THE AMERICAN BOOK OF THE DOG. 



THE ENGLISH SETTER. 



BY BERNARD WATERS, 



Kennel Editor of the American Field, and Author of " Modern Training, 

 Handling, and Kennel Management/ 1 



the origin of the English Setter, nothing 

 is known to a certainty; but, in this particular, the 

 tfe u\ absence of knowledge does not differ from that con- 



\P cerning all other old breeds of dogs. That the Eng- 

 lish Setter is a very old breed is beyond question, as will be 

 shown more fully hereinafter, by reference to some ancient 

 literature on the subject; but that the ipse dixit of one or 

 two ancient writers should be given so much credence is 

 unaccountable. However, the obscurity, which envelops 

 the past, quite as effectually prevents disproving any errors 

 in the statements of the old writers as it does the proving 

 of their statements to be correct. This is more particularly 

 noticeable as, in the present day, captious critics are ever 

 ready to differ from those who are more or less recognized 

 as authorities, while accepting without question the say- 

 ings of writers of two or three hundred years ago. Accord- 

 ing to the popular belief, one which is supported by nearly 

 every author of modern sporting literature, the English 

 Setter is supposed to have originated in a Spaniel ancestry. 

 To show on what this belief is founded, a few excerpts from 

 recognized authorities will be presented. 



Stonehenge, in his work, "The Dogs of the British 

 Islands" (edition of 1867), treats of the Setter as follows: 



As some difference of opinion appears to exist with regard to Setters, we 

 have determined thoroughly to satisfy ourselves as to their origin and best 

 form, and we have called all the best authorities to our assistance. We pro- 



2 (IT) 



