Di5okmbee2,1880.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



353 



ducks, which I should have »t but for his extiaoidiiiar}' 

 nose, pluclj, persevenuiKp, aad that good geiiso whicli passes 

 by the name of Sagacity. The dog so often showed that he 

 ■fcnew more than his master that I ended by giving him gener- 

 ally hia own way, and rarely presumed upon more- than a 

 deferential suEgestion of his duty. Uow greatly liis intelli- 

 gence and moral character were worthy of respect the fol- 

 Towiug anecdote may show. 



It was a breezy day at the end of January, and my last 

 day's shooting at the Alamitos ranch. This is a sheep 

 range of thirty-live fiquiire miles, half marsh, half mfza, 

 lying between mountain and stii, {weiity miles from Los 

 Angelos. I had sent my man and horses to town for sup- 

 plies, and, being alone, concluded to take my boat fa BonrJ) 

 and try the ducl«, leaving the dog behind "uje. A cIolt is 

 seldom desirable in a boat when'the birds mostly lall on 

 open water or mud. So I chained him up, preferring to 

 lose a few ducks to the alternative loss of my temper. IJalf 

 an hour later I was doing good work on a favorite stand -at 

 the confluence of two streams, when I noticed that the dog 

 had slipped his collar, and waa hovering at a distance, iu- 

 lenlly watching my every motion, but carefully keeping ba- 

 yond shot. 



Probably the remembrance of former discipline admon- 

 ished him just then that discretion was his better part. Not 

 wishing to encourage disobedience I did not call him in, but 

 continued to retrieve my own ducks for an hour or more, 

 when, a wounded mallard slanting down far off in his direc- 

 tion, the dog started after it, and 1 forgot for the next busy 

 half hour his very existence. Then a rustling in a bunch of 

 reeds boliind me caused me to turn, and behold 1 there was 

 the dog again, sheepishly approuchiug with a mallard in his 

 mouth. He stopped, hesitated a moment, and tlien creeping 

 up slowly upon his belly to my feet he hn U 



between paws, iilinking and begging forgiven 



something sri penitent and beseeching in liis 1 ■ 



that of counsel was conquered. I accepted ]u:- ji. Lno-iuii-r- 

 ing and his joyful service for the rest of the afternoon. 



But tlip incident of that day which I mtended to relate 

 is this: I had chanced a shot with No. 4 at a white-fronted 

 goose (A. albifrom) which fell dead a hundred yards off 

 directly across the river. There had been a sudden thawing 

 of Bnow in the mountains, so Hie water came da.«hing along 

 icy, swift and strong. But the dog plunged in, and was 

 Swept by the current some hundred" and fifty yards down 

 the river before be made a landing on tlie farther iiank, 

 ■when, after one violent shake, he tore back along the ooze, 

 ^bbed the goose and str^od before me with it na the oppo- 

 site shore, happy but reflective. Evidently he felt his resijon- 

 sibility and the diflieully of the situation. He had a 

 goose to convey safely 'to hi.'; master, but how? He 

 looked down the river, he looked up the river, he looked 

 across the river; then, with the decision of a philos- 

 opher, sure of the right path and not to be diverted from it, 

 he trotted right away h-om mo, heedless of my call and 

 whistle, about 200 yards along the bank up river, slid into 

 (he water and .swam, ea.sily home, gooae and all, by the 

 down-rusiiing current directly to my feet. 



Can n thinldng man be sal'isficd to explain tliis by the cus- 

 iomarjf fornnila of words without knowledge — " llereditary 

 habit, organized into int-tiuct?" 



l'i-rli;ips such nets are common. If so, the greater reason 



for ilip doubt suggested, wlietticr man alone possesses that 



'"' ' irjl faculty which evinces itself in the power of adapting 



to ends imder changing circumstances, and whether 



ii'-asure of our boa.sted reason must not be admitted to 



I in many forms of the mute creation. Whs can wonder, 



ti'o, it— in view of such facts of developed inteUigence in 



animals in association with man — the " tmtutored mmd" 



should believe that in that "humbler heaven," which is the 



hunter's paradise, 



"His tolthful (log 8li»ll bear him company." 



T. D. L. 



AVHAT IS A COCKER ? 



Toronto, Xov. «, 1880. 

