In Ireland two breeds of this dog are known, which are distinguished by the prefixes North and South, the latter being also named after Mr. M'Carthy, a gentleman who, between thirty and forty years ago, alone possessed it in perfection. At the present time the M'Carthy strain may be considered to be the type of the Irish water spaniel; and his description published in the Field in 1859 is the standard by which the breed is judged, and must therefore be so regarded.

Most of the prize winners of late years have been more "on the leg" than Capt. O'Grady's dog (an engraving of which was published in my first edition in 1865); but several bitches have been successful even lower than he was. They all show, however, in greater perfection one peculiarity of the strain, viz., the total absence of feather both on tail and legs; whereas Capt. O'Grady's dog, though good in tail, was feathered considerably on his legs. I shall therefore substitute portraits from remarkably good photographs of Mr. Lindoe's celebrated brace, Bake and Blarney, which for five or six years shared with Mr. Skidmore's Doctor (half brother to Rake) the chief prizes of the various English shows. Rake was descended from M'Carthy's celebrated dog Boatswain, on the side of his dam; but his grandsire on the other side, also called Boatswain, was from another kennel. He was considered by Capt. Montresor and by Mr. M'Carthy himself to be a good specimen of the breed; and their endorsement must be regarded as final.

The Irish water spaniel has been imported into England in considerable numbers, but not to such an extent as to become common; why, I am at a loss to know, as from Mr. Lindoe's experience, and that of Mr. Englebach (formerly of Tedding-ton), in addition to the account given originally by M'Carthy himself, I am led to believe that he is by far the most useful dog for wildfowl shooting at present in existence. " Notwithstanding their natural impetuosity of disposition," Mr. Lindoe says, "these spaniels, if properly trained, are the most tractable and obedient of all dogs, and possess in a marked degree the invaluable qualities of never giving up or giving in. Prom real personal experience of almost every kind of dog," he goes on to say, "they are the cleverest, gamest, and most companionable of all." Judging from my knowledge of Mr. Englebach's Pat, bred by Mr. Skidmore, to which dog my experience of the breed is confined, I should say he is too quarrelsome to be companionable, except to those who are fond of repeated impromptu dog fights, and he is admitted to be too impetuous for work on land.

England appears to have obtained the cream of the strain, as the above-mentioned English-bred dogs, Doctor and Pat, took the first and second prizes at the Dublin show of 1872; while young Doctor was first in the champion class at Belfast in 1876, and Mr. Skidmore's sister to Barney divided the puppy prize at the same show. The chief prizes in England have fallen to dogs belonging to Mr. Skidmore, of Nant-wich, Mr. Robson of Hull, Mr. P. J. D. Lindoe, the Rev. W. J. Mellor, Capt, Montresor, and Mr. Engelbach, all being of the M'Carthy strain, while Mr. N. Morton of Ballymena is at the head of the Irish breeders. The dog is readily taught to retrieve, but care must be taken to prevent his impetuosity leading to a " hard mouth." Recently (1882) the breed has deteriorated in England, why I am at a loss to know, and the classes for Irish Spaniels have been almost empty at most shows.

The points of the breed are as follows;

Points Of The Irish Water Spaniel

Grand Total 100.

1. The Head (Value 10)

1. The head (value 10) is by no means long, with very little brow, bat moderately wide. It is covered with curls, rather longer and more open than those of the body, nearly to the eyes, but not so as to be wigged like the poodle.

2. The Face And Eyes (Value 10)

2. The face and eyes (value 10) are very peculiar. Pace very long, and quite bare of curl, the hair being short and smooth, though not glossy; nose broad, and nostrils well developed; teeth strong and level; eyes small and set almost flush! without eyebrows.

3. The Topknot (Value 10)

3. The topknot (value 10) is a characteristic of the true breed, and is estimated accordingly. It should fall between and over the eyes in a peaked form.

4. The Ears (Value 10)

4. The ears (value 10) are long, the leather extending, when drawn forward, a little beyond the nose, and the curls with which they are clothed two or three inches beyond. The whole, of the ears is thickly covered with curls, which gradually lengthen towards the tips.

5. Chest And Shoulders (Value 7 1/2)

There is nothing remarkable about these points, which must, nevertheless, be of sufficient dimensions and muscularity. The chest is small compared with most breeds of similar substance.

6. The Back And Quarters (Value 7 1/2)

6. The back and quarters (value 7 1/2) also have no peculiarity, but the stifles are almost always straight, giving an appearance of legginess.

7. Legs And Feet (Value 10)

The legs should be straight, and the feet large, but strong; the toes are somewhat open, and covered with short, crisp curls. In all dogs of this breed the legs are thickly clothed with short curls, slightly pendent behind and at the sides, and some have them all round, hanging in ringlets for some time before the annual shedding. No feather like that of the setter should be shown. The front of the hind legs below the hocks is always bare.

The tail (value 10) is very thick at the root, where it is clothed with very short hair, and is well shown in the portrait of Blarney. Beyond the root, however, the hair is perfectly short, so as to look as if the tail had been clipped, which it sometimes fraudulently is at our shows; but the natural bareness of tail is a true characteristic of the breed.

9. The Coat (Value 10)

9. The coat (value 10) is composed of short curls of hair, not woolly, which betrays the poodle cross. A soft, flossy coat is objected to as indicative of an admixture with some one of the land spaniels.

10. The Colour (Value 10)

10. The colour (value 10) must be a deep puce liver without white; but, as in other breeds, a white toe will occasionally appear even on the best-bred litter.

11. The Symmetry (Value 5)

11. The symmetry (value 5) of this dog is not very great, and I have consequently only estimated it at 5.