but not too wide and round to interfere with the free action of the fore-legs.  BACK AND LOIN—­Immensely strong and compact in proportion to the size and weight of the dog; slightly sloping towards the tail.  HIND-QUARTERS—­Wide, well rounded, and very muscular, so as to ensure untiring action and propelling power under the most trying circumstances of a long day, bad weather, rough ground, and dense covert.  STERN—­That most characteristic of blue blood in all the Spaniel family may, in the lighter and more active Cocker, although set low down, be allowed a slightly higher carriage than in the other breeds, but never cocked up over, but rather in a line with the back, though the lower its carriage and action the better, and when at work its action should be incessant in this, the brightest and merriest of the whole Spaniel family.  FEET AND LEGS—­The legs should be well boned, feathered and straight, for the tremendous exertions expected from this grand little sporting dog, and should be sufficiently short for concentrated power, but not too short as to interfere with its full activity.  Feet firm, round, and cat-like, not too large, spreading, and loose jointed.  This distinct breed of Spaniel does not follow exactly on the lines of the larger Field Spaniel, either in lengthiness, lowness, or otherwise, but is shorter in the back, and rather higher on the legs.  COAT—­Flat or waved, and silky in texture, never wiry, woolly, or curly, with sufficient feather of the right sort, viz., waved or Setter-like, but not too profuse and never curly.  GENERAL APPEARANCE—­Confirmatory of all indicated above, viz., a concentration of pure blood and type, sagacity, docility, good temper, affection, and activity.

CHAPTER XXVI

THE BASSET-HOUND

The Basset was not familiarly known to British sportsmen before 1863, in which year specimens of the breed were seen at the first exhibition of dogs held in Paris, and caused general curiosity and admiration among English visitors.  In France, however, this hound has been used for generations, much as we use our Spaniel, as a finder of game in covert, and it has long been a popular sporting dog in Russia and Germany.  In early times it was chiefly to be found in Artois and Flanders, where it is supposed to have had its origin; but the home of the better type of Basset is now chiefly in La Vendee, in which department some remarkably fine strains have been produced.

There are three main strains of the French Basset—­the Lane, the Couteulx, and the Griffon.  The Griffon Basset is a hound with a hard bristly coat, and short, crooked legs.  It has never found great favour here.  The Lane hounds are derived from the kennels of M. Lane, of Franqueville, Baos, Seine-Inferieure, and are also very little appreciated in this country.  They are a lemon and white variety, with torse or bent legs.  The Couteulx hounds were a type bred up into a strain by Comte le Couteulx de Canteleu.  They were tricolour, with straight, short legs, of sounder constitution than other strains, with the make generally of a more agile hound, and in the pedigree of the best Bassets owned in this country fifteen years ago, when the breed was in considerable demand, Comte de Couteulx’s strain was prominent and always sought for.