THE SUSSEX SPANIEL. 97 



" Sussex," it was of course impossible to criticise the various liver-coloured spaniels 

 exhibited, excepting generally; but almost as soon as the opportunity was thus 

 given it was taken advantage of, and in 1874-5 a host of letters appeared in the 

 Field on this subject, under the signatures of C. B. Hodgson, J. Blade, " Castra," 

 " Ruthwell," J. Farrow, J. H. Salter, W. W. Boulton, " Sussex," Phineas Bullock, 

 J. Hughes, and R. Marchant, with a view to show not only that a dog must himself 

 possess a proper liver colour to constitute him a Sussex spaniel, but he must also be 

 descended from parents of that hue. In illustration of this argument, it was proved 

 under protest at Birmingham in 1874, that Mr. Phineas Bullock's G-eorge, though 

 himself exhibiting the proper colour and shape of the Sussex breed, was by his 

 celebrated Bob, who was of a rich black colour. The result was that George 

 was from that time withdrawn from the Sussex classes at the chief shows, and it 

 nas been since held that the objection was valid. It may be remembered that a 

 portrait of this dog was published in the Field in 1872 as a Sussex spaniel, which 

 he closely resembled in appearance ; and, though his pedigree was given in the 

 catalogue of the Crystal Palace show, it did not strike me that his sire (the well- 

 known Bob) was black, as was afterwards brought out. 



Prom the year 1872 special classes have been given to the Sussex spaniel at 

 most of our large shows, and in nearly every case a dog with a golden liver coat, or 

 a reasonable approximation to this, has been selected for premier honours ; but still I 

 have reason to believe that a good many of the prize winners have been crossed with 

 extraneous strains, and that there are very few really pure specimens of the genuine 

 Sussex spaniel in existence. In 1859, when I published in " The Dog in Health 

 and Disease" the portraits of Mr. Soames's George and Romp, from the Rosehill 

 kennels, it was so rare that many good sportsmen had never heard of its existence 

 and for several years I looked in vain through the various shows for another good 

 specimen of it. At the early Birmingham shows Mr. P. Burdett's blacks were in 

 fashion ; and on his death Mr. Jones, of Oscott, took possession of the show bench 

 with his Bob, a son of Burdett's dog of the same name. Soon after this Mr. 

 Phineas Bullock came to the fore with dogs descended from the same strains, and 

 without any infusion, as far as I know, of the real Sussex spaniel at all events, 

 not for some years. After a time, Mr Bowers, of Chester, obtained a dog 

 (Buckingham) and two or three bitches of the Rosehill strain; and Mr. J. H. 

 Salter, of Tolleshunt D'Arcy, in Essex, also purchased Chance and Chloe, of pure 

 old Sussex blood. Dr Williams, of Hayward's Heath, Sussex, possesses a bitch 

 from which I believe he has bred some good puppies. Mr. Marchant of Dartford, 

 and Rev. W. Shield of Kirkby Lonsdale, Mr H. B. Spurgin of Northampton, and 

 Mr. A. W. Langdale of Bishop's Stortford, also have the breed; but beyond 

 this short list I am unable to go, though no doubt there are others with which I am 

 unacquainted. 



In work the Sussex spaniel is somewhat faster, and certainly more lasting 

 and persevering, than the Clumber, from whom he also differs in possessing a 

 peculiarly full and bell-like tongue, though still somewhat sharp, in note. He is by 

 no means noisy, except when first entered to his game, and it is easy to distinguish 



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