THE WATER SPANIEL. 



It is a very small animal, as a really fine specimen ought not to exceed six or seven 

 pounds in weight. Some of the most valuable King Charles Spaniels weigh as little 

 as five pounds, or even less. These little creatures have been trained to search for and 

 put up game after the manner of their larger relatives, the springers and cockers, but 

 they cannot endure severe exercise, or long-continued exertion, and ought only to be 

 employed on very limited territory. 



When rightly managed, it is a most amusing companion, and picks up accomplish- 

 ments with great readiness. It can be trained to perform many pretty tricks, and 

 sometimes is so appreciative of its human playfellows that it will join their games. 



I knew one of these animals which would play at that popular boy's game, called 

 " touch," as correctly as any of the boys who used to join in the game, and on account 

 of its small size and great agility was a more formidable opponent than any of the human 

 players. The same Dog carried on a perpetual playful feud with the cat, each seeking 



WATER SPANIEL. Caals famlllaris 



for an opportunity of dealing a blow and of getting away as fast as possible. It was 

 most absurd to see the way in which the Dog would hide itself behind a door-step, a 

 scraper, a large stone, or under a thick shrub, and panting with eager expectation, watch 

 the cat walking unsuspiciously towards its ambush. As the cat passed, out shot the 

 Dog, tumbled pussy over, and made off at the top of its speed, pursued by the cat in 

 hot haste, all anxious to avenge herself of the defeat. In these chases, the cat always 

 used to run on three legs, holding one paw from the ground as if to preserve its strength 

 in readiness for a severe application to the Dog's ears. 



" Prince," for that was the name of this clever little animal, was an accomplished 

 bird's-nester, seldom permitting a too-confiding blackbird or thrush to build its hymeneal 

 home in the neighborhood without robbing it of its variegated contents. When the Dog 

 first discovered how palatable an article of diet was a blackbird's egg, he used to push his 

 nose into the nest and crush the eggs^with his teeth, or would try to scrape them out with 

 his paw. In both these methods, he wasted a considerable portion of the liquid contents 

 of the eggs and after a while invented a much better mode of action. Whenever he 





