14 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Febtittakt 3, 1881. 



connection to the Spanish pointer comes to he considered. 

 The beat, specimens of this variety which wo have seen at 

 German dog shows, have been liver-and-whitein color, and 

 the lower dog in the accompanying illustration may he taken 

 as a very faithful representation of this class. 



On comparing tlie three types of pointer (Spanish, Herman 

 and English) which have been treated, of in this work, our 

 readers might almost be brought to style the three varieties 

 as superlative, comparative and positive, for they really rep- 

 resent these degrees to a remarkable extent. The superla- 

 tive bulk of the original Spanish pointer becomes greatly 

 Modified when the German branch of the family appears 

 upon the scene, while the latter in his turn has to be at once 

 refined if he is desired to be made anything like the English 

 dog in shape. 



In the accompanying engraving the resemblance of the 

 German pointer to the Spanish is very apparent, especially 

 in the forequarters, and it rimy be added thai little pace could 

 be expected to be found in either of these animals. Con- 

 trasted with the English pointer, however, neither the Ger- 

 man or Spanish members of the family arc likely to suffer if 

 strength is to betaken as any criterion of merit: hut ii is 

 nevertheless notorious that their great bone has not had the 

 effect of adding stamina to either breed. 



Whether or no the German pointer would be a desirable 

 cross for our English dogs is a mooted question at the present 

 time. Personally we should be very much disposed to try 

 it, if we had a strain of light-weight pointers to work upon ; 

 and our desire to do so would be increased if wc had the 

 breeding of a field trial winner before our eyes. At present, 

 as we have said above, we consider that too much attention 



orcd dcfgaiSj however, a very limited one, and by far the 

 most fashionable colore in the present day are the liver 

 and white, lemon and white and orange and white, which 

 ma.ybet.akenasfavorit.es in the order named. Caprice is, 

 nevertheless, chiefly responsible for the placing of one of 

 these colors over another, and it is only of recent years that 

 the liver and white dogs have reoccupied the position we 

 have given them on the list. Personally we see little advan- 

 tage iu placing one color over another, but we certainly pre- 

 fer pSrti to whole-colored pointers, and most strongly object 

 to a lemon and white pointer who carries a. black nose upon 

 his face. In our opinion this defect is simply a disqualifica- 

 tion, though authorities of position, we know, tlilfer from us 

 on the point; but still we remain unconvinced, believing 

 that the majority of pointer breeders agree with us in this 

 respect at least, and hold that a black nose is a decided blem- 

 ish on this class of t|.< g. 



Whilst on the subject of color it may be noted that many 

 admirers of the liver or liver and wl'iitc pointer are accus- 

 tomed to argue that he is in this pbint entitled to respect as 

 more closely resembling the oHI Spanish pointer than the 

 lemon and white or orange and white Still, when we take 

 into consideration the crosses that have been admittedly in- 

 troduced into the breed we cannot sec that mtich is to he 

 gained by this argument, even if it is strictly correct, which 

 we have no means of proving. 



The liver and white pointer, however, had previou-ly been 

 the popular dog, and this certainly seems to support those 

 who argue in fa or of this color. To Mr. Whitehonse, of 

 Ipsley Court, the greatest credit is due in connection with 

 lemon and whites, which is a breed he has succeeded in 



posed to be, and his more homely jacket places him at a dis- 

 advantage with the setter when the palm of beauty comes to 

 be awarded. Having no luxuriantly silky coat, the pointer 

 looks to be what he in reality is— a workman— and as such 

 he has succeeded in winuingfriends in every part of the country. 



l -u ».— ■ 



JOCKEYING AT FIELD TRIALS. 



THERE has recently been published a lengthy letter written by 

 a man named C. B. Whitford, in which an ingenious attempt 

 is made to whitewash Gladstone's performances at Robin's Island, 

 to advertise the man Whitford himself as a dog-handling jockey, 

 and to throw discredit upon our report of the Eastern field trials, 

 Unfortunately for the author of this af onlzing wail, it is but a 

 crude patchwork which reflects no credit upon him a* poBSesSiiig 

 either brains or morals. "We are roundly abused simply because 

 we reported the Gladstone heat as it occurred, tuid because we ex- 

 pressed our opinion that Gladstone was the loser. 



We ha've all aloug since the trials expected to see an attack of 

 this kind made, a dying squirm as it were, wherein everything 

 would be done in the way of abuse to serve us out, because we did 

 not proclaim Gladstone and his professions! handle! the winners, 

 and the two most pferfeot animals in the world. We hftvfe bad good 

 reason to believe that this malicious attack would be made, for on 

 the night, of the ending of the trials, while on our way to >V W 

 York, this man Whitford came and sat beside umn the cars and 

 tried, as far as he dared go, to persuade us to publish Gladstone's 

 record as a perfect one ; for, as Vihitiurd said, "I do not wish to 

 see in print that Gladstone committed errors." 



We were ,«u,inwluit amused M the boldoes- 01 Whir.fnrds <■ tittle- 

 game," and still more indignant. We knew that such practices 

 had been successfully tried ou others and this knowledge had 

 already explained to 'us many things that would otherwise have 

 been mysterious. 



GERMAN POINTERS. 

 From pijge m M VOTQ, SliaWS "j&Oftk of tUH Bog;" the plate hating been ionvarderl to the Fowssr *XB Stream by the Publishers. 



has been paid to increasing the pace of a pointer, and we be- 

 lieve that the time is not tat off when this merit will play a 

 secondary position to that of nose, as this has inevitably been 

 the consequence of breeders sacrificing one property in :ui 

 animal in their efforts to produce another feature of excel- 

 lence. We do not wish it to be imagined for a moment that 

 we by i.ny means decry the acquisition of pace in a pointer. 

