The best-marked brown tabby I have ever seen was Lady Marcus Beresford's' "Bas-sorah," who was unfortunately given away and lost. Her markings looked like oil painting, they stood out in such distinct relief-Another specimen of a different type was imported by Lady Marcus Beresford, namely "Kismet." She was of the ticked order, with small pencilled markings, very compact and cobby in shape. Mrs. Herring has always possessed good brown tabbies. To begin with, "Adolphe," who used formerly to win everything till his son, "Prince Tawny Boy," stepped into his shoes, to be displaced later by his own son, "Prince Adolphe," and his exquisite daughter, "Floriana," now in America. Another good son of "Adolphe's" was Mrs. Bonar's "Lord Salisbury." To go back as far as I can recollect, there was Mr. Horrel's "Nero," and Mrs. Pearce's "Juliet" and "Rosebud," also Miss Malony's "Lind-fields Lion" and the Hon. Mrs. McLaren Morrison's "Cetewayo" and "Mazawattee," this latter a really wonderful cat which was imported by Mrs. Davies at the same time as the celebrated "Nizam," and reported to be his brother.

Anyway, he resembled him greatly in everything but colour.

For sables we, of course, go to the Birkdale strain. I remember the incomparable "Birkdale Ruffie" in his full glory at the Crystal Palace - a mass of red-brown fur, of the style of "Persimmon Laddie," but with more distinct markings and a very keen, almost fierce, expression; in fact, he looked like a wild animal!

Then "Master Ruffie" appeared as a kitten, and later as a mild edition of his sire. From this celebrated strain Miss Whitney's lovely sables are descended. This enthusiastic fancier has kindly written some notes on her favourite breed. Her cats are all pets, and lead a life of luxury in their town and country houses on the other side of the Irish Channel. Miss Whitney says:"I am pleased to see that brown tabbies are coming to the front again, after being such a long time in the background. It now rests with fanciers of this charming variety of the feline species to improve them in all points. We hear often that they should be a rich tan in ground colour, clear and dense in markings, profuse in coat, ruff and frill, large round head, small ears, and no white lip. I should consider this a perfect specimen ; but where is such to be had ? I do not say it will not be obtained, but up to this I have never seen it. Now what we are to endeavour is to breed up to this high standard. This will take time, no doubt ; but, above all, do not let us give up everything for markings, though they are very essential.

"My idea of a brown tabby is that it must be of a rich tawny ground colour. How could a brown tabby be called a brown if it is only a greyish drab? I should prefer to do without such perfect markings, but to have the more desirable rich colour, and, above all, plenty of coat, ruff, and frill; if it has not these latter qualities, it could not be called a Persian, which must have an abundance of fine soft-textured coat. If we only breed for marking, why not mate to a' short-hair,' which is more likely to be perfect in that point ? But then, where would be our true Persian ? Now, as to white lip, I have never seen a good brown tabby without it, but I hear that there are such, though they fail in colour. I would prefer the well-coated cat with good colour and markings and a white lip to one that failed in these other points and had no white lip (I do not mean when it extends to a white throat). Now if we happen to breed a good kitten without a white lip, and should strive to mate her to a really well-marked stud cat, even should he fail in colour - perhaps we might get even one kitten nearly reaching perfection as the result. It would reward the patience, expense, and time; but we need never expect a profusely coated cat to show as distinct markings as an in-feriorly coated one will.

I breed nothing but brown tabbies, but cannot say I have yet obtained perfection. I have, however, secured coat and colour, and expect to attain the other desirable points in the near future, as we must all persevere, but always let us breed up to the standard of the true Persian.

"Lorna Doone." Bred by Mrs. Ellis, Toronto.

"I first became interested in cats by being given a nice brown tabby Persian kitten, which I called' Ruffle,' and got very fond of him ; but as he seemed lonely I thought of getting another kitten as a companion for him, so I then purchased a pretty little silver tabby from Miss Cochran ; but after some time, of all the varieties I saw, none pleased me so well as the brown tabbies. This breed I have gone in for altogether during the past few years, and I feel sure I shall remain faithful to them to the end of my career as a cat fancier. At present I have not a cat of any other colour in my cattery.

"I still have 'Ruffle,' who is now a very large neuter, splendidly marked, but perhaps not quite up to the standard in other points for the English show bench.' Bray-fort Fina' is, I may say, a sable tabby, being particularly rich in colour all throughout - indeed, more often of an auburn tan than brown. She is very profuse in coat, carrying a long body-coat and a big ruff and frill. She is a very large cat, with plenty of bone, and well made, with a fine-shaped hea,d.

She was once mistaken for a male by a well-known judge.' Fina' was bred by Miss G. Southam, and is by' Master Ruffle' ex 'Bluette,' her sire being a son of the famous 'Champion Birkdale Ruffle.'

"She was already a winner when I purchased her, and has since won many times, including second and special at Bristol, 1899, in a mixed sex class, being beaten by a male. At Belfast, in 1900 - the following year - she was beaten out of first by her sister,'Brayfort Princess.' She then took second at Westminster, 1902; first at Reading, and first and championship at the Crystal Palace, 1901 and 1902. Again first at the Bath Specialist Show in the same year, where her gorgeous colouring was called in question and an unsupported protest was made that she was dyed !

"Birkdale Ruffie." (Photo: J. A. Kay, Southport.)