318 EMPLOYMENT OF THE DOG IN HUNTING, ETC. 



or against either, and selects the smooth dog for the moors, he 

 should fix upon a strong coarse-haired dog, and those with a cross 

 of the foxhound seem to be generally preferred ; but they have 

 some of the disadvantages of the setter, being much more difficult 

 to break than the genuine pointer, but are far more hardy and 

 enduring. Indeed, some of this breed will beat the setter in pace 

 and endurance ; while the nose of the hound, being as good as that 

 of the pointer, or nearly so, does not lower the power of scent, but 

 it has a tendency to make the dog lose that fine handsome range 

 which the true breed possess, as displayed in the high carriage of 

 the head when at work, which is so beautiful to the eye of the 

 sportsman. With regard to the peculiar breed of each which is to 

 be selected, I should advise the modern pointer without the fox- 

 hound cross (or, if any, very remote), taking care that there is 

 endurance enough to carry the dog through a good day's shooting. 

 On the average, few pointers will beat as they should do for more 

 than four or six hours, and even this amount of work cannot be 

 maintained for many days together. I have had one or two dogs 

 which no one man could tire, but these were light greyhound-like 

 animals ; and though they could do wonders on a good scenting 

 day, they were useless on a dry September afternoon, without any 

 wind stirring. It is true that few dogs will find game on such a 

 day ; but there are some which will reduce their pace accordingly, 

 and these are generally to be found among the true pointers, bred 

 with as large heads as possible, consistently with the possession of 

 frames suited to go throi;gh their work. They need not be very 

 fast, but they should keep at their work steadily, and in that way 



