THE LADIES' FIELD "CAT GOSSIP" COLUMNS

THE LADIES' FIELD "CAT GOSSIP" COLUMNS - 1907

The Ladies Field, a weekly magazine for well-to-do women, was founded in 1898 and focussed on women's sport, pastimes and fashions. It was published by George Newnes (in 1928, it was absorbed by The Home Magazine). The Cat Gossip column was written by Dick Whittington, the pen-name of Miss Higgins. Rather than divide up the content, I have compiled the columns into a series of chronological files. Readers wondering why prices of cats were given in multiples of £1 1s - this is a guinea; a £5 5s cat costs 5 guineas.

In 1907 there were fewer Cat Gossip columns and a lot more dog show news.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, January 5, 1907, pg 196.

MISS SIMPSON certainly had a bargain when she purchased the winning Siamese kitten Krom at the Crystal Palace at its catalogue price of £3 3s. This kitten is one of the best which has been exhibited, and far from agreeing with the writer in a contemporary who asserts that Siamese cats nowadays are vastly inferior to those of years ago, the classes in which it won were, I think, the best I have ever seen.

IT is very surprising to hear of a rumour to the effect that Ch. Neila Billi of Thorpe is the possessor of green eyes! As a matter of fact, to my certain knowledge Neila Billi's deep orange eyes are one of his strongest points.

IT was extremely unfortunate that Miss Moxon's kitten should have been tampered with at Birmingham Show, but I am firmly convinced that Miss Moxon is mistaken in attributing the act to the malice of some jealous rival exhibitor. The act was no doubt perpetrated by some mischievous boy. My experience of shows proves that such conduct is looked upon as an excellent joke by the youth of Great Britain. I once saw two young men at a large London show deliberately going round the pens opening all the doors because they thought it would be such a joke to let all the cats out and set them fighting.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, January 12, 1907, pg 236.

SOME little time ago I mentioned that I had occasionally come across long-haired half-bred kittens which equalled or surpassed in beauty most long-haired kittens, and I appear to have drawn down upon my head much indignation from Mr. Howse, who accuses me of having dealt the fancy a severe blow, and likens me to a sensational writer of the Yellow Press. This does not surprise me; I quite expected a good deal of disapproval, and Mr. Howse's columns of righteous indignation at my statement, and horror and grief at the harm it is likely to do to the fancy, are quite in order; but it is amusing to find him suddenly announcing that the crossing of long and short hairs is in some cases a very excellent practice. He then proceeds to tell us exactly how it is to be done. Whether he writes from theory or practice he does not say - much of the value of his information depends upon that. He tells us to destroy all the cross-breeds except those we keep in our own hands to breed from, but how many fanciers does he know who will destroy beautiful and saleable kittens merely as a matter of principle? If I have done harm to the fancy by suggesting the possibility of an accidental cross mating producing good kittens, Mr. Howse goes a step further by explaining exactly how cross-bred kittens "which cannot be detected from the real article" may be produced with what I understand he considers some degree of certainty.

THE latest addition to the list of catty literature is "My Cat," by Mrs. Leonora Bailey. The book is nicely written and most readable, and is likely to be of use to the owner of one or two pet cats for whom it is avowedly written. I own to having experienced a little disappointment over the book, as I had understood it to be an up-to-date medical treatise, whereas homeopathic remedies alone are recommended. With this I am in sympathy, because I consider that if a cat must be physicked the less medicine it has the better, and homeopathy is certainly unlikely to do the cat any harm unless the worry of dosing it upsets it. No doubt from a homeopathist's point of view the book will be of untold value. Mrs. Bailey says very little about the show points of the various breeds of cat, but she gives useful general information, and speaks of the respective values of the various breeds; but here I must find a little fault - 5 guineas apiece for smoke or orange kittens are prices not often obtained nowadays. The chapter on feeding is more up-to-date than in most cat books, but a few of the old-fashioned methods of feeding are recommended; still, if we remember that the ordinary house pet, and not the highly-bred cattery lady, is under consideration, there is not much to find fault with. Altogether the book is interesting and readable, and in many cases will be found most useful.

A NUMBER of people have written to the papers prophesying an enormous death-rate on account of the cold at the Crystal Palace show. Would it not be as well to wait a week or two and see what happens? My experience is that a hot room is far more likely to cause illness, as the cats which are used to outdoor cold houses suffer when they are brought into a heated atmosphere, while those which are accustomed to artificial heat probably catch cold on the journey to or from the show.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, January 19, 1907, pg 274.

THE breeding season will soon be in full swing, and it is therefore time that all arrangements for future alliances should be com. Pedigree is the first thing to be considered, and if kittens are to be sold they will be much more marketable if sired by a well-known winner. It is well, when possible, to ascertain the leading characteristics of a stud cat's ancestors, in case he should be merely a "fluke." For example, if a cat has good coloured eyes, and his father and mother excel in this respect, his kittens will probably take after him; but if his relations are weak in this respect we cannot rely upon his throwing kittens with good eyes.

A FACT to be kept in mind is that coat is the most easily obtainable of all points, and, therefore, if we possess a heavily-coated queen, and know of a good stud cat who suits her in all points but is short of coat, we need not hesitate to mate her to him, as the kittens will in all probability have plenty of coat, and if any fail in this respect a cross with a heavily coated strain will right matters in the next generation,

MUCH more serious and troublesome are what appear to be minor faults at first, but which gradually and almost imperceptibly become so firmly rooted in a strain that they eventually cannot be eradicated. Such faults are light chins in oranges, reds and browns, a smoky tinge in blues, or a brown tinge in silvers. These faults first make their appearance so gradually that only a keen fancier will detect and battle with them from the first, and if this is not done a really valuable strain may be ruined.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
(For Rules see previous issues.)

ALISANDE. - There are cases in which even two male cats will live together in friendship, and other cases in which even a male and a female cannot meet without fighting. The only suggestion I can make is that you put the cats in a room together, and when one shows signs of attacking the other, punish it with a light switch. A course of this treatment may bring them to tolerate each other, but it is not certain that they will ever make friends. I suppose you are aware that you will probably find it impossible, for other reasons, to keep the male cat in the house.
SAMBO. - I do not think you will find any breeder so foolish as to send young kittens a five hours' railway journey on approval. As the price is moderate, pedigree good, and description satisfactory, and, as the seller is a well-known fancier, I should think you would be quite safe in buying the kittens without approval.
BUNCH. - Ch. Bundle was a very beautifully shaped cat, with a wonderfully broad head, short nose and tiny ears. His eyes were very poor in colour. He threw beautiful kittens, though occasionally they had a few white hairs on their chests.
CHIKOO. - I consider absence of stump to be the essential point in a Manx cat. After that come shape, coat, colour, marking and eyes. I should no more give a prize to a stump-tailed cat in a Manx class than I would to a bob-tailed sheepdog with a long tail. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, January 26, 1907, pg 312.

THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES' CAT CLUB SHOW.
THE exhibits at \Westminster numbered 437 and were a very representative lot. Some of the best-known catteries were not represented, and this was probably owing to the recent difference of opinion between the S.C.C.C. and the N.C.C. In short-hairs the absence of any representatives from Lady Alexander's cattery left a great blank, and Miss Clifton's entries were also much missed. In long-haired whites and chinchillas the classes were shorn of much of their glory by the defection of Lady Decies and Mrs. George Wilson.

The show was excellently managed, and the cats were, of course, in good coat. The white male class was cancelled, and in white females those two well-known cats, Ch. Heath Pearl and Heath Abbess had things all their own way. Mrs. Dee's Earlsfield Delta was the winning black; and then we came to the blue male class, which contained twenty-eight entries! First went to Mrs. Hardy's Bonnie Marcello, a pure-coloured cat with capital eyes; second to Mrs. Millar's sweet-faced Regal Neptune, extra second to Mrs. Boutcher's Blue Bully Boy, and third to Mrs, Sharpe's Jocko, who wants making up, but has glorious eves. Miss Simpson won in the female class with Ma Belle, a beautiful cat; while Mrs. Collingwood's My Baba, already a well-known winner, made a good second. Mirs. Sinkins's Teufel II. headed the smoke male class. He lacks furnishing and his eye might be deeper, but I fancy, like many smoke cats, he will mature late and may yet be a champion. Ch. Ranji followed him close, and Mrs. Cubitt headed the female class with a very promising kitten in Little Polly Flinders, who defeated the well-known Bulgerina.

Garry Owen occupied his usual place at the head of the silver tabby males, and Mrs. Meeson's beautiful kitten, Rettendon Pansy-face, occupied the same position among the females. In chinchilla males the Crystal Palace awards were repeated. Silver Milord's beautiful skull, tiny ears, green eyes, great bone and pure clear colour have never been equalled, and Prospero Duvals, pale coloured and round faced, makes a good second. Sir Radical was outclassed, and Eaton Socon Tristram has won as a shaded silver in days gone by. Miss Ford was successful with Lady Button in the female class.

In brown tabbies Miss Whitney's victorious career continued. Brayfort Viking was looking his best, and his sound chin, even without his gorgerous colour and markings, would give him an advantage ove his rivals. Brayfort Tiptopper was easily first in the female class, and Brayfort Pride and Brayfort Topper, the two best kittens of their colour I have ever seen, quite outdistanced all opponents.

Those two gorgeously-coloured brothers, Kew Red Comyn and Ch. Kew Red Spider, their usual order reversed, had an easy task to dispose of the orange male class, and Mrs. Neate's well- known Mehitabel of the Durhams was the winning female. The cream male, Ch. Kew Ronald, grand in head, eye, coat and colour, and having enormous bone, beat Ruckholt Algy, who wants time, and Wildon Witch, the Palace winner, still held her own.

Nine Abyssinian cats at one show surely constitutes a record. Mrs. Carew Cox's Fancy Free is a big cat, rather British in outline, and very free from markings, but was lucky to beat Mrs. Pitkin's Jeannette, who, though darker, has no dark spine line, and is better ticked. Short-haired blues lacked interest. Mrs. Moore's Holmefield Tabby Boy is a good cat, and beautifully marked, except on the forelegs, but he had all his work set to beat Simple Simon and Ch. Dame Fortune, the latter a great favourite of mine. Mrs. Collingwood's Ch. Flash Jack won easily among brown tabby males. Mrs. Aubertin seems to have constant relays of beautiful Siamese cats to bring out. Phya II. is a beautiful little cat, and Siamese Princeling is only marred by light hairs on a dark saddle. Mrs. Aubertin's Palace winning kitten Krom won in the Siamese kitten class for his new owner, Miss Simpson, but how he came to be eligible for the any other colour class I do not understand.

MISS ROSAMOND WHITNEY has great hopes for the future of her two lovely sable tabby kttens. Brayfort Topper and Brayfort Pride, which carried off innumerable prizes at the Crystal Palace. Miss Whitney bred these kittens and owns both their parents, and so she can take a real and genuine pride in their achievements.

NEXT month, when the shows of the year are over, I hope to make a few suggestions with regard to show management. At this moment, when disappointed exhibitors and harassed show officials are still warm from their struggles, it is not well to say much or one is suspected of personalities and of interested opinions, but when everybody has cooled down I think a few suggested alterations merit careful consideration.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, February 2, 1907, pg 355.

MISS ANDERSON LEAKE was, at one time, a leading authority on things "catty," but of late years delicate health has prevented her taking a very active part as an exhibitor, and it is but seldom that she gives us the benefit of her opinions. She has remained loyal to her old favourites, the long-haired silver tabbies, and still breeds from her original strain, which has always been kept up to date, and from which most of the present day winners are descended. A recent letter from Miss Leake tells me that she has once more been ordered abroad, and therefore must reduce the number of her cats. This is sad, as such a team of silver tabby stud cats as Abdul Hamet of Dingley, Dingley Autocrat, Dingley Acrobat and Dingley Fashion would be hard to find. Abdul is his mistress's favourite, and he alone of the quartet is to remain at Dingley. All Miss Leake's cats lived in the open, with no stoves, during the severe weather at Christmas, and Miss Leake is now convinced that good feeding. no messy, sloppy food, and plenty of fresh air makes healthy, . happy cats.

IT IS bad news that the Manx Cat Club is in debt, and is obliged to ask its members for assistance to pay off the debts incurred during the last two years. The club has undoubtedly been generous in the way of supporting shows; but such generosity is a great mistake when funds are short. Mr. Lowe, the secretary, has drawn up a scheme for the future working of the club, with a view to making it more popular and attracting members; but, as this includes the purchasing of four challenge vases and the club medals for the year, and the printing of rules and standards, it would seem a better policy to let this stand over until the outstanding debts of the club are paid.

I DO not think any breed of cat has made more rapid strides towards a perfect type than the long-haired white. I can recollect the time when a blue-eyed white was a rarity, and when yellow, green and odd-eyed cats were frequently in the prize-money. Nowadays it is rarely that a cat without blue eyes is seen in the prize-money; and at the Crystal Palace in December the white classes were filled with beautiful cats, any one of which merited a first prize. At Westminster there was a terrible falling-off, but this was, obviously, directly due to the fact that the show was not held under N.C.C. rules.

THE fact that the Westminster Show was a success gives the enemies of the N.C.C. to say that the leading club is no longer required. This is not so. It would, indeed, be scandalous if exhibitors elected to "run amuck" when they attended a show not "under rules" while they conducted themselves properly at N.C.C. shows. If the N.C.C. was dissolved tomorrow, the shows of 1907 would possibly differ but slightly from those of 1906, but by degrees a certain laxity would creep in, and malpractices could not be punished. An exhibitor might be "warned off" by the Northern Counties' Club and could then exhibit at the Midland Counties' shows without fear. The N.C.C. is responsible for what law and order there is in the cat world, and without it we should indeed be in a parlous state. Let those who wish to do away with existing institutions be prepared with something better to take their place. To say that specialist societies and county clubs can rule the cat world is nonsense, for each can only rule a very small portion of it. Were all the small clubs and societies to remain upon amicable terms this might work well enough, but we know from experience that they would soon be rent asunder by party feuds, and then chaos would reign.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
(For Rules see previous issues.)
HUMPHREY. - Can you send me a little tuft of your cat's hair cut off close to the roots, and I could then probably tell you his colour. From your description the cat is probably a smoke, or he may be a dark chinchilla or shaded silver. In any case, the tinge of yellow. unless merely a temporary fading of the old dead coat, is a serious defect.
REHEOBOAM. - Your best plan is to advertise for what you require, though I think you could probably get a kitten answering more or less to your description by making enquiries in the nearest village. There is really no market for half-bred kittens, and therefore I never hear of them; but there are numbers bred, and an advertisement in the private sales column of THE LADIES' FIELD would be certain to bring replies. You cannot get an orange kitten with a black nose, and many brown tabbies have pink noses. The age you mention would do very well for the operation.
IND. - I am sorry to say that the ideas of your vet. are terribly out of date. The liver, fish, cabbage and milk are responsible for the continued irritation. If you let the cat have from 4 oz. to 6 oz. of solid meat, raw lean beef for preference, I think he will soon be all right. Dress the irritable places every other day with sulphur and white vaseline ointment. When the cat is well he may have a more varied diet, but keep him principally to meat and avoid milk and vegetables. The best book for your purpose is "The Cat Manual," obtainable at this office. If you dig up a turf of coarse dog grass and keep it in a box, watering it occasionally, it will last for a long time. I know no other way of obtaining, nor do I know where cat-nip can be got. Many cats do not care for it. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, February 9, 1907, pg 393.

MISS CLIFTON writes to tell me of the death of her red and white Manx male Strathcona. He was one of the best shaped and coated Manx cats in England. The first time he was exhibited he won first and championship at the Crystal Palace, and since that date he has won a number of prizes.

