The greater frequency of a good nose without "tail action" in the pointer than in the setter, supposing it to exist, may, I think, be explained in the following way. Both the original pointer and the spaniel undoubtedly always possessed "tail action," which has probably been lost in many examples of each breed by crossing with the hound. Now, the foxhound chiefly tries for the foot scent, and so does the spaniel; while the peculiarity of the true pointer is that he carries his head high in the air, trying for the body scent, in which he is imitated by the best setter strains. As a consequence, according to my theory, the hound cross was borne by the pointer, while it was fatal to the setter, making the latter - who had by a long process of selection lost the spaniel's kind of nose in the hands of the most successful breeders - return to his original low carriage of head and "quest" of the foot scent.

There is a quality of great importance to the enjoyment of a good day's shooting over setters or pointers which has not in our field trials, been, I think, sufficiently attended to, namely, the mental development necessary to distinguish between a " false point" and one really on game. Even in partridge shooting it is a great nuisance to be dragged all across a large field without seeing fur or feather before you, your dog standing "as stiff as a crutch;" but on a grouse moor it is still worse. Of course even the best dog will occasionally make a mistake, but to be constantly misleading his master is an unmitigated bore. There are two or even three causes of this "false pointing." 1st. A dog may be so bred as to develop the tendency by association of ideas; that is to say, to point without any scent at all, and only from some indication either of eye or ear. 2ndly. A point often occurs from a dog feeling the scent which has been left behind by birds or "fur" recently gone away; and 3rdly. Some soft or lazy dogs point when they are tired, simply to get a rest from their gallop.

Now, as to the first of these causes, I have had little or no personal experience in the setter; but I have certainly seen it strongly developed in the old-fashioned pointer, and notably in a well-known strain kept very pure by the last Lord Foley, which, like the Laverack setters, were very much in-bred. But they were very different from that strain in point of stamina and courage, and required no breaking whatever. I should not, therefore, from their example have suspected its existence in the Laveracks, which are said to require a great deal of breaking; although, since it was alleged against them as a fault by " Setter," I can call to mind the fact that Sir E. Garth's Daisy, when she won at Shrewsbury in 1869, began to point almost as soon as she was cast off by her breaker, and the general impression was that it was a trick, for which E. Armstrong got the blame, as her false point ended in a draw; and this going on till she came on game, Daisy obtained credit which it was thought she did not deserve.

Not having seen Blue Belle III. at Horseheath, I must depend on the evidence of the Field reporter, who describes her as manifesting the fault five times in succession in a short time, pointing and staring about her when on the point, in a way to show clearly that no game was before her. Assuming this account to be correct - as I have no doubt it is - it certainly corroborates "Setter's" statement in a remarkable manner, and endorses the opinion generally formed that the strain is too much in-bred. Most probably Mr. Laverack selected for stud purposes those animals which showed the greatest tendency to point naturally, and in this way obtained the cataleptic tendency in excess. But this propensity is by no means objectionable when crossed with other strains, and hence we have seen such good dogs as Mr. Field's Daisy, Mr. Macdona's Banger, Mr Brewis's Dash II., and Mr. Purcell Llewellin's Norna and Nora.

The second kind of "false point" is the most common, and should be severely punished in the fully broken dog by every means short of the whip. Most breakers, and especially when preparing for field trials, are content to get a point, whether false or true, since the practice usually has been, at public trials, to give the dog credit for the point, if in the opinion of the judge game had recently gone away, whether the dog has made out his mistake or not. But the experienced sportsman is not content with such a mental defect, and expects his pointer or setter to tell him clearly whether or no he is certain of a find. The nose should be keen enough to make a dog stop in his gallop however slight the scent, and he should even point; but no sooner is the stop made, than he should set his brains to work to discover the actual presence or absence of game, which is easily made out by a clever dog, who soon finds the scent diminish if not kept up by a fresh supply from the bird or ground game. To be able to say with certainty that "Grouse" or "Duke" has game before him, and to march any distance to him with confidence is a pleasure only equalled by the annoyance suffered, when after a long march a blank is the result.

Hence, I think it highly important that a "false point" repeated more than once in a short trial should be regarded as a fatal defect in selecting a dog or bitch for stud purposes.

As to the third kind of false point arising from laziness alone, I need scarcely remark that a dog exhibiting it is only fit for a hempen collar or a charge of shot. .

Points Of The Setter

The numerical value of the points in each breed is the same, though the description in several of them will vary. I therefore begin by allotting the following figures to each, referring my readers to the three articles for their varying definitions.

Value Of Points In Setter

Grand Total 100.