DOGS 497 



cisely alike. Thus, while the main essentials of 

 field work, such as ranging, judgment, pointing, road- 

 ing, etc., are constants, there may be an infinity of 

 variable detail in accomplishing like results. 



For the better comprehension of the terminology of 

 upland shooting, some explanations will be of value. 



The terms pointing, standing, and setting, denote 

 the pause, generally very tense and spirited, which the 

 pointer or setter makes when either has located birds 

 definitely, or which, when trailing them, he- makes in 

 an attempt to locate their direction or whereabouts. 

 The dog, when pointing, may be quite close to the 

 birds or a long distance from them, variable circum- 

 stances entering into the consideration of this mat- 

 ter, such as whether the wind brings the scent directly 

 from the birds to the dog's nose; whether the dog's 

 nose is keen enough to locate the birds without press- 

 ing in close to them ; whether at the time the birds are 

 in thick or thin cover, or no cover at all; or whether 

 it is at a season when they are either reluctant to take 

 wing, or will flush instantly at the slightest alarm. 

 All these different circumstances the wise, capable, ex- 

 perienced field dog recognizes and observes. 



The functional powers of the dogs' noses, in respect 

 to pointing, vary greatly in the matter of efficiency. 

 There is nothing remarkable in this if we consider 

 that there is much variability in sense organs as 

 in the eyesight of man. 



Supplementary to a dog's efficiency in locating and 

 pointing birds are his intelligence, as shown by the 



