THE KENNEL.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VIII, Issue 412, 16 June 1898, Page 17

THE KENNEL.

The following account of the Toy and Foreign Dog Show, held at the Royal Aquarium, Lon - don, during the first week of May, will be interesting as showing the breeds most favored by the fair sex in the Old Country : —“ .As usual at the Aquarium, the place of honor in the catalogue was assigned to the most aristocratic of all the toy breeds — the toy spaniels — and these silken -coated, long-eared, dainty little creatures charmed all comers by their grace and beauty. Tn this section Mrs Graves was a most successful exhil iter, winning the highest honors with her black and tan champion, Mistress Mary, her tricolor champion, Little Miss Muffett, and her Blenheim champion, May Queen, a great sequence of victories, but all of them were well deserved; whilst the successes of Mrs Graves, in the poodle classes, in which she swept the board, afforded additional evidence of the excellence of this lady’s kennel. Miss Serena and Mrs Grindrod were both successful in the Japanese spaniel classes, the latter lady’s Malvern Beryl being a wellknown and highly-successful competitor in this variety; whilst in fawn-colored pugs Mr H. Nixon, with Royal Nip, and Mrs T. Proctor, with Dulcibella, were well to the fore. In the open class for black pugs the judge displayed some signs of vacillation by awarding equal first prizes to Miss Jenkinson’s Duke Beira and Mrs Howard’s Champion Chottee, as the majority of experts present were, pretty unanimous in preferring one of the two competitors to the other -The long silken-coated Yorkshire terriers, most lovely little arrangements in gold and silver hair, proved most attractive to the visitors ; and in this section the exhibits of Mesdames Walton and Boarci carried all before them. Then came the curious, yet very beautiful, little Belgian griffons, the most diminutive breed probably of all the cknine.race, and fac similes, each and everyone of them, of “ Impudence” in Landseer’s famous picture. Here Miss Adela Gordon was successful with Milord, and in addition gained a second prize with the aptly-named Mighty Atom, which is perhaps the very smallest dog which has ever graced a show pen, and what is still more wonderful, is quite able-bodied in spite of its meagre proportions. Beyond a doubt no variety of the canine race has increased more in popularity than the Pomeranians, which uow constitute a breed which has to be reckoned with by the promoters of any show. In this section Mrs Riley, Miss Chell, and Miss Cresswell all won in whites, ■ whilst Mrs Thomas and Mesdames Marlow and

Walton won in blacks ; Mrs Walker, Mrs Foster, and Miss de Pass being to the fore in browns. Toy bulldogs, the most aristocratically supported of all toy varieties were a fair collection, the Countess de Grey, the Hon. Mrs Baillie of Dochfour, and Lady Kathleen Pilkington being represented in the catalogue; whilst in toy beagles, Mr M. M. A. Cameron had matters all his own way with the shapely and typical little Piccolo. The quaint, tailless Schipperkes were , well represented, Mr 8. Evans’ Flink and Champion -teppe being, as they have often been before, successful in their classes; whilst in Skye terriers, which were most ably handled by Mr W. J. Nichols, Miss M’Cheane, with Iron Will, and Mrs Freeman, with Steel Grey, were to the fore. Chow Chows showed up well, Mrs Faber winning in the smooth classes ; whilst in the Arctic class Mrs Brooke scored easily with Arctic King, and also took first in the Dogue de Bordeaux section with Matador du Midi.” The American Breeder and Sportsman is responsible for the following, and it’s good : — THE DOG-SHOW GIRL.

She looked with smiles, and frowns, and shrugs— For she was very wise— Upon the poodles, pointers, pugs, The beagles, bulls and Skyes. Of setters, spaniels. St. Bernards, Of dogs ot every breed, Of ever; canine on the cards, She knew a lot indeed. She talked to me of “ apple-head,” Of “ brisket,” and ‘ of blaze,” The “ button-ear” was bad, she said, But gave the “ rose-ear” praise; The Dudley nose” quite met her views, A “ dew claw” gave delight; She criticised a bloodhound’s “ flews, ’ But thought his “ couplings” right. Then she descanted on the “ haw.” The “ feather,” “ frill.” and “ flag,” Tn “ hucklebones” she found a flaw, But loved the “ pily shag.” To me it all was Dutch or French, I tried to learn in vain; And thus she went from bench to bench,’ While I iust went—insane!

D.H.