THE MODERN ENGLISH POINTER. 135 



strains should now be regarded as the best, and especially as 

 Mr. Whitehouse himself has crossed his bitches with it, and pro- 

 duced his very useful dog " Macgregor," from which he has him- 

 self bred. 



The points of the pointer are as follows : — 





VALUE 





VALUE 



Skull, . ' . 



. 10 



Legs, elbows, and hocks, 



. 12 



Nose, .... 



10 



Feet, . 



. 8 



Ears, eyes, and lips, . 



• 4 



Stern, 



• 5 



Neck, . 



6 



Texture of coat, . 



• 3 



Shoulders and chest, . 



15 



Colour, 



5 



Back, quarters, and stifles, 



• 15 



Symmetry and quality, 



• 7 



Total, . .100 



The skull, as containing that organ in which resides the pecu- 

 liar features of the breed, is of great importance as to size and 

 shape, and I confess that if the body is only of a satisfactory shape 

 as to form and speed, I can hardly think the brain can be overdone. 

 Size, therefore, without heaviness, is to be regarded as without 

 limit, but a heavy head, as indicated by expression, is almost sure 

 to be attended by a bad temper and a slow pace. If, however, a 

 large head is accompanied by a cheerful, lively countenance, I 

 should value it highly, but unfortunately this combination is by 

 no means common. By all means, however, prize a large head 

 per se, but attend to the expression of the countenance the more 

 carefully in proportion. There should be a marked brow and 

 occipital protuberance, but the latter should not be so raised as 

 in the bloodhound, and the top of the skull should on no account 

 be domed, as in that breed, but, on the contrary, flat, excepting a 

 slight furrow down the middle, separating it into two slightly 

 rounded halves. The skull of the pointer is somewhat wider 

 than that of the setter. 



The nose is the organ on the lining membrane of which the 



