There is no doubt whatever that the modern pointer, owing to his increased pace, and through being able to endure (by his better formation) more hard work with less fatigue, is of more service to the sportsman; still there is room for improvement in him. What we want is to make him as much superior in nose as he is beyond his ancestors in pace. This as yet we have not accomplished. Of course increased pace allows of more ground being hunted in the same time, and this of itself is a great advantage; and it is this alone, in my opinion, that gives the modern fast pointer the advantage over his slower rival. To illustrate what I mean I may say that I have often put down my field trial winner Romp with good-nosed slow dogs (local celebrities, too), and owing to her terrific pace, she could always take and keep the outside beat; consequently her chances of finding game were much increased, and she invariably beat them "hands down." But it was only her pace, not her nose, that gave her the advantage. The dags she could easily beat were her equals in nose.

I have attended field trials for the last five years, and in no case have I seen any pointer exhibiting an increased range of nose over that I have seen in other good dogs.

A fear has often been expressed that, by breeding for pace, the staunchness of the pointer would be detrimentally affected. I am pleased to say I do not find this to be the case. He is now, in this respect, all that a sportsman can wish for.

As the pointer and setter are used for identically the same purpose, it may be expected that I should say something as to their relative merit. It is always an invidious task to draw comparisons, and in this case I think it especially so; for each breed has a host of admirers, who are ready to swear by their favourite's superiority.

As we are all too apt to be influenced in our opinion by our surroundings, and by our likes and dislikes; and, further, to generalise from a few instances that we may have had occasion to take knowledge of, I shall content myself by pointing out that sportsmen of great experience, both in the past and present, agree that the setter is the better adapted for hunting rough heather. His feet seemed to stand the work better. It has also been said the setter can do more hard work; but I think that, the fact of the old-fashioned pointer being so heavy in frame and build that he could not bear the strain of continued hunting, has produced an unmerited prejudice as to the powers of endurance of the breed.

I possess pointers (and I do not for one moment suppose I am an exception) equal to any amount of work. The subject of the illustration, Special, I have hunted daily week after week, and never saw him either footsore or come to a trot. And the pointer, I am fully persuaded, is more readily trained to his duties than the setter. He seems to take more kindly to his work, and is generally kept up to his training with less trouble. I have seen pointers that have not been turned into a field for a year or two go and do their work in rare form, as if they had been in full training. I do not think the pointer is such a companionable dog as the setter. He is "all there " when at work, but afterwards the kennel seems his proper place. He does not acquire so much affectionate amiability of character from his association with mankind as does the setter and other sporting dogs. Of course there are exceptions to every rule, and I know some few pointers that are remarkable for their attachment and sagacity.

By old sportsmen, and in books, too, we have had some truly astonishing accounts given of intelligence displayed by them when at their legitimate work, and I feel bound to say that, after what I have seen, I am inclined to believe quite possible much that I thought wholly incredible. Had it not been for the high authority who stated the fact that a dog, when used by him with a puppy, would worry the puppy because he flushed game, I could not have credited it for one moment; but, since this has appeared in print, a similar fact has been demonstrated before my eyes; and more, the dog that would do this would also, when told, run after and bite the puppy that persisted in chasing game. I have also seen a pointer leave his "point " and go round the birds that were running from him, apparently to prevent them getting up "out of shot," and this without the least instruction.

These facts serve to show what a high degree of sagacity it is possible to obtain in the pointer. I feel sure that it will be said by many of my readers, "No matter what you say in favour of the pointer, he is of less service to the sportsman than he has ever been." As far as partridge shooting is concerned, I am compelled to admit that he is the victim of circumstances. The change made in the system of cultivation in England has been such that, from lack of cover to hide his game (which enabled him to get up to it), and not from degeneracy in himself, he has become of less service now than he was in the days of small enclosures and reaped stubbles.

The stubbles, once the chief cover, are now cut by the machine so close that it is next to impossible for game to lie to a dog on them. This, with other changes in agriculture, militates strongly against the dog. He has now to work against very great difficulties, and difficulties which are not, I am sorry to say, likely to disappear. In spite of these disadvantages, I still maintain that a good pointer can be used during the first month of the season with pleasure and advantage. I have always used my dogs this season, whether I have been shooting alone or in company, and during the first three weeks, in a very rough country, over 100 brace were killed to them, and they did excellent service in finding wounded game.

A friend to whom I lent my bitch Stella killed over her 100 brace to his own gun, and in the latter part of September he wrote me, " I find I can still have good sport with your dog. Stella is all that I can wish for as a pointer, and I never lose any wounded game with her; she has rendered me excellent services. She does in her work all but talk to me."