The two strains, rough and smooth, are considered to be distinct enough to require separate classes, but sometimes a litter is composed of specimens of each. Except in coat, there is little or no difference between them.

Having enumerated the principal specimens of the rough strain, I may now mention that Monarque, now dead (whose portrait accompanies this article, drawn by Mr. Baker from an excellent photograph), stands at the head of the smooth division- -;facile princeps. He was bred by M. Schumacher, of Berne, and was by Souldan from Diane, being own brother to Schumacher's Barry, above mentioned. In colour he was white and yellowish red, of immense size and substance, and with wonderfully good legs and feet. Until his death he maintained his supremacy on the show bench, being the winner of about a dozen first prizes at the best shows, besides those given at smaller ones. In addition to him, Mr. Macdona also possessed Victor, Sultan, Bernard (imported from the Monastery), Swiss, Jura, and Jungfrau, daughters of Monarque, and several others of lesser note; while Miss Aglionby's Jura (bred at the Monastery of St. Bernard), Mr. Layland's Le Moine, and Mr. Gresham's The Shah have met with a certain amount of success.

But, in spite of the above list of grand dogs, as a lot the smooth-coated St. Bernards will not bear comparison with the rough in this country.

Amongst other noted breeders of St. Bernards of both kinds are Lady Emily Peel, Lord Lindsay (who purchased the cream of Mr. Macdona's kennels), the Rev. G. A. Sneyd, Mr. Gresham, Miss Hales, Dr. Seton, Miss Aglionby, Prince Albert Solmes, and the Princess of Wales, who takes a great interest in the breed, having at Sandringham several of Mr. Macdona's strain.

The Following Are The Points Of The St. Bernard Dog

Grand Total 100.

The Head (value 30) is large and massive, but is without the width of the mastiff. The dimensions are extended chiefly in height and length, the occipital protuberance being specially marked, and coupled with the height of brow, serving also to distinguish it from the Newfoundland. The face is long, and cut off square at the nose, which is intermediate in width between those of the Newfoundland and mastiff. Lips pendulous, approaching in character to the bloodhound type, but much smaller. Ears of medium size, carried close to the cheeks, and covered with silky hair. Eyes full in size, but deeply sunk, and showing the haw, which is often as red as that of the bloodhound.

Line Up Poll (Value 10)

Great stress is laid by the monks on this marking, which is supposed to resemble the white lace bands round the neck and waist of the gown worn by the Benedictine monks, the two being connected by a strip carried up the back. A dog marked with white in the same manner is supposed to be peculiarly consecrated to his work, and is kept most carefully to it. Hence it is in this country also regarded as a characteristic of the breed, but it is seldom met with in anything like a perfect state of development; Monarque being more perfect in this respect than any dog ever exhibited. Being, as I before observed, chiefly used for ornamental purposes in this country, there is no rational objection to the value apportioned to this point.

Shape Of Body And Neck (Value 10)

There is nothing remarkable about the neck, except that there is generally a certain amount of throatiness, to which there is no objection. The body ought to be well proportioned, with a full chest, the girth of which should be double that of the head, and half the length of the body from nose to tip of tail; the loins should be full, and the hips wide.

In Size and Symmetry (value 20) this breed should be up to a full standard, that, is to say, equal to the English mastiff. Indeed, excepting in colour, in the dew-claws, and in the shape of head, the smooth St. Bernard very closely resembles that dog. He is generally more active in his movements, from having been more worked than his English compeer, who for generations has been kept on the chain.

Lege And Feet (Value 10)

Of course, in so large a dog the legs must be straight and strong; while the feet also must be large, in order to avoid sinking through the snow. The last point is greatly insisted on by the monks, who prefer even what would be considered here a splay foot to a small and compact one.

Dewclaws (Value 5)

There is no doubt that the double dewclaw on the hind legs has in some way been introduced into the strain of dogs used at the two Alpine monasteries, but how it is now impossible to say. Both Tell and Monarque exhibited this peculiarity, as well as most of the dogs admitted to be imported from the Hospice. Gessler, however, who showed every other point of the breed in a very marked degree, had no dew-claw at. all on his hind legs, and his son Alp, though out of Hedwig, sister to Tell, was equally deficient. It is very doubtful whether this peculiarity is sufficiently permanent in any strain to be an evidence of purity or impurity, and consequently its value is only placed at 5, making the negative deduction 10 when wholly absent.

The Temperament (value 5) of the St. Bernard is very similar to that of the mastiff - that is to say, if suitably managed, the dog is capable of great control over his actions, whether in the absence or presence of his owner. When kept on the chain he is, like other dogs, apt to become savage, and there is almost always an instinctive dislike to tramps and vagabonds. He is a capital watch and guard, and attaches himself strongly to his master or mistress.

The Colour (value 5) of this dog varies greatly. The most common is red and white, the white being preferred when distributed after the pattern described above. Fawn and white and brindled and white come next, marked in the same way, the brindle being a very rich one, with an orange-tawny shade in it, as shown in Tell, and in a lesser degree by his nephew, Alp. Sometimes the dog is wholly white, or very nearly so, as in the case of Hospice and Sir C. H. Isham's Leo.

The Coat (value 5) in the rough variety is wavy over the body, bushy in the tail, and feathering the legs, being generally silky, but sparsely so, on the ears. In the smooth variety the depth and thickness of the coat are the points to be regarded.

Mr. Macdona's rough dog Tell (dead) was by Hero (descended from the celebrated Hospice dog Barry) out of Diane. He was a winner of twenty-five first prizes at various shows between the years 1865 and 1870 inclusive. He was own brother to Hedwig, dam of Alp.

Mr. Macdona's smooth dog Monarque, afterwards Mr. Murchison's (also dead), was bred by Mr. Schumacher, of Berne, by his Souldan out of Diane. First shown in 1869, he went on winning numberless prizes up to 1873, being about equally successful with Tell in this respect.