 ^^^lat I breed for is a small-sized, eager, active spaniel ; 

 higli-couraged, so that no obstacles in the shape of thorn- 

 bushes or brambles will datmt liim when bunted in cover, and 

 low and strong on his legs to enable him to work out small 

 runways. He must be well-muscled and strong in the coup- 

 Tings, and not too long in the back. His coat must not be 

 loo fine and silky in texture, but bright and glossy, slightly 

 wavy and not too heavy. His head should be of medium 

 size, and good length, fair width between the ear.o, not so 

 flat as a setter's, and having the eyes set well apart. I like 

 to see the face of good length front nose to stop (sav three 

 inches) with muzzle truncated or .square-cut like a setter's, 

 but without any looseness of lip which shotfld be cjean out! 

 The teeth should be even and regular, white and sound, 

 neither ander nor over-shot. The eyes of meditim size should 

 be dark, briglu and fvdl of honesty and intelligence, an ex- 

 presssion in tliem continuidly asking their master, "Only 

 tell me what you want me to do and give me a chance to 

 please you." While the color of coat most pleasing to niy 

 taste is black or dark liver it is sometimes undoubtedly an ad- 

 vantage to have them pied as being more eaaUy seen in the 

 bush. Black, black and tan, liver, liver and white, liver and 

 tan, black and white are all legitimate colors, and it is merely 

 a matter of individual taste as to which is preferable, and 

 should influence a judge very little in choosing a prize-win- 

 While heavy fealhermg on cars and legs add.s to a 

 is attractive appearance it is of less_ value in the cocker 

 i: the Ivmg Charles where ornament is the paramount 

 '. i^.iiuration, and indeed it may impair his usefulness by 

 renderinghim Absalom-like, liableto be caught in the thicket. 

 The leather of the ear should be fine and soft, and in shape 

 shoifld be long and lobe-shaped, set neither loo high nor too 

 low. The feather thereon should be flat and silky, not in- 

 dined to rmi into cords or ringlets. The general appearance 

 of the cocker is eminently symmetrical, and ariv cluin.siness 

 or slovenlineK.s of action or want of cnenry and activity shoifld 

 be heavily penalized in judging. The legs should be'straisht 

 as well a.s .short and strong, and the feet shoifld he well- 

 clothed witli hair between the toes, less spreading than those 

 of the water spaniel and having horn v soles of fair size. 

 The body should be compact and weil-liaUinced, and the 

 weight should not exceed thirty pound.s. A dog standing 

 fifteen inches high at the shoulder should measure almost ex- 

 actly (the nearer the better) thirty indies from lip of nose to 

 setting on of taU. The tail should be docked to about six 

 Inches, and must be ciirried low and worked with great t - - ' 

 ity and unceasing vigor when excited. The tail is 

 ijides of the temperament which sbotdd be nervous 

 and energetic, j, p _ 



T have reri'ived a letter from Mr. E. Tinsley, of Hamilton, 

 aneul the r'tanti-ml. ilr. Tinsley's dog Dash is well known 

 as a thorough worker, and is one of the most perfect cock- 

 ers I have ever seen. He is bred from slock knported from 

 the Earl of Wilton's kennel, and Busy {1st Toronto, 1880, 

 where Dash was 3d and should have been 1st) is n dtiughter of 

 Dash. While Busy Is, to my mind, a little bit too chimkv, 

 she is about the best bitch, all around, that I know of. She 

 might be Ave or six poimds heavier, or, to put it more plainly, 

 a little larger, without hurt, but I would never penalize a 

 cocker for that fault, if it can be called such, for theie are too 

 many that run to the opposite extreme- While on the sub- 

 ject of size, I may as well say that " Learn " puts the division 

 a little too low, as there are too few cocker bitches under 25 

 lbs. to make that the Hue ; 30 lbs. for dr <. 'if. lbs. forbitclies 

 woifldmuke it a more equal division; but there is plenty of 

 time yet to settle that point. I also hand vou to-day a letter 

 from Mr. J. E. Kirk, of Toronto. He i,« li better all-around 

 judge than most dog-men, has always a few of Uie very best 

 dogs obtainable, and owns a grand old black cocker bitch. 

 Queen, who was formerly owned by L. WiUey, of Baltimore, 

 and took several prizes when in his' possession. 



Geo. D. M^cnotfG.VLi.. 



1.183 Oliidmd St., EliwthetJi, j^. J. 



Hamietos, 3^ov. 13, 1880. 



Deak Sir : Yonra of Oct. 30 to hand and contents duly 

 noted. You request ine to send y,-,u (he men.silrements and 

 weights of Dash and Bu.sy, with" which request I willingly 

 comply. As you are aware, they are a dark, rich liver-ancl- 

 tan color. 