MISS ROSAMOND WHITNEY has asked me to mention that she is trying to get up a longhaired brown tabby club. It is quite time that something was done to reward these beautiful cats for the great improvement they have shown in all-round quality during the last few years - in fact, since Miss Whitney took them up. At one time brown tabbies were very popular; indeed, I think they were the first long-haired cats generally known in England, and many of our best blues and chinchillas own to brown tabby ancestors many generations ago. When other colours came to the front the brownies were much neglected; but Miss Whitney has changed all that, and at the Crystal Palace her Brayfort Viking was among the last three cats left in the ring when the challenge cup for best in the show was awarded. Miss Whitney has been working hard, and with considerable success, to eradicate the objectionable white chin, and she tells me that many exhibitors now say that brown tabbies should have white chins! The reason given for this extraordinary statement is that "the tiger and feline species have white chins." What this has to do with the question I fail to see, as tigers are not brown tabbies, nor are they bred to show points. Methinks it is a case of sour grapes.

MRS. COLLINGWOOD is rejoicing in the possession of a marvellous short-haired silver tabby kitten, marked even on her toes with dense black on a silver ground, and with a coat of indescribable texture. I hope she may thrive, and have a brilliant show career.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS
(For Rules see previous issues. )
THOMAS. - It is very important that a silver tabby should be free from brown, and a cat so badly stained on the head as yours would have a poor chance in keen competition.
JOE. - If your black cat is pure in colour, with no tinge of brown or grey, if his ears are small and low set, skull broad and round, nose short and broad, legs and tail short and thick, and if his coat and frill reach the ground and his eyes are deep orange, he is certainly an unusually good specimen, and I strongly advise you to show him.
MARIE. - I do not advise you to rear kittens again in the room you used last year, as the kittens had such bad ophthalmia, unless you can have the wall paper stripped off and the whole room thoroughly disinfected. All beds and bedding and everything that could hold infection should be burned.
MUSQUASH. - Raw scraped beef is far more digestible for tiny kittens than cooked chicken or fish, and I should certainly give them no other food while they are with their mother. It is a mistake to mix two brands of milk. - DICK WHITTINGTON

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, February 16, 1907, pg 435.

THE general meeting of the N.C.C. appears to have been an interesting and somewhat amusing function. There are some changes among the officials, and another meeting is to be held next month to consider the advisability of employing a paid secretary. Dr. Roper has been most kind in undertaking the post of hon. secretary for some years, and the club owes him a debt of gratitude for the time and trouble he has expended on its behalf, but I have no doubt he will be glad to be released from his duties. The age limit for kittens remains unchanged for the present, and the rule as to the exhibition of cats under judges who have previously owned or bred them was passed in a modified form - i.e., no cat or kitten may be shown under a judge who has owned it within one year of the show. This will no doubt satisfy everyone, and it quite covers all the necessary ground, for it will prevent exhibitors, who may be in the habit of so doing, from buying cats from the judge immediately before a show.

ON this occasion the usual complaint against members of the N.C.C. - that they ignore the general meeting - cannot be made. There appears to have been a good attendance, and those members present apparently took a considerable interest in the proceedings. Mrs. Sinkins failed to carry her suggestion that the annual subscription should be reduced to 10s. 6d., as it was pointed out to her that unless the membership could be doubled the club would be out of pocket by the alteration.

I READ somewhere the other day that it was "impossible" to rear kittens in outdoor houses and without artificial heat at this time of year. With this statement I beg to differ. It is not only possible but perfectly easy to rear kittens out of doors at any time of year if their houses are dry and well ventilated, but free from draughts. Stove heat is fatal to the welfare of cats and kittens, particularly so in the case of Siamese and other so-called delicate breeds. I prefer kittens to be born during April, because I like to let them run out of doors at will and because I have no catteries, but allow my cats to have their kittens in any corner they may select. Last year two queens elected to dig regular burrows in the manure heap and there deposited their families, and it was a long time before we could find them.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, February 23, 1907, pg 484.

CATS AS MODELS FOR THE CAMERA.
WHEN the photographer - and who is not a photographer nowadays? - gets tired of views and portraits, it is an interesting change to try cats. It is a good deal more exciting, for puss, unlike the quiet view or the kind friend, cannot be relied on even to stay in the same place, let alone keeping still. Indeed, cat photography calls for a good deal more effort on our part than just pressing he button; but when we have brought out and spent all our store of patience, resource and dogged perseverance, we really shall be rewarded, for puss lends herself to the making of very interesting and charming studies. But we must be ambitious and not shirk trouble, nor be discouraged at the first failure.

First of all, it is necessary to have a plain fore and background, which is a bother, as puss resents innovations, and will need some coaxing to sit where we want her to, and not in that exact spot chosen by herself. A white background (a sheet does very well) is, as a rule, most satisfactory for tabbies or blue Persians. It is simple, and in no way detracts attention from the subject. The mistake we all of us make at first, in photographing cats, is to get them mixed up with the pattern of the chair or hearthrug, or some other quite unimportant object; and then we wonder why they are somehow not quite satisfactory. When we realise that our model must be isolated, we have taken a big step in the right direction. Then we must face the fact that, as cats are not exactly helpful models, all our arrangements must be made before asking them to come and sit for us. The foreground must be firmly tacked down to avoid wrinkles and the background quit smooth and firm. If a sheet is used over a screen or clothes horse it should be ironed first to get out the creases, also stretched tightly, and pinned.

When all is ready, puss can be put in her place and gently persuaded to stay there. We should have some kindly helper, who will not only keep our model in the same place, but also good-tempered and amused, while we behind the camera are watching, and, let us hope, snatching, every golden opportunity. Snapshots with a hand camera are easiest, but we must be very sure of having a good light, as it is essential for a cat photograph to have a good exposure. We must get good negatives that will give us gradation and plenty of detail, as this, in a cat photograph, is half its charm; one wants to see the fur even in the shadows, and the soot and chalky effect of an underexposed negative simply ruins this kind of work. For the same reason that one wants good definition and detail, these photographs cannot be too sharp, and we cannot be too careful that our focus is absolutely correct. For not quite such chance work a stand camera is advisable, though it certainly needs more patience. With a stand camera one can focus first, and then quickly get the plate in, trusting to luck that puss will not move her position much. Of course, it means having to take the plate out and refocus again and again. But from personal experience such results have been more satisfactory.

To avoid getting caricatures or grotesques of our models we must not photograph too near up, though it is tempting to get the cats a fair size on the plate. It is better, however, to rely on enlargement of successes than to risk getting a huge head and puny body or one paw not matching the other, which is so likely to happen. Getting further away, besides lessening the chance of distortion, also gives one the chance of a shorter exposure. Of course, the cat character varies considerably, and some give much less trouble than others. We have even heard of cats who enjoy posing, and will sustain a desired attitude for any length of time. One cannot help, though, comparing them to the ghosts seen by friends' friends, whose authenticity one can never prove first hand. However, there is one thing to be said for cats, they can be trained, whatever may be said to the contrary, and a kitten can at least be taught to stay in one place, and this, though it does not sound a very wonderful accomplishment, will be found very useful by the photographer.

When photographing cats, one must be sure and allow a good margin of time. One simply cannot hurry over it, and puss, perhaps more than any other animals, detests being bustled. There is no good, either, blinking the fact that that there are sure to be a good many spoilt plates. With those likely to be successes one cannot be too careful, for they are not got easily. We must, first of all, be sure we give a good correct exposure, for on this, like the beginning of a long division sum, the result depends. As we probably do not possess the accommodating cat that will pose for our convenience, it behoves us not to give our own the chance of moving. We must use a shutter or bulb to give a practically instantaneous exposure and use the very fastest plates we can buy. Puss must be in a good light, preferably out of doors, but not in the sun.

Then comes the development. If we think, in spite of our precautions, the plate is still under-exposed, we must be very careful with the development, it must be slow and with diluted developer. To get a soft effect, we must avoid a harsh, contrasty negative; we need good gradation and delicacy, and then if our negative be sharp and clean it will even improve with enlargement. Those who are trying to make the camera pay its way should know there is always a good market for cat studies. Postcard and other publishers are anxious to get cat photographs, and will pay a fair price for good work. It is not really as easy work as some of us might think, but anything that calls for special effort and skill must have its own fascination, and when once we have begun cat photography, a whole new field of interest is open to us. - CARINE CADBY.

CAT GOSSIP
THE cat fancy has lately been much interested in the libel case arising from the disqualification of Mrs. Wilson's kitten at Bath Show last year, and I am surprised to notice that very few people grasp the matter properly. I have been told on several occasions that it will be impossible to get honest judges if they are to be sued for libel when they draw attention to "faked" exhibits. Now, as far as I can see, the point is this: Mr. Mason would have been perfectly right and safe in reporting to the committee that he believed the kitten's tail to have been faked, and leaving the matter in their hands. His error appears to have been in stating, on his own authority, that the tail was cut, in publishing this statement in a report of the show, and in repeating it at Manchester Show.

BATH SHOW is acquiring an unenviable reputation among exhibitors. Some years ago Mr. House (Mr. Mason's co-editor on FUR AND FEATHER) created a sensation by objecting to Miss Whitney's cat on the ground that it was dyed. Miss Whitney came out of the encounter with flying colours, but suffered considerable annoyance, being particularly indignant with Mr. House for having taken the liberty of cutting off a sample of her cat's hair.

WHEN I judge, if I suspect a cat of having been tampered with I call the show secretary and point out to him what I have noticed, but I award the cat the same prizes it would have won if shown in a natural state. It is the secretary's business to have the cat examined by the veterinary surgeon, and if he is of my opinion the case is then brought before the committee. The cat, if found guilty, is disqualified for all the prizes it has won, but if the charge is disproved it remains in its proper place. This is only fair, for if a judge is allowed to disqualify a cat, and the committee does not uphold his opinion, the cat is left unjudged for no fault of its own. It is certainly very hard that a cat should be deprived of its winnings because the judge is of a suspicious disposition.

IT was hardly to be expected that Harrogate Show would be a success at this time of year. Very few fanciers care to journey North in the month of February, and the show has not been so well advertised as usual. The best cat in the show was Mr. Helmer's beautiful cream Wildon Wily, and his Wildon Witch was first in her class. Mrs. Collingwood had a field day with her sensational blue queen, My Dolly Afloat, and the silver tabby short-hair, which I mentioned a week or two ago, and which made a brilliant debut and ran right through its classes. Most of the winners were well-known cats which have been criticised at previous shows.

KADUN KAHIA, writing in OUR CATS, comments upon the fact that I have once or twice lately written upon the same subject as she had selected for her notes of the previous week. The suggestion is obvious, but I would remind Kadun Kahia that these particular subjects are topical and seasonable, and also that I think that, as a rule, my notes for next week have been sent to the printer before her notes for this week are written.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, March 2, 1907. - "Cat Gossip is unavoidably held over."

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, March 9, 1907, pg 35.

WAS rather surprised to read a letter from Mr. Hally in a contemporary in defence of the practice of leaving powder in a chinchilla cat's coat. Now, he is a bold man who openly avows his sympathy with illegal practices; but, though I cannot agree with Mr. Hally's I views, I own that, in the case of a first offender, I should be disposed to deal leniently with the culprit, because it is so very difficult to get powder out of a long fleecy coat that a novice might easily imagine he had brushed it all out when he had not done so. With the experienced exhibitor the matter is quite different; if he does not know better he ought to, and there is a very clear N.C.C. rule dealing with the subject. This rule has been made and it should be kept; and, therefore, when powder, no matter how small the quantity, is found in a cat's coat the officials, no matter what their private opinions, are bound to disqualify it.

THE big shows of the year are over, and, in spite of dismal prophecies on the part of rival factions, one and all seem to have been most successful. Here and there we hear of a "slight financial loss," but this is apparently a trivial matter and lies but lightly upon the shoulders of the promoters. So "all is well," and strife in the fancy is evidently, as I have always said, a stimulant, and rouses everyone to interest and activity.

OF all tiresome cats, the one who, without rhyme or reason, carries her kittens from place to place, frequently mislaying them, and then demanding them indignantly at her mistress's hands, is the worst. This fidgetiness shows that the mother has a restless and discontented disposition, and this alone is sufficient to prevent the kittens from thriving. If the mother selects a bed and deposits all her babies in it, the chances are ten to one that it is dirty or draughty or in some other way unsuitable; but many cats, when they start carrying their kittens about, lay them down in the bushes or anywhere and forget where they have put them, and kittens are often lost in this way. The only way to manage a queen of this sort is to keep her shut in with her babies, and when she is let out for exercise fasten the door behind her.

WITH all due deference to everyone concerned, I wish to make a little suggestion for the conduct of cat clubs. I know it will be indignantly received, and I shall probably make myself most unpopular, but I know that my suggestion is for the good of the cat fancy. I think that cat club committees should consist solely of men, and that we should have all, or, at any rate, a large proportion of, men judges at cat shows. I qualify my last statement, because I do not know if sufficient men judges could be collected, and half a loaf is better than no bread. There is no doubt that very few women understand the position or the responsibility of committees. They meet together and discuss important matters in a cheerful and irresponsible manner, usually introducing a thoroughly personal note into the discussion; then, before anything is settled, most of them are busy discussing something else, and refuse to give more than a slight passing attention to the conclusion of the first matter. Men might not be quite so enthusiastic at times, but they would be more consistently business-like and attentive, and less likely to be carried away by their feelings.

MR. HALLY is well informed in many catty matters, but in "the evolution of the chinchilla" he does not quite get at the root of the matter. In a long and interesting article all about chinchillas he refers to the crossing of chinchilla and silver tabbies as an act bordering upon insanity. He says: "In the early days of the chinchilla breed a cross with a silver tabby may have been necessary to fix the silver colour." Now, where does Mr. Hally imagine the original chinchillas came from? Does he think they "growed"? He writes as if in those early days all the chinchillas were the direct descendants of silver tabbies. In fact, the chinchilla is really a degenerate silver tabby. By constant selection of indifferently marked cats the markings have been bred out. I can well remember Winsome of Dingley, then a very beautiful pale chinchilla kitten, appearing in the variety class at the Crystal Palace; there was no chinchilla class in those days. Mr. A. A Clarke marked her "wrong class," and when asked his reasons he said she was a washed-out tabby, and that he did not like washed-out cats. Winsome, for paleness and purity of colour, compared favourably with many of our present-day winners.

NOW, to cross a pale chinchilla cat with a heavily marked silver tabby, without any special reason for so doing, would be a very foolish and unnecessary thing to do; but occasion might arise when such a course might be both right and beneficial. If I had a strain of chinchilla cats which, though good in all other points, failed in one particular point - let us say for the sake of argument that they failed in eye colouring - I should naturally try to import a cross of some strain which was especially good in eye colouring. If after a search I failed to discover my object (an individual with good eyes would be of no use if he did not come of a strain with good eyes) I should have to look further afield. Now, when one has to make an excursion into other varieties it is obviously safer to go back to the variety from which the chinchillas originally sprang than to risk an alien cross.

MANY of our best chinchillas have been the result of a first cross with a silver tabby. Zaida's sire first made his debut as a silver tabby, and Lord Hampton and Dimity owned silver tabby mothers, and yet both bred good pale chinchilla kittens. I do not advise a silver tabby cross, but I maintain that there may be occasions when a cross is necessary, and then a silver tabby cross is the safest. I would also like to tell Mr. Hally that the "dark chinchilla" idea is not new, but that classes for shaded silvers were provided by the Cat Club at Westminster many years ago, and were not a success, as exhibitors could not draw the line between self silvers and shaded silvers.

FOR some unknown reason the Cat Club took exception to the name of chinchilla, but, as a matter of fact, their "shaded silver" classes were meant for the ordinary chinchilla cat in the first place. I first suggested them because I feared that the beautiful chinchillas were going to be ousted by those horrible dirty white cats with no silver ticking at the tip of the fur which were just then appearing, and which were called self silvers. As a matter of fact, all the pale-coloured cats were put in the self silver class and only very dark clouded cats declared themselves to be shaded silvers - in fact, the classification was a failure, but, I am glad to say, the unticked cat has practically disappeared. In connection with these classes an amusing incident occurred at a large provincial show. A certain lady, who ought to have known all about the classification awarded a special for the palest self silver and one for the best shaded silver to the same cat!

