Early Spaniels and Setters 97 



The pointer as has been the setter, is broke from chasing we well suppose, 

 to which the sight of the game had hitherto been the stimulus. Now, 

 although he will hear the whirl and departure of the birds it is more than 

 probable the report of the gun will agitate him into the forgetfulness of duty 

 and urge to pursuit." 



It would be natural to conclude from the mention of whole coveys 

 being the aim of the setter and the uses of the net, that wholesale destruction 

 of game was the object and the result-. Such, indeed, was our opinion until 

 we came across the following in "Sporting," edited by "Nimrod," Lon- 

 don, 1837, the article being on "The Setter and Grouse," by the editor: 



"This mode of sporting, however, has long been out of fashion, and 

 is what I never saw practised but by one sportsman in my life. This was a 

 Flintshire squire of the old-fashioned sort [Peter Davies of Broughton 

 Hall], who was famous for his "setting dogs," as they were then called, and 

 it was a very pleasing sight to witness them in their work. 



"The old gentleman took the field in good style, being accompanied by 

 a servant to hold his horse when he dismounted, and two mounted keepers 

 in their green plush jackets and gold-laced hats. A leash of highly bred 

 red and white setters were let loose at a time, and beautifully did they range 

 the fields, quartering the ground in obedience to the voice or the whistle. 

 On the game being found, every dog was down, with his belly close on the 

 ground; and the net being unfurled, the keepers advanced on a gentle 

 trot, at a certain distance from each other, and drew it over them and the 

 covey at the same time. Choice was then made of the finest birds, which 

 were carried home alive, and kept in a room until wanted, and occasionally 

 all would be let fly again, on ascertaining their unfitness for the spit. Modern 

 sportsmen may consider this tame sport, and so in fact it is, compared with 

 the excitement attending the gun; but still it has its advantages. It was 

 the means of preserving game on an estate, by equalising the number of 

 cock and hen birds — at least to a certain extent — and killing the old ones; 

 no birds were destroyed but what were fit for eating; and such as were 

 destroyed, were put to death at once, without the chance of lingering from 

 the effects of a wound, which is a circumstance inseparable from shooting." 



We do not at all doubt that setters had been and were then being used 

 as were pointers, but the point we make is that the proper division, when 

 it came to the ethics of sport, was for the long-legged spaniel, or setter, to 

 be restricted to ranging and standing his birds for the net, while the pointer. 



