THE BLACK-AND-TAN (OR GORDON) SETTER 281 



the colour, have been resorted to, to the detriment of the dog for both show-bench 

 and field purposes. Probably the pale buff in the place of the tan, frequently 

 verging on stone colour, and the diffusion over the body, instead of being 

 developed on the recognised points, is mainly due to this cause ; if so, it will 

 require careful breeding through many generations to eradicate. . . . 



The head of the Gordon Setter is much heavier than that of the English 

 Setter ; broad at the top between the ears, the skull being slightly rounded, the 

 occiput well developed, and the depth from the occiput to the bottom of the 

 lower jaw much greater than in the English Setter. The width between 

 the eyes should perhaps not be too great, speaking with caution. .The nose 

 should I e moderately long and broad across the top, giving room for ihe nerves 

 of scent (in fact, the opposite to snipiness), the nostrils well distended, making this 

 the widest part of the nose. The shape of the under jaw is perhaps a matter of 

 fancy : Old Kent had a very heavy muzzle and under jaw, with remarkably bright 

 and penetrating eyes ; in these his likeness has been transmitted to many of his 

 descendants in a remarkable degree. Many Gordon Setters show slight "haw" 

 and "dewlap" ; a proper development of these is probably the true type. The 

 ears vary considerably, some being long, silky, and hanging close to the face ; 

 others are much shorter. These are also matters of fancy, and therefore of minor 

 importance. The body of the Gordon Setter is also heavier than that of the 

 English Setter, but may be judged on the same lines. The tail is often long, 

 giving a bad carriage ; this does not interfere with good work. The great beauty 

 of this dog is his lovely colour, and as this in perfection is in no way antagonistic 

 to his working qualities, great prominence should be given to it in judging. 

 Formerly, without doubt, the prevailing colours were black, white, and tan. The 

 black should be a jet, not brown or rusty ; the tan should be a rich dark 

 mahogany, and should be exhibited on the inside of the thighs, showing down 

 the front of the stifle to the ground, and on the forelegs to the knees. The muzzle 

 also should be tan, the spots over the eyes well defined, not blurred, and on the 

 points of the shoulders also. Blurring and diffusion over the belly and other parts 

 of the dog probably indicate contamination with other blood. It is of the highest 

 importance, if we are to get back the real hunting qualities of this breed and 

 the show qualities also, that purity of blood should be the chief aim in breeding. 

 A first cross may sometimes appear to answer, but succeeding generations will 

 certainly show the cross, and will deteriorate in all the qualities we prize. 



A splendid intelligence, fine scenting powers, and great endurance are the 

 main characteristics of the Gordon Setter. If purity of blood is maintained, we 

 may not only recover the qualities that some fear we have partly lost, but also 

 develop their natural powers to an extent hitherto unknown. A well-formed 

 head is of the first importance if we are to develop and maintain that intelligence 

 which is the great charm and usefulness of the dog. 



SCALE OF POINTS 



Head and Neck ... ... ... ... ... 35 



Shoulders and Chest ... ... ... ... ... 12 



Loin and Quarter ... ... ... ... ... 12 



Feet and Legs ... .. ... ... ... ... 16 



Colour ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 



Coat, Feather, and Quality ... ... ... ... 10 



Tail ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5 



Total ... ... ... 100 



Some years ago one met with odd specimens of this breed 

 characterised by an extremely short flag, a short, straight neck, high 



