80 ALL ABOUT DOGS 



coming down in a peak on the forehead. The body 

 should be covered with small, crisp curls, which often 

 become draggled in the moulting season; the tail, 

 should be round and " rat-like," without feather, rather 

 short than the reverse, and as stiff as a ramrod. Col- 

 our, pure puce-shaded liver, without any white. 

 Height, about from twenty-two to twenty-two and a 

 half inches, seldom more when pure bred. 



English Water Spaniel. — The following description 

 of this breed, which is a very great favourite of mine, 

 and I regret to say seems to be growing more scarce, 

 year by year, is from the pen of my old friend, Mr. A. 

 W. Langdale, who was counted an authority on Span- 

 iels generally : — " Young breeders and judges should 

 have before them this fact, that Colour should be a sec- 

 ondary matter with the English Water Spaniel, and the 

 latter should never pass over a liver and white dog, in 

 favour of a whole coloured liver, provided the liver and 

 white is a well-made specimen of his breed. The 

 weight, again, should not exceed forty pounds, and his 

 height nineteen inches, his ears may be fairly long, and 

 covered all over with curl; also the body, not the 

 close curl of his Irish brother, but one somewhat looser, 

 and more straggly; his head is broad and long, with 

 piercing eyes, his legs are well feathered behind, as well 

 as in front, and there is no doubt that the feather, 

 which in a ticked dog, comes out from each and every 

 liver spot in front of the forelegs, has much to do with 

 his power of endurance in water. They may be called 

 ' natural retrievers/ as no dog is easier taught." 



