338 
FRANK FORESTER’S FIELD SPORTS. 
having a light tan spot over each eye, and a tan shadowing 
round the muzzle, and a few liver spots on the body. No tint 
is preferable to this. Black and tan is an undeniable, though 
uncommon color for the Pointer, coming probably from Fox¬ 
hound blood; and pure black dogs are frequent and good. I dis¬ 
like a black and white spotted Pointer, it has a currish look, to 
say the least of it. 
The more highly bred any animal is, the better he will be, 
I believe, in all respects. The Pointer’s skin becomes infi¬ 
nitely tenderer, and his whole frame more delicate and fine¬ 
drawn, by high breeding; but so much does he gain thereby, 
in pluck and courage, that I have seen pure-blooded dogs of this 
strain tearing their way through cat-briar brakes, literally bleed¬ 
ing at every pore, and whimpering with pain, while great, 
coarse-bred, hairy brutes, of six times their apparent power of 
frame, and capacities of endurance, slunk away like curs, as 
they were, unable to face the thorns. 
In every animal, from the man, in whom I believe it tells the 
most, down to the bullock and the Berkshire hog, I am an im¬ 
plicit believer in the efficacy of blood and breeding to develop all 
qualities, especially courage to do, and courage to bear—as well 
as to produce the highest and most delicate nervous organiza¬ 
tion ; and I would as willingly have a cur in my shooting ken¬ 
nel, as a mule in my racing stable, if I had one. 
I will now proceed to notice briefly, as becomes the scanti¬ 
ness of his use in this country, 
THE COCKING SPANIEL. 
This beautiful, intelligent, and useful dog, which, like the 
Pointer, is, as his name indicates, probably of Spanish origin, is 
very little known or used in this country, except as a pet and 
plaything for ladies; and yet there is no country in the world 
for which, from the great prevalence of woodland over open 
