THE SETTER. 178 
streaked, spotted and speckled, with all these tints two by 
two, and sometimes three by three; as black and white, 
with tan spots about the eyes and.muzzle, and tan feet. 
The ears are generally long and pendulous, and are the 
most curly part of the body. The legs, belly, and stern 
are deeply flewed or feathered with a long fringe of soft, 
silky hair, and the feet are protected with tufts.about the 
ancles and between the toes, which afford much defence to 
these delicate portions of the body. 
Of this family, the setter of pure English blood is the 
largest variety, perhaps improved by culture—I say, per- 
haps, for I do not find any real reason for believing that 
it has been enlarged in the process of time, and there is 
certainly less distinction between it and some of the large 
varieties of what are called true spaniels, and which are 
in appearance pony-built ‘setters, than between some of 
those varieties themselves, as the clumber breed and the 
King Charles. 
The only permanent structural distinction if it can be 
called so, is the size of the ear, which is smaller, and looks 
as if it had been rounded by art. This peculiarity is, 
however, shared by the Newfoundland dog, who is admit- 
ted to be spaniel. 
The coat also is somewhat coarser, though still in the 
best families excessively soft, silky, and beautiful, and 
waves rather than curls as in the proper smaller spaniels. 
Especially about the ears is this texture of the coat observ- 
able. Setters, however, differ in this respect, and I have 
seen dogs, and once owned one—and he was, perhaps, the 
very best I ever did own, a liver and white dog called 