Busy— Height at shoiflder, 14 inches : length from nose to 

 stern, 38 inches ; weight, 20 lbs.; length of head, 7 inches; 

 ear.', from tip to tip, 15 inches. 



Dash— Height, 16 inches; length, 32 inches; weight, 26 

 lbs.; length of head, 7^^ inches : L'lirs. 18 inches. 



I saw the letter iu Forest asd Si- am from j^onr Kansas 

 correspondent, who, I think, is some.' iuit astray on the cock- 

 er spaniel question. While it may be very convenient for the 

 show bnsin.css to have dogs that" will ta"kc prizes either as 

 cockers or ICing Cliarles spaniels, for my pal't, I do not want 

 any of that kind. 1 saw more than enough of them at the 

 late show in Toronto. I woifld respectfully caU your atten- 

 tion to the respective plate.« of cockers and King Charles 

 spaniels in Stonehenge's last edition of "Dogs of the British 

 Islands." I am at a loss to understand how any man having 

 the lea.st knowledge of the two breeds shoifld confound them 

 with eacli other. 



By referring to FoEEST AND Stream of Oct. 3, 1879, you 

 wUl find, over the signature of "Ranger," my opinion of 

 what a cocker spaniel should be. E. Tis8i.et. 



I must say a word to "Loam" on "What is a Cocker?" 

 iu last issue of your paper. As he states, they are flounder- 

 ing about wihout a rudder. I should say that I think he is, 

 and most of the judges at our dog shows have also been floun- 

 dering about, or badly mixed up at least, because they has-e 

 not taken due pains to post themselves on modem cockers. 

 For this breed of dogs has been an established breed for lie- 

 tween fifteen and twenty years, and but few have taken the 

 trouble to become well posted on them is what's the matter. 



Modern coc-kers are from Iwontyto liiirty pounds in weight, 

 and toy cockers from ten pounds to twcmv pounds, and " 



the modern cockers the tweiity-i: 

 better than the thirty-pound oii.-f 

 to thirty pounds lit mo'^t ]<-,,.,, lii;, 

 toy cockers are almo.M i i i ■ , , 

 to restrict a cocker lo : i hi 

 to vary in size as they -1- ii , ;r -, 

 to my article in Septemiei it issi; 

 iel," he will gel. therein a fdv 

 Now, again, "Learn" ]: 



insomepl 



. l:ini ihosp from twenty-fire 

 » 1 1.: tier, aiul all except the 



I. Would it not be absurd 

 _]it when they are better 



:i ■' If "Leani" -ndll refer 

 •^ over signature of "Span- 

 other points of the breed. 

