TIIK POINTER. 



M. Leonard exhibited in the Strand, some years ago, a brace of tin.- pointers one of tho Spanuh 

 breed, named Philax, the other of the French breed, culled Braque. l!<>th were .sa^ieiou* brut*- 

 Braque, the lesser and leaner of the two, was the quicker and the more clover ; he I;.,. I I,,,,, ui,,|,.r 

 tuition nearly three years; Pliilax, little more than half the time. 



Their owner opened a door, and showed the two dogs crouched beside their fim.l, waiting bin per- 

 mission to eat ; but, before taking their meal, they went through their lessons. He began by Hliowing 

 the perfect control under which he held them. They arose and laid down, played and wwiimcd \iirii.iM 

 attitudes at his command. One would take a bit of n.eat in its mouth, and give it up to tin- 

 and in no instance did either swal- 

 low a morsel he was required to 

 fetch or carry, until he had received 

 permission. Thus much for their 

 docility itself a curious exhibition 

 now for their intelligence. 



M. Leonard, first exciting the 

 attention of the dogs to what he 

 was going to do, threw on the floor 

 several bits of bread, calling each bit 

 by a number, but not in numerical 

 order ; and the dogs fetched any par- 

 ticular piece indicated by calling for 

 the number assigned to it, though 

 some of the company had forgotten 

 to which pieces the number belonged. 

 A few cards of different colours were 

 thrown down, and the dogs picked 

 up any colour called for; and on 

 being shown a glove, or anything of THE SETTEK . 



the colour, desired, they fetched the 



card of that hue ; so, when shown any article, as a glove, a box, or a piece of paper, they would 

 pick up its like from the floor, and take it to the person pointed out. 



They not only found any letter or numeral called for, but showed a knowledge of spelling and 

 arithmetic : thus, the letters forming the name of Eachel were laid on the ground out of their proper 

 order, and M. Leonard, pronouncing several times the word " Rachel," the dogs brought the letters in 

 their right sequence. As to figures, if " five added to two " were called for, they brought the number 

 seven ; if " nine less five," the number four, and so on. 



To wind up the whole, Braque played a game of dominoes with any one of the comjuiiiy, with ae 

 much skill and gravity as an old Frenchman at a cafe. The dominoes Were set up before him, and he 

 picked out with his mouth what he wanted, and not unfrequently beat his antagonist. On a wrong 

 one being played, he retired and barked, and also when he himself was unable to play. The dogs made 

 some mistakes in the course of the performances, but always themselves corrected the errors they made. 



M. Leonard used no threats ; he spoke in a quiet tone, but distinctly, repeating his command two 

 or three times to insure attention, and impress the memory ; he rewarded the promptitude of the dogs 

 by patting them and clapping his hands, and administered reproof by a few smart slaps on the hind 

 quarters, or a box on the ears. 



THE SETTER.* 



THIS dog is of ancient descent. It was trained to the net by Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, in 

 \ :>:',.'>. The English setter is generally white, with large marks of red or liver colour ; but very fine 

 dogs of this kind have been seen entirely of a dark liver-brown. 



The net has long since been superseded by the fowling-piece. Setters are now mostly employed 



C:tni- index. 



VOL. II. 



