ENGLISH AN]) IRISH SETTERS. 99 



answer to go on breeding from it, cither on the side of the siro or 

 dam ; and therefore, judging from analog}', the effect has not been 

 produced in this way. 



The peculiar characteristics of the English and Irish setters, as 

 displaj^ed in the field, are great speed, activity, endurance, capa- 

 bility of bearing cold and wet, and of standing the rough work of 

 the moors, in all of which good qualities the Irish setter is even bet- 

 ter than the English. He not only has these in perfection, but he 

 also exaggerates the wilfulness and want of steadiness so remark- 

 able in the setter as compared with the pointer, while, at the same 

 time, he is just as incapable of bearing the heat of the sun without 

 water. Indeed some rough-coated setters, both Irish and English, 

 cannot work at all when their skins are dry, and, imless they can 

 run into a ]30ol every half-hour at least, they blow like porpoises, 

 and are utterly useless. Hence it is that, in the south, the pointer, 

 who fulfils all the requisites for partridge-shooting, is preferred to 

 the setter as a general rule ; while, in the north, the latter is 

 adopted, because he will range wider and faster, stand more work, 

 and bear the vicissitudes of the weather so common in Scotland, as 

 well as the rough heather, which distresses the more delicate feet 

 and legs of the highbred pointer. In point of nose it is commonly 

 supposed that the pointer is also superior, but I believe that if 

 both are in condition, and neither of them distressed by heat, there 

 will be little or no difference in this respect. A moderatelj^ slow 

 dog will always appear to have a better nose than a very fast one, 

 and will put up less game ; but, if too slow, he will lose a great 



many points which are taken from him by his faster competitor. 



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