272 THE SPANIEL. 



The Blenheim is ahnost similar in appearance to the 

 latter, but the cocker's black coat is relieved in the 

 Blenheim (or, as it is indifferently called, the Marl- 

 borough, or Pymnii, of Buffon) by red spots above the 

 eyes, and on the breast and feet. He has a shorter 

 back, and is fuller in the nose and palate. The 

 Bichon of Buffon, Canis Melitceus, is the most ancient 

 of the diminutive spaniel races, and the huge Alpine 

 spaniel the most sagacious and courageous. From 

 very ancient times the spaniel breed has engaged 

 much attention from sportsmen. In the East, the 

 greatest possible pains were taken to propagate them ; 

 for as all game was brought doAMi by the gun, or in 

 decoys, so these races were considered the only ones 

 fitted for these uses. The spaniel race is somewhat 

 famous in histoiy. The highest order of distinction 

 in Denmark was fomided in honour of a dog of this 

 Idnd, named Wildbrat, that remained faithful to the 

 sovereign of that kingdom, when the human race had 

 deserted him in adversity. The motto of this order, 

 now called the Order of the Elephant, is, " Wildbrat 

 was Faithful;" and the instinctive fidelity of this 

 species is furthermore historically specified in the 

 account given of Lodebroch, a prince of Denmark, 

 who w^as driven on the English coast, with his hawks 

 and his dogs, and was taken up as a piratical spy, 

 and brought before Edmund, king of the East Angles. 

 Edmund, however, was soon mideceived, and Lode- 

 broch became a great favourite with him, on account 

 of his skill in hawldng and hmitmg. He was at last 



