AXIOMS FOB THE BKJSEDEli's USE. 177 



of the good hunting qualities, and as few of the vices of that kind 

 of dog ; and if these points are not attended to, the result is not 

 often good. 



To secure these several results, the pedigrees of the dog and bitch 

 are carefully scanned by those who are particular in these matters, 

 because then assurance is given that the ancestor?, as far as they 

 can be traced, possessed all those qualifications, without which 

 their owners would not in all human probability retain them. 

 Hence a poi.itcr, if proved to be descended from a dog and bitch 

 belonging to Lord Scfton, Lord Lichfield, or any well-known 

 breeder of this dog in the present day, or from Sir H. Goodrich, 

 Mr. Moore or Mr. Edge, so celebrated for their breeds some years 

 ago, would be valued more highly than another without any 

 pedigree at all, though the latter might be superior in shape, 

 and might perform equally well in the field. The impor- 

 tance of pedigree is becoming more fully recognized every 

 year, and experienced breeders generally refuse to have any- 

 thing to do with cither dog or bitch for this particular pur- 

 pose, unless they can trace the pedigree to ancestors belonging to 

 parties who were known to be themselves careful in their selections. 

 In most cases, this is all that is attempted, especially in pointers, 

 setters, spaniels, etc., but in greyhounds and foxhounds of first- 

 class blood, the genealogy may generally be traced through half a 

 dozen kennels of known and established reputation ; and this 

 same attention to breed ought to prevail in all the varieties of the 

 dog whose performances are of importance, and indeed without H 

 the reproduction of a particular shape and make cannot with any- 

 thing like certainty be depended on. Hence the breeders of the 

 valuable toy dogs, such as King Charles spaniels, Itah n grey- 

 hounds, etc., are as careful as they need be, having found out by 

 experience that without this attention they are constantly dis- 

 appointed. 



