i 5 4 DOMESTICATED DOGS. 



are plenty of black and tan spaniels without going outside the 

 pale of the shooting dogs, and there can have been no necessity 

 for adopting this expedient for colour alone. Nevertheless, I 

 cannot help thinking that this cross has been used, and for the 

 following reasons : — (i.) A great number of black and tan setters 

 show the red " haw " in the corner of the eye, which is almost in 

 itself a proof. (2.) The nose of this dog is remarkably good, 

 but there is a tendency to seek for the foot-scent, and to potter 

 over it at a comparatively early age. (3.) There is nothing like 

 the endurance of the English and Irish breeds, and the style of 

 gallop is heavy and hound-dike, rather than clever and active, as 

 in the best strains of the setter. "With these defects, whether 

 due to bloodhound parentage or not, it is by no means surprising 

 that the black and tan setter does not sustain the reputation 

 which he achieved by means of dog shows and field trials ten 

 or twelve years ago. At the field trials he has been very 

 lucky in getting rewards for nose alone, for certainly my dog 

 " Bex," who won several prizes at Stafford, was not first-rate in any 

 other respect. Like most of the Kents, his powers of scenting 

 were wonderful, but he must do his work his own way or not at 

 all, and after five or six hours he was completely knocked up. 

 I have tried a good many of the strain and seen more in other 

 hands, but I have not yet seen one which could be shot over 

 with pleasure. They all work "to their own hook," and are 

 never seen to cast an eye at their masters, which I hold to be the 

 •essential feature in a dog working in aid of the gun ; but still 

 with their fine noses they may be made very useful by those 

 who do not mind working to their dogs, instead of making their 

 dogs work to them. 



The deviations in points from the English type are as fol- 

 lows : — 



