290 



THE NEW BOOK OF THE DOG. 



variety, said to me : " Tliey have had 

 the colour for ten years. Don't you think 

 it is time they paid some attention to type 

 and to sound hmbs ? " The truest Spaniels, 

 and therefore, in my opinion, the best 

 of this variet}' I have judged, have been 

 Coleshill Constance, Shillington Rona, and 

 Trumpington Dora. The last-named bitch 

 I consider the best variety Spaniel I have 

 ever seen in the show ring, and 1 think it 

 a great pity that she sliould have been 

 sold to go to America. Trumpington Donna 

 was in many respects a beautiful bitch, 

 but her forelegs were as crooked as a Dachs- 

 hund's. 



The points of both black and coloured 

 Field Spaniels are identical, bar colour, 

 and here let me say that black and tan, 

 liver and tan, and liver are not considered 

 true variety colours, though of course they 

 have to compete in those classes, but 

 rather sports from black. The colours 

 aimed at by variety breeders have all a 

 ground colour of white, and are black 

 and white, blue roan, liver and white, 

 red roan, liver white and tan, and tri- 

 colours or quadri-colours — i.e. blue or red- 

 roan and tan, or both combined, with 

 tan. The Spaniel Club furnishes the fol- 

 lowing description of the Black Field 

 Spaniel : — 



1. Head. — Should be quite characteristic of this 

 grand sporting dog, as that of the Bloodhound 

 or the Bulldog ; its very stamp and countenance 

 should at once convey the conviction of high breed- 

 ing, character and nobility ; skull well developed, 

 with a distinctly elevated occipital tuberosity, 

 which, above all, gives the character alluded to ; 

 not too wide across muzzle, long and lean, never 

 snipy nor squarely cut, and in profile curving 

 gradually from nose to throat ; lean beneath eyes, 

 a thickness here gives coarseness to the whole head. 

 The great length of muzzle gives surface for the 

 free deve'opment of the olfactory nerve, and thus 

 secures the highest possible scenting powers. 



2. Eyes. — Not too full, but not small, receding or 

 overhung ; colour dark hazel or dark brown, or 

 nearly black ; grave in expression, and bespeaking 

 unusual docility and instinct. 



3. Ears. — Set low down as possible, which 

 greatly adds to the refinement and beauty of the 

 head, moderately long and wide, and sufficiently 

 clad with nice Setter-like feather. 



4. Neck. — Very strong and muscular, so as to 



enable the dog to retrieve his game without 

 undue fatigue ; not too short, however. 



5. Body (including Size and Symmetry;. — Long 

 and very low, well ribbed up to a good strong loin, 

 straight or slightly arched, never slack ; weight 

 from about 35 pounds to 45 pounds. 



6. Nose. — Well developed, with good open 

 nostrils, and always black. 



7. Shoulders and Chest. — Former sloping and 

 free, latter deep and well developed, but not too 

 round and wide. 



8. Back and Loin. — Very strong and mus- 

 cular ; level and long m proportion to the height 

 of the dog. 



9. Hindquarters. — Very powerful and mus- 

 cular, wide, and fully developed. 



10. Stern. — Well set on, and carried low, if 

 possible below the level of the back, in a perfectly 

 straight line, or with a slight downward inchna- 

 tion, never elevated above the back, and in action 

 always kept low, nicely fringed, with wavy feather 

 of silky texture. 



11. Feet and Legs. — Feet not too small, 

 and well protected between the toes with soft 

 feather ; good strong pads. Legs straight and 

 immensely boned, strong and short, and nicely 

 feathered with straight or waved Setter-like 

 feather, overmuch feathering below the hocks 

 objectionable. 



12. Coat.- Flat or slightly waved, and never 

 curled. Sufficiently dense to resist the weather, 

 and not too short. Silky in texture, glossy, and 

 refined in nature, with neither dufielness on the 

 one hand nor curl or wiriness on the other. On 

 chest under belly, and behind the legs, there 

 should be abundant feather, but never too much, 

 and that of the right sort, viz. Setter-like. The 

 tail and hindquarters should be similarly adorned. 



13. Colour.- Jet black throughout, glossy and 

 true. A little white on chest, though a drawback, 

 not a disqualification. 



14. General Appearance. — That of a sporting 

 dog, capable of learning and doing anything pos- 

 sible for his inches and conformation. A grand 

 combination of beauty and utility. 



An excellent description of an excellent 

 dog. I should like to substitute the words 

 " moderately long and low," or simply 

 " long and low," for " long and very low " 

 in paragraph five, otherwise I have no 

 amendments to make. This description- 

 with, of course, the exception of the last 

 paragraph but one — applies equally to the 

 coloured variety. 



VII. The English Springer.— It is only 

 quite recently that the Kennel Club has 



