Mrs. W. Eames Col-burn has at the present time probably one of the largest and most successful catteries in America. In 1901 she made a reputation with her cat "Paris," which was bred by herself, and which, besides winning in the strongest of company, has been a most successful and prolific sire of white kittens, a good many of which have taken honours on the bench. Mrs. Colburn also possesses two very fine blacks - "Blackthorn," which she imported from Asia, and "Blackberry Fawe," sent to her from England by Miss Frances Simpson. Many people who have visited the cattery of late are heard to speak enthusiastically of the quality of the inmates and of the perfection of the appointments and the way the cattery is fitted up. Miss L. C. Johnstone, the ever busy secretary of the Beresford Club, has been a prominent exhibitor, and has taken many honours with "Blue Flash," "Persimmon Squirrel," and "Kew Laddie." "Blue Flash" grew into a beautiful cat, taking at the Chicago show, 1902, the special for best queen in the show.

Mrs. Jerome H. Pratt has usually been an exhibitor at the Chicago show. She won her championship with "Sir Henry Irving," a very richly marked silver tabby by "Whych-wood," who was by "Charlbury Silver King." Mrs. Tolman has always been an energetic officer of the Beresford Club, and is very energetic at the shows, and in cats her fancy runs to creams, of which she has brought out several winners. Mrs. L. Nicholson (formerly Mrs. F. Fisk Green) has been a prominent and good supporter of past Chicago shows.

Mrs. F. W. Story has been known as a successful breeder of orange cats and some whites, and in having obtained possession of the fine orange "Ham-ish" will, no doubt, find herself in a few years in the position of being a prominent breeder of this colour. "Bunch," the former stud cat belonging to this cattery, did good service in his day, and is responsible for a few winners; but the absence of any details in the American catalogues of the shows makes it difficult to arrive at a very accurate estimate of all his performances.

In speaking of Chicago we shall have to include Miss Hazelton, who has turned out several winners, all descended from "Sapphire," that she bought of Mrs. Barker in 1896. Mrs. Fred E. Smith has been one of the shining lights among the Chicago breeders, and has been a consistent winner at Chicago shows; she now holds a strong hand in the white division, and was fortunate enough to pick up on the Pacific coast a fine male in "Light of Asia," who was imported from Asia. "Swampscott," another good cat, makes his appearance every year, and usually finds himself in the prize list, and he has the most fascinating way of turning up in splendid coat at most of the shows. This cat is a pure Maine cat, if we may so call him ; but as an example of vigour and good health, year after year, he stands pre-eminent. Mrs. Smith is now building up a strain of silvers of her own composing, which may be very valuable to the attenuated strains of the ordinary breeder, who is only too glad to welcome something that will be an out-cross and will not spoil the silver colour.

Mrs. E. N. Barker One of the Pioneers of the American Cat Fancy. (Photo : J. Hiibner, Rutherford, N.J.)

Mrs. C. E. S. Blinn is another breeder who is always present at the shows, and whose cats usually find their way into the prize list. Mrs. Blinn is a consistent breeder who does not always make herself very prominent, but she obtains the results on the quiet.

Mrs. Blanche Robinson has bred several of her own prize-winners, and her black "Othello," of which we spoke previously, is more than a good one. The name of Mrs. McKenzie will always be associated with "Prince of Orange," whose name will designate his colour, and this cat is a hard one to beat in any orange class, for he is very rich and deep in tint.

In 1902 there were two shows held in Chicago by the Beresford Cat Club, one in December, 1902, or just a month earlier than usual, really representing what would have been, in the natural course, the 1903 show. This show did not reveal to us any very great changes ; there are a few new home-bred ones, but the principal wins in the highest of the specials were made by imported cats. The advent of some nice new whites was welcomed, as usual, and "Toddles" is an addition to our list of white males, and is a nice cobby sort, bred from "Light of Asia." "Little Miss Eiger," one of Mrs. Cratty's breeding and own particular strain, won in the blue-eyed white queens. "Lupin" kept on his winning career, and took the prize for the best in show once more, and this, under judges who had never seen him before, seems to endorse the estimate made of him heretofore. "Melrose Lassie," shown this year again for competition, took the first prize in blue queens. Blacks, taking the open and novice together, came out strongly, and black seems to be one of our strongest colours. "Prince of Orange" is still invincible at this show in orange males, and the orange queens are coming along nicely. Mrs. Sarmiento's "John Bull," in much better form than last year, again sweeps the deck in the silver class.

The silver tabbies still continue to prosper. "Arlington Hercules " went down, for the first time, at this show, largely on a question of eye colour.

Smokes in the year gone by have not made much advance in the West, and this year the cream females outnumber the males, and a descendant of "Kew Laddie" takes the eye of the public with colour, coat, and points. Mrs. C. A. White, who in the spring bought "Lupin" and "Melrose Lassie," was most successful at this show, and is probably destined to be one of our successful breeders, and with the co-operation of her husband (Dr. White), who is very clever with animals, the assistance she will receive will very largely help to bring her to the front.

" Silver Hair " And " Tiptoe." Owned by Mrs. Pierce. (Photo: Howland, Cincinnati.)

Mrs. White is the lady who is organising a home for deserted dogs and cats, with a hospital attached, and on a scale and with a foresight that is certainly remarkable. Considering that Dr. White is the head of the Veterinary College in Chicago, the benefit that may accrue to the dogs and cats in the future from the opportunity of humane study that this will give will be incalculable. This, when put alongside of the horrible revelations that we are treated to anent vivisection, may, I hope, have the effect of swinging the balance the other way, and help to show the rash experimenters that there are people in this world who recognise the individuality of the animal creation, and that we who use them for our own ends and have crowded them out of their place in Nature to a certain extent should at the same time look at the other side of the picture, and should consider the debt we owe to them during their short lives - that humanity, practised towards the dumb animals, is nothing more than their just due.

A great many of the same cats won at Chicago at this last show, " Lupin " being again best cat in show, and among the younger brigade the most remarkable was a lovely cream kitten owned by Mrs. Locke, which is by "Kew Laddie." "Toodles," a white son of "Light of Asia," was the best white.