The Russian Retriever. 171 



distinct variety we have room for him if only as a companion and guard, 

 using him as a retriever under suitable conditions when required. 



I have said that in dog books, in that of " Idstone" alone is he referred 

 to, but " Stonehenge " gives a woodcut of a Eussian setter crossed with 

 English setter, which appears to me a modification of the Eussian 

 retriever. 



The Eussian retriever is a large leggy dog, very squarely built, with 

 an excess of hair all over him, long, thick, and inclining to curl, a large 

 short head, round and wide in the skull, rather short and square in the 

 jaw, not unlike a poodle. The ears are medium sized, pendulous, heavily 

 covered with hair ; the legs are 1 straight, covered with long hair front 

 and back, like an Irish water spaniel. The eyes and whole face are 

 covered with long hair, like a modern Skye terrier, but more abundantly. 

 The coat throughout is long and dense, and requires great care to keep it 

 in anything like order, as it readily gets felted. 



They are generally extremely docile, very intelligent, and show great 

 power of scent, and for "tricks" of retrieving from land or water 

 excellent, and they make good watch dogs, and it is only as companion 

 dogs they are likely to take a place in this country. I have known 

 three that I consider good specimens, namely, Mr. E. B. Southwell's 

 Czar ; one the property of Mr. Pople, of the British Hotel, Perth ; and 

 one that met with a tragic end, having been burnt to death in a fire which 

 destroyed the house of his owner in Villiers-street, Strand. I should say 

 the height of each referred to would be about 26in. at shoulder, and the 

 colour throughout a grey. 



