130 DOGS AND ALL ABOUT THEM 



of Carlisle, and his father before him. With these Mr. Arkwright 

 has bred to the best working strains, with the result that 

 he has had many good field trial winners. For a good many 

 years now Elias Bishop, of Newton Abbot, has kept up the old 

 breeds of Devon Pointers, the Ch. Bangs, the Mikes, and the 

 Brackenburg Romps, and his have been amongst the best at 

 the shows and the field trials during the past few years. 

 There are, of course, exceptions to the rule that many of the 

 modern Pointers do not carry about them the air of their 

 true business ; but it would appear that fewer people keep 

 them now than was the case a quarter of a century ago, owing 

 to the advance of quick-shooting, otherwise driving, and the 

 consequent falling away of the old-fashioned methods, both 

 for the stubble and the moor. However, there are many still 

 who enjoy the work of dogs, and it would be a sin indeed in 

 the calendar of British sports if the fine old breed of Pointer 

 were allowed even to deteriorate. The apparent danger is 

 that the personal or individual element is dying out. In 

 the 'seventies the name of Drake, Bang, or Garnet were like 

 household words. People talked of the great Pointers. They 

 were spoken of in club chat or gossip ; written about ; and 

 the prospects of the moors were much associated with the up- 

 to-date characters of the Pointers and Setters. There is 

 very little of this sort of talk now-a-days. Guns are more 

 critically spoken of. There is, however, a wide enough world 

 to supply with first-class Pointers. In England's numerous 

 colonies it may be much more fitting to shoot over dogs. It 

 has been tried in South Africa with marvellous results. 

 Descendants of Bang have delighted the lone colonist on Cape 

 partridge and quails, and Pointers suit the climate, whereas 

 Setters do not. The Pointer is a noble breed to take up, as 

 those still in middle life have seen its extraordinary merit 

 whenever bred in the right way. As to the essential points 

 of the breed, they may be set down as follows : 



Head Should be wide from ear to ear, long and slanting from the 

 top of the skull to the setting on of the nose ; cheek bones prominent ; 



