an early exploiter of the breed who made his dogs famous was Mr. Newby Wilson, of Lakeside, Windermere.  He was indebted to Mr. Hugo Droesse, of London, for the foundation of his stud, inasmuch as it was from Mr. Droesse that he purchased Ch.  Acrobat and Ch.  Berolina.  At a later date the famed Coming Still and Prince IV. were secured from the same kennel, the latter dog being the progenitor of most of the best liver-spotted specimens that have attained notoriety as prize-winners down to the present day.

In appearance the Dalmatian should be very similar to a Pointer except in head and marking.  Still, though not so long in muzzle nor so pendulous in lip as a Pointer, there should be no coarseness or common look about the skull, a fault which is much too prevalent.  Then, again, some judges do not attach sufficient importance to the eyelids, or rather sears, which should invariably be edged round with black or brown.  Those which are flesh-coloured in this particular should be discarded, however good they may be in other respects.  The density and pureness of colour, in both blacks and browns, is of great importance, but should not be permitted to outweigh the evenness of the distribution of spots on the body; no black patches, or even mingling of the spots, should meet with favour, any more than a ring-tail or a clumsy-looking, heavy-shouldered dog should command attention.

The darker-spotted variety usually prevails in a cross between the two colours, the offspring very seldom having the liver-coloured markings.  The uninitiated may be informed that Dalmatian puppies are always born pure white.  The clearer and whiter they are the better they are likely to be.  There should not be the shadow of a mark or spot on them.  When about a fortnight old, however, they generally develop a dark ridge on the belly, and the spots will then begin to show themselves; first about the neck and ears, and afterwards along the back, until at about the sixteenth day the markings are distinct over the body, excepting only the tail, which frequently remains white for a few weeks longer.

The standard of points as laid down by the leading club is sufficiently explicit to be easily understood, and is as follows:—­

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GENERAL APPEARANCE—­The Dalmatian should represent a strong, muscular, and active dog, symmetrical in outline, and free from coarseness and lumber, capable of great endurance combined with a fair amount of speed.  HEAD—­The head should be of a fair length; the skull flat, rather broad between the ears, and moderately well defined at the temples—­i.e. exhibiting a moderate amount of stop and not in one straight line from the nose to the occiput bone as required in a Bull-terrier.  It should be entirely free from wrinkle.  MUZZLE—­The muzzle should be long and powerful; the lips clean, fitting the jaws moderately close.  EYES—­The eyes should be set moderately well apart, and of medium