302 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 



defended by the thickness of his coat, enabling him to 

 penetrate thickets that a pointer will scarcely look at. 

 For a person who shoots but seldom, and that over a 

 smooth country, the pointer is good, on account of his 

 less high-strung disposition ; but for the hard-working, 

 indefatigable sportsman, who finds a variety of game 

 upon his beat, where a retriever, both by land and 

 water, is sometimes necessary, the smooth-coated dog 

 cannot be compared to his feathered brother. With 

 regard to which of the two has the best nose, the 

 balance of opinion will be found in favour of the 

 pointer ; but this idea has, in a majority of cases, been 

 hastily adopted. It has, no doubt, arisen from the 

 greater inclination which the pointer manifests to 

 point, and from over docility dwelling on places which 

 birds have left some time, and which a setter will 

 scarcely notice. This circumstance, however, causes 

 me to think quite the reverse, the superior scenting 

 powers of the latter informing him that the game has 

 gone. The better, and, perhaps, the best method of 

 determining this point is, to observe which has the 

 superiority on bad- scenting days, or in retrieving a 

 wounded bird ; but in England setters and pointers 

 are not broken to retrieve ; in America no dog is con- 

 sidered perfect without these qualifications. 



I am aware that many are as ardent supporters of 



