404 Modern Dogs. 



one. The coats of the new may be straighter, 

 shinier, and more glossy, but in most cases the 

 spaniel character has disappeared, and nothing so 

 good occupies its position. I know the owners of 

 these show dogs will still sell such specimens for a 

 hundred pounds each or more, and will not agree 

 with these remarks, but they are true nevertheless. 



Some of the breeders with whom I have had 

 acquaintance have considered it an advantage to be 

 able to produce at least three so-called varieties 

 from the same crosses. A black spaniel may be a 

 brother to a Sussex or liver coloured specimen in 

 the adjoining class ; and further away it might be 

 possible to find a liver and white, or blue and white, 

 or black and tan, brother or sister to the others 

 taking leading honours in a third class. Happily, in 

 a few instances, one or two old varieties of field 

 spaniel have been kept fairly pure, notably the 

 Clumber and the Sussex, of which more anon. 

 Still, even the best strains of the Sussex are 

 often enough supplanted by dogs with " black 

 blood " running in their veins, because they happen 

 to be half an inch longer in the body and have 

 longer ears, the latter actually detrimental in his 

 proper vocation of life that Nature brought him 

 into the world to perform. 



The early grouping of the spaniels at our shows 



