without his telling you tall stories of the wonderful little Bulldogs,
weighing about fifteen or sixteen pounds, he either knew or owned
in those long-past days!

Prominent among those who made a cult of these "bantams" were the
laceworkers of Nottingham, and many prints are extant which bear
witness to the excellent little specimens they bred. But a wave of
unpopularity overwhelmed them, and they faded across the Channel to
France, where, if, as is asserted, our Gallic neighbours appreciated
them highly, they cannot be said to have taken much care to preserve
their best points. When, in 1898, a small but devoted band of admirers
revived them in England, they returned _most_ attractive, 'tis true,
but hampered by many undesirable features, such as bat ears, froggy
faces, waving tails, and a general lack of Bulldog character. However,
the Toy Bulldog Club then started, took the dogs vigorously in hand,
and thanks to unceasing efforts, Toy Bulldogs have always since been
catered for at an ever increasing number of shows. Their weight, after
much heated discussion and sundry downs and ups, was finally fixed
at twenty-two pounds and under.

The original aim of Miniature Bulldogs--_i.e._ to look like the larger
variety seen through the wrong end of a telescope--if not actually
achieved, is being rapidly approached, and can no longer be looked
upon as merely the hopeless dream of a few enthusiasts.

To enumerate in detail the Miniature Bulldog scale of points is quite
unnecessary, as it is simply that of the big ones writ small. In other
words, "the general appearance of the Miniature Bulldog must as nearly
as possible resemble that of the Big Bulldog"--a terse sentence which
comprises in itself all that can be said on the subject.