HOUSEBOAT-GUN-DOG 5I 



strong, and being flat-coated, — for any curl 

 is indicative of a cross, — are better adapted 

 for working undergrowth than any other 

 kind of spaniel ; and the bigger and heavier 

 the dog the better, for a three-pound 

 fluttering cock pheasant is no mean mouth- 

 ful. Other great drawbacks to spaniels 

 are that their long ears and full coats are 

 certain seed-traps, and require a large 

 amount of care to keep clean and dry. 



" Setters : — From time to time some 

 capital setters have been seen in China — 

 handsome, well-bred and in some instances, 

 M'ell-broken dogs of nearly all the recognis- 

 ed breeds — Laveracks, Llewellyns, Gordons 

 and Irish ; of the last two kinds Shanghai 

 can still boast of some good examples, — 

 " surpassingly beautiful," as Idstone en- 

 thusiastically describes them. In a less 

 degree, because his coat lies flatter, but still 

 to some extent, the same objections that 

 have been advanced against the retriever 

 and spaniel apply to the graceful setter. 

 Seeds will find their way into his feet and 

 ears and armpits, and the thick hair between 

 his toes ; and when it is remembered that 

 one cruel grass seed between the toes is 



