THE RETRIEVER. 223 
Quarters and stifles—The former are strong, and the latter 
should be set wide apart, to allow the dog to command himself 
in his work, 
Legs, knees, and hocks.—All these parts must be bony and strong, 
the legs well clothed with muscle. 
The feet are apt to be spreading from the Irish cross, but they 
should have the toes well up, and strong horny pads. 
The tail is free from feather, but covered up to within six inches 
of the point with short crisp curls, which gradually disappear 
towards the tip. A stiff (and not a limp) tail is a sine qud non, 
without any great curl upwards, and it should be quite free from 
any side bend. 
The coat is not woolly, but of crisply curled hair, each curl 
being distinct, as in the Astrakan sheep, but even more regularly 
so. It is frequently oiled or glycerined for show purposes, which 
the hand readily detects: The whole face and forehead, up to 
the setting on of the ears, is covered with very short hair, which 
should shine in a way to show that it is not clipped. With this 
exception the whole of the upper part of the body is covered 
with the above-described curls. Sometimes the back is ‘saddle- 
marked” by the absence of them, and this is considered a grave 
defect. 
The colour is either jet black or liver, the latter being con- 
sidered inferior in value, though both are admitted to be true to 
the breed. The former is derived from the Newfoundland, the 
latter from the water-spaniel. 
The symmetry is not very remarkable. 
As to temperament, great attention should be paid to it, as the 
breed is apt to be deficient in this respect. 
(8) THE WAVY-COATED RETRIEVER. 
This fashionable breed, now considered a necessary: adjunct to 
every shooter, even if he only attends a battud or a “drive,” is 
often pure St. John’s or Labrador; at other times he is more or 
less crossed with the setter. The former has already been fully 
described at :page 181, and: the latter only differs from him in 
