HISTORY OF THE DOG. 167 



is not pure ; for they have it only as they have the blood 

 of the pointer in them ; and in as far as they have the blood 

 of the spaniel, their propensity is to give tongue and put 

 up the game. Of course in the natural state of the animal, 

 these opposite propensities weaken each other ; and it is 

 only by careful training that the one can be rooted out and 

 the other established. But if this is once done, the setter 

 is a very valuable dog; and though smaller than the 

 pointer, it quarters the ground faster, and can continue 

 longer. 



POINTERS. Of these there are several varieties, indepen- 

 dently of breeds. In their general form, pointers bear some 

 resemblance to hounds; but the muzzle is shorter, the 

 ears smaller, and partly erect and partly pendulous ; and 

 the difference of appearance between them and setters 

 may be observed in the portion of the spaniel character 

 which is necessarily possessed by the latter. The Spanish 

 pointer is the finest of the whole, and the greatest care is 

 taken by those interested to preserve this breed as pure as 

 possible. His natural tendency is to be silent and to point ; 

 and therefore he not only requires much less training than 

 the others, but is much more sure and steady in his point ; 

 and he is at the same time very obedient and docile. He 

 has the disadvantage, however, of being very delicate, 

 both in respect of fatigue and of management ; and thus, 

 though a very fine dog, he is rather an expensive one. As 

 a dog for the rough moors, he is inferior to the setter, as he 

 is unable to endure the fatigue of a long morning, and his 

 feet are very liable to be injured. The English pointer is 

 a cross between the Spanish and fox-hound and harrier ; 

 and though in consequence of this he is more difficult to 

 break than the Spanish, he is upon the whole a more 

 valuable dog for general purposes. He is very handsome, 

 remarkably docile, and when he is properly trained, his 

 nose is very good. In the south of Germany there is a 

 very small breed which is an exact miniature of the 



