88 Ladies* Toy Dogs. 



The following scale oi points is in general acceptation : 

 — Form of head, lo ; nose and formation of jaw, lo ; 

 eyes, lo ; ears, lo ; coat and texture, lo ; form and com- 

 pactness, lo; brilliancy of colour, lo; feather of legs 

 and feet, lo ; size and weight, lo ; carriage of tail, lo — 

 total, ICO. 



The Blenheim Spaniel was thus described in the 

 Field oi^t^t. 15, 1866:— 



" This drawing-room favourite derives his name from 

 the celebrated seat of the Dukes of Marlborough, where 

 he used to be carefully bred ; the town of Woodstock 

 being some years ago the fountain-head for pure Blenheim 

 spaniels, which could also be purchased wonderfully 

 small and well marked at Oxford about twenty-five years 

 since. 



" It is very difficult indeed to trace the origin of this dog, 

 which judging from Vandyck's pictures, was cherished at 

 Courts in the days of Charles I. Sir Godfrey Kneller, 

 we have heard, has painted small red and white spaniels 

 at the feet of several Court beauties, or nesthng in their 

 laps. We are also informed that portraits from his hand 

 are to be seen at Blenheim Palace and Arundel Castle, 

 and that the small 'comforter' of this colour was in 

 favour in the reigns of Charles II., James II., and up to 

 the end of the time of Queen Anne. 



" It has been called the ' Marlborough spaniel ' by 

 some authors, who assert that it was first crossed with 

 the King Charles, otherwise known as the King James 

 spaniel, by a former Duke of Norfolk, who had a large 

 number of them at Worksop. 



" It has been asserted that the same description of dog 

 was a favourite in the time of Henry VIII., that it was 

 much esteemed by Elizabeth, and that the small ' dogg ' 

 which was found under the clothes of Mary Queen of 

 Scots after her execution was of this breed. As we have 

 before stated, it is almost impossible to give positive in- 

 formation as to the first origin of the Blenheim ; and we 

 incline to the opinion that it sprang from a race of 

 cockers of that colour, for which the first owner of Blen- 

 heim was celebrated, and that the small race known by 



