ORIGIN OF THE POINTER. 



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was found to be more of service when birds had to be driven cautiously into the nets that 

 were spread out for their reception. The general introduction, therefore, of firearms into field 

 sports may we think, be correctly taken as the final cause of the Pointer, and, no doubt, 

 on his first appearance the Setter fell into temporary disuse, as it probably never struck our 

 fathers for some considerable period that the Setter's abilities could be so easily moulded to 

 suit the novel innovations introduced by the use of firearms as future events have testified. 



However, about the period referred to ample mention is made of the improved Pointer ; 

 and Sydenham Edwards, writing in 1800, speaks of him in the following words: 



" The sportsman has improved the breed by selecting the lightest and gayest individuals, 

 and by judicious crosses with the Foxhound to procure courage and fleetness. From the great 

 attention thus paid has resulted the present elegant dog, of valuable and extensive properties, 

 differing much from the original parent, but with some diminution of his instinctive powers. 

 He may thus be described light, strong, well formed, and very active ; about twenty-two inches 

 high ; head, small and straight ; lips and ears, small, short, and thin ; coat, short and smooth, 

 commonly spotted or flecked upon a white ground, sometimes wholly white ; tail, thin and wiry, 

 except when crossed with the Setter or Foxhound, then a little brushed. 



" This dog possesses great gaiety and courage, travels in a grand manner, quarters his 

 ground with great rapidity, and scents with acuteness, gallops with his haunches rather under 

 him, his head and tail up ; of strength to endure any fatigue, and an invincible spirit. But 

 with these qualifications he has concomitant disadvantages ; his high spirit and eagerness for 

 the sport render him intractable and extremely difficult of education; his impatience in 

 company subjects him to a desire to be foremost in the points, and not give time for the 

 sportsman to come up ; to run in upon the game particularly down wind ; but if these faults 

 can be overcome in training, if he can be made staunch in standing, drawing, and backing, 

 and to stop at the voice or token of the hand, he is highly esteemed ; and those who arrive 

 at such perfection in this country bring amazing prices. . . . 



" There is a circumstance worthy of notice in Pointers, that some of them have a deep 

 fissure in the centre of the nose, which completely divides the nostrils. Such are termed 

 double-nosed, and supposed to possess the power of scenting better than others. . . . 



" The most judicious cross appears to have been with the Foxhound, and by this has been 

 acquired speed and courage, power and perseverance, and its disadvantage, difficulty of training 

 them to be staunch. I believe the celebrated Colonel Thornton first made this cross, and, from 

 his producing excellent dogs, has been very generally followed." 



There frequently occur now in modern litters of Pointers, puppies malformed by a " double 

 nose," as described by Sydenham Edwards. We use the expression malformed advisedly, as, 

 in our opinion, such a development is not only unsightly, but positively injurious to the 

 animal's power of scent. In certain quarters we are aware of the existence of a lingering 

 superstition to the effect that a " double-nosed " Pointer has superior scenting powers, but for 

 our own part we cannot agree with the theory, and have never seen it proved in practice. 



Apropos of the "amazing prices" which Sydenham Edwards dilates upon, reference may 

 be made to the preceding chapter upon Setters, from which it will be seen that at the sale of 

 Daniel Lambert's dogs the Pointers fetched lower prices than the Setters. On the other hand, 

 in 1848, thirteen Pointers were sold by auction, and though only two of them had been shot 

 over, the large total of 256 guineas was secured. The following is the catalogue : 

 50 



