114 ANIMALS USED BY THE SHOOTEB. 



imitated to some extent in other breeds, yet in none is it 

 so clear as in this, resembling in the highly-bred pointer the 

 disease known by the name of catalepsy. But, coupled with 

 this large brain and broad nose, is a heavy and unwieldy 

 body, which is soon tired by work, and thus this kind of 

 dog can only be used for three or four hours at a time. 



The modern English painter is the result of a cross of the 

 Spanish dog with the greyhound or foxhound, by which the 

 delicacy of the nerves of the nose, and of the other parts of 

 the nervous system, is to a certain extent diminished, while 

 the body is rendered much more light and elegant. In pro- 

 portion to the amount of Spanish blood in any breed is the 

 size of the head, while according to the number of crosses 

 from the greyhound or foxhound is the body made light, 

 strong, and active. The former of these is the better of the 

 two for the purpose of crossing with the Spanish pointer, 

 because he gives all the advantages of the foxhound without 

 the disadvantage of the tendency to stoop in hunting and to 

 chase "for." As the foxhound is crossed with the grey- 

 hound for the same purpose that is, to give speed and 

 endurance, the latter is in either case the real source of 

 these qualities, and for this reason there is little doubt as to 

 the desirability of choosing him in preference to his de- 

 scendant, the foxhound. It is said that some breeds, though 

 light and active, are descended from the pure-bred Spanish 

 pointer by choosing out the lightest puppies to continue the 

 breed; but I fully believe that none are free from one or 

 other of the strains above mentioned, excepting those which 

 show a certain degree of heaviness about the shoulders and 

 disproportion between the hind and fore quarters, which is 

 not by any means desirable. This, however, is purely con- 

 jectural, as there are few pedigrees which can be traced back 

 for many generations. The late Mr. Edge's breed is said to 

 be so descended, and probably it can be carried back as far 

 as any other ; bat even his is lost in obscurity, and cannot be 

 proved to be pure any more than those of Lord Derby or 

 LordSefton. 



The points which are looked for in the modern English 

 pointer, whether of the heavy or light breed, are as follows: 

 Head wide rather than long, flat at the top, with a forehead 



