A great deal has been written lately, on the bad effect of the bull cross, as exhibited in King and his stock; but I quite agree with Capt. Garnier in thinking that the injurious results complained of have been greatly exaggerated, though I do not go the full length with him of asserting that a century or two ago the two breeds were identical; for, much as I am inclined to think he is right, there seems to be no absolute proof of the truth of his opinion. The sole objection to the cross, as it appears to me, rests in the danger of spoiling the temper of the produce; but every one of experience knows that many keeper's dogs, which are fully half-bull, are perfectly under control even with severe provocation. Still, unless a bulldog is selected of specially amiable temperament, there would be great risk of the effect alluded to, and in any case the proportion of bull ought to be small, not exceeding one-eighth. Capt. Garnier's opinion of the bull cross for the mastiff may be gather from the following remarks, which form part of the letter above alluded to:

"By crossing, then, the bulldog with the mastiff, we merely combine two breeds which a century or two ago were identical. This fact is also proved by the colour of the two breeds, which are the same, viz., brindled, fallow, and red with black muzzles; while the known effects of domestication and warmth in producing white in all animals would have full play in the bulldog - the fireside companion of the working man - and would quite account for the change of a light fallow into that colour, and its presence in the bulldog of the present day. In using the cross, however, it would, of course, be advisable to select a brindled or fallow dog.

"We have an illustration of the bull cross in King and his produce; but here I think it has proved of but slight use. King combines in him some of the best strains of the pure mastiff, and his good qualities are quite as much derived from them as from the bull strain in him. His great-granddam, Mr. Lukey's Countess, had a longer and more muscular body than he has, and his head and muzzle are not one whit fuller than any of Mr. Lukey's old strain; while Baron, his son, who is the result of another cross with the old strain, has, I think, a slightly fuller head than he himself. His ears also are more probably inherited from his great-granddam Countess than from the bull cross. The only effects produced by the latter are the under jaw slightly underhung, a full prominent eye, short muzzle, and square forehead. The two first are objectionable, and the two latter produce certain illusive effects on the eye. The shortness of the muzzle makes it look broader than it really is, and the squareness of the forehead makes that part look fuller. These latter so far are advantages, but mastiff critics should remember that the effects produced by them are more apparent than real.

Thus Turk's square forehead measures no more round in proportion to his size than does Druid's; and yet, while the eye can detect no great fault in Turk's head, the want of breadth in Druid's is evident at once. So also the contrast of a strongly-marked muzzle with the rest of the head makes it look fuller than it really is. While on this subject, I may as well notice another effect. Some of the correspondents in the Field have written of Druid as having a narrow and pointed muzzle. If, however, they measure the girth of his muzzle and that of King's, they will find that they are in the same proportion as the relative sizes of the two dogs, while Druid's muzzle is actually more truncated than King's, and as much so as Baron's; but let the owner of Druid slightly lift the skin on each side of his dog's head, so as to give the forehead an appearance of greater breadth, and the supposed faults in the muzzle will at once disappear. So deceptive are these little tricks of effect, that I never depend on my eye alone, but always assist my judgment with the tape. The fact that in the particular case of King the bull cross has had no very decided effect need not prove an objection to that cross, unless it can be shown that the bulldog used was the best of his class.

For there are " bulldogs and bulldogs; " and it is only in the best specimens that the head will measure more round in proportion to their size than the heads of well-bred mastiffs, the squareness of forehead and shortness of muzzle in the bulldog contributing to make their heads look larger and fuller in proportion to their size than they really are. From what I know of the strain from which the bull cross in King came, I expect that his bulldog ancestor was not of the largest-headed type. But take such a dog as Bill George's Young Dan, whose head measures 20 1/2in. round, and who stands 22in. at the shoulder. If he stood 32in., the height of Peveril, his head would measure nearly 31in., while Peveril's only measures 27in.; and the volume of the two heads would then be as 3 to 2".

A much worse stain in the pedigree of the mastiff is the cross with the bloodhound, which has been tried in order to give majesty to the expression. The result is perhaps in accordance with that object, but the temperament is sadly interfered with, and the general size, as well as the relatively large dimensions of head to body, are lost. Instead of the peculiar breadth of the head, it becomes long and narrow, the lips are too pendulous, and the eye sunken, with an exhibition of the haw in the bloodhound form, often to the extent of being absolutely red. I should certainly object to this cross to the full extent of disqualification if exhibited. The following is -

The Numerical Value Of The Mastiff's Points

Grand Total 100.