Modern Dogs. 



blood than he possessed, and this cropping up many 

 generations afterwards, there is not much harm done, 

 and those who take the trouble to reproduce the 

 true thing have every opportunity of doing so, 

 especially where they take pains to keep off any 

 sire or dam that excels in the length of the ears. 



The distinguishing feature in the Sussex spaniel 

 is the golden liver colour, and without which no dog 

 should receive a prize. How this was originally 

 obtained it is difficult to say, but Relf, the favourite 

 old keeper at the Rosehill kennels, who died 

 five years ago, aged eighty-five, said that every 

 now and then they obtained amongst their puppies 

 one of a " sandy " colour. This sandy specimen, 

 I have since heard, only came in from a bitch 

 that was mated with a dog belonging to Dr. Watts, 

 of Battle. This conveys the impression that this 

 strain, some time or other, had (and I am writing 

 of what occurred as far back as fifty years since), a 

 "sandy" coloured or yellow dog or bitch in it, and 

 these lighter-shaded puppies bred back to that time. 

 This is a remarkable fact, because a sandy colour 

 bred to liver colour would be likely enough to pro- 

 duce that lovely golden tinge that is so desirable at 

 the present time, and has been so for very many 

 years. It need scarcely be said that the " sandy " 

 puppies were usually destroyed by the old keeper, to 



