The Cocker. 489 



I was shooting a good deal, and had ample oppor- 

 tunity of entering them to game of every kind. As 

 sporting dogs they were comparatively useless ; for 

 they were noisy, headstrong, not at all careful, and 

 would pass half a dozen rabbits or pheasants whilst 

 they were putting up three or four. My terriers 

 could beat their heads off, and a cross-bred spaniel I 

 had at that time could have outworked a big team 

 of them. 



Of course, this must not be taken as an inference 

 that all these modern, extremely pretty black 

 cockers are equally useless ; but, from others that 

 I have seen at work, I did not take mine to have 

 been an especially unfortunate brace. The coats 

 of some of them are not adapted to protect the hide 

 of the dog from being pierced by those sharp thorns 

 and prickly brambles that are to be found in every 

 ordinary covert. 



Some portions of Wales and Devonshire have 

 produced the old working type of cocker, mostly 

 liver and white in colour, higher on the leg than 

 an ordinary field spaniel, not so long in ears, with a 

 close coat, not too fine, usually inclining to be wavy 

 and curly on the hind quarters, and a head finer in 

 the muzzle than the ordinary spaniel would seem to 

 possess, and with a character of its own. 



About twenty years ago Dr. Boulton was exhibit- 



