THE SPANIELS 329 



than the Irish, as every writer on dogs from the sixteenth century 

 to the present date has referred to the English breed, and more 

 or less minutely described it. 



Dr. Caius (1576) sketches the Water Spaniel as follows : " That 

 kind of dog whose service is required in fowling upon the water, 

 partly through a natural towardness, and partly by a diligent teaching, 

 is endued with that property. This sort is somewhat big, and of 

 a measurable greatness, having long, rough, and curled hair, 

 not obtained by extraordinary trades, but given by Nature's 

 appointment." 



In the "Gentleman's Recreation " (1686) a very similar descrip- 

 tion occurs. In the "Sportsman's Cabinet" (1802) he is stated to 

 have " the hair long and naturally curled, not loose and shaggy," 

 and the engraving which accompanies the article from a drawing 

 by Reinagle, engraved by Scott represents a medium-sized liver- 

 and-white curly-coated Spaniel, with the legs feathered but not 

 frizzled. The woodcut in Youatt's " Book on the Dog " represents 

 the same type ; and in his first work on the dog " Stonehenge " 

 copied this from Youatt's book, and did not hesitate, in addition, 

 to formulate the points of the "Old English Water Spaniel." It 

 is, therefore, somewhat astonishing to find him saying in his most 

 recent work, " I do not pretend to be able to settle the points of 

 the breed." 



It is true that Youatt says : " The Water Spaniel was originally 

 from Spain, but the pure breed has been lost, and the present dog 

 is probably descended from the large water dog and the English 

 Setter " ; but whilst all seem to agree that the whole Spaniel family 

 came originally from Spain, no one has ever contended that they 

 exist to-day as first imported, without alteration by selection, or 

 commixture with allied varieties. 



The writer believes that the breed is not yet extinct but that 

 scattered throughout England, principally in the Eastern counties, 

 there are still specimens of the Old English Water Spaniel, and 

 that it would be possible, with the amount of encouragement 

 to breeding that is in the power of the Kennel Club to give, to 

 revive and perpetuate the variety. 



At present, however, from long-continued neglect, most of the 

 specimens in evidence are either foundlings or reversions that have 

 cropped up in families of Land Spaniels. Indeed, it is probable 

 that Sir Thomas Boughey, of Aqualate, possesses the sole remaining 

 strain of these dogs. His Spaniels are an heirloom in the family ; 

 but, in defiance of the ordinary law, they have ever been distinguished 

 by topknots. 



The duties of a Water Spaniel require that he should be under 

 the most perfect command- obedient to a sign ; for silence in fresh- 

 water shooting is absolutely necessary for success, waterfowl of all 