 A slo ,, pottering dog" is enough to break an active man's 

 heart we admit ; hut at the same time we reserve to ourselves 

 the privilege of adding that a pointer without a nose is as 

 bad as one. who is deficient in pace. In field trials a faBt 

 dog looks flash, and by his superior pace can cover more 

 ground, and therefore increase his chance of finding birds. 

 The natural result of this is that such a dog defeats his slower 

 but surer companion, who keeps steadily plodding on 

 throughout the trial, and would do so throughout the day 

 without a fault, and probably would wear his gay companion 

 down in half a day. That such a thing is done at every trial 

 a reference to the reports thereof will amply testify, and 

 this, we trust, will have the effect in time of caushjg steps to. 

 be taken to remedy the evil. Field trials are such excellent 

 institutions in themselves, if properly carried out, that every 

 step should be promptly taken to prevent fashionable preju- 

 dices from doing any injury to the class of dog which is 

 meant to be benefited thereby. 



Allusion has been already made to the colors of the ancient 

 pointer, and the ideas of Mr. B. Thomas have been fully 

 stated. In the present day, however, the markings of the 

 pointer have increased in variety, and now we may reckon 

 upon finding good specimens in color, black, white, lemon 

 and white, orange and white, liver and white, and even an 

 occasional all lemon dog. The entire number of whole-col- 



brim'ing to the highest pilch af perfection. His most famous 

 dngsJiuvc been Hamlet and Kap, but an enumeration of all 

 this gentleman's many first-class pointers would be a task b> 

 any writer of a work on dogs which he could ill afford the 

 space it would consume. Mr. Whitehonse is recognized as 

 one of the leading judges of the breed with which his name 

 has been so lionorablyldentifled, and the correctness of his 

 ileeih.ioiiH at, the shows where he officiates is recognized by 



In spite, nevertheless, of the popularity which the lemon 



and whites have attained and the regard with which orange 

 and whites are looked upon by many breeders, as well as the 

 existence of blacks, livers and other colors, the liver and 

 whites appear to hold their own. Mr. W. Arkwrigllt's Prude 

 II. and Don Jose, Mr. R. J. Lloyd Price's Wa.gg, Belle and 

 Bow Bells and the former's great rival, Mr. James Fletcher's 

 PontO, are all liver and while. Nor are these by any means 

 the only first-rate specimens of this color. Mr. Bartram, 01 

 Essex, has a grand specimen of the liver and white in Spc- 

 eial. a very heavily-marked dog, and shot with liver ticks on 

 the portions of his horiv which should be white. Many breed- 

 ers admire this heavy marking and certainly we can see no 

 reason for decrying it, though it is uncommon on the show 

 bench. la addition tq Mr. Wbitehouse, the following gen- 

 tlemen have shown good lemon and whites: Mr. W. Ark- 

 wriyht i Prim and Primula), Mr. R. B. Lee (Miss Prim.) and 

 Mf.°C. W. Brierley (General Prim). 



As a companion the pointer is confessedly inferior to Ins 

 great rival the setter, tot, though there are exceptions to this 

 as to every other rule, ii is not for either his affection or in- 

 telligence in privatelife that the. pointer especially shines. As 

 an indoor pet this dog is not the success he might be. sup- 



said that ' 



twi 



tides 



ml I 



it ha 



teems to be tbat we 

 3 it was a race be- 

 ■. following lines in 

 ons to Judges that 



the Eastern Field TriaU liule- in tin. Jastr 

 we based our opinion. They read as follow 



"The dogR are to be huutod in all respects as an ordinary day's 

 shooting, in a sportsmanlike manner." 



Now, everything depends upon the interpretation of this para- 

 graph and what the words "in a spiirt=manhlm manner'' mean. 

 We presnrce that from unr standpoint it will bo impossible tn heat 

 into the brains of Whitford, and men of his class, that there is a 

 vast difference in the way iu which a gentleman and a trick v dog- 

 sharp will look at a matter of this kind. But, nevertheless, thero 

 is a difference which binges on a man's moral training and depends 

 upon the people with whom he has been accustomed to associate, 

 iself upon being a dog jockey. 



last 



■f diffei 



■at 



unfa 



r exploits 



t of a be 

 in pursn 



at. 



'fh 



e'llow 



arlv there, 

 men with 

 i tenia of 



for their 





rirv 



mess and 



,:... It t| 



111 



man 



Whitford 



,wu the 



law 



and 



teach the 



I IS BPfl! 



.-!.., 



auko 



and what 



We know that \Yhii 

 as we have heard him openly 

 where he had choused an oppo 

 is a class of men who delight 

 marked cards and loaded dice. 

 their way, congratulating then 

 believing that they have done 

 who is elbowed to the front b 

 gentleman sportsmou of America what 

 is not. 



if the field trials in tliis coin 

 lows, it is high tune that hoi 

 them. It is Whitford's opinioi 

 iug to circle his dog ahead, of his opponent'* dog who i 

 the birds and who has first discovered their preSe 

 completely barring the roading dogfiiau .very chauei 

 point and trickily gaining the credit that tie othej : 

 What sportsman would BOfiftinne to ahoot with a eoi 

 was guilty of such practices'.' Not many, no imagine, 

 organ that plays for this monkey calls it " nice gent 

 fine code of honor to attempt to inculcBW! a, sporting f 



to he com rued by such fel- 

 i, have m -tiling to do with 