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS
DICK WHITTINGTON will be pleased to give advice on all matters concerning cats and their ailments, and will be glad to receive for insertion any interesting items of cat news that her readers may send. Queries must be written on one side of a separate sheet of paper, and must be signed with a pseudonym only for publication, but a letter giving full name and address of sender must accompany each query. A postal reply will be sent if the fee of 2s. 6d. is enclosed.. Letters should be addressed, "DICK WHITTINGTON, care of Editor, THE LADIES' FIELD."
EYHURST. - Your description of your cat's symptoms points to mange, and in this case I fear the other cats are almost certain to catch it. A microscopical examination of a scraping from the skin would be the only way of deciding this point. Give no milk, fish or vegetables. Cut the cat's hair off as closely as possible, and after soaking and cleaning the skin with a solution of carbonate of soda and warm water, rub well in all over the cat every other day some sulphur and white vaseline ointment. Feed the cat on raw lean beef, and give every day a dessertspoonful of Kepler's extract of malt and cod-liver oil.
NOVICE. - You cannot register a cat under a name which has been already chosen without the addition of some prefix or affix. I believe numerals are allowed.
SHORT-HAIR. - All the best red short-hairs are in one cattery, as you say, and, unfortunately, they are not available, so I fear you must content yourself with the alternative you suggest.
PUZZLED. - In days gone by, before anyone knew anything about cats, a long tail was considered a thing of beauty, but everything is changed now, and short tails are desired. I remember years ago an old Scotch shoemaker who was a well-known judge of cage-birds, pigeons and poultry, and who also judged cats, telling me that when a cat sat down its tail should be long enough to make a complete circle round it.
E. E. B. - I am sorry, but I have not got the address in question, and I cannot undertake to forward letters to correspondents. Moreover, as the animal in question is not advertised, I think you may conclude that it is not available. If you write to Dr. Roper, Oatlands, Beckenham, Kent, I think he has just what you want.
DICK. - A smoky tinge is a very bad fault in a black cat, but perhaps yours is really a dark smoke. If so I do not advise you to breed blues from her, as they would probably be dingy in colour. If she is black she might breed good blues. You will find all the information you want in the "Cat Manual." If the cat gets sufficient meat she requires no other food, and, indeed, is better without it - the bread, potato and milk merely fill without nourishing.
KATINKA. - Why not put an advertisement in the Sale and Exchange columns? - see end of the paper. State the sum you are willing to give, also gender of kitten. You will find no difficulty in getting what you want.
DANDY. - I should certainly let the cat keep her kittens in the old wood-shed. As soon as they can walk they will struggle out into the garden, and they should thrive well. - DICK WHITTINGTON

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, March 16, 1907, pg 95.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS
(For Rules see previous issues.)
MRS. GUY ROSE. - I think you can obtain what you want from Mr. Landor, 2, The Mall, Ealing.
JUMBO. - Half a teaspoonful of castor oil is a dose for a kitten of two months old, but do not give it unless really necessary. For so young a patient I should recommend, instead, a teaspoonful of salad oil.
WORRIED. - You must get those mats out of your cat's coat as soon as possible, as if he tears and claws them out for himself there will be great bare patches. I fear you will have to use scissors, but only use them where necessary. If you are patient and gentle you will be able to work a lot of them out with a wide-toothed metal comb and your fingers.
DANDY. - I do not think it fair to expect any cat to rear more than two large litters in the year, and to do this properly she will have to be kept in tip-top condition. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, March 30, 1907, pg 115.

I SEE that Mrs. Cubitt has mated her Abbess of Bromholme to Silver Milord and the result of this mating should produce beautiful chinchilla kittens. Though Abbess is a silver tabby she is a daughter of Lord Southampton; indeed she is litter sister to Dimity. There were two silver tabbies and two pale chinchillas in the litter, which were out of Fairy, a tiny silver tabby of the Dingley strain. Fairy's markings were good, but they were only at the tips of the fur, and she had a white undercoat, and this was, presumably, why she threw chinchilla kittens. Her first kittens, by the blue Ch. Woolloomooloo, were chinchillas; her next litter was the family under discussion. By the silver Lambkin she bred FitzEustace and a pale sister; by Tuam Sweetheart and Silver Chieftain she also threw pale chinchillas. Fairy's sons and daughters have also bred most successfully. Many of our best chinchillas are her descendants, Ardpatrick of Arrandale is her great-grandson, and her silver tabby children proved equally valuable; and I believe I am correct in saying that Miss Cope's silver tabbies are descended from Silver Dangle, a daughter of Siler Chieftain and Fairy.

A HEATED discussion as to the eligibility of a certain cat for an "any other variety" class is now going on. The cat in question is a Manx, but I do not think that need affect the issue. The N.C.C. wisely decided some time ago that a self-coloured cat with a white spot on its throat must be shown in the self-coloured class, and penalised for its mismarking. No one disputes that this is the correct solution of the difficulty, but the Manx cat which has caused all the trouble has also some white patches on her stomach, and for this reason her owner calls her a black and white. I can quite sympathise with his point of view, but I totally disagree with it. If this cat is a bad black, it would certainly be a very much worse black and white. A black and white cat should have certain clearly defined white markings, but when, to the ordinary observer, a cat appears to be black, it is really nonsense to call it a black and white. In the ordinary long or short-haired classes a self-coloured cat with a white patch would stand no chance of winning, and for that reason people used to show and win with them in the variety classes until this was put a stop to. In Manx classes, where colour is a minor consideration, a good Manx should win in either class.

SPEAKING of Manx cats reminds me that Mr. Mason does not do Manx breeders justice. In a recent article he says: "I am fully aware colour in Manx cats is not one of the strong points that breeders are trying for." Here Mr. Mason makes a mistake. Manx fanciers are few and far between, but I know of two who have been trying for some years to breed Manx cats good in colour and eye without losing type, and this year two more have been added to their numbers. At the Crystal Palace Show there were several cats which, while keeping all their Manx characteristics, showed a marked improvement in colour. Such cats were Lord and Lady James Dumps and Weybourne Polar Bear. These are really good whites, though their eyes are not blue. There were a number of blacks, good and sound in colour, but all failed in eye except Piccaninny, whose eyes, though not orange, were bright yellow. I noticed also two good tortoiseshells with white chests. The white was either too much or too little, but their colouring was brilliant and well patched, and their eyes were orange. Of course, none of these cats were perfect, but they showed a marked improvement, and, if suitably mated, I think their progeny might satisfy even the all-round judge.

IT really is a pity that people should bring ridicule upon themselves and their pets and, what is worse, upon other pet-owners who are not so foolish, by an exaggerated display of their feelings. The following notice, which first appeared in the cat papers, has been going the round of the Press and drawing down the scorn of sensible people upon cat-fanciers in general: "Obituary, February 18th. - Pallas Athene (baby), the tenderly loved and dearly loving friend of M. Th. Moxon; born March 4th, 1904. - ‘Say not good-bye, but in some brighter clime bid me good morning.'" No doubt the lady is very sorry for the loss of her cat, but advertising the fact will not do the poor little thing any good, and is waste of money, besides making the whole cat fancy an object of general ridicule.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, March 30, 1907, pg 156.

MISS ROSAMOND WHITNEY'S CATS.
MISS ROSAMOND WHITNEY'S success in breeding and exhibiting brown, or, rather, sable, tabby long-hairs has becn phenomenal. A few years ago she first made her name with a magnificent neuter, Brayfort Laddie, and, having tasted the sweets of success, she purchased every really first-class queen of the breed she could procure, and of late a magnificent male has been added to the stud, and the young stock now bred in the Brayfort cattery are undoubtedly the best of their breed ever exhibited. All cats improve marvellously in condition when they come into Miss Whitney's hands, and colour appears to be her speciality. Among the Brayfort cats one never sees that cold greyish brown colour which is entirely responsible for the unpopularity of the brown tabby cat; Miss Whitney's cats are all of a warm reddish sable colour, and they all carry magnificent coats. Miss Whitney's performance at the Crystal Palace was, I think, unique, for she carried off firsts in the open male and female classes, while the daughters of the winners therein were first and second in the breeder's and kitten classes. Ch. Brayfort Viking won first and championship at the Crystal Palace and Harrogate, and at Westminster he won first, reserve for best cat in the show, and gold medal for second best long-hair. He is a large, heavily-coated cat, beautifully marked, and very rich and warm in ground colour; his face is rather narrow, though his nose is short enough, but this is his only fault, and he is a long way the best sable tabby male I have seen.

Brayfort Pride and Brayfort Topper were bred at Brayfort, and are by Viking out of the well-known Brayfort Tiptopper. These two beautiful kittens have won first and second prizes at the Crystal Palace, Cheltenham, Birmingham, Westminster and Harrogate. Pride has been first, except at the Crystal Palace, where Topper took the lead. Both kittens are most perfectly marked; they have capital heads, good eves, short legs and plenty of substance and coat and, above all, their chins are sound in colour. At the five shows above mentioned the Brayfort cats have won eighteen first prizes and twenty-three specials, and the total wins of the cattery are seventy-two firsts, forty seconds, eighteen thirds, 106 specials, twenty-five championships and eleven cup wins.

IT has been suggested to me that there is a real necessity for an N.C.C. rule governing the date of the payment of prize-money. It is surely very discreditable that the prize-money of a large show held under N.C.C. rules should be unpaid four months after the date of the closing of entries, and I feel sure if the matter was reported to the N.C.C. committee they would as soon as possible frame some rule dealing with such cases.

AMONG those who are striving to alleviate the sufferings of stray animals in London, the good work of Miss Kate Cording takes a prominent place. Her book "Waifs of a Great City," from which we print an illustration, will interest all who love animals. Its pages are bright with narratives of personal experiences, though some of them are terrible with their description of the appalling torture to which animals of gentle and affectionate nature are subjected by human beings. The author relates a pathetic incident connected with the churchyard of St. Luke's, Old Street, which forms a dreary harbour of refuge for the homeless cats of the neighbourhood. "An artist friend of mine, Mrs. Ross, and her daughter are in the habit of carrying food to the poor strays in the churchyard and of rescuing as many of them as they can. One day she sent word to say there were some cats and tiny kittens in one of the closed vaults of the church and no one could get at them. I went myself and tried, but all my efforts were in vain. At last another friend of' mine, Miss Helen Hill Shaw, sallied forth with her sister, determined to rescue the one remaining kitten (the others died, or were killed) if she could. The usual St. Lukes crowd collected around the railings, watching with curious eyes this novel ‘fishing expedition,' for Miss Hill Shaw had got a fishing-net, one of the ordinary kind, with a long handle, which unscrewed, and she actually fished the kitten out of the grating with it! ‘You'll never do it, Missus!' the admiring crowd called out - but she did! And I think some even among those rough slum dwellers were pleased to see that tiny morsel of a kitten safely hauled up from the gloomy depths of that old world city vault. And that's how Netto St. Luke was saved." The book is sold at 1s. (less than cost price) by Miss Cording, Fellowship Cottage, Lost Cats Shelter, Trinity Street, Islington.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, April 6, 1907. - No Cat Gossip column.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, April 13, 1907, pg 318.

MISS E. HARPER is very faithful in her devotion to blue-eyed white cats. At one time both long and short hairs graced her cattery, but now, I think, long-hairs hold pride of place. The kitten depicted is very typical of the strain which has met with success in the show pen; indeed, Miss Harper has shown some of the best white kittens that have ever been penned.

KROM was shown at the Crystal Palace by his breeder, Mrs. Aubertin, and at once sprang into fame. He won first in his class and specials galore, including the cup for best short-hair in the show. He isa really good Siamese; being but a kitten, his body colour is naturally pale and clear, but his mask and points are very clearly defined, his eyes are deep blue and his coat and shape are all that can be desired. His photograph, taken when he was a tiny baby, shows great promise, which has since been fulfilled. At the Palace Krom was claimed by Miss Simpson at his ridiculous catalogue price of £3 3s. I believe he has since passed into the possession of Lady Decies.

MISS SOAN'S MOCASSIN is one of our best young blue stud cats. Head, shape, eye, coat and colour are all excellent, and at the Crystal Palace, where he won first in open and breeders' classes, I admired him exceedingly. His owner proudly boasts that every kitten of his exhibited has won first prize. He lives under the care of Mrs. Neate.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, April 20, 1907. - No Cat Gossip Column.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, April 27, 1907, pg 318.

CATS IN GENERAL.
THE show points of cats are a matter for constant dispute where details are concerned, but the important points of shape, size, coat, colour, etc. of the commoner breeds are fairly settled. By National Cat Club ruling all long-haired cats are merely "Long-hairs." The question of nationality is, very wisely, ignored. As a matter of fact, most of our long-hairs are of Persian origin, though it is thought that a few Angoras have been interbred with them. We hear much, in theory, of the difference between Persian and Angora cats, but I have never met anyone who had really studied both breeds in their native countries, and could, therefor, speak with authority. The popular opinion is that the Angora cat is "coarser" than the Persian - that its nose, legs and tail are longer, its ears larger and its coat of a coarser texture. On the other hand, I have been shown coats of that soft fleecy texture, which is of the most luxuriant growth and is noticeable for a tendency to curl on the under parts, as typical Angora coats. These particular coats are most effective, and are, as a rule, popular with judges, though a judge recently openly expressed her dislike for them. In the opposite extreme are coats so exceedingly silky as to be absolutely limp. Many of us, professedly, admire these coats, but they are admittedly ineffective, and, though they denote quality and high breeding, they are not so popular with the uninitiated as the wealth of wool previously described.

Short-haired cats are generally divided into British, Siamese, Manx, Abyssinian and, in show catalogues, "any other variety." Some people call short-haired blues British cats, others insist that they are Russian, while in America they are known as Maltese.

The coat of the British cat must be close, hard and glossy. Softness or woolliness of coat or any tendency to grow long-hairs is severely discouraged. A thick tail rouses suspicion of a longhaired cross.

The coat of the Siamese cat is softer than that of the British cat - it is very fine and sleek and close. I have met with coats of two distinct textures on Siamese cats. One is the fine soft coat, which I believe to be correct, and which I have found on the sacred cats hailing direct from the temples; the other consists of a woolly undercoat and a rather sparse, hard outer coat of coarse hair. This latter I have seen on cats supposed to be Royal Palace cats.

The coat of the Manx cat is supposed to be one of the peculiarities of the breed, but it is rarely that the true Manx coat is met with. One well-known winning strain is distinguished for its soft, close velvety coat, which is really quite incorrect. The correct coat has a soft, "furry" undercoat. I say "furry " advisedly, for the undercoat is not woolly as with the Siamese cat, nor is it hairy, as in the collie dog, but it is soft and silky in the true Manx cat. The outer coat should consist of long, coarse hair, which is sparse, and gives the idea of a rather rough, "starey" coat.

The coat of the Abyssinian is soft to the touch like the Sacred Siamese, but its ticked colouring makes it look coarse.

The coat of the blue short-hair is the occasion for much disagreement. If the animal is a British cat the coat should, of course, be similar to that of any other British cat, but there are several breeders who set great store by a peculiar plush-like coat of an intensely blue shade, which they say can only be produced on cats of pure Russian descent. This may or may not be so - the question is not one for' me to decide.

In shape the long-haired and the British cat are similar, a low-built round cat with short legs and heavy bone is most sought after. In long hairs a very short full tail is desired, but short-hair breeders do not set much store by this point. The head of both breeds should be large, broad and round in skull, with a short broad nose. The ears should be small, round tipped and set low on the head, and the eyes should be large and round and set straight; an obliquely set eye spoils a cat's expression.

For some unknown reason all foreign breeds of short-haired cats are allowed some variation in the matter of head. To begin with the Manx which is hardly a foreigner now, though suspected of Eastern origin; his head, though broad, is not round like that of British cats; the ears are rather large and the nose is long. The typical Siamese head is lean and snaky looking, though I own to a liking for a round face, and most of the so-called Russian cats have small pinched faces. The Abyssinian likewise has a head of what I call the Eastern type, and would quite lose its identity if it became fat faced.

These are only my views, and I am aware that there are considerable differences of opinion as to the correct type of head for Manx, Siamese and blue short-haired cats respectively.

