202 PRANK SCHLEY'S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT snoOTJNG. 



division of tlio glohe, but esscMitiiilly cosmopolitivn, he exists 

 Avhercvor man dwells, and relatively keeps j)ace with his 

 master in development of inteliig-ence and tlie hii;-her attri- 

 l)utes of his nature. It is very reasonable to suppose that 

 the dof:^, like maiiy other species of animals, was divided 

 into different families, aceordinj^ to the localities in which 

 he dwelt, and the influence to which he was subjected. 



The best of modern writers, amon-;- whom I may men- 

 tion "Stonehen<re," Laverack, and "Idstone," all say that 

 the Setter is a direct descendant of the Land Spaniel, and 

 speak of a "Settint"- Spaniel" as the first Setter. There is 

 no doubt that this is a correct theory, and that our Setter 

 is a i)ure, unadulterated, but improved, Spaniel. "Stone- 

 heiii^-e" says: "A Duke of Northumberland trained one to 

 set birds in 1555, and shortly after the Setter was pro- 

 duced." Ii must be borne in mind that the "Setting Sj)an- 

 iel" was a \Q\y different dog from the Spaniel of the 

 present time, which does not as a rule, and never has dis- 

 played, a faculty for setting or ])ointing game. The old 

 Setting Spaniel has lost his identity by merging it in his 

 descendant, the Setter; in fact, this Spaniel may be said to 

 hiive become extinct by the breeding of an improved ani- 

 mal. "Idstone," in his work on the dog, sa^'s: "The 

 Riiglish Setter was known in l^jugland niany years before 

 the Pointer was introiluced, and 1 have little doubt that he 

 followed thi^ Romans, or was brought with them." 



"Stonehenge" also says: "lie is the most national of all 

 our dogs, and certainly has existed for four centuries." 



The trans Atlantic Setter family is now divided into three 

 great national classes, the English, Irish, and Gordon or 

 Scotch varieties; each with its strongi}' marked distinc- 

 tions of form, coloi', and style of performance. These may 

 l)e considered the oidy Setters worthy of iu)te, for though 

 there are certaiidy a number of contiiu-ntal breeds, they 

 cannot compai-e with those I have mentioned. In this 

 country oui' best dogs are, as a class, those recentl}' im- 

 ported or the descendants of imported stock, although we 

 now and then find a doij to which the title "native" mav 



