128 THE COMPLETE SHOT 



colours in the offspring. This blending of colour happens but 

 very rarely, and as colour is more or less indicative of blood, 

 almost certainly for one, so it remains through many, gene- 

 rations. In discussing setters the author has had occasion to 

 relate more fully his own experience of this remarkable 

 tenacity of colour, in spite of colour crossing, and also to 

 note the curious fact that along with colour is inherited 

 much of the character that originally belonged to or accom- 

 panied it. 



The writer would therefore divide pointers in his own 

 mind into three great modern families, each of which has 

 both the Spanish and French pointer as a base. These 

 branches are : 



1. Those that have setter indications, including the majority 



of lemon-and-white ones, and those of the " ticked " 

 varieties. 



2. Those which resemble the greyhound in formation and 



in fineness of stern, and have a tendency to have 

 feet like the greyhound. They are often whole- 

 coloured like it too. 



3. Those which seem to trace to the foxhound, by reason 



of their " cat " feet, thick coats, and coarse sterns. 



Whether the origins suggested are correct or not, there is 

 a very great difference between breeds at present, and some 

 internal qualities seem to be most often found with certain 

 colours and formations. For instance, the " dish - face " 

 characteristic of the setter is most often found in the lemon- 

 and-white pointer. The " Roman " profile characteristic of 

 the hound is most often found in the liver-and-white sort, 

 and the very fine stern and hare feet, the stern often with a 

 tendency to curl up, is found most often in the whole-coloured 

 pointers. 



Again, a tucked - up, racing appearance is generally seen 

 in old pictures and present-day dogs associated with the whole 

 or self-coloured pointers ; a high or foxhound carriage of stern 

 occurs with the liver - and - white ; and long backs are most 