A CERTAIN exhibitor of neuter cats is much exercised in her mind over the judging of neuter classes. She is strongly of the opinion that size and colour are the principal points to be desired, and demands an explanation of the judging at a recent show. The explanation is easily given. Neuter cats are judged by exactly the same points as other cats, except that size and coat (in long-hairs) are of a little more importance. The ideal is in both cases exactly the same, and necessarily so, as a little consideration will prove. A perfect cat is a perfect cat, and we want the males and females to be large and sound coloured, the same as the neuters. Each judge places the cats according to his individual taste, but I hope and believe that no modern judge considers size and weight to be the most important points in judging any breed or sex of cat. The statement that it is "unfair" that a kitten of eight months should win in a neuter class is ridiculous, for if a kitten of that age can beat full-grown cats it must be infinitely superior to them in the judge's eyes. Neuters are not eligible for ordinary kitten classes, and it shows great courage on the part of a neuter kitten to try conclusions with the full-grown cats. It would be very funny if a separate standard of points was drawn up for neuter cats. My personal opinion is that they are house pets, and out of place in a show-pen; but I know these views are not shared by many people.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS
(For Rules see previous issues.)
DINGLEY DELL (Edinburgh). - The loss of coat is not in the least abnormal. All long-haired cats moult at this season of the year. Consequently) the present is not a good time to have your pet photographed, but there is no cause for uneasiness. Care in feeding and housing are always necessary.
MRS. HUGH HOLBECK. - The best book for your purpose is "The Cat Manual," obtainable from this office.- DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, May 4, 1907, pg 368.

LONG-HAIRED CATS.
IN show catalogues the long-haired cats almost invariably come first, and first of the long-hairs are self colours. A self-coloured cat is one of any whole colour without shading or marking at the roots or tips of the hair. Such cats are blacks, whites and blues. Creams and fawns are, or ought to be, self-coloured, but manly of them are not really "sound" in colour. We hear a good deal about self orange, or, as our American Cousins say, "solid" orange cats, but these exist only in the imagination of their owners.

All orange cats, even thosc which are unmarked on their bodies are distinctly striped on their legs, faces and tails. The same may be said of "self silvers," and indeed, this term has died out, and we are content with the far prettier and more descriptive name of chinchilla. Blue-eyed white cats have always been popular, but until a few years ago they were so rare that it was quite common to find a yellow or green eyed cat in the prize-list at our largest shows, Of late the white cat shows a marked improvement, and in breeding for blue eyes no other points have suffered; in fact, an all-round improvement is noticeable, A white cat should be of purest unblemished white; a tinge of yellow on any part, or a black smudge, is a serious defect. It is a curious fact that many white kittens, especially if one parent is a dark-coloured cat, show a grey or black smudge on the head. This usually disappears with the kitten coat, but in rare instances it remains through life. The eyes of a whit cat are a very important point, and nowadays if they are not blue their owner is considered practically valueless either for the show or the breeding pen. They should be large and full and of a deep shade o! blue, the darker the better. I much regret that odd-eyed cats are not encouraged, as, to my mind, this peculiarity is most attractive, but our judges will have none of them. White cats should not, as a rule, be crossed with those of any other colour. Blacks come next on our list. They have, unfortunately, fallen into popular disfavour, but they are the best cat to keep in a town, for they do not show dirt. A good black cat with really deep orange eyes is a most distinguished -looking animal, but there are not half-a-dozen such in England. A tinge of grey in a black cat's coat is one of the most serious faults he can have; a tinge of brown is objectionable, but not in the same degree. Almost all black kittens are rusty in colour before they change their coats, but a rusty kitten often makes a sound-coloured cat. One very well-known winner, whose colour is particularly good, was very "smoky" as a kitten, but he is an exception to the rule that smoky kittens are usually smoky cats. Blacks may, with no harmful results, be crossed with tortoiseshells or oranges; in fact, the cross is often beneficial to the latter. I must leave the discussion of blues for another day, as the subject is such a big one that it requires a chapter to itself.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, May 11, 1907, pg 382.

I HAD the pleasure the other day of paying a visit to Mrs. Corner at Eversley, Branksome Park, Bournemouth, This lady is a real cat-lover as well as a good fancier, and her four neuter cats, all well-known winners, have the run of the house. The two big orange sons of Torrington Sunnysides and the cream Buz of Eversley are possessions to be proud of, but the warmest corner in his mistress's heart is kept for Buffie, who was at one time a beautiful copper-eyed blue. A fall from a window injured poor Buffie's head, and he is now totally blind.

MRS. CORNER'S particular fancy is the brown tabby, and in Toots of Eversley, a daughter of Persimmon and full sister to Brayfort Tiptopper, she has a most valuable breeding queen. Toots excels in back striping, and her kittens are all clearly marked. With a view to breeding rich-coloured kittens Toots was this year mated with Mr. Norris's orange male, and the kittens surpassed Mrs. Corner's wildest hopes. Alas! a queen returning from a visit fell ill, died and all the kittens, except one which was sent to Mr. Norris and one which promises to be a useful brood queen but not a show cat, followed suit.

THE cattery is a small one, and contains only two other inmates. A young male by Persimmon II. ex Toots shows good points and is well marked, but rather lacks warmth of colour. In early days he was nearly murdered by a poodle puppy, and in consequence his growth was checked, but he is rapidly making up for lost time. To mate with this cat Mrs. Corner purchased a very red tortoiseshell queen; she is a winner, but her name has escaped my memory. As she is not correctly patched, but of reddish bronze colour all over her back, Mrs. Corner hopes to breed good brown tabby kittens from her. I am rather doubtful as to the wisdom of this experiment; and when recommending a cross of red or orange blood I always advise the use of a cat without tortoiseshell ancestors.

MRS. FOSBERY asks me to say that her kitten, Eastbury Virginia, was first in the breeders' class at the Crystal Palace, Mocassin being second. Unfortunately, by some mistake Virginia was not judged in the blue female kitten class. The winner of the open female class, Sweet Lavender, was only reserve in the breeders' class.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, May 18, 1907, pg 470.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, May 25, 1907, pg 489.

THE long-haired blue cat has had more attention paid to it, and is, therefore, further advanced on the road to perfection than any other breed. We have heard a good deal lately about "one point judging," and some of our best judges have been called "faddists" simply because if a cat fails in some point, which they consider essential, they do not give it a prize, This does not constitute "one point judging," because the possession of that point alone does not win the prize; it must be combined with other essential points. Colour of coat and colour of eyes are the points which have caused much dispute among breeders of blues. I may as well say at once that I consider both to be essential points, and I should never award a first prize to a really bad coloured or green-eyed cat even if it was alone in the class.

THE eyes of a blue cat should be of a brilliant orange colour, but, failing that, a decided yellow with no tinge of green will pass muster. Green or greenish yellow eyes quite spoil the expression of a blue cat's face; again, a blue cat must necessarily be blue. If its colour is smoky, brown, or tinged with silver it should not win in a class for blues. The colour must be a sound level blue from the roots to the tips of the fur, but whether the shade is light or dark is entirely a matter of taste. I wish it to be clearly understood that the possession of orange eyes and a good coloured coat do not make a good cat; they must be combined with a good shape and coat, broad head and, in fact, all the points which go to make a good cat of any other breed. The eyes of many blue cats grow paler with age or illness, but there is a certain shade of orange which never fades. I knew an old stud cat, of ten or twelve years, he could no longer grow a coat but his eyes were still of a beautiful colour. Judges are occasionally misled when judging cats in a tent, as the reflection of the grass has been known to play havoc with the blue cat's eyes.

A BAD coloured blue occasionally improves with age, but not as a rule. I remember a case in point. A certain well-known blue male took first prize on his debut at a large show. After marking his slips the judge asked my opinion as to which of the two first cats should have won. After consideration I selected A, saying: "He is a curious dead colour but not a bad colour, and his eyes are pale, but in all other points he far excels B," and this proved to be the judge's selection also. This cat won many more prizes, and I eventually bought him, in spite of the fact that he owed his colour to his sire, who was not a blue! His colour improved a little when in first-class condition, and I eventually sold him. Some years afterwards I had just finished judging a large class of blues when a lady came and asked me if I had not intended to award a reserve. I replied that I had not, as there was no cat worthy of it. She expressed surprise, saying that her cat was v.h.c., and asked what fault I had to find with him. On turning to my notes I found him marked "bad colour." The lady was extremely indignant, as she said his colour was beautiful, and it must be the reflection from the brown walls. When I looked at my catalogue I discovered that it was my own old cat. In my opinion blue cats cannot safely be crossed with any other colour if the object is to breed blues, though excellent fawn cats are produced by the first cross between a blue male and an orange or tortoiseshell female.

SOME years ago I got into great trouble for originating the name of "fawn" as opposed to cream, but the two colours are absolutely different. Very few real cream cats have been exhibited, and all have been, more or less, marked and shaded. A cream may be bred from a fawn and an orange or, by a fluke, from an orange and a tortoiseshell, but it is never bred directly from a blue. In the early days of the breed all the fawns shown were of a curious dead bluish shade, which plainly betrayed their parentage. In succeeding generations this has been lost, and fawn cats are now of a clear pinkish shade, which is much prettier, but which is still quite distinct from genuine cream. Fawn cats have now reached a very high state of perfection; indeed, it is hard to pick a fault in one or two of our winning males. Strange to say, the females are not nearly so good. Creams are few and far between, and I have not yet met with an adult cat which did not show considerable marking and shading. The chief glory of a fawn or cream cat is its eyes, which should be of a deep, dark hazel colour. If the eyes are pale the face becomes plain and uninteresting, but if the eyes are good they "make " the cat.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, June 1, 1907, pg 527.

TABBIES.
TO the experienced fancier there is a great charm in a well-marked tabby cat. The novice usually prefers self-colours, and considers the tabby "common," but that is just where he is mistaken. It is much harder to breed a good tubby cat than a good self-colour. At one time there were a number of well-barred silver tabby longhairs to be seen, and also some brown tabbies, but they fell into popular disfavour. Luckily, Miss Leake remained faithful to the silver tabbies, and when a reaction in their favour came, there was still in existence a good and reliable strain to draw upon. With the brownies it was different; they had no loyal supporter, and when Miss Whitney, a few years back, came to their rescue, they were in a very bad way. I am glad to say that these two breeds, especially the former, are now in a most flourishing condition, and this is entirely due to the two ladies whose names I have mentioned.

In judging a silver or brown tabby cat, the markings should be the first consideration. The cat should be distinctly barred with clearly defined black stripes. The head, legs and tail should be clearly marked, and two distinct stripes should run the whole length of the spine, this latter is most important, and a complete black saddle is fatal. The sides and chest must also be clearly marked.

In the brown tabby, the ground colour should be of a clear reddish brown, the warmer the tone the better; a light chin is a very serious fault. But little importance is attached to the colour of the eyes, and there is some difference of opinion as to whether they should be green or orange. In the silver tabby the ground should be pale pure silver, quite free from brown or fawn hairs. The chief faults to guard against are a brown tinge on the nose or ears. The eyes should be emerald green, but it is only fair to say that that eminent authority, the afore-mentioned Miss Leake, considers that the eyes should be orange.

It is a little difficult to write of the orange tabby. because he is and has been for the last ten years in a state of transition. A craze, which came from America, sprang up for unmarked orange cats. At that time we had a fair number of nicely marked bright orange tabby cats; but these were set on one side, and all the washy coloured badly marked cats in the country were put before them. The result was that the colour went and some of the markings, and we had cats with unmarked bodies and striped faces and legs and of a dirty yellowish colour. The markings have never quite disappeared, but the bright colour has returned, and we have some really beautiful if nondescript orange cats; but I am pleased to see a decided reaction in favour of the deep coloured well-marked tabby. The eyes of an orange cat should be amber.

The novice will do well to try no experiments in breeding tabbies, but breed brown tabby to brown tabby, with an occasional cross of black where markings fail or of orange when the ground colour becomes cold, and silver tabby to silver tabby, with the introduction of black where necessary. Oranges may be bred to blacks or tortoiseshells; when crossed with blues many of the kittens will be of that horrible and unnecessary colour - blue tortoiseshell. When crossed with creams or fawns a fair proportion of creams are generally produced.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS
(For Rules see previous issues.)
BLUE PETER. - The symptoms you describe POINT to constipation, but you give me so little information as to his diet, habits and general health that it is impossible to be certain what is the matter with him. Try giving a dessertspoonful of warm castor oil.
TIMOTHY. - Meat is the natural diet, and so, far from causing skin trouble, you will find it the best preventive. If the coat is very matted cut away the knots, but here again prevention is better than cure. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, June 8, 1907, pg 33.

A CHAT ABOUT TRAINING CATS AS MODELS.
THOSE who are thinking at all seriously of taking up cat photography must realise that it is a difficult work. The results look so simple and natural that many think, "What is easier? Just sit puss up and photograph her." They are unwittingly paying a high compliment to the illustrations that have given them this happy idea, for the photographs must have had a spontaneous and natural look, which means they succeeded. It is good if these successes encourage others to devote themselves to this most interesting branch of photography, which is at present a decidedly lucrative employment; but there are certain facts to be faced which, if ignored, mean failure.

First of all, it is well-nigh impossible to do any good work with an untrained cat. As we all know, to our cost, a cat is not naturally obedient, and it needs patience and firmness to teach her. Before attempting any photographs, Puss should be taught to sit in the place chosen for future photographs, just as long as her mistress chooses. This does not sound a very difficult feat, but when we remember a cat's strong impulse to exactly please itself, and its insolent independence of other people's wishes, we shall find we have quite enough to do. Supposing we have chosen a table for our model's throne, it will probably be the very last place where Puss will consent to sit; the first thing she will do is to try to jump down. This, however, she must never be allowed to do, even if she has to be held, as the sooner she realises that getting down is an impossibility, the easier the training becomes. It is a help if the spot where she is to sit be warmed with a hot-water bottle; it will reconcile her a little to remaining in a place not of her own choice. Should the photographer feel her patience oozing away she should lift the cat off the throne and give up the training for a time. A beating is a mistake; it would probably only frighten the cat and give her a rooted dislike to ever being photographed. She should be so petted and rewarded with her favourite food that she will, of her own accord, jump on the table as soon as she sees it being prepared for her. The writer knows a cat who purrs loudly as soon as she sees the white foreground being put on the table, and she is generally up in her place before the background is fixed, for does she not know that not far off is a little basin of cut-up meat which she can very easily earn?

After this preliminary training we can begin to think about posing. Cats, especially well-bred ones, are often uncannily clever, and it is wonderful how some will seem to understand exactly what is wanted of them. They will assume delightful attitudes of their own accord and also allow themselves to be posed, and keep still long enough for an exposure to be made. One must, in all honesty, admit that they also have their bad moods, when they will scarcely let themselves be touched, but sit in awkward and ungainly attitudes, with faces made downright ugly from sulkiness. Of course, natural attitudes are best, and if one can only get a little incident and animation into the picture there is nothing more to be desired.

It is advisable to accustom the model to outdoor as well as indoor sitting, for one often wants the very best light one can get. A windless day, if possible, and a very sheltered corner must be chosen, for wind not only ruffles the fur but also the temper of our cat models! They must learn not to jump off the table be the sunshine ever so inviting, and their attention must be kept on the photograph be the birds ever so enticing.

Naturally, it is best to begin the training before the cat has grown out of the kitten stage, though these little irresponsible creatures need a great deal of patience and management. If the mother herself is a trained cat, so much the better, as she can be a great help, and will make it much easier to keep the kitten on the table. However the liveliness of the kitten may keep one on the alert; there is such continual change of attitude, that one has plenty of possibilities of most wonderful studies.

The golden rule for training is: firmness, gentleness, and patience. However independent and obstinate a cat may be, she is clever enough to know when her mistress means to be obeyed, and this applies to Persians as well as ordinary cats. Sometimes, just at first, it is necessary to repeat a pose countless times, necessitating much encouragement and petting, but each victory ensures a greater success next time. We must be careful, too, not to annoy our model. If she is to be dressed up, let the clothes be easy ones to wear, and, if possible, let us avoid hurting her feelings by laughing at the quaint little figure she looks in them, and give her an extra reward. Also, we must guard against tiring her, always remembering that her goodwill is essential for the success of our work. Swinburne's lines to a cat might express our attitude:
"Stately, kindly, lordly friend,
Condescend
Here to sit for me."
CARINE CADBY.

ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT.
SiNGAPORE. - "The Cat Manual," obtainable from this office, would give you the information you require. Space is not available to answer your questions fully. I should suggest blacks or brown tabbies as hardy and more likely to do well under difficulties than other colours. I do not advise you to keep a stud cat, and I advise you to let your queen run free as much as possible. You do not tell me if you wish to breed cats for amusement or profit, so I really cannot advise you. - DICK WHITTINGTON,

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, June 15, 1907. - No Cat Gossip column, due to reports from major dog shows.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, June 22, 1907. - No Cat Gossip column, due to reports from major dog shows.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, June 29, 1907, pg 122.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS
C.F.U. - Your fears were well founded, and the order did not reach me. As there is no great urgency, I am replying through the paper. He will take the sulphur easily if you rub it into his coat. I answer your questions in order. 1. A quarter of a pound to half a pound of meat, according to size and appetite. 2. Raw meat is best, but, when unobtainable, cooked meat may be given. 3. Chicken, rabbit and sardines in oil may be given; also game and small birds with the feathers on, and chickens' heads are excellent. 4. A little bread with a good leal of butter may be given. 5. I should not let more than two or three days pass. Glycerine suppositories sometimes have excellent results. 6. He will not lick more sulphur than is good for him out of his coat. 7. One pill at a time ought to be sufficient, but it is is not, give him one and a half.
ANTIQUE. - I have always fought against that particular name, as this disease in itself is exceedingly rare. What is usually called gastro-enteritis, and what your kittens undoubtedly had, was the gastric form of distemper. This is very fatal to both cats and kittens. In the first place, it is best to give no food dor twenty-four hours, but if possible provide a piece of ice to lick. Tiny kittens must after this be given a little milk and soda, about half a teaspoonful every hour, but it must be given cold. Older kitten and cats are better without food until their appetite returns. While the acute symptoms last gives Symes's lac bismuthi every two hours, cats half a teaspoonful and kittens five drops. When the appetite returns give scraped raw beef in minute quantities. For a cat half a teaspoonful, with a pinch of carbonate of bismuth over it, every four hours for the first day, kittens a smaller quantity. As soon as the cat begins to apparently digest this meat you may Increase the quantity, but do this very gradually, as the slightest indiscretion may cause a relapse. On no account give milk or any warm food. The book you speak of is very old-fashioned in many ways, but in this particular matter it is directly opposed to the opinions of our leading doctors and veterinary surgeons, and as it is, I believe, purely theoretical, you need not pay much attention to it.
ELAINE. - MiIk is the worst possible food for the kitten. You should give it, at first, minced raw beef, about an ounce twice daily, and as it gets older accustom it to a diet of any kind of meat, raw or cooked, and other table scraps. The operation can be performed any time after three months, but six months is perhaps the best age. Mr. A. J. Sewell of 55, Elizabeth Street, Eaton Square.
KIRIE. - Try Miss Harper, Briarlea, Hayward's Heath. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, July 6, 1907. - No Cat Gossip column, due to reports from major dog shows.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, July 13, 1907, pg 218.

THE MISSES BARTLETT'S CATTERY.
IT is a good many years since the Misses Bartlett took to breeding chinchilla cats, they had had before that some of other colours and they have met with considerable success as exhibitors. That their cattery at Holmesdale, Bexley Heath, is well stocked at present the accompanying photographs will show, but when they were taken the cats had unfortunately commenced losing their coats.

Silver Sultan, the lord of the harem, is a worthy son of Lord Southampton. His photograph does not do the old cat justice, as he is very pale in colour and has beautiful green eyes. His coat is long and silky and he teems with quality. Silver Sultan has won firsts at the Crystal Palace, Manchester and Richmond, and seconds at Bath and Manchester. He has sired a number of winning kittens., including Cairo Ramadan, Ashbrittle San Toy, Princess Zeila, Sultan's Lad, Sultan's Boy, Sultan's Son, Silver Halo and Silver Frost. Holmesdale Silverine is a daughter of Silver Starlight. She won firsts at Southampton and Manchester in 1905 and 1906, and has twice taken the shaded silver cup, but has now moulted out into a pale chinchilla. She carries a glorious coat - but unfortunately she elected to make her appearance minus her frill. - and has good green eyes. At present she is nursing a promising family of Silver Halo.

Holmesdale Daschka is a good specimen of a shaded silver, and won firsts at Birmingham in 1905 and at Staines in 1907, and has once won the shaded silver cup. In face, shape and expression she is quite charming, and her eyes, though not of the orthodox emerald shade, are very lovely. Peep-peep is a brood queen only, as being dark in colour and blind of one eye, she is no use for showing. She is, however, particularly well bred, being by Silver Sultan ex Silver Dawn, and excellent in shape, and consequently her kittens are all that can be desired.

In one photograph three generations are shown. Vera, by Woodheep Fitzroy, once belonged to Miss Bartlett, but is now the property of the Hon. Mrs. McLaren Morrison. Her daughter, Minnie, by Silver Sultan, is a lovely pale-coloured cat, with huge green eyes. Silver Frost, by Silver Sultan ex Minnie, is only eight months old, and is a really beautiful kitten. He won first at Pickering in a mixed class of twenty-five cats and kittens, and at Woolwich, under Ms. Balding, he was placed first in a class of fifteen silver kittens, special for best chinchilla kitten, and special for best long-haired kitten in the show.

Black Imp, a nicely-shaped black queen with good eyes, has been sold recently to Miss Yardely, but Miss Bartlett has retained, and hopes to exhibit, two of her kittens by Torrington Sunnysides. Grenadier is the property of rs. Mclaren Morrison. He won second at the Crystal Palace, and hid seep range tabby colouring has never been surpassed in a long-haired cat. If his face was filled up he would not long have to be content with second place.

Miss Bartlett is a firm believer in outdoor catteries. The queens have full liberty in the garden all day, and are shut into little houses with wire runs at might. They are extremely healthy, and never take cold. Silverine is fond of lying curled up in her run in rain or snow, and often gets soaked, but has never been heard to sneeze.

When kittens are born in cold, uncertain weather they are brought indoors. All the cats have two good meals a day, and milk ad lib. Meat ra or cooked, of any kind, including horseflesh, rabbit, fish, occasionally a little lights, sometimes a little boiled rice mixed with the meat, this latter the cats do not care for, gives plenty of variety. Nursing mothers are fed four times a day on meat.

All the cats are combed every day, and about a week before a show the chinchillas' coats are filled with prepared which fuller's-earth or Robin starch, rubbed well across the grain and then brushed daily. This of course, is a plan that could not very conveniently be adopted with cats living in the house, but it is an admirable method for cleansing the coat, and is to be highly recommended for all light coloured cats.

CHINCHILLAS AND SHADED SILVERS.
WHEN I think that I was the originator of the idea of classes for shaded silvers, I confess to a feeling of shame; but I must say that even at first my ideas were quite misunderstood. At that period a few dirty white cats with striped faces had been bred, and caused a great sensation, threatening to oust from premier position in the prize list the true chinchilla, which I take to be a cat similar in colouring to Silver Milord, who won first prize at the Crystal Palace Show. The leaders of the Cat Club took exception to the pretty name of chinchilla, and proposed to give classes for self silvers, which was obviously an encouragement to the dirty white cats, for the true chinchilla is no more a self colour than the smoke. I proposed that a separate class should be giver for chinchillas; but still the name was a stumbling-block, and that of shaded silver was substituted. Standards of points for the two classes were then drawn up, altered and re-altered, until the original object of the division was totally defeated, and the chinchillas and dirty whites competed together, while all the failures in the way of dark or much-barred chinchillas, smoky silvers, etc., found a place in the shaded silver class. With the extinction of the Cat Club, I thought we had heard the last of shaded and self silvers, and certainly the latter seem to have died out; but in Scotland classes were still provided for chinchillas and shaded silvers separately, and every now and again they appear at English shows. As they exist I am totally out of sympathy with them, and even as I originally intended them to be I do not think they are any longer necessary, for of the three persons who boomed the dirty white cat two have given up showing and one has left the country.

The points of the chinchilla cat are simple and easily followed. The ideal cat has a pure white under-coat, and of the outer-coat, each hair is the tipped with silver and is absolutely free from bars. In reality, all chinchilla cats have bars more or less distinct on the forehead and fore legs, but these are gradually fading away. A dark line down the spine or tail is a bad fault, and any tinge of brown on any part of the cat is fatal. A brown nose or brown tips to the ears are fairly common faults, but occasionally a cat is found which has a brown patch on the cheek, forehead or back and is clear elsewhere. I knew one very good cat which could win in the summer when out of coat, but which when in coat was sandy-coloured all over. Her pedigree was of the best, but her sire's grandparents on one side were unknown, and when I discovered that in every litter she bred a brown tabby kitten I understood what was wrong. Chinchilla cats' eyes should be deep sea green with black rims. Chinchilla should, as a rule, be bred to chinchilla, but the experienced breeder occasionally crosses successfully with some other colour. I have seen great success from a cross of white, but this must be used with care and with a thought for the ancestry of the white parent. The chief risk in this cross is the loss of the black eye rims and the acquisition of a pale pink nose instead of the black-rimmed, brick-coloured one which is usual.

Some of our best chinchillas have been bred from blues, though this cross has been much abused by those persons who instinctively know everything and therefore require no practical experience. A good many years ago Mrs. Balding crossed some of her best chinchilla queens with blue sires, and bred a number of good chinchillas which were invaluable to the fancy. Take one example only - Southampton Duchess, by Ch. Bundle, bred Ch. Lord Southampton and many other beautiful chinchillas, and, even when mated with a white of unknown origin, her kittens were always pale chinchilla. The danger of crossing blues and silvers is that blue tabbies or shaded blues may result, and these are only useful as pets. Crossing with smoke is occasionally successful, but it must be remembered that the eyes of a smoke cat should be orange, and also that smoke is a colour which is closely associated with silver tabby, and also that it is a colour which has a tendency to "turn up" in future generations. If and outside cross is really essential a green-eyed black will occasionally throw a good chinchilla. On the whole the novice had better return to my first statement - " Chinchilla should, as a rule, be bred to chinchilla." - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, July 20, 1907, pg 241.

"Mephistopheles; or, the Autobiography and Adventures of a Tabby Cat." by Keiro (Mr. Charles Yates Stephenson). Illustrated by Louis Wain. (Jarrold and Sons.) Cat lovers will enjoy this book, for the author has as subtle and sympathetic a comprehension of feline character and cleverness as Mr. Wain himself, and that is saying much. The adventures of Mephistopheles are written in a dry humorous style which will appeal to readers of larger growth as well as to the children, for whom the book is ostensibly penned. Some delightful episodes are related of the hero's friendship with one Uncle John, a terrier, who, with the true dog-in-the-manger spirit, would eat food he detested rather than see the ducks enjoy it. He also credited all other animals with similar traits, and on one occasion, when a cow approached him in a meadow, Mephistopheles relates, "he actually had the simplicity to say to me, ‘Did you see that greedy cow come up to take my bone away from me?'" Altogether it is a light and entertaining book.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, July 27, 1907. - No Cat Gossip column, but there were a few cat photos.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, August 3, 1907, pg 315.-

MRS. STEAD is known to fame chiefly as an exhibitor of long-haired smokes. Her Ch. Ranji enjoyed the proud position of being for many years the best smoke male in the show-pen, and he was certainly for some time the only one with correct coloured eyes. His sire, Chin-Chan, was an imported cat, and his dam, Polly, was bred by Miss Anderson Leake. Ranji has won four championships, two gold medals, the Mortivals challenge cup and innumerable firsts and specials. He is now ten years old, but last year he was second at the Crystal Palace, one of his grandsons being first, and at Reading this year he won a first and two specials, so he is evidently by no means in the sere and yellow leaf yet. Ranji has always been a favourite of mine, for, besides good amber eyes, he has a beautifully short, broad face, with a rounded skull and low-set ears, is short on the leg and good in shape and coat. He is darker in colour than I like, but most judges prefer a dark smoke, and he certainly has a good, light undercoat. Ranji's progeny have done very well in the show-pen, especially his son Storm Cloud of Arrandale.

Rhoda No. 2, by Demon ex Flossie, is rather paler in colour than Ranji, and, like him, she excels in head and shape. As a breeder she has not been a great success, but she is a very successful show cat. Her most important wins were first and championship in a class of nine well-known male and female smokes at the Botanic Gardens in 1900, and, with Ch. Ranji, first in the brace class at the Crystal Palace in the same year. Bluey is a very' pretty pale blue daughter of Skellingthorpe Patrick.

Ashby is a short-haired smoke neuter bred from short-haired parents. When Mrs. Stead purchased him he was well-nigh perfect, with a beautiful undercoat, no markings and copper-coloured eyes; but as he grew older his eyes became paler and markings appeared. Mrs. Stead has forgiven Ashby for practising this deception upon her on account of his mental qualities. She finds him wonderfully intelligent, and says that he is the clown of the establishment, affording much amusement to his owner, as well as to the other cats. If Mrs. Stead asks him to stand on his head he does his best to oblige her; but he draws the line at shows, and on the few occasions he has been exhibited he has refused all food and done all he could to show his disapproval.

Taffy No.7 is a shorthaired brown tabby neuter. He has done well in the show-pen, and particularly well in the ring class, where his dignified mien and stately walk command attention. Deportment is Taffy's strong point, and he always sits with his toes turned out; he is a very well marked cat, but a trifle too heavily barred on the back. A disappointed exhibitor was once heard to announce that his eyes were turquoise blue! If they were he would be a very rare and valuable cat, but, as a matter of fact, they are a lovely shade of emerald green. Suffragette is a brown tabby female; she is beautifully marked, and when her marks densify, as they will with age, she will be in the first flight.

Mrs. Stead looks after all her cats herself. Ch. Ranji dwells in a little "Boulton and Paul" cat-house, which has been boarded up on one side to keep out draughts, and on winter nights the other side also is protected. The queens have two comfortable rooms built in the garden, and adjoining them is a third room, where Mrs. Stead grooms them, and where she has tea with all her pets around her. The garden is wired round to prevent the cats poaching on the neighbouring estate. Mrs. Stead is a great believer in perfect cleanliness, a good supply of grass in spring and clean water twice daily. She keeps only six cats, as she has not time to attend to more properly, and she does not consider that hired attendants are satisfactory. The cats have milk in the morning, and at about 11.30 minced meat mixed with cabbage, asparagus, carrots or cauliflower, and fish twice a week. This food is given as dry as possible, as any sloppy food upsets the cats. Between six and seven o'clock meat is given, and those which have good teeth have one lump to gnaw at, which they much appreciate. For slight ailments a change of diet is given. A raw egg beaten up with one drop of ammoniated quinine cures colds, and sardines if the throat is sore give relief, and sheep's liver helps to regulate the bowels. Mrs. Stead does not believe in drugs, and thinks that when a cat is really ill it seldom recovers, as it loses heart so quickly. - DICK WHITTINGTON

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS
(For Rules see previous issues.)
CAT LOVER. - I am very sorry the photograph sent was not clear enough for reproduction. The growth of fur is certainly very peculiar and unusual. I suppose the cat has never had any kittens like herself.
REHOBOAM. - Have you written to me before? I do not recollect your handwriting, but I have another correspondent whose pseudonym is the same as yours. Opinions differ as to whether a gradual or a sudden change on to a raw meat diet is best. My experience is that a gradual change - i.e., partly meat and partly milk - is risky, but that a complete and sudden change from milk to meat is beneficial. Most people cannot resist giving too much meat, and that is why they become prejudiced against a meat diet. I own it is difficult if a kitten is thriving wonderfully and seems hungry not to increase his supplies, but this must be done very gradually, and if he seems dull and livery a day's starvation will put him right, and afterwards his daily allowance should be slightly decreased. Be sure to supply fresh water as meat-fed kittens drink a lot. Give the kitten, at first, about a teaspoonful of scraped raw beef three times daily, and gradually increase it until, if he can stand it, at three months he has a bit the size of a walnut three times daily. If greater bulk is required add brown bread or biscuit crumbs. When full grown the cat should have not more than 6 oz. of meat a day. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, August 10, 1907, pg 361.

