166 HISTORY OP THE DOG. 



unhurt, whose mother had been destroyed by an ava- 

 lanche, induced the poor boy to mount upon his back, and 

 thus carried him to the gate of the convent. 



SETTERS AND POINTERS. 



The habits of all these dogs are nearly the same ; and 

 though they are not so docile, gentle and affectionate, they 

 are indispensable to all who wish successfully to beat the 

 fields or the moors for sport with the gun. They are dogs 

 of fine scent, and admit of very high training. They are si- 

 lent dogs, arid beat or quarter the ground with great 

 activity, discovering the game by scenting the air, stand- 

 ing still at a dead point without moving any part of their 

 bodies when they have discovered it, and after the gun is 

 up and the game down, fetching it to their master. As 

 there is some skill required in breaking or training them 

 properly, a thorough good one is of considerable value. 

 If the dog is not properly trained he is apt to make false 

 points, that is, to point at small birds and other things not 

 worth powder and shot ; and not only at these, but also at 

 the forms or places where game has recently been. 



The setter is understood to be an English dog. It is 

 smaller than the pointer, and not so showy, but it is said 

 to have a better nose, and to be less liable to injury in the 

 feet while beating hard and stony ground. When put to 

 work in enclosures, the setter generally.beats round close 

 under the hedges before he begins to quarter the field in 

 breadth. There are two named varieties of setter, inde- 

 pendently of the numerous breeds. Indeed, as they are 

 mongrel dogs, produced by crossing, chiefly between 

 spaniels and pointers, the varieties of them may be multi- 

 plied without limit. Their hair is, in general, beautifully 

 curled. There is, however, a good deal of trouble in 

 breaking setters, and they cannot be always trusted to 

 after they are broke. Their propensity to stand and point 



