480 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 



In "Stonehenge on the Dog" special attention is 

 devoted to this setter. By way of illustration, a pic- 

 ture of "a Russian setter slightly crossed with English 

 blood" is presented. In many points it resembles the 

 griffon. Stonehenge remarks: 'They are now very 

 scarce in this country, of pure blood, and even the cross 

 with the English setter is seldom seen." Many years 

 ago Mr. R. L. Purcell Llewellin, who was sceptical 

 concerning the existence of this breed, offered a prize 

 for any Russian setter shown at the Birmingham dog 

 show. None was shown in response to the induce- 

 ment. The breed, if it ever existed as a breed, was 

 thought to be extinct many years ago. More likely it 

 was merely a cross-bred strain. The probabilities are 

 that it never was known in Russia. 



The product of a cross between the setter and pointer 

 is called a dropper. It is considered a mongrel cross, 

 and therefore is not recognized as a breed. However, 

 this cross has produced useful working dogs, though 

 even at that far inferior to the best straight-bred point- 

 ers and setters in respect to high-class performance. 

 In certain quarters, which are without any recognized 

 authority in matters pertaining to breeding, there is 

 a belief that the dropper averages well and pleasingly 

 with the setter and pointer as a worker. Well in- 

 formed, practical sportsmen know that while there 

 may be a passably good dropper now and then, their 

 average as workers afield is not above the mediocre. 

 There is an abundance of data concerning field work 

 and field-trial competition which establishes the fact 



