If we are to have short legged dogs we shall have a race of King Koffees - that much overrated animal, whose conformation of body and legs approaches the dachshund.

"I think it would be interesting if owners of acknowledged good pups, such as Mrs. Bligh Monck's Tom and Sambo, Mr. Chapman's Leo, Mr. Hicken's Max, Mr. Key's Jumbo, Mr. Nunn's Barron, Miss G. E. M. Croker's Punch, and others, would give the height at shoulder, length of body, and weight of their dogs. Perhaps Mrs. Foster would also give your readers weight and measurement of King Koffee, and Mr. Faire of Mrs. Crusoe, both of which, I fancy, will be found to differ considerably in measurement to the others. The measurement should be taken with the dog standing square on a table, with an upright stick and cross-piece at the shoulder, and for length a foot rule along the side, with a crosspiece at back of the hips, and one across front of chest.

"There is another point on which I differ from Mr. Marples, if I understand him aright, and that is, 'ears to drop nicely at the side of the head.' This is rather vague. I go with him if he means they must not be tulip ears, or carried back on the neck like a whippet's; but, if he means that they are to drop like a fox terrier's, fall like those of a Dandie or a Bedlington, or be as Nunn's Barron's are - the button ears of a bulldog - I there join issue with him."

Another gentleman, writing under the nom de plume of "Eileen," says:

"I agree with Theo. Marples in nearly all particulars, especially about the feet, yet how few judges think about them; and as for black toenails, that is usually considered a mere nothing.

"The modern pug, in my opinion, ought to be like the pugs of long ago, except for the cropped ears. There is no doubt that the breed of days gone by was dark cream, or clear light fawn colour, as described by 'Stonehenge,' decidedly not the smutty animals that are to be seen so frequently at present. I should like to know if Theo. Marples has ever seen a pug perfectly clear in colour and with a black trace down the back. I find that when the trace is black the coat is invariably smutty, and particularly about the chest. I object to any smuttiness, and especially on the chest. The mask ought to end abruptly under the chin, and there should not be the slightest trace of black below that; but I usually see a smutty chest when there is a black trace. There certainly should be a decided line darker than the coat, and when the pug is angry the line or trace should stand up in a ridge.

" With regard to the point system for pug judging, it would be very desirable. ' Stonehenge' gives fifteen for pure colour, ten for trace; yet how many judges take the trace as the sine qua non, and pass over all other deficiencies for sake of a black line. The head ought to be the first consideration; then the colour, shape, feet, and tail. With regard to the latter, I like the old style, right and left, and decidedly object to a centre curl; it should lie close on the hip, either side. The highest number of points is fifteen for pure colour, and therefore it is quite clear that colour is the first thing to be thought of. I do not object to a pug weighing from 121b. to 151b.; I do not like them much less than 121b. When they are smaller they have a very shrill, disagreeable bark; but, of course, that has nothing to do with points; but in a drawing-room pet a shrill bark is objectionable. I find that the fawn pugs have a round, full bark - contralto in tone, if I may use such a term - while the bark of the small dark mouse-colour pugs is shrill and piercing.

"I also agree with Theo. Marples that the ears should drop close to the head, and that the muzzle should be very short, the eyes dark and prominent, and I like the black smudge on fore-head; I also like a good wide chest. I have seen so many different kinds of pugs awarded prizes that I am sometimes quite puzzled. Nearly every judge has a fancy of his own, and until there is some uniformity of opinion on the pug subject there is little chance of any improvement in the breed.

"If the point system was adopted, there would be a line to guide exhibitors, at all events; and I think that good would result from it."

Another fancier, signing himself " Xerxes," says:

"I am glad to see the increasing popularity of this breed. . . . ' Eileen' says a dog with a smudged head is not the correct thing! I differ from ' Eileen,' inasmuch as I acknowledge two different types of pugs, the light shaded and the dark shaded.

"The only markings of the former are black mask, ears, moles, and toe-nails, and a dark shade running down the back.

"The markings of the latter are black mask, ears, thumb mark on head, toenails, and a dark shade down the front, and trace down the back, behind, and under the forearms and between the hind legs, and the head of these is always better wrinkled.

"The pug should be a very stout, squarely built, cobby, and hardy animal, standing on straight legs, very broad across the chest and stern; back level, neck stiff and head held well up; colour silver or golden fawn; a smudged body and white are faults; the trace should be very distinct and narrow, 1/3in. to ¾in. wide; head large, round, and wrinkled, eyes bold and prominent. . . . muzzle bold, square, and short, say, for a 121b. dog ⅞in., not more; the mask should be jet black just enveloping the eyes; the toes well split up, and the nails black; the tail should curl as near the centre as possible, and not on either side; the hair should be plentiful, soft, and piley at the roots, and feel very soft to the touch; the weight of a good pug should not exceed 131b., nor be less than 91b."

In a second letter, Mr. Theo. Marples says, of the protruding of the tongue: "I do not consider this an essential point, but where it occurs I think it an acquisition;" and "Eileen," in a subsequent letter, says, "Victor [Mrs. Tufnell's] is my beau ideal of a pug; he is clear light fawn in colour, with dark shade down back; tail curled to the right; good broad chest; black mask, ending under the chin; moles; ears falling close to the head, and in the very centre of the head a distinct black smudge or thumb mark."