breast, cocker 

 spaniel dogs, whelped June 15, 1887. by Oberon (A.K.R. 3315) out Of 

 Susie (Kiddlewink, A.K.R. 997— Gretchen). 



Wagnr Buckellcw. By M. M. McMillan, Mahanoy City, Pa., for 

 orange and white English setter dog, whelped May 19, 1887, bv 

 Buckellew (A.K.R. 30) out of Minitonisa (Don Juan— Petre Hll.),, 



BRED. 



%W Notes must be sent on the Prepared Blanks. 



Dora Gladstone— Gun. Ohas. York's (Bangor, Me.) English set- 

 ter hitch Dora Gladstone (Boss Gladstone— veil) to his Gun (Glad- 

 stone—May B.), Sept. 3. 



Hmh—Sijot Dash. W. JJ. Beebe'a (Lynn, Mass.) pointer bitch 

 Rush (Sam— Nell) to Robt. Leslie's Spot Dash (Sir Philip Sydney— 

 Topsy), Aug. 19. 



Dinah— Ligero. W. C. Kimpton's (Washington, D. C.) spaniel 

 bitch Dmah (Jacob— Floss) to H. L. Sprague's Ligero (A.K.R. 5197),, 

 Aug. 25. 



WHELPS. 



E5P~ Notes must be sent on the Prepared Blanks. 



Mignon. Mignon Kennels' (Cortland, N. Y.) cocker spaniel bitch 

 Mignon (A.K.K. 1002), May 30, four (two dogs), by their Oberon 

 (A.K.R. 3315). 



Susfe. Mignon Kennels' (Cortland, N. Y.) cocker spaniel bitch 

 Susie (Kiddlewink, A.K.R. 997— Gretchen), June 16, four (three 

 dogs), by their Oberon (A.K.R. 3315). 



A aiia. W. H. Rose's (Barrington, R. I.) beagle bitch Nana 

 (A.K.R. 8099), Sept. 4, seven (four dogs), by his liem (A.K.R. 21)5); 

 two dogs and one bitch since dead. 



JS cllie Dale DT, W. A. Faxon's (Braintreo, Mass.) English setter 

 bitch Nellie Dale II. (Dash HI.— Nellie Dale), Aug. 27, four (two 

 dogs), by A. M. Tucker's GusBoudhu (Dashing Bondhu— Novel). 



Flirt, W. H. Ashbarner's (Philadelphia, Pa.) beagle bitch Elirt 

 (Ringwood— Bush), Sept. 3, five (tliree dogs), by his Domino (Rat- 

 tler III.— Myrtle). 



SALES. 



JSP™ Notes must be sent on the Prepared Blanks. 



Nick o f Vie Woods. Black and white pointer dog, whelped Aug. 

 2, lSu, b'yTsiek of Naso out of Temptation, by ueo^ W, McNeil, 

 Jersey City, N. J., to Wm, Barnes, Philadelphia, Pa, 



