44 



water-spaniel is not included in the retriever class, but here he 

 is a very useful dog for men who delight in duck-shooting, and do 

 not wish to wear out their field-dogs by exposing them in water 

 work. In a later portion of this chapter we shall speak of the 

 water-spaniel, and indeed might dispense with all mention of the 

 retriever proper but for the fact that efforts have been made to 

 popularize the dog here, and occasional specimens are met with, 

 also that we have on the Chesapeake, a true retriever of high char- 

 acter which we shall refer to, and it certainly seems inappropriate 

 therefore to pass the class over in silence. Without going into 

 particulars, it is sufficient to say English retrievers and the Chesa- 

 peake dog are cross-bred, being made up in the former instance of 

 combinations of blood, which experience has shown are specially 

 adapted to the production of the desired qualities, and in the latter 

 by a cross of the English water-dog and the Newfoundland. 



SETTER DIVISIONS. 



The setter family is divided into three great national classes ac- 

 cording to origin, viz. : the English, Irish, and Gordon, or black- 

 and-tan, the latter being of Scotch descent. All are largely repre- 

 sented in this country, and each breed has its special admirers. The 

 first is, however, the most generally popular, and is in fact entitled 

 to pride of place as first in the list of American field-dogs. 



THE ENGLISH SETTER. 



In describing this and other dogs we shall give the points oi 

 form as laid down by Stonehenge, they being accepted as the stand- 

 ard in judging at shows. 



" The skutt (value 10) has a character peculiar to itself, somewhat 

 between that of the pointer and cocker-spaniel, not so heavy as the 

 former's and larger than the latter's. It is without the prominence 

 of the occipital bone so remarkable in the pointer, is also narrower 

 between the ears, and there is a decided brow over the eyes. 



" The nose (value 5) should be long and wide without any ful- 

 ness under the eyes. There should be in the average dog setter at 



