THE WATER SPANIEL. 211 



the degree of range or the work required ; the smaller, 

 however, being ordinarily preferable." In this point I do 

 not agree with Mr. Youatt. The larger dog is, to my 

 taste, the purer bred, the lesser being often interbred 

 with the land-spaniel, and for American shooting in par- 

 ticular, far superior. " Whatever be his general size, 

 strength and compactness of form are requisite. His 

 head is long, his face smooth, and his limbs, more devel- 

 oped than those of the springer, should be muscular, his 

 carcass round, and his hair long and closely curled." 



In the best and purest breeds, while the face itself is 

 perfectly smooth, the poll, the ears, and the sides of the 

 neck are clothed so densely with long, soft, silky, curled 

 hair, that the countenance appears to be set in an Eliza- 

 bethan ruff, and the ears are absolutely ringleited. The 

 only true colors of this dog are liver or liver and white. 

 Any others indicate mixtures of foreign blood. 



" Good breaking," Mr. Youatt continues, " is more 

 necessary here than even with the land-spaniel, and for- 

 tunately it is more easily accomplished ; for the water- 

 spaniel, although a stouter, is a more docile animal than 

 the land one. 



" Docility and affection are stamped on his counte- 

 nance, and he rivals every other breed in his attachment 

 to his master. His work is double ; first, to find when 

 ordered to do so, and to back behind the sportsman when 

 the game will be more advantageously trodden up. In 

 both he must be taught to be perfectly obedient to the 

 voice," or dog call, " that he maybe kept within range, and 

 may not unnecessarily disturb the birds. A more impor- 



