THE FIELD SPANIEL. 331 



set-on of tail, able to get over a six-foot fence with ease, 

 and work a tubby-built eighteen-inch dog to a stand-still in 

 half a day's work. Why? Because she had grand supple 

 shoulders, powerful loins and quarters, well-bent stifles and 

 hocks, the possession of which gave her what Fox Terrier 

 men call ''liberty," while he, though of great muscular 

 development and short-coupled, was tied and cloddy in 

 action. If with length of body and shortness of limb are 

 combined freedom of shoulder action, straight front legs, 

 and powerful sickle hocks and stifles, with wide and mus- 

 cular loins, you have a dog surprisingly active for his 

 inches. "Idstone," than whom no modern writer knew 

 better what a Spaniel should be, speaks of the ' ' low, long, 

 and strong Spaniel." Now, I insist on it, that if your Field 

 Spaniel has not this conformation, he can not be called a 

 good one. 



The next distinguishing characteristic of a good speci- 

 men is his stamp of head, including muzzle, eyes, ears, and 

 "expression." The general contour and profile of the face 

 and skull should resemble the shape of a reduced Gordon 

 Setter, but with longer, lower-hanging, and more heavily 

 feathered ears, darker eyes, and rather clearer-cut muzzle. 

 The faults to be avoided are heavy, chumpy, "Newfound- 

 land" heads, high set-on ears, full eyes, and throaty necks 

 on the one hand, and attenuated, tapering muzzles, with 

 shallow lips, and flat, narrow, brainless skulls, fishy eyes 

 too light in color, and showing a limited intelligence and 

 uncertain temper on the other. Good temper, intelligence, 

 docility, and courage must be plainly indicated in the 

 expression of the head and face; and a very important 

 matter, also, is that the nose should be large, moist, and 

 wide-spread, showing the possession of high capacity for 

 keen scent. 



Another necessary "mark" of a good Field Spaniel is 

 the coat. The flatter and straighter the coat lies to the 

 body the better, but it must not be thin and open, and the 

 heavily coated ones are often inclined to be wavy, especially 

 over the neck and rump. It must be of good soft texture, 



