306 THE AMERICAN BOOK OF THE DOG. 



commonly red. Extract from "Dogges," by Dr. Johannes Gains, written during 

 the reign of Queen Elizabeth. 



It has ever been my belief that the dog described in the 

 foregoing extracts from the works of these, the two oldest 

 writers on the canine species, is identical with that variety 

 of the genus Spaniel now known as the Clumber. When 

 we consider the crudeness of all writings descriptive of men 

 and things in those early days, it must be conceded that De 

 Langley's description of the best Hound for hawking and 

 for the "rivere" fits the patrician of his family with the 

 most remarkable exactitude. The "Spaniell," he writes, 

 should have a large head and a large body, with not too 

 "jough" (curly or wavy) a coat; that the coloring should 

 be "white and tawne" (lemon), and that the tail 

 should be "rough." He goes on to enumerate many 

 traits of Clumber character, though this old aristocrat has 

 during the lapse of four centuries arrived, doubtless, at the 

 conclusion that to play with his tail is beneath such dig- 

 nity as his, and therefore has given over the practice of so 

 frivolous a pastime. 



The "bamng" (barking) propensity with which he 

 charges them has certainly not been transmitted to their 

 presumed descendants, the Clumbers, as they are the most 

 silent of dogs, and in fact are entirely mute when at work. 

 Still, nothing can be more probable than that their patrons, 

 the Dukes of Newcastle, finding this noisiness to be an 

 objectionable feature, as it undoubtedly is, bred out the 

 noxious habit by judicious matings of the more silent 

 specimens. 



Doctor Caius still further strengthens their claim to great 

 antiquity, for though the markings nowadays recognized 

 are not c ' red ' ' in hue, the darker shades displayed by some 

 individuals might certainly be so denominated. As a mat- 

 ter of fact, the writer when accompanied by Clumbers of the 

 exactest shades of lemon and orange has overheard passers- 

 by remark on their being "white dogs with red ears." 

 Then again, does any other variety of the genus answer the 

 hereinbefore quoted descriptions of the "Spaniells" given 

 by both De Langley and Caius ? 



