492 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 



and quite as small a percentage of these imported dogs 

 and bitches showed the excellent field form with which 

 they were credited abroad. Many of them were first 

 class in bench show competition, but as a whole they 

 were lamentably inferior as workers. However, dur- 

 ing the past two decades there has been wonderful im- 

 provement in this breed, quite a number of pointers 

 showing ability equal to that of the best setters in field 

 work and field-trial competition. 



The comparative qualities of setter and pointer have 

 been long debated without any final conclusions being 

 reached. It is held that the pointer, having much the 

 . shorter coat as a rule, suffers much less from excessive 

 heat than does his longer-haired brother ; but that dic- 

 tum has so many exceptions that it is far from being 

 accepted. The shorter coat of the pointer, in compari- 

 son with that of the setter, counts for very little; for 

 the setter, when properly conditioned by actual field 

 work, loses nearly all his feather, and his coat, also, 

 is much thinned and shortened from contact with the 

 cover. Unless fully conditioned and acclimated, both 

 suffer much distress in hot weather, and then, if set at 

 work, soon become exhausted. It is claimed for the 

 pointer that he can do without water better than the 

 setter. I myself have shot over both breeds exten- 

 sively when the weather was hot, and where water 

 was scarce, and I never observed this difference. As 

 a rule, both breeds require an abundance of water in 

 hot weather. Occasionally, one either pointer or set- 

 ter, as the case may be will show phenomenal en- 



