THE FIELD SPANIEL. 159 



He has the bearded muzzle of the deerhound and Scotch terrier, 

 but the hair is of a more woolly nature, and appears to be be- 

 tween that of the poodle and the water-spaniel, or perhaps the 

 ordinary setter, but far thinner than either, which may account 

 for the sustenance of heat. The legs are straight and strong, and 

 the form of the body well adapted for the pace which the setter 

 has to keep up : but this dog is not very fast, though quite suffi- 

 ciently so for all sporting purposes. The feet are generally rather 

 flat, but the soles are stout, and stand work well, while the 

 quantity of hair on them fits them to bear the friction of heather 

 or other rough work. I have never tried one of these dogs my- 

 self, but I have always heard the highest character of their nose 

 and sagacity, as well as of their powers of endurance. 



VII.— THE FIELD SPANIEL. 



A great variety of these dogs exists throughout Great Britain, 

 and, until lately, they were divided into large spaniels (springers) 

 and small (cockers.) Nowadays, however, only four distinct 

 varieties are acknowledged, viz. — (a) the Clumber ; (5) the Sussex ; 

 (e) the Norfolk ; and (<£) the modern cocker. All these strains 

 are employed to find game without pointing it, giving notice 

 (with the exception of the clumber, who is mute) of their being 

 " on it " by their tongues, which vary so as to enable the shooter 

 to act accordingly. 



(a) the clumber spaniel. 



This variety has been established for a long time at the seat of 

 the Duke of Newcastle, from which its name is derived, but it is 

 only within the last fifty years that it has been generally known 



