326 
FRANK FORESTER’S FIELD SPORTS. 
lities are first-rate. They are more common in the North than 
in the South of England, and are much used on the moors. The 
Duke of Devonshire had, when I was in England, and I believe 
keeps to this day, this fine variety in its purity ; and in my boy¬ 
hood, my father, the late Dean of Manchester, had some excel¬ 
lent dogs of the Russian breed, one of which, Charon, was the 
best dog, far or near, over which I ever have drawn a trigger. 
As the excellence of the Setter or Pointer is a mooted ques¬ 
tion, and one of great utility and importance to the sportsman, 
I am not willing to rely solely on my own judgment therein, and 
have, on this account, extracted from the American edition of 
Youatt, Dr. Lewis’ opinion of the merits of the Setter, com¬ 
pared with those of the Pointer. 
“ It cannot for a moment be doubted,” he says, “ that the 
Setter has superior advantages to the Pointer, for hunting over 
our uncleared country, although the Pointer has many qualities 
that recommend him to the sportsman, that the Setter does not 
possess. In the first place, the extreme hardiness and swiftness 
of foot, natural to the Setter, enables him to get over much 
more ground than the Pointer, in the same space of time. Their 
feet also, being more hard and firm, are not so liable to become 
sore from contact with our frozen ground. The ball-pads being 
well protected by the Spaniel toe-tufts, are less likely to be 
wounded by the thorns and burs with which our woods are 
crowded during the winter season. His natural enthusiasm for 
hunting, coupled with his superior physical powers, enables him 
to stand much more work than the Pointer, and oftentimes he 
appears quite fresh upon a long-continued hunt, when the other 
will be found drooping and inattentive. 
“ The long, thick fur of the Setter, enables him to wend his 
way through briary thickets without injury to hirnself, when a 
similar attempt on the part of a Pointer, would result in his 
ears, tail and body being lacerated and streaming with blood. 
“ On the other hand, the Pointer ite superior to the Setter in 
retaining his acquired powers for hunting, and not being natu¬ 
rally enthusiastic in pursuit of game, he is more easily broken 
and kept in proper subjection. 
