A letter redolent of lavender and old-world deliberation, but words of wisdom for all that. The reported delicacy of long-haired cats would trouble us less if we had more of the new milk and hay-loft system. Raw meat, raw eggs, new milk, fresh air, grass, and water are the sole ingredients required to rear the most valuable kitten.

"'Chinnie's' size is another interesting point. She grew to medium weight, but was remarkable for symmetry of form rather than bulk.

"Some of the loveliest chinchillas are small, but 'Nizam,' 'Tod Sloan,' 'Ameer,' 'Silver Lambkin,' 'Laddie,' 'Lord Argent,' 'Silver Mist, ' 'Cherub,' and 'St. Anthony' stand out as being as large, or larger, than any cats of other colours, and the majority of them have also the purity of colour, broad heads, and short legs so often lacking in large cats. The legginess and want of quality which frequently accompanies size doubtless cause our leading judges to deem it of little account.

Mrs. Baldlng's "Fluffie Tod. "

" The name chosen by Mrs. Vallance for her new acquisition proves that even in those early days the term chinchilla was in vogue. 'Chinnie's' wins were third Maidstone, Sittingbourne, V. H. C. Oxford, Maidstone. Her charming little mate ' Fluffy I., ' a very pure silver with undecided tabby markings, also showed the quality of coat and cherub face for which their descendants have been unsurpassed. He was bred in 1883 by Miss Acland from imported cats, and won first and medal at Maidstone, Cheltenham, and Ealing, second Ryde, V. H. C. Crystal Palace, Oxford,, and Lincoln. His career ended in 1886, when he disappeared. Tradition whispers he was destroyed in the village.

"In April, 1885, 'Chinnie' produced a litter by 'Fluffy I., ' two members of which - 'Vezzoso' and 'Beauty' - have earned undying fame in the annals of chinchilla history. 'Vezzoso, ' a marvel of lavender loveliness, in his one brief year of existence won first in the open class and silver medal for best in show Albert Palace, 1885, first Louth, Maidstone, second Frome, third Lincoln.

"Sea Foam. " The Property of Mr. Laughton.

"In fatal 1886 'Vezzoso, ' who belied his exquisite appearance by being very un-domesticated, like his maternal grandfather the wild cat of Babbicombe, roamed to return no more. 'Lost in the woods' is his epitaph.

"An even more tragic fate befel 'luffy II.,' the 1886 son of 'Fluffy L' and 'Chinnie, ' who after winning first Crystal Palace, first and silver medal for best in show Brighton, second Albert Palace and Ealing, and siring the two before-mentioned kittens of the year, died in 1887 from the effects of an accident in which he was internally injured. Thus within little more than a year Mrs. Vallance lost three of the most promising young cats anyone could possess. At the time their owner scarcely realised their value, and allowed them absolute freedom, with such sad results.

"But undoubtedly the best result of the 'Fluffy' and 'Chinnie' alliance was 'Beauty, ' from whom, as already stated, came the 'Silver Lambkins. ' As a kitten she became the property of Miss Howe, of Bridgyate, near Bath, and later, by a breeding arrangement with the Miss Greshams (now Mrs. Bridgwater and Mrs. Balding), had three remarkable litters of chinchilla kittens, the first by 'Rahman,' who shortly afterwards strayed from home and was lost. This was the litter which produced four queens, including the two 'Silver Lambkins,' and which (with the exception of one renamed 'Mimi, ' who went to America with her owner) all unfortunately died.

"The second of Bridgyate 'Beauty's' litters was by Mrs. Shearman's 'Champion Perso,' a magnificent light smoke with remarkable coat and wonderful mane, winner of a large number of first and special prizes. In this lot was a torn kitten destined to be a pillar of the chinchilla stud book, the 'Silver Lambkin,' named after his deceased half-sisters. The chief beauties of this remarkable cat are his size and muscular frame, the length and thickness of coat, and the enormous frill inherited from 'Champion Perso, 'which spreads Elizabethan like round his shoulders and falls to his feet in front, a cascade of silvery white fluff several inches long. To 'Perso' may be traced in some degree 'Silver Lambkin's' success as the sire of unmarked cats, and to 'Beauty' their pale colour, green eyes, and perfect shape, which have won for her descendants by 'Lambkin' upwards of 150 first prizes.

"At the time 'Silver Lambkin' was bred there was no chinchilla stud cat, and no one had thought of trying to breed chinchillas, for whom, as before stated, there was no encouragement at shows or at home.

"The third litter which brought further fame to 'Beauty' was by 'Bonny Boy,' who in the early 'nineties was placed second in the class for silver tabbies at the Crystal Palace, but was considered by admirers of chinchillas to be the best cat in the whole show - an honour, however, which came to him a month later when at Brighton he was awarded the special for the most perfect specimen of the Persian breed in the exhibition; he had previously been claimed at Sydenham, by the Hon. Mrs. McLaren Morrison, at his catalogue price of £6 6s., and was afterwards renamed 'Nizam.'

"The only information that could be obtained about this beautiful cat was that he was exhibited by Mrs. Davies and that he came from Wales. Report suggested that he was imported, but there is no evidence of any chinchilla cat having been sent from abroad.

Mrs. Wkllbye's "Silver Lotus. " (Photo: E. Landor, Ealing. )

"'Beauty's' litter by 'Nizam' consisted of one male and four females, two of which, as 'Twin and I' - so named because they were so exactly alike - won first prizes and medals wherever shown. Another was sold by me to Mrs. Martin, which, as 'Lambkin Queen,' was the foundation of the afterwards noted cattery at High Wycombe. 'Twin' eventually went to Mr. Lawton, who renamed her 'Queen of the Mist.' Mated with 'Silver Lambkin' she produced 'Sea Foam, ' the first chinchilla to win a prize in a class solely confined to cats of the colour. There was an amusing coincidence about this win, inasmuch as after considerable trouble had been taken to get a separate class for chinchillas, the judge gave the first prize to a heavily marked silver tabby, thus totally ignoring the desired object. This occurred at the Crystal Palace in 1893 or 1894. The two first classes ever given for chinchillas were this one and that given at Cruft's first cat show at Westminster, held in March, 1894.