A very beautiful cat is the English tortoiseshell - and -white when the colours are well distributed, the red and black showing up so splendidly on the snowy ground-work. I must say I far prefer those cats to the tortoise-shells, which are often so dingy in appearance. In this breed the male sex is conspicuous by its absence. The two breeds that have made great strides of late years amongst long-haired cats - namely, creams and smokes - are very rarely met with in the short-haired varieties. I know, however, of a silver tabby that, when mated to a black, throws smoke kittens. These are quaint and pretty, with bright green eyes. The under-coat is snowy white, and gleams through the dark outer fur, giving a very distinguished appearance. It is a pity some fanciers do not seriously take up the breeding of cream short-haired cats, as I think they would repay any trouble spent over them. They should, of course, be as pale and even in colour as possible, without any markings, and with deep amber eyes.

I can only recall one or two, and these not at all perfect specimens.

Amongst our present-day fanciers of short-haired cats I may mention Sir Claude and Lady Alexander, who have splendid specimens of many of the breeds. Mrs. Collingwood has recently almost discarded Persians for the British beauties, being specially partial to silver and orange tabbies. Lady Decies for many years owned the invincible "Champion Xeno-phon" - a brown tabby of extreme beauty - who died in 1902. There are several fine short-hairs at the spacious catteries at Birchington.

Mrs. Herring's name has always been associated with "Champion Jimmy," the noted silver tabby, and she is also the owner of " King Saul," one of the few tortoiseshell toms that appear at our shows. Many other specimens have been bred by this well-known fancier. Mr. Harold Blackett has a trio of famous prize-winning silver tabbies, and Mrs. Bonny is a noted breeder of browns and silvers. This enthusiastic fancier writes : - "For many years past I have devoted myself to the cult of the British tabby cat ; it has been my one hobby. Really good specimens of browns and silvers are scarce. Certainly silvers have increased in numbers during the last few years, and the quality has improved. They are difficult to rear, more especially the males." Mrs. Bonny's celebrated brown female tabby, "Heather Belle," died in 1903. A silver tabby, "Dame Fortune" - her daughter by . Mrs. Collingwood's "Champion James II." - created quite a sensation at the Westminster and other shows. Miss Derby Hyde has always been faithful to short-haired, blue-eyed whites. Mr. Kuhnel is noted for his gorgeous-coloured and finely marked orange tabbies.

Many breeders of Persians keep one or two short-haired specimens, and I cannot help believing that, as time goes on, we shall have a larger number of fanciers taking up British cats.

Harrison Weir, in comparing the two varieties, writes : - "I am disappointed at the neglect of the short-haired English cat, by the ascendancy of the foreign long-hair. Both are truly beautiful, but the first, in my opinion, is far in advance of the latter in intelligence. In point of fact, in animal life, in that way it has no peer; and, again, the rich colourings are, I think, more than equal to the softened beauty of the longer-coated. I do not think that the breeding of short-hairs is yet properly understood."

A correspondent writing to Our Cats, complaining of the classification for short-hairs at shows, says - "All fanciers of that beautiful animal the British cat feel how they are handicapped when they receive schedules of the various shows and compare the classification of short- and long-haired cats. Far better it would be honestly to announce a 'foreign cat show,' with a rider that a few English may compete ;if they choose.'Tis a pity, in many ways; for, given a little encouragement, the standard of the poor, everyday, homely pussy would be raised, and we would not see so much wanton cruelty and neglect attached thereto."

An American Begging Cat {Photo: A. C. Hopkins.)

" Ebony Of Wigan." Owned BY Miss Joan Woodcock. (Photo : S. Richardson, Standish.)

In America short-hairs have not "taken on," and at the various shows the specials offered are as small in number as the entries made. I never hear of any exportations of British cats to American fanciers ; but perhaps some enthusiast of the breed will start a short-haired cattery. There is certainly room for such an enterprise, and the sturdier Britisher would more easily resist the trials of an Atlantic trip and the terrors of a three days' show.

I have been fortunate in obtaining the kind assistance of two of our best authorities on short-haired cats - namely, Mr. H. E. Jung and Mr. T. B. Mason. Some notes by these competent judges will be read with interest.

Mr. H. E. Jung says : "It is a matter of regret that this variety at shows is not so fully represented as it should be, taking into consideration the large number of cat exhibitors. There is no doubt that the prettier long-haired variety secures greater support from the lady exhibitors.

"In addition to the characteristic of being a native production of the British Isles, they have certainly a great advantage in their racy, workmanlike appearance, which is lacking in the long-haired variety. What is handsomer than a sleek-coated black, with its grand, golden-amber eyes; the workmanlike spotless white, with its clear blue eye ; the aristocratic silver, with its rich tabby markings, its soft emerald or orange eye ; or the pale, lavender-hued blue, with its coat of velvet-like texture?

"Thanks to such enthusiastic breeders as Lady Alexander, Mrs. Herring, Lady Decies, Mr. Sam Woodiwiss, Mr. R. P. Hughes, Mr. Kuhnel, Mr. Louis Wain, and several others, we are not likely to allow the English short-haired variety to deteriorate. I myself think there has been a great improvement in the specimens penned the last few years. The fault we must guard against is the loss of size and stamina, which can only be averted by judicious mating. The increasing number of shows in America, the Colonies, and even on the Continent, should stimulate breeders of the short-haired variety to extend their catteries, for no doubt in a few years there will be a strong demand for the English-bred, short-haired cat. Up to the present only in England has anything like a systematic rule been followed out, which is most essential : in fact, the only course possible to obtain good specimens is to follow out a system of breeding as near perfect as possible - for, as in everything else where breeding is concerned, the old maxim of' blood will tell' holds good.