The Spaniel. 
55 
“ The common sort of people call them by one general word, 
namely spaniells, as though these kinde of dogges came originally 
and first of all out of Spaine. The most part of their skynnes are 
white, and if they be marcked with any spottes, they are commonly 
red, and somewhat great therewithal!, the haires not growing in such 
thicknesse but that the mixture of them maye easely be perceaved. 
Other-some of them be reddishe and blackishe, but of that sorte there 
be but a very few. There is also at this day among us a newe kinde of 
dogge brought out of Fraunce (for we Englishe men are marvailous 
greedy gaping gluttons after novelties, and covetous cormorauntes of 
things that be seldom, rare, straunge, and hard to get). And they bee 
speckled all over with white and black, which mingled colours incline 
to a marble blewe, which bewtifyeth their skinnes and affordeth a 
seemely show of comelynesse.” (Reprint, p. 15.) 
Topsell writes:— 
“ Unto all these smelling dogs, I may also adde the water spagnell, 
called in French barbati , and in Germany wasserhund: who is taught 
by his maister to seeke for thinges that are lost by words and tokens. 
These also will take water-foule, and hunt otters and beavers, and 
watch the stroke of the gun when the fouler shooteth. They use 
to sheare their hinder parts, that so they may be the lesse annoyed 
in swimming; whose figure is in the bottome of the former page 
described.” (Page 154.) 
The picture referred to represents a spaniel clipped 
after the fashion of the French poodle of our own day. 
The Setting-dogge, or Setter, was a large land spaniel, 
probably similar in appearance to his modern 
namesake. His mode of action is thus de¬ 
scribed by Caius:— 
“ When he hath founde the bvrde, he keepeth sure and fast silence, 
he stayeth his steppes and wil proceede no further, and with a close, 
covert, watching eye, layeth his belly to the grounde, and so creepeth 
forward like a worme. When he approcheth neere to the place where 
the birde is, he layes him downe, and with a marcke of his pawes, 
betrayeth the place of the byrdes last abode, whereby it is supposed 
that this kinde of dogge is called index , setter, being indeede a name 
most consonant and agreable to his quality.” ( Reprint , p. 15.) 
The smallest variety of this class of dogs was the 
