THE SPORTING SPANIEL 169 



Signal, who, mated with Rivington Blossom, produced 

 Rivington Bloom, who was in turn the dam of Rivington 

 Redcoat. These dogs proved almost, if not quite, as valuable 

 to the coloured variety as Obo did to the blacks, and formed 

 the foundation of Mr. J. M. Porter's celebrated Braeside 

 strain which afterwards became so famous. 



During the last few years Mr. R. de Courcy Peele's kennel 

 has easily held the pride of place in this variety. Most readers 

 are no doubt familiar with the many beautiful Cockers which 

 have appeared in the show ring and carried off so many prizes 

 under the distinguishing affix Bowdler. His kennel was built 

 up on a Braeside foundation, and has contained at one time 

 or other such flyers as Ben Bowdler, Bob Bowdler, Rufus 

 Bowdler, Dixon Bowdler, Eva Bowdler, Mary Bowdler, Blue- 

 coat Bowdler, Susan Bowdler, and others, and Ben and Bob 

 have also been, as sires, responsible for the success of a good 

 many dogs hailing from other kennels. He has also been 

 fairly successful with blacks, which, however, have usually 

 been purchased and not bred by him, the two best being Master 

 Reuben, bred by Miss Joan Godfrey, and Jetsam Bowdler, a 

 bitch who has distinguished herself both in the ring and in the 

 field. 



Coloured Cockers are certainly " booming " just now, and 

 as a consequence the blacks, who are equally worthy of sup- 

 port, are being rather neglected. Certainly it is the case that 

 whereas one sees at most shows big classes of the former filled 

 with a good level lot with hardly a bad specimen amongst 

 them, the classes devoted to the latter, besides not being so 

 well filled, are much more uneven, and always contain a large 

 proportion of weeds and toys. A few years ago the black 

 classes were immeasurably superior to the coloured, and it is 

 to be hoped that in the near future they will regain at least 

 a position of equality with them. 



At the last few Field Trial meetings the Spaniel Club has 

 provided classes confined to Cockers, which have filled fairly 

 well, and enabled the small breed to demonstrate that it can 