 get up an "American Cock- 



er Club" and put m Geo. D. JIacdougall as Secretary, and 

 says " %\t11 induce my friends to joiuwhetherthev are cock- 

 er men or not, for it is not necessary for- a man I'o own and 

 breed cockers to procure admission to such a elul) as I jiro- 

 poae." Yea, exactly; would it not bo l)etter to have mnn 

 compose the club that never .saw a cocker and don't know 

 one from a mongrel buU-dog? We don't <-arc to go into anv 

 such deteriorating enterprise, and guess vou will find the 

 other cocker men of aliout the same opinion. Mr. Geo. Mac- 

 dougtdl, !s a highly respected and enthusiastic youns man, 

 but his experience is very limited in relation to cockers, 

 and he iuis only iired a few spaniels of any kind m the short 

 time he has given any breed of spaniels his attention. Such 

 a club as this is intended to work to the advantage of certain 

 parties, and therefore deteriorate the alreadv well established 

 and perfected strains that are in every wav'perfeei as in per- 

 fect field qualities, beauty, health, tUsposiiiuu, color, temper- 

 ament, etc., and drag them down to a. standard originated by 

 an incompetent and inexperienced cluli. Every cocke'r 

 breeder of note at all will most certaiiilv give such an air bub- 

 ble concern a very severe letting alone": and it will certainly 

 more yet prevent breeders from e.vhiliilinrr them at any shows 

 imder rules to make the poorer dog-s win. I shotfld think we 

 had seen enough of poor judging in this class of shows with- 

 out handing judges a set of rules to judge bv that Mill render 

 the matter still worse, for with no more conqicteut judging 

 thanhas heen8howninthiscla.ss,whal must it be if u'overned ny 

 rules got up by utterly incompetent parties. If bench show's 

 will persist in fmnishing judttes that don't know a water 

 spaniel or a King Charles, or 'those that are half-bred, from 

 modern _ cockers : and if folks are willing to shove their 

 cockers into such shows let them reap I he advantage of such 

 rash conduct. For my part I don't care to ; and in conver.s- 

 ing with the other breeders of repute I find they are of the 

 same opmion, and out ; i- n, : ,,i line cockers that now 

 grace our land. I fin.l , i,,.,s ever entered a dog 



show, and probably a.- , __ ,a v-,n this may be said 



of many other breeds. ., >_uijij.cit-iii judge needs scarcely 

 any rules to guide liim, but I shoifld be happy to see a most 

 reasonable set of rules in the hands of incompetent judges, 

 so as to keep iliem somewhere within bounds, that their 

 friends might not be ashamed of them. I should dislike to 

 have a fine King Charles or Blenheim spaniel of mine get 

 tirst prize in tlie poodle cla.ss. I shoifld feel houored, I think 

 It was a surprise to use nt last c]cis show in New York that. 

 Hollabird's iriali v,-(iier spaniel i a line specimen) did not get 

 second prize 11, the coekiT class, the way prizes went there; 

 but Music happened lo set his deserts for some rea.sou that 

 day, as he look first in cocker puppy class. "Learn" says 

 that " b.v a cocker we mean a small 'field spaniel." In this 

 he IS correct, although ihey are handsomer than the field 

 Is proper, and have a peculiar style of theu' own which 

 ne can readily perceive. I for one would heartily re- 

 ' see a cflmpet^nl rule for judging tfiis class at sliowH 

 -....-..i^ed, and it would rea-ive iha co-optiratiou of idl cocker 



breeders in the Umted States, I am certain ; but we want no 

 boy's play about it, nor to work for any one man's dog's In- 

 terest, and ttien all will put a shoulder to the wheel. 



"M. B.," in Nov. 11 issue of above paper on "What 

 is a Cocker?" says cockers are "mongrels, which no 

 one can deny." I most certainly shall disagree with him, but 

 shall not stop to argue it now. as I disagree with him on so 

 many other points, and I at present have not the time to 

 give "them the requisite reply, but at some future time I wiU 

 endeavor to do so, as 1 intend at first opportunity to give 

 you a few lines on the breeding, rearing and breaking of 

 i?ockers, for the pleasure and benefit of those interested in 

 this most valual/le breed. M. P. MoKooN. 



Fmnkliti, .2V. T., 2f(n<. 32. 



The article from " Leam," in your issue of Nov. 16, seems 

 to me in most respects a very sensilile one. That cockers in 

 this country lu-e a made breed, or niougrels, I think no breed- 

 er will deny. We sec them of all shapes, colors and sizes ; 

 some on long legs, some on short: some fifteen pounds' 

 weight, others thirty to forty. Parlies owning such dogs 

 claim them, without reference to size, form or "color, to be 

 piire-ltred cockers, insisting that those which differ from ihera 

 :ire not the right sort. Stonehenge's standard does not suit 

 many of the most promiuenl breeders, and in the principal 

 worlis on the dog there is no satisfactory description by which 

 one can be governed. In the tUfl'erent kennels with which I 

 am acquainted there is not that imiformity which stamps 

 them as a breed that would be recognized as being from any 

 particiflar kennel, as is the caise with the Llewellen or Laver- 

 aek setter, li is that point which we-desire to reach. How 

 shall it be iLine? '-Leam's" suggestion that an American 

 Cocker Ciuli be formed is a good one. Let the different 

 breeders all exhibit their best specimens at the first bench 

 show given in any of our prominent Eastern or Western 

 cities, that the relative merits of those shown may be com- 

 pared, and of those exhibited let the club agree upon the 

 standard dog and bitch by which fulitre cx_hibTtions shall be 

 governed. If necessary to please all, make two classes, one 

 for those dogs under twenty-eight poimds and bitches tmder 

 twenty-five pounds, and one for dogs or bitches over that 

 weight up to forty poimds, but not over. This wnll cover the 

 question of weight — the form will have to be agreed on, as 

 well as coat, eta, etc. Let a special effort bo made to have 

 the best dogs m the country, whether belonging |o a breed- 

 er's kennel, or private individual's who keeps but one, exhib- 

 ited. 



