The Setter. 285 



the north of Europe and China for ladies' pets and 

 toy dogs. 



Before leaving the subject of old painters and 

 setters, allusion must be made to a picture by 

 Alexander Desportes, a French artist of great skill,, 

 to whom allusion has previously been made. 



He was expressly employed at the court of Louis 

 XIV. as historiographer of the chase, a position 

 which his abilities enabled him to fulfil much to the 

 satisfaction of his royal master. The painting in 

 question is one of dogs and partridges. There are 

 three of the former, two of them evidently setters 

 and one of them pointing a covey, with one foot 

 forward, is very much like the dog painted by 

 Diirer, and already mentioned namely, a black, tan, 

 and white ticked animal, of quite the modern setter 

 type. Another dog, on the point, is black and 

 white, and a setter ; whilst the third, also black 

 and white, might be a cross between pointer and 

 setter. Anyhow, it is much smoother in coat than 

 either of its companions. I think little more 

 evidence than the above pictures of great artists, 

 need be given to convince those who may be 

 interested in the matter and still doubtful, that the 

 setter is not quite so modern a creature as some 

 writers would have us suppose. At any rate, we 

 have here proof that a dog remarkably similar, if not 



