This gentleman tells me he has been a dog lover from infancy, and used to have one of his mother's Setters in his bedroom before he was six years old. His mother also was devoted to dogs, and had some of her pets with her to the very last.

Mr. Berners is fortunate in having as a partner for life a lady of congenial tastes, as she is devoted to Pugs and Bull-dogs, but has experienced the usual disappointments in the breeding of the latter, and reared very few puppies out of many litters, although they have had the advantage of her personal care and attention.

MR. W. HUGH BERNERS.

From photo by W. H. Davis, Bath.

They have kept dogs for more than twenty years, but did not go in for exhibiting until 1896, and never very extensively. At some of the better-class shows one of their puppies, Self-defence, has done fairly well, taking prizes at Cheltenham, Bull-dog Show, Royal Aquarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, etc. This puppy and his litter sister were brought up by hand by Mrs. Berners. Another of these youngsters, Corsham Bogie, came out at the Bull-dog Show, 1899, when it did well, winning several prizes and specials, and at the Royal Botanic Gardens she won first Open, second Limit, second Novice, and the Premiership. Bangles, another bitch puppy, was brought out there, and won third in Puppy and second in Maiden Classes, and at the show at Swindon was first in Limit and Novice Classes, and took the British Bulldog Club £25 Cup. Another puppy, a winner at Cheltenham, had the curious experience of being born apparently dead; but by application of hot flannels and artificial respiration, first with human breath and afterwards with the help of a cycle pump, he was kept alive, and was a healthy inmate of the kennel until he was sold.

MR. W. HUGH BERNERS'S HULL-DOG SELF-DEFENCE.

From photo by J. K. Singer, Chippenham.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Berners think no trouble too much for the well-being of their four-footed friends. They have kennels with improved flooring and a system of drainage and ventilation devised by Mr. Berners, which he claims to combine warmth and dryness, of special importance with such difficult and delicate animals as they have found Bull-dogs to be.

I have been able to obtain a capital portrait of Mr. Berners, and had hoped to have given one of Mrs. Berners also, as I think, from what I have been told, she is equally keen as a fancier, and has made many friends amongst Doggy People with congenial tastes.

MR. W. HUGH BERNERS'S BULL-DOG BANGLES.

From photo by J. R. Singer, Chippenham.

The dogs' portraits are of three of the best-known Bull-dogs bred in this kennel. Self-defence has won first, Puppy Class, Royal Aquarium, British Bull-dog Club Thirteen Guinea Cup, Bull-dog Club Ten Guinea Cup and first Puppies, Cheltenham, Twenty-five Guinea trophy and special for Best Puppy, all 1900; also first, Open Class, Earl's Court, 1901, for dogs under 35 lb. Bangles has won two firsts, Swindon, Twenty-five Guinea Cup for Best Bitch in Show and third at Gloucester, and Second in Open and second in Limit at Earl's Court, 1901, under 40 lb. Corsham Bogie has won at Bristol, second in Puppies, British Bull-dog Club Thirteen Guinea Cup, and Ten Guinea Bull-dog Club Cup; and at Ladies' Kennel Association Show, 1900, first Open and Premiership, also numerous other prizes and specials.

MR. W. HUGH BERNERS'S BULL-DOG CORSHAM BOGIE.

From photo by W. H. Davis, Bath.