48 The Sporting Dog 



the advantage possessed by the orange-and-v/hite 

 color, the high flag has a decided utiHty value to 

 the sportsman. A dog which carries its flag 

 high will nearly always point with high head. 

 It must be admitted that the attitude loses from 

 the standpoint of style as compared with the 

 low stern and more extended and intense position 

 of the pointer and of some setters, but a man 

 learns after experience to rather fancy the up- 

 right position and high flag. As a guide to the 

 eye it comes to be regarded with indulgence if 

 not with decided favor. Nearly all handlers 

 agree, too, in the belief that high head and 

 stern in pointing are indicia of spirit and vigor. 



Recurring a moment to the question of color, 

 it might be said that probably the American 

 preference for white-black-tan is due to the 

 fame with which Gladstone and Count Noble 

 endowed it early in the days of public field trials. 

 Bergundthal's Rake and others carrying a large 

 proportion of Rhoebe blood were highly favored. 

 Their descendants took on a strong tendency to 

 the white-black-tan, and seem to have been the 

 chief influences in establishing the predominance 

 of the color. 



A study of the English setter in America would 

 be imperfect if the superstition in favor of the 

 " pure " or " straight-bred " Llewellin were not 

 thrashed out in a way to convey the true state 



