164 DOMESTICATED DOGS. 
They are clothed with short curls all round, but no feather, as in 
other: spaniels. 
The fect are large, and inclined to spread, improving the 
swimming powers considerably, but not tending to bear road- 
work, | 
The coat is composed of short curls of hair, without any approach 
to, the wooliness of the poodle or to the silkiness of the land spaniel 
and setter. 
As to colour, there is only one which belongs to the pure breed, 
viz., a deep puce liver colour, without a white hair, except an 
occasional white toe. 
With regard to symmetry, I do not think the dog has any high 
claims to consideration. 
(B) THE NORTHERN IRISH WATER-SPANIEL. 
This dog has short ears with little or no feather. The body is 
covered with short crisp curls. His colour is an ordinary liver or 
liver and white. The type is not settled clearly enough to enable 
me to give any more definite description. 
(Cc THE ENGLISH WATER-SPANIEL. 
Since 1859 I confess that I have gained no further knowledge 
of this breed, and I must content myself with reprinting what I 
then wrote, as follows :— 
Water-spaniels are commonly said to have web-feet, and this 
point is often made a ground of distinction from other dogs; but 
the fact is, that all dogs have their toes united by membranes in 
the same way, the only distinction between the water and land 
dogs being that the former have larger feet, and that the mem- 
brane between the toes being more lax, they spread more in 
swimming, and are thus more useful in the water. Most people 
would understand, from the stress laid on web-feet in the water- 
dogs, that the toes of the land-dogs were nearly as much divided 
as those of man, but there are none so formed, and, as I before 
remarked, the toes of all-are united throughout by a strong mem- 
brane. The coat in all the water-dogs is woolly and thickly matted, 
