3 5 ^ THE BOOK OF THE Doc. 



always though at the cost of appearance, it fined and strengthened the stern, giving life and 

 motion to it, and what, whether rightly or wrongly, in early times was thought a good deal 

 of it rounded the foot. 



" I know how shocked some of our modern breeders will be at the idea of their favourites 

 having in their veins a drop of Pointer blood. It is well perhaps that it is not generally known 

 how many fashionable strains have been vitiated with much more objectionable blood than that of 

 the Pointer. I have seen Droppers [cross between a Pointer and Setter], yes, and dogs bred 

 from Droppers, possessing exquisite powers of scent, lovely tempers, and great pace. I think 

 there is reason to believe the Spaniel to be the foundation of our present Setter. 



" As a case showing that it is possible for cross-bred dogs to breed true, I knew of a 

 black Setter bitch three crosses from Pointer, belonging to Robert Warner, of Leicester Abbey. 

 She was good herself, having all the qualities of a pure Setter, and, curious enough, she bred 

 well from either a Setter or Pointer. Mr. Warner gave his keeper (who afterwards came into 

 my service) a brace of black puppies, by a Pointer, of this bitch. They looked all over 

 Pointers, they worked like Pointers, they were excellent Pointers, and were sold, when broken, 

 at 40 gs. a good price in those days. I myself had Setters from her, and they were good 

 Setters, and showed all Setter characteristics." 



A strong confirmation of Mr. Lort's theory is to be found in the subjoined engraving from 

 a painting by the famous French artist, Alexander Francois Desportes. This great animal 

 painter born in 1661, and died in 1743 was elected a member of the French Royal 

 Academy of Painting in 1699, and of its Council in 1704. For many years he occupied the 

 Court position of historiographer of the chase, created expressly for him by Louis XIV. ; and 

 his pictures, which are very numerous, can hardly be surpassed for their fidelity to Nature. The 

 engraving we reproduce from his pencil is entitled " Dogs and Partridges," and is valuable as 

 distinctly showing that the Pointer had been crossed with the Spaniel before and during his 

 time, and that the result was a dog very like our modern Setter. 



It has been before shown that up to the end of the last century Pointers were 

 the more favoured breed of dog by sportsmen, but of late years the Setter has made 

 great progress in public popularity. This may be, to a certain extent, accounted for by the 

 existence of the three varieties English, Scotch, and Irish to which allusion has been 

 already made ; but we feel inclined to believe that the natural toughness of this dog's 

 constitution has more to do with the change that has taken place. The thickly-padded feet 

 of the Setter unquestionably render him a preferable dog for all sorts of rough shooting, and 

 on the moors he is far better able to withstand the broken ground and the hard work that 

 has to be encountered than the Pointer, who is more easily fatigued. On the other hand, 

 exception has been taken to the Setter that, though physically stronger than the Pointer, he is 

 not able to work so long withov.t water, and it may be mentioned that this theory was in 

 existence at the time Taplin wrote, for he remarks, with reference to this, his favourite 

 breed : 



"There is an erroneous opinion in circulation that it is a disadvantage to Setters, they 

 cannot continue to hunt long without water; though it is perfectly well known to the most 

 experienced sportsmen they can endure heat, thirst, and fatigue as well, if not better than 

 Pointers; they are certainly more difficult to break, and when broke are most apt to run wild 

 and unsteady if rot frequently hunted." 



