268 The Dog Book 



decidedly heavy feathering of the ears as compared with the rather short, 

 businessHke coat, which has not the length of the other varieties of spaniels,, 

 and, as in the case of many water dogs., has sometimes a crisp wave along, 

 the back. Under no circumstances should it be curly on the body, or 

 show any topknot. The head should not be heavy nor stumpy, but well- 

 proportioned, with good length of muzzle and a good mouth of level teeth. 

 There is a smarter look about the eyes than in that of the cocker or the 

 heavy Qumber and Sussex. The feet should suit a dog whose work takes 

 him into marshes and who has to do considerable swimming. As to the 

 rest, it is pretty much plain, useful, capable dog — legs straight, shoulders 

 sloping, neck of good length, back level and strong, ribs well sprung, giving 

 him a good barrel, and strong hind quarters, with not too much bend in 

 stifles, and no turning in or out of hocks. Colour is stated by all 

 authors, and is given in the English Spaniel Club description as liver 

 and white or black and white. The latter perhaps is a Norfolk colour^ 

 but we do not recall any but liver and white, well broken up in colour, 

 and generally as much white as liver. In fact, a white with liver mark- 

 ings well distributed and ticked with liver throughout the white, but not to 

 the extent of smothering the white; not a dark "Belton," but clean, dis- 

 tinct ticking. 



This is a dog that might well be fostered by the Spaniel Club of Amer- 

 ica, for its usefulness is universally acknowledged and it is a variety that 

 calls for no education on the part of the public to understand that he is 

 of the spaniel family and a workman. He may not be up to the weight 

 and strength called for in goose shooting in- a tideway, but for ducks he is 

 all one needs, and he neither takes up much room nor does he bring in a 

 heavy water-soaked coat to the blind or boat. In that respect he is as 

 good as the Chesapeake Bay dog. 



The English Spaniel Club's points and description are as follows: 



Descriptive Particulars 



Head. — Skull long and rather narrow; a stop; the muzzle long and 

 broad at the end. 



Eyes. — Rather small, bright and intelligent. 

 Neck. — Long, strong, slightly arched. 

 Ears. — Long, low set, lobular. 



