THE COOKING SPANIEL. 205 
strain of this blood, which I can earnestly recommend 
from my own knowledge and experience. 
The three varieties of spaniel principally used in pur- 
suit of game are the “cocker,” the “ springer,” and the 
“Clumber spaniel,” which is, on the whole, the best in 
all respects as a sporting animal. 
The cocker, a likeness of which, adapted from a mag- 
nificent engraving by Ansdell, is prefixed to this paper, is 
the smallest of the three varieties. 
He is seldom above twenty pounds in weight, has a short 
blunt nose, an excedingly full, soft, liquid eye, and bears a 
strong resemblance to the King Charles, and Blenheim 
breeds, with both of which he is, probably, more or less 
connected. His color is usually dark orange and white, 
or lemon and white; sometimes black, white, and tan, or 
plain black and white, and yet more rarely black and tan. 
This last color is ascribed by Mr. Youatt to an admixture 
of terrier blood ; but I think incorrectly. I would attri- 
bute it wholly to the King Charles blood, with which the 
cocker shows much connection, and the most when he is 
of this color. The snub nose and large soft melting eye 
of the cocking spaniel is as remote as possible from the 
elongated, sharp muzzle, and keen quick visual organs of 
the terrier. 
“These dogs,” says Stonehenge, “have very delicate 
noses, and work well in covert for a short time, but are soon 
knocked up, and cannot compete in endurance with either 
the springer, or the old English spaniel.” 
They are the liveliest, the prettiest, and the most active 
of the whole family. 
