THE POINTEK. 113 



if these faults can be overcome in training, if he can be made stanch in 

 standing, drawing, and backing, and to stop at the voice, or token of the hand, 

 he is highly esteemed; and those who arrive at such perfection in this country 

 bring amazing prices. . . . 



The most judicious cross appears to have been with the Foxhound, and 

 by this has been acquired speed and courage, power and perseverance; and its 

 disadvantage, difficulty of training them to be stanch. I believe the cele- 

 brated Colonel Thornton first made this cross; and from his producing excellent 

 dogs, it has been very generally followed. 



The foregoing description of the origin of the modern 

 English Pointer is confirmed by other early writers, and is 

 generally believed to be accurate. Among the early products 

 of this cross were many dogs possessed of double noses a 

 deep fissure in the center of the nose completely dividing 

 the nostrils; but the superstition that such animals were 

 possessed of keener scenting powers than others, has long 

 since passed away, and such a manifestation is now con- 

 sidered a great defect. 



That a cross between the Spanish Pointer and the Fox- 

 hound was made in France as early as the year 1700, is 

 explicitly proven by another painting by Desportes, also 

 published in Vero Shaw's book, and made about that period, 

 wherein are shown two dogs clearly illustrating the cross 

 of the Pointer with the Hound. 



Besides the Foxhound, other families of dogs are said 

 to have been drawn upon by early breeders, to introduce 

 certain qualities that were esteemed desirable. For the 

 purpose of obtaining more speed and lightness of movement, 

 the Greyhound cross is said to have been resorted to by 

 some breeders, although it is difficult to conceive how a dog 

 that hunts by sight instead of scent could greatly improve 

 the breed. 



The Bulldog cross is also said to have been employed to 

 give stamina and courage to the product of the Greyhound 

 cross; but neither of them are believed to have been fol- 

 lowed up to any great extent. The cross with the Fox- 

 hound was probably the most effectual and beneficial in its 

 results, and such may be considered to have been the foun- 

 dation of our modern strains of Pointers. 