TOGO is a remarkably handsome shaded silver neuter cat, the property of Miss Kitching, the matron of the hospital at Bridgwater. He won third and special at the last Birmingham show.

MISS STABLE has met with considerable success as a breeder of smoke cats, as may be judged by the two photographs below. The two smoke cats, Erebus and Nyx, are worthy children of the renowned Ch. Teufel, and their dam, Miss Stable's Elsie Brighteyes, is a daughter of Ch. Backwell Jogram. Erebus appears in the photograph to be rather light in colour, but, as a matter of fact, he has the orthodox dark overcoat and light undercoat, and he has beautiful orange eyes. These cats are not now Miss Stable's property, as she sold them last year through an advertisement in THE LADIES' FIELD. Elsie Brighteyes has now a lovely family of five good smokes.

ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT
BETTINE, - The kitten is no doubt very charming, but would not be likely to win a prize in any class. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, August 17, 1907. - No Cat Gossip.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, August 24, 1907. - No Cat Gossip.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, August 31, 1907, pg 476.

ON FEEDING CATS AND KITTENS.
EVERYONE who pays me the compliment of reading my notes is aware that I am strongly in favour of the modern and natural method of feeding cats, but I daresay few are aware that I first started the raw meat crusade in the cat fancy. Very many people, and among them our most successful exhibitors, feed their cats almost entirely on raw beef, but there are still a number of people who refuse to try it, or who say that they have tried it and proved it a failure. Strange to say, I have never yet met one of those persons face to face, and though they oppose me on paper I fail to get satisfactory replies to the questions I ask in my anxiety to find out whence the failure arises. I should like to say at once that I write solely from personal experience, and that although I am not now known as an exhibitor no year has passed in which I have not reared a number of kittens, and I have tried experiments and proved to my own satisfaction and that of witnesses that my theories are correct.

In the first place, as proved by its teeth, the cat is a carnivorous animal, its natural food consisting of birds, mice, rabbits, etc. If we can feed our cats on their natural diet, well and good; if not, we must find the best substitute. Beef may be, as I am told, a far remove from a bird or mouse, but surely a quantity of milk is farther still! My cats prefer beef to mutton, and I fancy it suits them better; moreover, I can more easily procure it in suitable pieces, but mutton when available will do well. The important point is quantity. I commence giving a four-week kitten a saltspoonful of scraped raw beef once daily and gradually increase the quantity until, when it is weaned at six or eight weeks, it has a piece the size of a large walnut three times daily. It must always be supplied with fresh water. If a kitten is strong and healthy its diet may be varied, and it may have any kind of meat except pork, raw or cooked, a bit of thin bread and butter and even a teaspoonful of milk or cream, but if it seems the least upset it must promptly go back to raw beef. Salt meat and liver should always be avoided, and fish must be given with care. The meat-fed kitten, unless he gets too much meat, is always ravenously hungry, and if it is really necessary to increase the bulk of his food this may be done by the addition of something filling but harmless, such as brown bread or biscuit crumbs, Force or something of that kind. As the kitten grows older his allowance of meat may be gradually increased, but very few full-grown cats can digest more than 6 oz. of meat per diem.

The secret of the whole matter is not to give too much. Cats fed on milk food have to eat a far greater bulk of food than they ought in order to get the requisite amount of nourishment, and therefore few people realise how little food of the right sort a cat requires. Moreover, a cat which has been fed on milk food will probably, if allowed, over-eat itself on meat until its appetite has re-adapted itself.

I have often been asked if a kitten should be suddenly or gradually changed to a meat diet after being fed on milk, and only recently I had an opportunity of experimenting in this direction. I bought two kittens which had been fed on milk, egg, etc., and a friend, in whose knowledge I have great faith, advised that I should make a gradual change. I did so with the first kitten, and could not get him to do really well, and eventually had to put him on to minute quantities of scraped raw beef, and gradually work him up to his proper quantity. The second kitten went straight on to raw beef, and began to thrive and grow at once. Both kittens are now doing well, but the second one was far less trouble. The moral of my tale is: Give all cats and kittens raw beef, and, if they I do not thrive, give twelve hours' starvation and then scraped raw beef in small quantities. For very young or delicate give scraped beef. Always supply meat-fed cats and kittens with water. Never give worm medicine.

THE tortoiseshell cat has never enjoyed any great measure of popularity, although in the early days of cat shows a good tortoiseshell was usually high in the prize list, and even now most all-round judges look upon them with favour when they appear in variety classes. Theoretically the tortoiseshell cat should be covered with small, distinct and clearly defined patches of red, black and yellow; actually, it is a mixture of the three colours. Any tendency to tabby markings is a serious fault, and a yellow streak down the nose or a large patch of yellow on the chest should be avoided. The eyes should be orange. The tortoiseshell and white cat is in practice what the tortoiseshell is in appearance. Its saddle mark and the sides of its head are patched with red and black; it has a broad white blaze, white collar, chest, legs and end of tail. To my mind the attraction of these two breeds is the difficulty of producing males. They have been bred, and so can be bred again, but, to use an Irishism, the tortoiseshell tom is generally red or orange. Tortoiseshells may be bred from blacks, reds and oranges, and will also appear in any variety litter. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

MEPHISTOPHELES, whose portrait adorns this page, is the hero of Mr. Charles Yates Stephenson's delightful book, "The Autobiography and Adventures of a Tabby Cat," of which mention has been previously made in these pages.. The illustrations are the work of the famous cat artist, Louis Wain.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, September 7, 1907, pg 11.

ANSWERS TO CAT CORRE. SPONDENTS. (For Rules see previous issues.)
LA PRINCESSE. - Postal replies are sent only on receipt of a fee of 2s. 6d. Advertisements in the "Private Sales" columns of THE LADIES' FIELD usually give good results, but if you wish to know of purely fanciers' papers the following are the leading ones: the ILLUSTRATED KENNEL NEWS, London; OUR DOGS, Manchester; OUR CATS, Manchester; and FUR AND FEATHER, Idle, Bradford.
DUNKERQUE. - I hope you will recognise yourself under this pseudonym. Postal replies are only sent on receipt of a fee for 2s. 6d. While sympathising with you in your misfortunes I cannot hold out much hope that you will be able to procure a valuable kitten for nothing. Good kittens fetch good prices, and if one is to be given away the owner naturally prefers to present it to a person friend. There was no necessity to destroy the cat - the insects could easily have been got rid of. Puppies and kittens thrive best on a meat diet. Milk is not good for them. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, September 14, 1907, pg 52.

THE withdrawal of Miss Anderson Leake from the cat fancy is a serious loss. Miss Leake was one of our earliest fanciers, and she has never wavered in her allegiance to the silver tabby, the breed she first took up; moreover, she has stuck through thick and thin to the strain with which she first attained success. True she was remarkably lucky in accidentally acquiring such a cat as Topso. but how many of us would have had the perseverance and intelligence to follow up this "luck" as she has done. Miss Leake's record of prize-winning is, I believe, unequalled, and as a writer on catty subjects she is, to my mind, even more to be regretted than as a breeder and exhibitor. An educated woman with a ready pen and a ready wit and a good knowledge of her subject is not often met with in the cat fancy. Our parting has been gradual, for, since her accident some years ago, Miss Leake has been seen and heard of less and less in catty circles, and now it seems that the wandering habit acquired at first during her illness has grown upon her until she feels that she must rid herself of so firm a tie as her cattery and be free to come and go as she will.

A SUBJECT which calls for notice is the constitution of the Siamese cat. I am extremely amused at the interested aroused in the subject, for some eight or ten years ago I proved on the persons of several so-called delicate cats that fresh air and a natural life with a meat diet was all they required. Take a common street cat, shut it into a room with a stove, feed it on fish and rice and when winter comes sew it up in a flannel jacket. In a very short time you will have a coughing, wheezing animal covered with eczema. Treat a Siamese cat in the same way, and though his lungs go wrong, he does not get eczema; thus proving that he has the better constitution of the two. The fable that a Siamese cat must be fed on fish and rice comes from Japan. The Japanese spaniels are fed in the same way, the reason given, I believe, being that "If they taste meat their eyes will burst." I have given meat to sundry Japanese spaniels and Siamese cats, and, so far, their eyes have remained intact and their health has greatly improved.

A WELL-KNOWN lady who bred Siamese cats was singularly unfortunate with her pets. She kept them in a room heated by a stove, and with a tiny ventilator in the window which could be opened. She fed them on fish and rice, she gave them tonics, she sewed them into flannel jackets, but still they died. Once a beautiful kitten which had been reared in an open run on the East Coast was given to her; a week in her possession proved fatal - it died of pneumonia. Once I undertook the care of one of her male cats for six weeks, and he came with many instructions as to hot-water bottles, etc. He lived in an outside and freely ventilated cattery, with no artificial heat, and slept in a bed of hay all through February and throve well; three weeks after he returned home he died of bronchitis. Yet another example. A lady had given a pair of Siamese cats to some friends, but hearing that the member of the household who cared for them had left she asked me, as I lived near, to call and see if they were being properly looked after. One wet November day I found them in a wire-netting run which had formerly been used for fowls. The floor was thick with mud and pools of water stood everywhere, and against the wall in one corner was a little packing-case like a rabbit hutch, evidently the cats' bedroom. On the floor was a large dish filled with very watery bread and milk. Round and round this run and up and down the walls "rampaged" two lean, rough-coated, miserable-looking, but apparently healthy cats. I bought the pair of them, and I never had a hardier pair of cats. Shows had no terrors for them. Now, if these cats had been taken into a heated cattery they would certainly have died, for it is an undoubted fact that once a cat has become accustomed to fresh air it is more impatient of a heated atmosphere than it was before. What I mean to say is that if you have always kept your cats in hot rooms, and some of them have survived this treatment for years, you must not put them out in the fresh air and then bring them back again, or they will quickly succumb.

EVERYONE is, as usual, very anxious to explain how badly managed and useless the National Cat Club is, but no one seems prepared to help, except with advice, in the matter of putting it right. We all know that the National Cat Club has its faults - it always had, and I expect always will have, for it is apparently quite impossible that it should live up to its name and be a national institution. It is always in the hands of one clique or another, and the side which is "out" naturally has a good deal to say. If every separate "party" in the fancy was represented on the National Cat Club committee all would be a apparently well, but very shortly half the representatives would take offence and withdraw, but having tasted the sweets of office they could not sink again into oblivion, but would attempt to form another club, in which the might hope to shine. I know the cat fancy and cat fanciers so well that I know it is absolutely impossible for any cat club or society to give satisfaction to anyone besides the small clique which sways it.

ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT
DICK WHITTINGTON will be pleased to give advice on all matters concerning cats and their ailments, and will be glad to receive for insertion any interesting items of cat news that her readers may send. Queries must be written on one side of a separate sheet of paper, and must be signed with a pseudonym only for publication, but a letter giving full name and address of sender must accompany each query. A postal reply will be sent if the fee of 2s. 6d. is enclosed.. Letters should be addressed, "DICK WHITTINGTON, care of Editor, THE LADIES' FIELD."
PAMELA. - 1. It is very improbable, I may almost say impossible, that your kittens are pure-bred. 2. You cannot do better than bathe the eyes frequently with hot boracic lotion, but I should not apply any greasy ointment. I consider that these cases of ophthalmia usually occur in connection with distemper, and under the circumstances satisfactory cures are rare. As the kittens are presumably mongrels, I should, if they do not very shortly show a marked improvement, have them destroyed. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, September 21, 1907, pg 97.

MRS. LUMSDEN'S CATTERY AT NEWSTEAD, BRIDGE COF ALLAN
NEWSTEAD, Bridge of Allan, is cats, but it is the home of many winning cats, but it is the birthplace of more, which have passed into other hands. Mrs. Lumsden very seldom exhibits her cats, as she does not care to send them to shows alone, and she is much tied by the care of an invalid husband, who required her constant attention. Six years ago Mrs. Lumsden made her first plunge into the cat fancy by her purchase from Dr. Roper of the black queen Mischief I. by Dick Fawe. When Mischief I.'s first litter arrived one kitten was blue and had to be kept. The next litter was by Ch. Blue Jacket, and two females were kept. One of these was Black Moudie, whose glorious orange eyes and beautiful coat won for her many prizes as a kitten, but when she grew up and had kittens of her own she was shown no more. One of Moudie's kittens, Topsy II., was sold to Mrs. Nicholson, and Mischief II., the black kitten in the photograph, is her daughter by Bonnie Prince Charlie. Topsy was unfortunately killed on the railway when her kittens were only a month old, and Mischief II. and two of her sisters were sent to Mrs. Lumsden. Mischief II. was photographed when nine months old and quite out of coat, but as she had a good coat when a kitten, and as her head is beautifully round and her eyes deep orange, there is every hope she will grow into a magnificent cat.

The white kitten sitting on the basket is Lady Daisy Hope, by Lord Hope II. ex Mischief I. Lord Hope II., though the property of Mrs. R. B. McLaren, is staying at Newstead. He is a magnificent cat, and his kittens are invariably white and generally have blue eyes. Mischief I.'s family by him numbered five white kittens. Lady Daisy Hope is, unfortunately, odd eyed, but her blue eye is very deep in colour, and as she is an exceedingly pretty little cat it is to be expected that she will throw very good kittens. The beautiful white cat on the table is Strathallan Pride, a ten months' old daughter of Lord Hope II., the property of Mrs. Lumsden's coachman, Peter Bruce, and the winner of innumerable firsts and specials. Bonnie Prince Charlie is a cat I have thought highly of ever since his debut a good many years ago. He was one of the first stud cats with really orange eyes to be shown, and he is sound in colour and large, with massive limbs and a good head. He is a son of that well-known winner, Darnley. Mammy Jap, a cat or Mrs. Lumsden's breeding, is so named because her markings resemble those of a Japanese spaniel; she has won several times as the best marked black and white cat in the show.

The picture of the exterior of the cattery gives a bird's-eye view of the premises with a corner of the back of the housc showing to the right, and in the distance a view of Stirling Castle, while in the foreground are seen the cattery, cat kitchen, St. Bernard kennels and fowl-houses.

Mrs. Lumsden is s exceedingly proud of her catteries, which are considered the most perfectly in Scotland, and which were designed by herself and built by her gardener and his assistant, with the exception of the galvanised iron building which is the cattery kitchen, where all food is prepared, and where there are four raised pens, with little ladders and bed-curtains, for cats with young kittens. Attached to the kitchen is a "verandah run," where the ladies can take fresh air and exercise. To the left of the kitchen is a covered run for foster cats, of which there are a number to assist both cats and Japanese spaniels.

The cattery proper is exceedingly elaborate, and is heated by hot-water pipes and provided with covered runs, which have, on the east, an arrangement of movable canvas shutters, and on the west and north glass windows. On the north and south are glass doors, which can be left open on hot days. Each division inside the cattery consists of a bedroom, sitting-room and back yard, all fitted with shelves and with windows which can be opened. The cats' beds consist of canvas bags of shavings covered with blankets, which are frequently washed. Mrs. Lumsden must at present have upwards of twenty cats and a number of kittens. She has also some St Bernards, including Minnehaha, who is nursing a litter of eight beautiful puppies by Miss Ede's well-known Golden Saint; two Griffons named Frisky Pipplekins and Lady Ada, two West Highland terriers, two fox-terriers and a black Pomeranian, besides the Japanese spaniels.

Mrs. Lumsden superintends the care and feeding of all her pets, but the coachman exercises the larger dogs, and the cats and the small dogs are cared for by Mrs. Sweeney, an Irishwoman, who is devoted to their interests and keeps them and their quarters spotlessly clean. Mrs. Lumsden believes in great variety of food. Prepared oats form the breakfast of cats and kittens, mixed with meat for the former and milk for the latter and enriched by the addition of a little malt and cod-liver oil. Sheep's head, pluck, tinned rabbit or salmon, any kind of meat mixed with bread, rice, barley or lentils, Carta Carna [dog food brand], Spratt's cod-liver oil biscuits and Rodmin [a supplement?] form part of their fare. Tiny puppies and kittens are fed on Mellin's Food and Lactol.

