320 FRANK FORESTER S FIELD SPORTS. 



lities are first-rate. They aie more common in the North than 

 in the South of England, and are much used on the moors. The 

 Duke of Devonshire had, when I was in England, and I believe 

 keeps to this day, this fine variety in its purity ; and in my boy- 

 hood, my father, the late Dean of Manchester, had some excel- 

 lent dogs of the Russian breed, one of which, Charon, was the 

 best dog, far or near, over which I ever have drawn a trigger. 



As the excellence of the Setter or Pointer is a mooted ques- 

 tion, and one of great utility and impmtance to the sportsman, 

 I am not willing to rely solely on my own judgment therein, and 

 have, on this account, extracted from the American edition of 

 Youart, Dr. Lewis' opinion of the merits of the Setter, com- 

 pared WITH THOSE OF THE PoiNTER. 



" It cannot for a moment be doubted," he says, " that the 

 Setter has superior advantages to the Pointer, for hunting over 

 our uncleared country, although the Pointer has many qualities 

 that recommend him to the sportsman, that the Setter does not 

 possess. In the first place, the extreme hardiness and swiftness 

 of foot, natural to the Setter, enables him to get over much 

 more ground than the Pointer, in the same space of time. Their 

 feet also, being more hard and firm, are not so liable to become 

 sore from contact with our frozen ground. The ball-pads being 

 well protected by the Spaniel toe-tufts, are less likely to be 

 wounded by the thorns and burs with which our woods are 

 crowded during the winter season. His natural enthusiasm for 

 hunting, coupled with his superior physical powei"s, enables him 

 to stand much more work than the Pointer, and oftentimes he 

 appears quite fresh upon a long-continued hunt, when the other 

 will be found drooping and inattentive. 



" The long, thick fur of the Setter, enables him to wend his 

 way through briary thickets without injury to himself, when a 

 similar attempt on the part of a Pcinter, would result in his 

 ears, tail and body being lacerated and streaming witli blood. 



" On the other hand, the Pointer is superior to the Setter in 

 retaining his acquired powers for hunting, and not l-eing natu- 

 rally enlhusiastic in pursuit of game, he is more easily broken 

 and kept in proper subjection. 



