98 THE DOGS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 



by his tongue whether he is on " fur " or " feather." He is readily taught to 

 retrieve with a soft mouth, but there is sometimes a slight tendency to sulk, and he 

 certainly is not so easily kept under command as the Clumber ; but for hard work 

 he beats that dog altogether, and is rarely gun-shy. As compared with the indefinite 

 strains of liver-coloured spaniels of such symmetry as to be exhibited at our shows, 

 but descended from Mr. Burdett's Bob and other black dogs, I have no reason to 

 think that the real Sussex is in any way superior to them, either in the field or on 

 the show bench, if judged without regard to purity of blood ; and if a class were 

 made for "liver-coloured spaniels" without designating them as "Sussex," I can 

 see no reason to believe that the first prize would of necessity go to either of the 

 gentlemen above named. Classes for "Gordon" setters are now abandoned, on 

 account of the difficulty in defining that dog ; and I am by no means sure that it is 

 not desirable to follow this example in reference to the Sussex spaniel, as was to 

 some extent done 'at the last Brighton show, when a class was formed for " golden 

 liver coloured Sussex spaniels." But even then, a dog of the true " golden" colour, 

 if proved to be descended from a black strain, would be open to disqualification. 

 Clearly, however, the colour alone is no mark of purity, as was proved in the case 

 of Mr. Phineas Bullock's George above mentioned ; and, indeed, I know no breed 

 of dogs in which colour alone can be relied on. The standard points of the Sussex 

 spaniel may be estimated as follows : 



POINTS IN THE SUSSEX SPANIEL. 



Value, i Value. 



Skull 15 



Eyes 5 



Nose 10 



Ears 5 



35 



Neck 5 



Shoulders and chest... 10 

 Back and back ribs ... 10 

 Legs and feet 10 



35 



Grand Total 100. 



Value. 



Tail 10 



Colour ,. 10 



Coat 5 



Symmetry 5 



30 



1. The skull (value 15) should be long, and also wide, with a deep indentation 

 in the middle, and a full stop, projecting well over the eyes ; occiput full, but not 

 pointed ; the whole giving an appearance of heaviness without dulness. 



2. The eyes (value 5) are full, soft, and languishing, but not watering so as to 

 stain the coat. 



. 3. The nose (value 10) should be long (Sin. to 3|in.) and broad, the end liver- 

 coloured, with large open nostrils. 



4. The ears (value 5) are moderately long and lobe-shaped that is to say, 

 narrow at the junction with the head, wider in the middle, and rounded below, not 

 pointed. They should be well clothed with soft wavy and silky hair, but not heavily 

 loaded with it. 



5. The neck (value 5) is rather short, strong, and slightly arched, but not carrying 

 the head much above the level of the back. There is no throatiness in the skin, 

 but a well-marked frill in the coat. 



