Dogs and All about Them

In the Black and Tan the feather on the ears is very long and profuse, exceeding that of the Blenheim by an inch or more. The feather on the tail (which is cut to the length of three and a half to four inches) should be silky, and from five to six inches in length, constituting a marked "flag" of a square shape, and not carried above the level of the back. COLOUR--The colour differs with the variety. The Black and Tan is a rich glossy black and deep mahogany tan; tan spots over the eyes, and the usual markings on the muzzle, chest, and legs are also required. The Ruby is a rich chestnut red, and is whole-coloured. The presence of a few white hairs intermixed with the black on the chest of a Black and Tan, or intermixed with the red on the chest of a Ruby Spaniel, shall carry weight against a dog, but shall not in itself absolutely disqualify; but a white patch on the chest or white on any other part of a Black and Tan or Ruby Spaniel shall be a disqualification. The Blenheim must on no account be whole-coloured, but should have a ground of pure pearly white, with bright rich chestnut or ruby red markings evenly distributed in large patches. The ears and cheeks should be red, with a blaze of white extending from the nose up the forehead, and ending between the ears in a crescentic curve. In the centre of this blaze at the top of the forehead there should be a clear "spot" of red, of the size of a sixpence. Tan ticks on the fore-legs and on the white muzzle are desirable. The Tricolour should in part have the tan of the Black and Tan, with markings like the Blenheim in black instead of red on a pearly-white ground. The ears and under the tail should also be lined with tan. The Tricolour has no "spot," that beauty being peculiarly the property of the Blenheim. The All Red King Charles is known by the name of "Ruby Spaniel"; the colour of the nose is black. The points of the "Ruby" are the same as those of the "Black and Tan," differing only in colour.