MR. LOKT ON POINTERS. 403 



"Mattingley, sixty years ago, and Webb Edge so lately as 1845, did for the Pointer, 

 although to a less degree, what Laverack did for the Setter Mattingley brought his 

 Pointers from the North, as did Laverack his Setters ; Webb Edge was less particular with 

 his pedigrees than either of the other men, for while he used none, or very few, but his own 

 sires, and those of the purest blood, he would now and then be tempted to buy and to keep 

 a litter from a 'slashing bitch from the North.' At his sale (or rather that of his executors) 

 in October, 1845, the best went to Prince Albert, Mr. Statter, Mr. Warner, and, I believe, 

 the father of the present Mr. William Brailsford, and last, but by no means least, so far as 

 result was concerned, the late George Moore of Appleby (with whom I judged at the first 

 Birmingham show). 



" Some writers on the Pointer have wrongly classed Webb Edge with the heavy brigade, 

 such as Lord Derby, Lord Lichfield, Lord Sefton, Antrobus (Sir E.), and others ; but he was 

 with the flyers. His Pointers, in short, were the fleetest and best of their day. 



" Between the introduction of the Mattingley blood and the sale at Strelley (Webb 

 Edge's), there was a lull, a dark age as it were, during which not much was done, and what 

 was done was not recorded. Lord Kennedy, Osbaldeston, Sir R. Sutton, Sir R. Musgrave, 

 Mr. Green, and Lord Sefton, did much to aid in bringing the breed down to the period of 

 modern Pointer breeding. The Midland Counties received both the Mattingley blood and the 

 best of the Webb Edge, and they retained it, and improved it. Staffordshire was for a long 

 time noted for good Pointers, and we all know that of late years there has not been a 

 better kennel than that of Mr. Whitehouse, of Ipsley, who may fairly claim to be the 

 breeder of more good Pointers than any other man of his time. Pilkington, Brierley, 

 Lloyd Price, the late Lord Berwick, all have owned dogs of undoubted quality, but they 

 were seldom the breeders they bought." 



Unlike the Setter, there is no special or distinct breed of Pointer which is identified 

 with any particular district of this country. The Irish even, though they possess their Setter, 

 their Spaniel, their Terrier, and their Wolfhound, lay no claim to any particular variety of 

 Pointer ; on the contrary, the breed seems particularly ignored in the Emerald Isle. Scotland, 

 too, has not done much towards improving this class of dog, but probably the inattention 

 paid the Pointer in both these instances is greatly due to the nature of the country, for which 

 the Setter is the better dog, as the ground is more broken and hilly than it is down south. 

 Nor have, as far as we can see, many of the English breeders particularly identified themselves 

 by their connection with any particular type. Some there are, however, who only pay their 

 attention to dogs of about a certain weight, and attach little importance to animals who do 

 not approach the scale which they consider to be the most correct one. 



It is by weight alone that Pointers are divided at our modern dog shows, and no 

 attention is paid to colour or other developments in the classification of these dogs. The 

 most recent exhibitions, where a division of the classes have been made, have separated 

 them as follows: Dogs over 55 Ibs. ; bitches over 50 Ibs. ; dogs under 55 Ibs. ; bitches 

 under 50 Ibs. Supporters of the different sizes are often known to entertain very decided 

 opinions on the merits of their different hobbies, and their various arguments are each 

 entitled to respect when the uses for which the dog are required come to be considered. 

 For old sportsmen the heavy dogs, partaking, as they do, largely of the character of the 

 old Spanish Pointer, are chiefly to be recommended, as, from their greater weight, they are 

 not so fast or so active in the field. On the other hand, there is a far greater development 



