Varieties of the Dog. 49 
rare among them, and any appearance of impatience 
under restraint, or other defects in the field may as a 
rule be attributed to imperfect training, or such may be 
the result of impure descent. They are excellent swim- 
mers, not in smooth water alone, but prove themselves 
invaluable on the sea shore, when against surf and swell 
thev resolutely search for the dead or maimed bird. 
The retriever proper should have a long head, wide 
and flat, and a moderately large eye, iull o1 intelligence 
and docility ; mouth capacious ; ears small, lying close to 
the face, and set low, with short hair only on them; nose 
large; neck long; and face covered with short hair only. 
Head, to; nose, 10; ears, 2; neck, ‘8—total, 30. 
The loins and back must be strong and firmly coupled, 
without which this big heavy dog soon tires, and as he 
sometimes has to carry a hare for half a mile, and to 
jump gates and brooks with her in his mouth, this point 
is of great importance. Quarters also must be thick, and 
clothed strongly with muscle. Shoulders strong and 
oblique ; chest broad and also deep. Loins and back, 
to; hind quarters, 10; shoulders, 6; chest, 4. 
Legs long, straight, and muscular; feet round and 
compact; toes well arched and not spreading; hocks 
powerful ; stifles strong and wide. Value: feet, 6; legs, 
6; hocks, 6; stifles, 2—total, 20. 
Coat either flat and wavy, or short, curly, and crisp 3 
the former being in my opinion the best, but in dog 
shows there is generally now a prize for each kind. 
Colour either jet black without white, or liver, also with- 
out white, or black and tan, or black with brindled legs, 
or, lastly, whole brindled. Stern well feathered, rather 
short, but tapering to a point, and carried gaily but not 
over the back. Colour and coat, 15; stern, 5. The 
height should be at least 24 in., weight from 70 lbs. to 
80 lbs. 
The Irish Water Spaniel, and the English dog of the 
same breed, are often used as retrievers proper, but I have 
classed them with the other spaniels, since they are gene- 
rally used for seeking live as well as dead game. 
Crosses of the terrier and spaniel, and true terriers, are 
“4 
