SIZE AND SYMMETRY)—­Long and very low, well ribbed up to a good strong loin, straight or slightly arched, never slack; weight from about 35 lbs. to 45 lbs.  NOSE—­Well developed, with good open nostrils, and always black.  SHOULDERS AND CHEST—­Former sloping and free, latter deep and well developed, but not too round and wide.  BACK AND LOIN—­Very strong and muscular; level and long in proportion to the height of the dog.  HIND-QUARTERS—­Very powerful and muscular, wide, and fully developed.  STERN—­Well set on, and carried low, if possible below the level of the back, in a perfectly straight line, or with a slight downward inclination, never elevated above the back, and in action always kept low, nicely fringed, with wavy feather of silky texture.  FEET AND LEGS—­Feet not too small, and well protected between the toes with soft feather; good strong pads.  Legs straight and immensely boned, strong and short, and nicely feathered with straight or waved Setter-like feather, overmuch feathering below the hocks objectionable.  COAT—­Flat or slightly waved, and never curled.  Sufficiently dense to resist the weather, and not too short.  Silky in texture, glossy, and refined in nature, with neither duffelness on the one hand nor curl or wiriness on the other.  On chest under belly, and behind the legs, there should be abundant feather, but never too much, and that of the right sort, viz., Setter-like.  The tail and hind-quarters should be similarly adorned.  COLOUR—­Jet black throughout, glossy and true.  A little white on chest, though a drawback, not a disqualification.  GENERAL APPEARANCE—­That of a sporting dog, capable of learning and doing anything possible for his inches and conformation.  A grand combination of beauty and utility.

* * * * *

VII.  THE ENGLISH SPRINGER.—­It is only quite recently that the Kennel Club has officially recognised the variety known by the name at the head of this section.  For a long time the old-fashioned liver and white, or black Spaniels, longer in the leg than either Sussex or Field Spaniels, had been known as Norfolk Spaniels, and under this title the Spaniel Club has published a description of them.  There had, however, been a considerable amount of discussion about the propriety of this name of “Norfolk,” and the weight of the evidence adduced went to show that as far as any territorial connection with the county of that name went, it was a misnomer, and that it probably arose from the breed having been kept by one of the Dukes of Norfolk, most likely that one quoted by Blaine in his Rural Sports, who was so jealous of his strain that it was only on the expressly stipulated condition that they were not to be allowed to breed in the direct line that he would allow one to leave his kennels.