Scotland, strange to say, appears to suit long-haired cats and kittens, and I believe the chief reason for this is that they are not tormented by fleas as they are in the South of England. The East Coast, of course, is dry though cold, but even on the cold damp West Coast I have reared beautiful kittens without trouble, and my cats remained longer in coat. In the days to which I refer there were not more than a dozen good cats in the whole of Scotland, but since then things have changed and in whites particularly. I think the Northern cats can hold their own anywhere, and when I say that the Newstead cats are amongst the best in Scotland I do not in any way exaggerate. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CATS: OF YESTERDAY, TO-DAY AND TO-MORROW.
YESTERDAY'S cat which mewed and miauled in the hoary ages of the past was regarded from a different point of view to the fashionable feline of to-day. Venerated to idolatry, as it was by the Egyptians, it was natural that the halo surrounding it should coruscate with religious forms and fantasies. In life he was guarded with punctilious care; in death the same rites and honours of embalmment and interment were accorded him as to his owners, both patrician and plebeian, and in the courts of Olympus a goddess rejoicing in the name of Pasht was told off to be the guardian of his destinies. Our old and esteemed friend Herodotus, who so often and so worthily crops up as an elucidator of the hidden mysteries of the ages, has much to say on the subject, telling us, among other interesting things, "that the cats when they died were carried to sacred buildings, and, being salted" - a term with something of a Yarmouth flavour about it - "are buried in the city of Bubastis." This city was under the protection of the aforesaid Olympian Deity, who was the Egyptian Diana, and from whose sporting proclivities probably the Egyptian kings are depicted as employing cats in the pursuit of game.

It has been estimated that the introduction of the cat into Europe occurred as far back as the Bronze Age, and this contradicts the erroneous supposition that the troubadour on his return from the wars brought with him a sufficient stock to supply his craft with strings for their musical instruments. Commercially prices ruled relatively high in those days of degeneracy, for Howell the Good, who was a law maker in the Principality, ordained that "the price of a kitling before it could see should be one penny; till it had caught a mouse, twopence; when it commenced to be a mouser, fourpence." But the vendor was required to give a warranty, by which if it failed he was bound to return the buyer one-third of the cost. In this the good man evinced an intimate knowledge of dealers and dealing. The value of cats, however, among the country folk of to-day has advanced but little since then, as the following instance will show: A "gude mon" and his wife - it was in Scotland - went with a view to purchase on a visit to the cattery of a well-known exhibitor, and after due inspection selected the "pick of the basket," for which from the corner of a knotted handkerchief he tendered half-a-crown. His astonishment was great when the value, something like £5, was made clear to him. "Come awa', Jeannie, come awa'!" said he, "this is nae place for the likes of us."

During the eleven centuries which have rolled over the head of our fireside friend it has firmly established itself in this country, and is accorded a post of honour as guardian of our granaries and stores, is rated on ships that go down to the sea, and besides holding a place in literature and art has a value all his own in our personal sartorial adornment. Efforts have been made, and it must be admitted successfully, of recent years since the introduction of cat shows by Mr. Harrison Weir in 1871, by which much has been done in the cause of the cat of to-day, to divide the different varieties according to their hirsute appendages, and again subdivisions are made of each.

The long-haired cats are of "foreign extraction," and are classified principally according to colour and nationality. Persia is ostensibly the land from whence some of "the most resplendent haired" beauties have come to us, but the Thibetan cat, which, before exportation, is hall-marked by a slit in the ear, and who, like Miriam (in "Reginald") "takes nines in voices" and the cats of Kashmir, with their marvellous coats, have been greatly sought after. Of these, perhaps the best have been brought to England by the Hon. Mrs. McLaren Morrison, who owned a magnificent specimen in Mussafer, a cat who at certain hours of the night used to hold conferences with the departed spirits of the cat world.

A particular fancy - probably from the difficulty of breeding perfectly shaded specimens - has been for cats of a colour resembling chinchilla. In this variety Lady Decies's beautiful Zaida has for years reigned supreme, and for which the fancy price of £1,000 was offered and refused. Chief among the short-hairs is the royal cat of Siam, of a beautiful dun colour, with well defined points and mask of a deep chocolate. Mrs. Vyvyan and Miss Forestier Walker have imported some of the best stock, and so has Mrs. E. M. Robinson, whose Ch. Wonkie was a noted prize-winner at all shows. Several very good ones, of a rare blue colour, are in the possession of Mrs. Spearman. Then, again, there are the Japanese cats, which are tailless, and their relatives or prototypes, the Manx, the blue Russian and the rare British red tabby. Of these two latter varieties Lady Alexander has perhaps the best collection; her Ch. Perfection, a grandly-marked red tabby, is unapproachable.

With the ever-changing tide of fashion and the opening up of the kingdoms of the earth what the cat of to-morrow may be is uncertain. Various hitherto unknown species of the cat tribe, such as the meer cat, the Madagascar cat, the mongoose and others have already app these are hardly likely to become general favourites.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, September 28, 1907, pg 136 .

CAT GOSSIP: ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT
DICK WHITTINGTON will be pleased to give advice on all matters concerning cats and their ailments, and will be glad to receive for insertion any interesting items of cat news that her readers may send. Queries must be written on one side of a separate sheet of paper, and must be signed with a pseudonym only for publication, but a letter giving full name and address of sender must accompany each query. A postal reply will be sent if the fee of 2s. 6d. is enclosed.. Letters should be addressed, "DICK WHITTINGTON, care of Editor, THE LADIES' FIELD."
SAN TOY. - If, as you think, your cat is suffering from acute kidney trouble, you should immediately take him to a skilful veterinary surgeon for treatment; but a cure is exceedingly doubtful. I must point out to you that all long-haired cats shed their coats in February or March, and do not regain them till the following autumn. Do not give fish or vegetables, but let the diet consist chiefly of meat, and I should not be surprised if in another month or two you find that there is nothing wrong with your cat. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

ANIMAL GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, October 5, 1907 .

A PLEASANT informal kitten show was held at the Victor Hall, Plumstead, on September 21st, a few classes being given by the Woolwich Fanciers' Association in connection with their successful young stock show. Miss Bartlett, the enthusiastic hon. secretary of the cat section of the coming large show at Woolwich, was the presiding genius also of this, and Mrs. Balding judged. With classes confined to members, a limit age of eight months and honour the prize, numbers were consequently low. Miss Hill Shaw's entries were unfortunately absent; but quality, particularly in a class of six blacks, all bred by Mrs. Dee, was high enough for hot competition. All with amber eyes, cobby and showing promise of sound colour the picked four were close together. Two infants of tender weeks being merely out-aged Miss Bartlett's male won on condition of coat, her female being second for glossy jet-black shade. Mrs. Dee's female, third, has unusually deep amber eyes, grained with almost red-brown; her male, reserve, litter brother to the winner, will create excitement in black circles should the two compete in equal coat. In silvers, Miss Bartlett brought out a chinchilla female, Lola, of high merit, practically unmarked, with sea-green eyes. Her rivals, though far behind, were also sired by the famous Bexley Studs. Second, a sturdy young male, shows good quality of colour and coat and green eyes. Third and reserve, Madame Barrere's exhibits are a beautiful shape, not quite so clear. In any other colour, Mrs. Stagle won with a small brown, showing the same good ground, though less sound in chin than her famous Betty Brown. Miss Bartlett filled a class of chinchilla-bred whites, wide-headed, with great quality of coat.

ANIMAL GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, October 12, 1907 .

"THE CAT," by Mrs. Leslie Williams, published by Sidney Appleton, is one of the few books on the care of animals which I can unhesitatingly recommend alike to the novice and the experienced fancier. Mrs. Williams's views on feeding cats and kittens are thoroughly sound and up-to-date, and she gives satisfactory reasons for holding the views she does. Though her medical knowledge is considerable, it does not figure largely in the book, as Mrs. Williams rightly maintains that properly-fed cats are generally healthy cats. The various breeds are treated of in detail and much valuable advice is given as to the care of pet cats. Mrs. Williams is well-known as a clever writer on dogs and gardens, and though she does not write as if she loved cats quite as deeply as puppies and greenstuff, yet she evidently knows all that there is to know about cats and has the gif of imparting information. The book is well and clearly written, and the illustrations re good.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, October 19, 1907.

SHORT-HAIRED CATS.
WITH one or two exceptions the common short-haired or British cats follows, in points, the long-hair of the same colour. The chinchilla and smoke cats are practically non-existent among short-hairs, for, though a few isolated specimens exist, they usually appear as "sports" in litters of some other colour. The orange or orange tabby long-hair gives place to the red tabby shorthair, in which darkness and depth of colour is the most important point. In this variety markings are of less importance than colour, but in all other tabby short-hairs markings are the first consideration.

The so-called Russian cat appears to be a rather small and weedy specimen of the ordinary blue short-hair; its face is pinched and its eyes usually poor in colour, in fact the only point in which it excels is coat and colour.

The Abyssinian cat is ticked brown like a rabbit or ticked silver. Absence of markings on the legs and face and freedom from the dark spine line are the points most sought after. The face is narrow.

The Siamese cat is the most quaint of all the breeds. The ground colour should be level and unclouded; the most desired is pale biscuit colour, but if it is level and unshaded it may range from fawn to deep sable. The points of all Siamese cats should be dense chocolate brown, and the mask should be clearly defined. The eyes should be brilliant blue. The tail, according to the English standard, may be kinked or unkinked, but in Siam a kinked tail is anathema.

Of the Manx cat I have written so often that it is unnecessary to go into detail respecting its points, but absence of stump and great length of thigh are essential.

The Ladies' Field, October 26, 1907, pg 309.

Alice Countess of Strafford has kindly consented to open a grand sale of work which is to take place at the Church Room, Church Row, Fulham (by kind permission of the Rev. W. C. Muriel), on Thursday, October 31st, in aid of Our Dumb Friends' League Receiving Shelters for Stray Cats. The sale will be opened at three o'clock. Among those taking stalls are the Hon. Mrs. Tollemache, Miss Frances Simpson, Mrs. C. Hayden Coffin, Mrs. Albert Bradshaw and Mrs. Mathew Coke. Contributions to any of the stalls would be most gratefully received, and should be addressed to Mr. Arthur J. Coke, secretary, 118, Victoria Street, London, S.W. The society's cats' shelter at Fulham is situated at 931, Fulham Road, and may be visited any afternoon.
(No Cat Gossip column)

ANSWERS TO CAT CORRESPONDENTS
ANDREA. - I fear there is some internal growth, and you should take the cat at once to a veterinary surgeon. If there is no growth, try syringing with boracic or alum lotion.
BRONZE. - I infinitely prefer a rusty black to a smoky black, but the latter may eventually be a good-coloured cat. I do not think sunshine spoils the colour of any cat's coat. Cats kept in constant twilight cannot be in their best bloom. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

ANIMAL GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, November 2, 1907 . - (No Cat Gossip column)

ANSWER TO CAT CORRESPONDENT.
L. B. MOFFAT.- Your letter has been forwarded to me, but some of the questions therein should not have been sent to me. You had better write to Mr. Homfray at 118, Victoria Street, Westminster, and ask him to send you a schedule and entry forms for the Crystal Palace Show when ready, and you will then obtain all information about fees, etc. I think the registration fee is 1s., and you must ask also for a registration form. The show will be held in November. For railway rates you had better apply to your station-master. The cat should travel in a good-sized basket with proper fastenings, and the basket should be lined or covered. Not knowing your neighbours I fear I cannot tell you if any of them would take charge or your cat or not. If the cat gets plenty of meat, he will require no special diet before the show. You give me no clear description of your cats, but from what you say they appear to be indifferently marked brown tabby and whites, and if so they are not suitable for exhibition. The extra toes are considered a defect. "A tailed edition of the Manx cat" is extremely common and of no value. - DICK WHITTINGTON.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, November 9, 1907 . - No Cat Gossip

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, November 16, 1907 . -(Only photos no Cat Gossip.)

ANSWERS TO CAT CORRESPONDENTS.
MISS HARPER. - You should have no difficulty in obtaining cat boarders, now that you are once more able to receive them, and should I hear of any lady requiring a comfortable home I will refer her to you. I suppose you would accommodate a lady and her cats?
SMOKE. - A smoke cat must be absolutely free from pencillings on the face, which should be black surrounded by a light silvery ruff. There are very few good smokes to be seen nowadays. The breed has never been popular, I do not know why; but I am told that it is "looking up" at last. TABBY. - A tabby cat marked with white, whether long or short haired, is of absolutely no value for exhibition purposes or for breeding.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, November 23, 1907 . - No Cat Gossip Column.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, November 30, 1907, pg 504.

PHOTOGRAPHING GROUPS OF KITTENS
THE craze for cat photographs, instead of waning, seems to show every sign of growing, and in spite of the foreign prejudice against our friend the cat, the popularity has evidently crossed the Channel, and now cat photographs greet us from the windows of Paris shops, and even in Germany all kinds of series of cat and kitten picture postcards are to be seen. The "false cat," as the Germans are so fond of calling our beloved puss, is being sold in all kinds of attitudes and sizes, from the big head that can be barely crowded on to the card to the diminutive kitten sitting well in the middle of the picture and gazing up at us with that innocent, angelic expression that only a well-to-do and pampered kitten knows how to assume. However, as yet most of the cat and kitten photographs we see are very passive. The cat is sitting to have her photograph taken, or the kittens are represented all in a row, or peeping at us out of hampers, or gazing down from suspended baskets. At present photographers seem to have been contented to give us cats without incident and kittens quite passive. But if the cult of the cat in photography is going on, it behoves us to realise that kittens are anything but passive animals, and that we should try and get some kind of incident into our pictures, even if it be only one of nonsensical kitten mischief.

"Easier said than done," remark those readers who understand something of cat photography, and one has to confess it requires some diplomacy and a good deal of patience; but, if they will not be above taking a hint, there is a way which makes taking groups of kittens very much easier, and which will allow us to portray some incident with a good deal more chance of success. We must use only one kitten, or at the most two, to show the action. These must tell the tale, and to them must be devoted all our energy and resource. They must be made to play with the ball or entangle the skein of wool or whatever action we have chosen for them to perform, while the others are kept back. Then, at the last moment, when the chief actors are in telling attitudes the other kittens are just dropped into the picture and the photograph is taken. I do not think these illustrations in themselves would betray the secret. I sincerely hope not. But if they are looked at carefully it will very soon be discovered that never are all the kittens, so to speak, playing the game. There are two - and sometimes only one - to suggest the action, while the others are more or less passive. The chief actors are, with patience, worked up into good attitudes, and the others are just dropped into the places chosen for them and while the hands that dropped them are quickly snatched away. When once readers have realised the rather ignominious parts they play they will easily discover them in each illustration.

Before condemning this method as an undignified proceeding, let readers realise the great difficulty of getting a good active group of four kittens; how inclined they are to run out of the picture, how easily they get behind each other, and how seldom they would all be in photographical attitudes at the same time. The two chief actors in these little illustrations were, unfortunately, decidedly plebeian. Perhaps it was gratitude for being adopted after a time of neglect, perhaps they started life with less of natural cat perversity. Anyhow, they were easier to manage and quicker to train than my own two pampered kittens. These, one hopes, like some stage favourites, make up not being able to act by their pretty faces.

And now a few suggestions about practical details. We must, of course, have everything thought out and prepared before we begin. Unless we are so exceptionally lucky as to possess a studio we must work out of doors, as we want as much light as we can get. We must be careful that our background is fixed firmly, with no risk of falling over, and that our foreground is taut and tight, with no wrinkles. Whatever we use for the kittens to be on it is as well to block the sides so that there is no escape for the kittens that way. In fact, every precaution we can think of must be taken to prevent mishaps and worries at the time, as the kittens themselves are quite capable of supplying all we can possibly do with.

The difficulty - or rather the chief difficulty - is to get the principal actors to play their part, and they often need a good deal of humouring and encouragement. A piece of raw meat is very useful, not to give them to eat, but to rub on to any object with which we wish them to appear interested. It not only attracts their notice but often produces a most intelligent expression. As a rule, the kittens put in at the last moment are still for the second required, taking just this time to realise their fresh surroundings, but should they show an inclination to move a little pat on the nose with a finger rubbed with raw meat keeps them in their place and interested for the second required.

