DOGS 477 



the oldest breed we have that has been kept to the 

 hunting of fur and feather, as a help to hawking, net- 

 ting and the gun, but he is still the most generally 

 useful of our game dogs, as he is the most universal 

 favorite. In field or covert, no dog works so close 

 as a well bred and well broken spaniel; neither fur 

 nor feather can escape him; no hedgerow is too thick, 

 no brake too dense for him to penetrate and force 

 out to view of the sportsman the reluctant game; he 

 is a most active, ardent and merry worker. His 'wan- 

 ton tail,' ever in motion while he quests, increases in 

 rapidity of action with that tremulous whimper that 

 tells so truly that he is near his game, and says to his 

 master, m terms that never deceive, 'Be ready it is 

 here/ " 



Referring to the ancient history of the spaniel, the 

 same author remarks : "Spaniels were, in olden times, 

 also known by the name of the game they were kept 

 to, as 'a dog for the partridge/ 'a dog for the duck/ 

 'a dog for the pheasant/ as in our own day we still 

 have the cocker, or dog for the woodcock ; but at what 

 date the term 'springer/ or 'springing spaniel/ was 

 introduced, I do not know, but presume it must have 

 been when the qualities of the setter, or 'setting span- 

 iel/ became fully developed and permanently fixed by 

 breeding setters from known setting spaniels only, and 

 keeping the breed of questing spaniels distinct; the 

 term 'springer' was probably given to them on account 

 of their natural disposition to rush in and flush or 

 spring the game." 



