THE SETTEE.] 



THE DOG-, AND ITS VARIETIES; 



[the settee. 



The pointer cannot, from his short hair, which 

 makes liim very susceptible of cold ; but will 

 stand out a day's shooting much better than 

 the setter in very warm weather. However, 

 the setter is decidedly the best dog for general 

 use." 



The black setter is a rare specimen, and is 

 both staunch to his work, and beautiful. The 

 Scotch setter stands high on his legs, but is 

 difficult to break, from the quarrelsomeness of 

 bis disposition. He is usually of a black and 

 tan colour. 



Of the affectionate disposition of the setter, 

 we have numerous illustrative anecdotes. Mr. 

 Sherras Bell, F.E.S., F.L.S., in his History of 

 British Quadrupeds, thus discourses upon the 

 qualities of one of this kind of dog : — " By far 

 the most interesting and, if I may so employ 

 the term, amicable animal I have ever known, 

 was a bitch of this kind, formerly belonging to 

 my father, which he had from a puppy, and 

 which, although never regularly broke, was 

 the best dog in the field he ever possessed. 

 The very expression of poor Juno's counte- 

 nance was full of sensibility and affection. 

 She appeared to be always on the watch to 

 evince her love and gratitude to those who 

 were kind to her ; and the instinct of attach- 

 ment was, in her, so powerful, that it showed 

 itself in her conduct to other animals, as well 

 as to her human friends. A kitten, which 

 had lately been taken from its mother, was 

 sent to us, and, on Juno's approach, showed 

 the usual horror of the cat towards dogs. But 

 Juno seemed determined to conquer- the an- 

 tipathy ; and, by the most winning and perse- 

 vering kindness and forbearance — advancing 

 or receding, as she found the waywardness of 

 her new friend's temper required — she com- 

 pletely attached the kitten to her ; and, as she 

 had lately lost her puppies, and still had some 

 milk left, I have often seen them lying together 

 before the fire, the kitten sucking her kind 

 fostermother, who was licking and caressing 

 her as her offspring. She would also play 

 with great gentleness with some rabbits of 

 mine, and would entice them to familiarity by 

 the kindness of her manner ; and so fond was 

 she of caressing the young of the dog species, 

 that when a spaniel bitch of my father had 

 puppies, of which all, excepting one, were 

 destroyed, Juno would take every opportunitv 

 *440 



to steal the remaining one from its mother's 

 nest, and carry it to her home, where she 

 would lick and fondle it with the greatest ten- 

 derness. Poor Pussy, the mother, also a good- 

 tempered creature, as soon as she had dis- 

 covered the theft, hastened, of course, to briuo- 

 back her little one, which was again to be 

 stolen on the first favourable opportunity ; 

 until, at length, the two bitches killed the 

 poor puppy between them, as they were en- 

 deavouring each to pull it from the other ; all 

 this with the most perfect mutual good under- 

 standing. Juno lived to a good old age, an 

 unspoiled pet, after her master had shot to her 

 fourteen seasons." 



A curious question arising out of the game 

 laws — Can a farmer be unlawfully on his own 

 farm ? — was argued some time ago in the 

 Higli Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh. It 

 was an advocation and suspension of a judg- 

 ment of the sheriff-substitute of Dumfries, 

 whereby Mr. Smith, tenant of the farm of 

 Broadleydyke, Lochmaben, was sentenced to 

 a month's imprisonment with hard labour, for 

 being guilty of night poaching on his own 

 farm, under 9 G-eo. IV. c. 69. By this statute 

 it is enacted, that if any person shall, by night, 

 unlawfully take or destroy any game or rabbits 

 in any land, whether open or enclosed, or 

 shall, by night, unlawfully enter or be on any 

 land, open or enclosed, with a gun, net, engine, 

 or other instrument, for the purpose of taking 

 or destroying game, such oftender may be ap- 

 prehended, &c. Oa the 12th of December, 

 the com plainer was served with a criminal 

 libel, cliarging him with having been on his 

 farm by night for the purpose of taking or 

 destroying game, and guilty therefore of the 

 above statutory oftence. The case was tried 

 before Sheriff' Trotter, on the 20th of Decem- 

 ber ; and his lordship having found him guilty 

 of being upon the lands for the purpose of 

 taking or destroying game, pronounced the 

 sentence of which the present was a suspen- 

 sion. The grounds on which the conviction 

 was sought to be quashed were — First, that 

 the complaint was irrelevant, and ought to 

 have been dismissed ; because, while the 

 statute drew a distinction between destroying 

 game or rabbits, and being unlawfully on the 

 lands by night for the purpose, the major of 

 the libel embraced them both as one offence — 



