THE POINTEE. 193 



oially such as have been much shot over by sure killers, 

 often acquire and carry to a ludicrous extent. 



The true form of the very best kind of English 

 pointer is so well laid down by " Stonehenge " in his 

 " British Rural Sports,'' that I cannot do better than to 

 quote the passage entire. 



" The points by which these dogs are generally chosen, 

 are — First, the form of the head, which should be wide, 

 yet flat and square, with a broad nose, pendulous lip and 

 a square tip ; the pointed tip indicating too great a cross 

 of the foxhound or greyhound. Secondly, a good set of 

 bg3 and feet, the former strait and bony, and well set on 

 at the shoulder, and the latter round and the pads hard 

 and horny. Thirdly, a strong loin and good general devel- 

 opment, with sloping shoulders. Fourthly, a fine stern, 

 small in the bone and sharp at the point, like the sting of 

 a wasp, and not curved upward. This form of stern, with 

 a vigorous lashing of it from side to side, marks the true- 

 bred pointer as much as any sign can do ; and its absence 

 distinguishes the foxhound cross, which gives a very hairy 

 stern, with a strong curve upward and carried over the 

 back ; or the too great amount of greyhound blood, 

 •marked by a small stern also, but by one whose diminution 

 commences from the very root ; while the genuine pointer's 

 is nearly of the same size, till within a few inches of the 

 point, when it suddenly tapers off. Great injury has often 

 been done by breeding in-and-in for many generations of 

 pointers. A sportsman begins life by obtaining a brace 

 which do their work to perfection, and he is the admiration 

 and envy of all his sporting friends as long as they last, 

 9 



