The Black and Tan (or Gordon) Setter. 341 



jaw is perhaps a matter of fancy : old Kent had a very heavy 

 muzzle and under-jaw, with remarkably bright and penetrating 

 eyes, in these his likeness has been transmitted to many of his 

 descendants in a remarkable degree. Many Gordons show slight 

 " haw " and " dewlap/' a proper development of these is probably 

 the true type ; the ears vary considerably, some being long, silky, 

 and hanging close to the face, others much shorter ; these are also 

 matters of fancy, and therefore of minor importance. The body 

 of the Gordon is also heavier than that of the English setter, but 

 may be judged on the same lines ; the tail is often long, giving 

 bad carriage, this does not interfere with good work. The great 

 beauty of this dog is his lovely colour, and as this in perfection is 

 in no way antagonistic to his working qualities, great prominence 

 should be given to it in judging. Formerly, without doubt, the 

 prevailing colours were black, white, and tan, of late there has 

 been but little white seen on the bench, this, too, is a matter of 

 fancy; the black should be a jet, not brown or rusty; the tan 

 should be a rich dark mahogany, and should be exhibited on 

 inside ' of thighs, showing down front of stifle to the ground, the 

 front legs to the knees ; the muzzle also should be tan, the spots 

 over the eyes well defined, not blurred, and on the points of the 

 shoulders also : blurring and diffusion over the belly and other 

 parts of the dog probably indicate contamination with other blood. 

 It is of the highest importance, if we are to get back the real hunt- 

 ing qualities of this breed and the show qualities also, that purity 

 of blood should be the chief aim in breeding ; a first cross may 

 sometimes appear to answer, but succeeding generations will 

 certainly show the cross, and will deteriorate in all the qualities 

 we prize. 



A splendid intelligence, fine scenting powers, and great 

 endurance are the main characteristics of the Gordon ; if purity of 

 blood is maintained, we may not only recover the qualities 

 which some fear we have partly lost, but also develop their 

 natural powers to an extent hitherto unknown. A well formed 

 head is of the first importance, if we are to develop and maintain 



