460 Modern Dogs. 



useful sire that he could produce browns, blacks, 

 and other colours frorn the same dam. 



The late Mr. J. A. Handy, who was a great 

 authority on the breed, persisted that another most 

 important item was that the feather on either the 

 front or hind legs " should not extend down to the 

 toes. It should stand out straight from the back 

 of the legs without that fluffy Cochin-China-like 

 appearance considered by many persons a desi- 

 deratum in a prize spaniel indeed, the hind legs 

 from the hock downwards should not be feathered 

 at all." I give the above opinion for what it is worth, 

 but the dogs that we see on the benches have, when 

 in coat, certainly more feather on the legs than Mr. 

 Handy indicates, though what they might be in full 

 work and beating the coverts five days in the week 

 is another question. The " show feather " would 

 soon disappear. 



As a worker the Sussex spaniel is second to none. 

 He is hardy, busy, reliable, and has no preference to 

 hunt one kind of game before another i.e., he will 

 not leave fur for feather nor feather for fur, though 

 perhaps of the two he would prefer " feather." 

 There is no better dog than he for beating out the 

 thick covert when the cocks have arrived and the 

 pheasants are chary of taking wing. He works 

 closely, intelligently, and will not leave a bit of 



