FOR THE FIELD AND FIELf) TRIALS. 



exaggerated importance bestowed on it by the sports- 

 man who values the spectacular manner over useful 

 matter. 



The first requisite of the setter and pointer is to 

 find birds ; the manner of it is incidental. Very few 

 shooters who in the parlor declaim in ecstasy over 

 the thrills and tremors of a sensational point live up 

 to the ideal when in the field. Then a point is a 

 point. If beautiful so much the better, if it is a true 

 point; if false, so much the worse. At all events, 

 when a shooter goes afield with a gun and dog it is 

 safe to assume that the spectacular point is beautiful 

 as an incident, though it is not the main purpose. 



Some dogs from extreme caution learn to drop to 

 point. Others again, from getting lost on point, be- 

 come weary of waiting, lie down to rest and learn 

 it therefrom, while others, again, which have been 

 taught to drop to shot, learn to drop in anticipation 

 of the flush, which is gradually evolved into drop- 

 ping to point. 