To bring this about I would suggest that a prize of say 

 ■f 50, or even more if thought desirable, beoff^ered in addition 

 to the regular prize offered by the association giving llie show 

 for tiie best dijg or bitch e.xhibited which comes ilie nearest 

 to our present sl.uidard (" Stonehenge's"). This prize lo be 

 raised by sub.scription among fhose who take an in- 

 terest in the breed. I will head the subseii]ition with SIO, 

 imd have no doulit a very good prize can lie r:used siithcieut 

 to induce those who claim to have the best to exhibit. There 

 can be no more attractive featme of a Bench Show than this, 

 and managers will find it a winning ciird to offer a Uberal 

 prize for this class. The prizes offered iu former shows has 

 been entirely too small to bring out valuable specimens. 

 This breed is bound to take the front rank with those who 

 desire a useful as well as a handsome dog. As pets, eompsm- 

 ions or hunters for many classes of game there is none .sn- 

 peririr or equally h,andsome. T am "quite anxious to hear 

 from principal breeders on the subject. Now that it is fair- 

 ly- agitated I would be glad to have some good result from it. ' 

 llon't elaini it is a farce for your brother breeder to cafl hi.s 

 speeimeiis cockers because they differ from \ ours, and have 

 Weill prizes where yom-s were exhibited, Ijut strive to arrivo 

 at some definite standard which all may closely follow, and 

 in time bring about a uniformity of breed, so tliat whenever 

 one JURY be seen he will at once be luiown as a cocker span- 

 iel up to the standard. SnA:MnocK, 



Chieago, III. 



I am well pleased with the general tone of the article in 



your paper of the l.'sth in.st. by "Leam," entitled "What is 

 a CocKerr' etc. While it is a matter of a great deal of mo- 

 ment to have some standard preiiarcd by which Oie cocker ia 

 to be judged and bred to, I am opposed to " Leam's" method 

 of reaching the solution of this question. I would suggest 

 in lieu of ttppomting a Secretary by the one m,an's nomina- 

 tion, which will not meet tlic co-op"eration of a large number 

 of breeders, that a circular Vic goden up for those breeders 

 who feel an interest in having a stmidanl estaldished for 

 judging their cockers. This circular can be sent not onlv to 

 the breeder but to such persons as are known to take tm 

 active interest in the raising and breeding of this inteUigenl 

 and beautiful dog, av ho wfll vote for a committee of three. 

 The throe obtaining the largest number of votes .shall be de- 

 clareti the committee for llic pmposes set forlli in "Leaiu's" 

 article. Let the editor of the FoREsr azcd Si i:e am prepare 

 these circulars and have them sent out in Ids paper, addressed 

 " To those who are breedcTs and raisers of the ceker." i^n 

 eachcircular will be written three names, wldeh shiil! be 

 forwarded to the said editor. The three Lantlenien receiving 

 the largest number of votes shall constitute "the committee " 

 who will proceed to a proper organization, .aiid draw up as 

 soon as possible a cocker standard, jind the rules and require- 

 ments governing the same. This is a fairer and better way 

 to reach this conclusion, thai all of us whei are lovers of the 

 cocker desire to have settled. I am even indisposed to pre- 

 judge tlus matter in the least peissible manner, either by 

 mention of color, size, weight or any other eouehtion, but 

 Will leave all to the wisdom and judgmenl of the committee 

 apix)iiited to make a siandard. To defray the e.speuse of 

 such circulars and their di.stribution, and for the purposes set 

 forth in this article, I hereby agree to donate one dollar 

 whenever the editor of this paper ahaU enter upon the duty 

 imposed upon him. Now let the lovers of the cocker assist 

 in the preparation of this standard, the sooner the Iiett.r for 

 all of ns who want to see "a standard" made rather than 

 talked about. Sekex:. 



Ann Arbor, Jfov. 21, 



I think "Leam" is right, and second his motion that Geo. 

 D. Macdougall accept the otHce rif Sccretarv pro tmi. of tki" 

 American Cocker Club. That genilem.in" has been trrin< 

 for some time to have a standard'made by wlii " ' 



the American cocker, and I think he will sure) 

 office. It is certain we must have t\vo classes, t 

 .spaniel from eighteen to fifty pounds is called a 

 those over thirty pounds go "where they belong, in me ncai 

 spaniel or large chiss. A dog above" that weight is better 

 flttctl for oijcn or field work than ho is for thick eovw. Fi r 

 my part I do not believe in a dog for woodcock or grouse 

 much over or under twenty-eight pounds. Over that weiaht 



"■.ring 

 judge 



aeee|it the 

 no'.v anv 

 ker. Let 

 the field 



