THE POINTER. 



THE Pointer (Canis avicularis, Linn.) is of several 

 types, as the English, Spanish, Kussian, and a small 

 species, called the French pointer. The best sort, 

 however, by many degrees, is the English ; his 

 lineage being by no means indigenous to this coun- 

 try, but coming of various experimental and scientific 

 crosses. Some of our best pointers have been bred 

 from the Spanish race and the British fox-hound. 

 We have little opinion of the Eussian pointer, though 

 the setters of that breed are excellent ; and still less 

 value for the French animal, so called. Whatever 

 its origin, the smooth English pointer is certainly 

 the most generally useful of all the species of dogs 

 used for finding, and stopping to, game. Once made, 

 his education is completed for life ; while the setter 

 requires breaking, more or less, at the commence- 

 ment of every season. When age, indeed, has taken 

 all fire and all pace out of the setter, he will be 

 found steady enough ; but so he would if he were 

 dead: and when the dash has left a sporting dog, 

 the sooner his breath follows it the better. As the 

 young shooter can hardly be expected to breed his 

 own dogs for the gun, we will afford him the counsel 

 of an old gamekeeper in the choice of them : always 

 entreating him to bear in mind, that the sharpest 

 practitioner, or thereabouts, under the sun, is the 

 dog fancier, or merchant. 



