COLOURS OF TOY SPANIELS. 165 



under-rate the beauty or value of a red Spaniel, but we are profoundly of the opinion that red 

 is essentially a Blenheim colour, and one which has no right to be seen in a King Charles, whose 

 colour should be either black-and-tan, or black-tan-and-white. As we have before remarked, 

 the introduction of white most certainly used to be considered legitimate in the case of 

 Toy Spaniels ; and no unprejudiced person who sees such beautiful specimens as Miss Violet 

 Cameron's Conrad, and Mrs. Russell Earp's Tweedledee, can regret that efforts are being 

 made to restore one of the most lovely varieties of colour which ever belonged to 

 dogs. A decided use to which the red dogs have been put is to improve the colour 

 of the tan markings in the black-and-tan dogs. This would either inevitably get paler 

 (or to use a technical term, more " clayey ") in colour than the " warm " or rich-shaded 

 tan breeders like to see in them ; or, in the second instance, the tan markings would 

 disappear altogether, and the dogs would become totally black, which would naturally 

 be an eyesore to their admirers. As a matter of fact, we know positively that many of 

 our reputedly best and certainly most successful strains have been crossed with each other to 

 such an extent, that more than one mother has been known to produce red-and-white and black- 

 and-tans at one birth. In the face of such facts, under the present circumstances we do not think 

 sufficient care can be taken by supporters of the breed to keep their strains pure ; as sure and 

 certain evil will be wrought in the present fashionable colours if care is not taken to breed for 

 colour and markings. This, if no market can be found for black-tan-and-white Spaniels, must 

 necessarily prove of the greatest injury to all the other colours, as the propagation of a variety 

 without pecuniary support from the outside public is an enterprise which few breeders care to 

 embark upon. 



Whilst on the subject of breeding for colour, the following practical remarks of Mr. 

 Joseph Nave, of Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London, who is well known as a breeder 

 and authority on Toy Spaniels, will be read with interest : 



" The colour of King Charles most liked now is black-and-tan, but there are a great many 

 all tan (red), which in my experience arises from breeding from White-and-red Blenheim bitches 

 with black-and-tan King Charles. I have a black-and-tan King Charles dog from parents of 

 the same colour; thinking to obtain black-white-and-tan puppies, I put him to a red-and- 

 white Blenheim bitch, and the result was a litter of four, all tan. I kept one of the red 

 bitches, and put a black-and-tan King Charles dog to her, and the result was five black-and- 

 tan puppies, with very bright tan. Therefore, I have come to the conclusion, if you want to 

 breed puppies black with very bright tan, it is best to breed from a red bitch ; but I have 

 experienced that, if you keep breeding and in-breeding always from black-and-tan parents, the 

 tan will gradually get out of them, and you may get several puppies all black, without any 

 tan ; and all-black King Charles are not liked at all. The original King Charles were black- 

 and-white, with long noses, and very long ears. Through the introduction of the black-and- 

 tan Japanese Spaniel of which I know at present a very fine specimen, brought over by Sir 

 John Hay black-and-tan King Charles were produced ; but through the Japanese they have 

 lost a great deal in the length of ears, and gained the high skull, short nose, and underhung, 

 which is the nature of the Japanese. The present tendency of King Charles is for long noses 

 again, and larger ears; and we should be very glad to see a fresh importation of Japanese 

 Spaniels, so as to revive the short nose again. It is my firm opinion that the origin of the 

 present Pug dog is nothing but the common English fawn-coloured smooth-coated Terrier bitch 

 crossed with a little jet-black Chinese Terrier, of which I also have seen some they have the 