Cat photographs always make us long for the might-have-been - if only this kitten had looked up, if only that one had stood better. One has to content one's self with compromises when luck plays such a big part in the game. How well we all know the feeling of irritated impotence when directly our last plate is used the kittens, of their own accord, compose into a perfect picture. However, we must realise that, like most things, it needs practice, and each time, with our and the kitten's experience behind us, it goes considerably easier. A few ideas, a little patience and perseverance and we shall do better kitten groups than any that have yet been seen. - CARINE CADBY.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, December 7, 1907, pg 9.

THE CRYSTAL PALACE CAT SHOW.
THE National Cat Club Show at the Crystal Palace took place on November 26th and 27th. There were 416 cats entered, and though this is less than in previous years, it must be considered very satisfactory considering the many disadvantages under which the club was labouring in organising the show. Many of the cats were out of coat, and but few of the best short-hairs were present.

On the first day of the show was held the general meeting of fanciers, of which great things were expected. Little real business was done, and after much conversation there was an almost general exodus to witness the cup judging; so fanciers in general are apparently not so discontented with the existing state of things as they would have us believe. Everything decided at the meeting can, of course, only be communicated as suggestions to the NC.C. S

Mr. Corner proposed that the Northern, Midlands and Southern Counties' Clubs. should each have two representatives on the N.C.C. Committee. Mr. Shaw proposed an amendment that every society and club should send a representative, not necessarily a member of the N.C.C., and that if the appointed representative could not attend a meeting a substitute might be sent. This was subsequently modified to every club consisting of not less than fifty members. The amendment was lost, and Mr. Corner's proposal carried. It was also proposed and carried that the kitten age limit should be five to nine months, and that the N.C.C. subscription should be reduced to 10s. 6d. per annum.

To return to the cats. In longhaired white males, Mrs. H. Greenwood's White Rex won, in fine form, eyes deep blue, head might be better; second, Mr., Shaw's Monarch, who also won the silver bowl for best kitten in the show, and the silver cup for best long-haired kitten: a fine kitten with a glorious coat, but when that goes, his head and ears will handicap him badly; third, Lady Decies' beautiful Fulmer White Prince, whose glorious eyes and perfect form might have placed him higher; reserve, my old friend Champion The White Knight, whose massive skull and limbs and tiny ears have never been equalled.

Females: First, Mrs. Huckan's Peerless Blue-eyed Belle, beautiful eyes, but head might be better; second, Mrs. Pettit's Beautiful Pearl; third, the Hon. Mrs. McLaren Morrison's Silverdale White Heather, might have been higher; v.h.c., Lady Decies's exquisite Ch. Fulmer White Snow Queen, glorious eyes and a gem in every point, generally considered the best cat in the class.

Black males: First, Ch. Fulmer Black Bobbie, a grand cat for head and shape, but poor in eye; second, Mrs. Holliday‘s Ben Carlos; third, Mrs. Dee's Earlsfield Delta, failing only in eyes; reserve, Mrs. Stewart Dodd's Dunsden Lord Coke, shows light frill; v.h.c., Mr. Wall's Grouse II., good eyes.

Black females: Mrs. Morris's well-known My Pet II. won easily, good in all points; second, Mrs. Dee's, Earlsfield Day Dream, good in eyes, but not in the best of colour; third, Miss Chamberlayne's Black Beast of Ravenor, loses in face.

Blue males: First, Miss Ayre's Struwwelpeter, a grand young cat, good in coat and colour and with magnificent eyes; second, Miss Jay's Holmwood Ray, a son of The Mighty Atom, and like his mother, indeed, like all Miss Jay's cats, beautifully sound in colour, with a round head and tiny ears, but failing in eyes; third, Mrs. Palmer's orange-eyed Blue Emperor, a good head and orange eyes, but rather dark and dingy in colour.

Blue females: First, Mrs. Allen's Blue Coat Mascot, a very good cat in all points except colour, which shades slightly to the roots; second, Miss Chichester's Dolliebee, grand coat and head, colour sound, except for a tiny white spot; third, Mrs. E. Manuel's Ulida.

Chinchilla males: First, the Hon. Mrs. McLaren Morrison's Silverdale Bayard, a large, heavily-boned cat, good head and capital eyes, but dark on back and badly striped on face; second, Miss Chamberlayne's Silver Elfin of Ravenor, better in colour, good head; third, Mrs. Wilson's Rob Roy II. of Arrandale, also good in head, a nice colour and fairly free from markings.

Chinchiila females: First, Mrs. Wilson's Silver Nadeshda of Arrandale, a very pale pure-coloured cat, only very faintly marked on head; second, Mrs. Sedgewick's Thelma Lenore, nice face and shape, but very dark in colour; third, Mrs. Palmer's Otto Girlie, grand head and eyes, pale and pure in colour, but marked on face; reserve, Miss Ford's Sweet-faced Roossalka.

Mrs. Sinkins's Teufel II. was unfortunately alone in the smoke male class, so was awarded only second; his colour is perfect, absolutely unmarked, with pale undercoat and frill, head and bone good. He fails only in eyes.

Smoke females: First, Dr. Prior's Bowness, a nice cat, but pinched in face; second, Mrs. James's Backwell Juniper and Mr. Horton's Lincoln Imp, either of which or Miss Tiddeman's Warley Biddy (h.c.) might have won; reserve, Mrs. Sinkins's Shadow, litter sister to Teufel II. and owning the orange eyes which he lacks.

The remainder of this notice is unavoidably held over until next week.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, December 14, 1907, pg 72.

THE CRYSTAL PALACE CAT SHOW (continued)
Silver Tabby Males: First, Mrs. Slingsby's Don Pasquale of Thorpe, a fine cat, well shown; second, Miss Cochrane's well-marked kitten Glengarry; third, Mrs. Bergman's Tam o' Shanter, another promising kitten.
Silver tabby females: First, Mrs. Lycester's Silver Aura, sweet round, short face and nice markings; second, Mrs. Harris's Danesfield Tora, nearly as good; third, Mrs. Godsal's Iscoyd Shram, a pretty little cat.
Brown tabby males: First, Miss R. Whitney's Ch. Brayfort Viking, grand warm ground colour with clear markings, head much improved since last year, an easy win; second, Miss Chamberlayne's Russet Boy of Ravenor, a fine big cat, but too heavily marked; third, Mrs. Fletcher's Brunswick Baron.
Brown tabby females: First, Miss Whitney's Brayfort Tiptopper, the best of her colour I have yet seen, markings perfect, but a bit short of coat at present: second, Mrs. Butler's Lucerne Mick, a beautifully-shaped cat, with a capital head and nice colour; third, Mrs. Drury's Miss Wuzzer, heavy black saddle.
Orange males: First, Mr. E. Caunce's well-known Leachfield Bubbles, in his best form; second, Mrs. Slingsby's Red Eagle of Thorpe, quite as good in head and eye, but not so gorgeous in colour; third, Mrs. Norris's Kew Red Comyn, often described, he has improved in head lately.
Orange females: First, the Hon. Mrs. McLaren Morrison's Silverdale Lurline, beautiful deep dark red tabby, fine eyes, slightly pinched in face; second, Mrs. Maxwell's Jibert, a good bright colour; third, Mrs. Wilson's Rocksalt of Arrandale, loses only in colour.
Cream males: First, challenge cup for best long-hair, Stisted bowl for best long or short hair, and Welburn bowl for best long-hair, Mr. Helmer's Wildon Wily, a magnificent cat, grand head, brown eyes, neat cars, good shape, sound level colours and profuse coat; second, Lady Decies's Fulmer Dick, round face, nice eyes, pale colour, but a trifle shaded; third, Mr. Helmer's Wildon Wilful, loses only in face.
Cream females: First, Miss Cornish Bowden's Avonwick Beauty, nice head and coat, colour shaded; second, Miss Hutchinson's Polyanthus I., the same fault; third, Mrs. Vidal Dorrington's Oatmeal, might have been higher.
Tortoiseshells: First, Mrs. Collingwood's Queen Delays, a beautifully patched cat; second, Mrs. Vidal Torrington's Tricolour; third, Mr. Caunce's Leachmol.
Tortoiseshells and whites: First, Mrs. Slingsby's Rosette of Thorpe. a daughter of Ch. Minette, a worthy successor, beautifully coloured and marked; second, Miss Elliott's Lady Alexandra, very nice, well-broken colour; third, Mrs. Fletcher's Brunswick Wanda, another nice one. S
Self-coloured neuters: First, Mrs. Palmer's huge blue Oscar; second, Miss Sutclifie, another immense blue with capital eyes; third, Miss Fisher's True Blue, not so good in head and eye.
A.O.C neuters: First and second, Mrs. Corner's Red Roy and Tweedledum of Eversley, the first a deep-coloured orange tabby, with a beautiful head; the second, a bright orange with a grand coat, but a long nose.
The breeders' classes were won by Holmwood Ray, Don Pasquale of Thorpe and Wildon Wily, and in novice classes the first prize winners were Silverdale White Heather, Holmwood Ray, Bluecoat Mascot, Silver Nadeshda of Arrandale, Glengarry, Brunswick Baron and Rosette of Thorpe.
In the brace class Miss Whitney took first, Mrs. Slingsby second and Mrs. Norris and Lady Decies third.
Neuter brace: Mrs. Corner first.
Teams: First, Mrs. Slingsby; second, Miss Whitney; third, Lady Decies.
Mrs. Shaw's Monarch, already described, won in white kittens and Mrs. Holliday's Ben Carlos in blacks. Mrs. Wilson carried off first in both blue kitten classes with Blue Alistair and Sir Archie's Lass of Arrandale, two fine, dark, sound blue kittens with good eves; but in chinchilla male kittens the pale-coloured, green-eyed Silver Presence of Arrandale, being the only entry, won second.

IT is with great regret we have to chronicle the death of Lady Decies's celebrated chinchilla, undoubtedly the most successful cat that has ever been exhibited. Born in 1895, this chinchilla queen was just twelve years old when "the stern recorder pointed to nine." The cups, specials, trophies and medals won by Zaida amounted to over 500 in number, and for ten consecutive years she took the first prize at the Crystal Palace Show, winning so many championships that she effectually barred the way for any other chinchilla to win a championship for many a year. Her last appearance in the show pen was at the Crystal Palace ‘in 1905, where she won the championship and gold and silver medals for the best exhibit in the show (560 entries), also three 10-guinea challenge cups, a 5-guinea cup and many medals and specials. Her complete list of wins are too numerous to mention here. The photograph of Zaida is from the beautiful painting of Mr. W. Luker, who has also recently painted some most successful portraits of Lady Decies's Pekingese. Zaida had a beauty and a personality of her own, which endeared her to her owner, who once refused the offer of £1,000 for her favourite.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, December 21, 1907, pg 115.

THE MIDLAND COUNTIES CAT CLUB SHOW AT BIRMINGHAM.
THE Repository where the committee had pitched their tent this year is a far more suitable place for an exhibition than where it was held last year, as there was more space and better light. The presidents, Lord and Lady Decies, were present on both days at the show. The entry was a capital one, the long-haired variety predominating. Three only in whites were penned. Lady Decies's Ch. Fulmer Snow Queen was placed second to Mr Powell's Milverton Ena, with the Hon. Mrs. Clive Behrens's Swinton Pierrot third. The winner in blacks was Mrs. Norris's My Pet II., Miss Cope's Roiall Brasso being second and Mrs. Wade's Beenin Du third. In the black and white kitten class Mr. Powell's Milverton Pearl won, Roiall Brasso second and Mrs. Halliday's Ben Carlos third. The blue male class had a good entry of eleven, and the females went two better; in the former the winner was found in Mrs. G. Wilson's Sir Archie of Arrandale, second being Miss Ayres's Struwwelpeter and third Mrs. Slingsby's Lubin of Thorpe. The Countess of Aberdeen won in the female division with Blue Missie, Mrs. Wade's Lady Peggy Primrose was second and Miss Soan's Melissa third.

Blue male kittens were another large entry, the winner being Mrs. G. Wilson's Sir Archie II., second Lady Aberdeen's Blue Balloon and third Mrs. Slingsby's Lubin. Mrs. Wynn was the winner of the first and third in females with Antonia d'Padua and Annie, being divided by Lady Aberdeen's Blue Missie. Sir Archie II. divided Antonia d'Padua and Blue Missie in the breeders' class for kittens only; in the brace class Lady Aberdeen's were first, Mrs Wynn's second and Mrs. Wilson's third. The winners in novice were Sir Archie II., Blue Missie and Lubim.

Only two of the four entries appeared in the male chinchilla class, Mrs. Wilson's Rob Roy II. of Arrandale and Miss Chamberlayne's Silver Elfin, placed as written. In females Mrs. Wilson won with Silver Nadeshka of Arrandale, Miss Chamberlayne following with Cap and Bells, and Mrs. Sedgwick taking third with Teluca Lenore, her Edwina being the only candidate in the kitten class. Mrs. Fletcher Stevenson eon third in the smoke class, the first place being taken by Dr. Prior's Bowness and second by Mr. Horton's Lincoln Imp. In kittens Mrs. Harber's Wernlass Hero was awarded a second and Mrs. Stevenson's Coventry Tippo Tib a hird.

In silver tabbies (male) Mrs. Slingsby won first with Don Pasquale of Thorpe. Miss Cope was second with Lord of the Manor, and Mrs. Godsal third with Isroyd Solemn Bob. Miss Cope's Roiall Dame took the lead in females, with Mrs. Harris's Tora of Danesfield and Mrs. Furze's Lady Elfreda second and third. Eastbury Tiger Boy, owned by Mrs. Fosbery, was the best of the kittens, Miss Cope's Queen Deehna II., was next and Mrs. Harris's Count Fosco III., third. In brown tabbies the first prize winners in both the male and female came from across the Channel being Miss Whitney's beautiful brace Ch. Brayfort Viking and Brayfort Tip-Topper, Miss Chamberlayne's Russet Boy and Mrs. Fletcher's Brunswick Baron taking the second and third places in males, and Mrs. Slingsby's Gitana of Thorpe and Mrs. Kitching's Norton Kitty in females.

The oranges were good classes. In males Mrs. Norris won first and third with Kew Red Comyn and Kew Red Spinner, Mrs. Slingsby's Red Eagle of Thorpe dividing them. In females Mrs. Slingsby won with Auburn of Thorpe, Mrs. G. Wilson's Rock Salt of Arrandale being second and Miss Twigg's La Dame d'Or third. In kittens Mrs. Norris's Kew Red Spinner took second place to Miss Johnstone's Mollington Betty. Again, in creams, there was very strong competition, the Crystal Palace winner, Mrs. Helmer's Ch. Wildon Wily, carrying all before him in males, his cattery companion, Wildon Wilful, being second and Lady Decies's Fulmer Dick third. Miss Cornish Bowden won in females with Avonwick Beauty, Mrs. G. Wilson's Nelly Neil of Arrandale being second, and third prize went to Mrs. Slingsby's Calla of Thorpe. Nelly Neil won first in the kitten class, followed by the Hon. Mrs. Behrens's Swinton Sunflower and Miss Cornish Bowden's Sulphuretta. The best of the tortoiseshells was Miss Veevirs's Rainbow of Moyna, and of the tortoiseshell and whites Mrs. Slingsby's Rosette ol Thorpe. Winners in novice were winners in previous blacks.

The winners in the brace classes for chinchilla, silver tabby or smoke were Mrs. J. Wilson's Rob Roy II. and Silver Nadeshka, and in the any other colour Mrs. Helmer's brace of creams. In short-haired blues Lady Decies won first with Fulmer Love in a Mist and second with Fulmer Copper Queen, thus reversing the judgment of the Palace show. In brown tabbies Mrs. Collingwood won first with Young Flash Jack, and was again successful in silver tabbies with Simple Simon II. Ch. Silver Snow Storm won for Lady Decies in whites. Only one Siamese was penned, Mrs. Fosbery's Eastbury Mac, who was awarded a second. The best brace of short-hairs were Lady Decies's blues mentioned above.

CAT GOSSIP. The Ladies' Field, December 28, 1907. - No Cat Gossip column.

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