THE RETRIEVERS 341 



(purchased from Mr. Shirley). He mated her with the incomparable 

 Champion Moonstone, and the result was Champion Blackthorn, 

 sire of Black Paint, dam of Black Drake, sire of Champion Black 

 Queen, dam of Champion Black Quilt, sire of well ! let us hope 

 something good. These, with their sons and daughters, sisters, 

 brothers, cousins, and aunts, have filled the writer's list of wins to 

 a very satisfactory tune, and he believes he holds the record sale 

 price for both dogs and bitches viz. Champion Black Quilt (to 

 Mr. Cooke), .200, and Champion Black Queen (to Lord Redes- 

 dale), 145 guineas. 



The points of the Retriever have been carefully described by 

 many expert writers, and an elaborate scale has been drawn up 

 for the guidance of both the novice and the would-be judge ; but, 

 as has already been pointed out, the crying evil of the day is that 

 the due proportions or value of these points are generally ignored, 

 and the verdict is often arrived at in view of the preponderating 

 excellence of some single point ; or a dog is completely discomfited 

 on account of some failing, which, were the scale adhered to, would 

 only penalise him three or four notches. The writer's own version 

 of what an ideal Flat-coated Retriever should be, and also a new 

 scale of points, are here set forth. 



Taking a mature dog of the largest size advisable i.e. about 

 24in. at the shoulder the head measurement should be approxi- 

 mately as follows : 



Head. The head should be long and powerful. When held between the hands, 

 and looked down upon it should present the appearance of a perfect wedge or 

 V with the apex cut off. The skull should be flat and moderately broad. A 

 skull as narrow as the muzzle in front of the eyes is a very bad fault ; so also 

 is any domed appearance, or the conical formation of the occiput, as seen in 

 the Setter. The sides of the head should be quite flush ; any thickness or pro- 

 truding of the cheek-bones is highly detrimental. The muzzle should be long 

 and strong; not tapering, but clean at its extremity, and free from " lippiness." 

 The jaws must be quite level and the teeth strong and white, the nose broad, 

 and the nostrils free and open. 



From occiput to interior corner of eye ... ... ... 7 in. 



From interior corner of eye to tip of nose ... ... ... 4 ,, 



Across skull, from set-on of one ear to the set-on of the other ... 7 ,, 

 Total length of head, from occiput to tip of nose ... ... II ,, 



It will thus be seen that the breadth of skull should equal its length. 



The Ear should be V-shaped, but rounded at the extremity. It 

 should be set on the side of the head, about 4in. from the exterior corner of 

 the eye, which measurement equals the length of muzzle. The "set-on" must 

 not be on a level with the base of the skull or occiput, neither must it be low, 

 as seen in the Spaniel. When extended, the tip of the ear should just reach 

 the exterior corner of the eye. Most dogs of the day have a tendency to larger 

 ears, and a slight prolongation beyond the eye is not very prejudicial ; but 

 an unduly large ear is detrimental to general quality. In nearly all the 

 Retrievers of the day it will be found that the ear is covered at the base with 

 long strands of hair, which do not add to its beauty, and consequently it is 

 the practice to remove these blemishes. According to the Kennel Club Rules, 



