=Retrievers= (_a_) FLAT-COATED There is good evidence to show that the Retriever is what may be termed a "made" breed, and that his present state of perfection is the outcome of careful selection during the last fifty years or thereabout, the latter thirty years of this time having been devoted by enthusiastic sportsmen to raise the standard of the Retriever to the highest standard of excellence, and no one did more in this respect than the lamented late President of the Kennel Club, S. E. Shirley, Esq., Ettington Park, Stratford-on-Avon. Most of Mr Shirley's exhibits were an ornament to the show bench, and not only were they ornamental, but equally useful in the field, this gentleman being a keen sportsman and one of the most successful breeders and exhibitors of Flat-coats in the annals of this or any other time. The Retriever is gradually coming more and more into favour, and will continue to do so when his usefulness becomes better known. It is a variety of dog that stands little chance of becoming spoiled by interbreeding, as in the case of so many Spaniels. [Illustration: MR CARTWRIGHT'S FLAT-COATED RETRIEVER CHAMPION COLWYN CLYTIE.] [Illustration: TYPICAL FLAT-COATED RETRIEVER.] To the sportsman, the Retriever can claim advantages over the Pointer, Setter and Spaniel, but unless very thoroughly handled during his training, he is not of much service. A perfectly broken Retriever--more especially if rich in show-bench points--should readily bring sixty or seventy guineas at least, and cheap at that price. _Coat._--Should be perfectly flat--not wavy as formerly--of an intense raven blackness,[1] glossy, and the hair of good length and dense, more especially over the tops of the shoulders and along the back, but the contour ought not to be interfered with. White hair upon any part of the body, head, tail, or extremities, is not desirable, and should, in the author's opinion, tell against the animal. We are aware that the presence of a few white hairs upon the chest is not regarded as being of much importance. Still, there is no gainsaying that to be perfect in all points, the Retriever must not have such. _Head._--Ought to possess the highest degree of intelligence. The occipital dome to be wide, of medium height, becoming much narrower as the nose is approached; the latter to be black. _Ears._--Small, carried close to cheeks, and thin cartilage covered with soft hair, yet free from feather at the margins. Many Retrievers are very faulty here, a touch of the Spaniel element sometimes being in evidence. _Eyes._--To be of a deep hazel. Any tendency towards the so-called "snipy" nose is a defect. _Chest._--Deep, but not wide, and well covered with soft, black hair. _Neck._--Somewhat short, but thick. _Back and Loin._--A long, strong back and loin, slightly depressed about midway, with a beautiful rise towards the hind-quarters. These latter should be well muscled and covered by the same flatness of coat.