184 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Not infrequently the tail of a young setter when it sets game 

 may be seen trembling and vibrating as if it had a disposition to 

 wag, which was kept in check by the supreme importance of not 

 disturbing the hare or covey. The tail also is held out in full 

 view like a flag, whereas a rat-catcher's dog on the watch at a 

 hole will often droop its tail. 



I think that there can be no doubt that the pointer and setter, 

 in acting in their characteristic manner, are following an old 

 instinct connected with an important piece of co-operative pack 

 strategy, although the peculiarity has been enhanced by human 

 training and selection, and the sportsmen with their guns have 

 supplanted, and therefore act the part of, the dog's natural com- 

 rades in the chase. 



The writer, during his boyhood, had charge of a small pack 

 of beagles at a South Down homestead, several of which were 

 allowed to run loose at night as a guard against the foxes. 

 Among these was an old dog, a part bred Skye terrier, very saga- 

 cious, and well known in all the country round as a sure finder 

 when the pack were used to drive rabbits in the gorse. 



Old Rattler (what a throng of memories the name calls up !) 

 was the recognized leader of the others, and not infrequently he 

 would conduct them on a private hunting expedition, in which he 

 served as sole huntsman and whip. Often on a still night his 

 sharp yapping bark, accompanied by the clearer, long-drawn 

 music of the beagles, might be heard among the hills, as they 

 drove a predatory fox from the farm-buildings, or strove to run 

 down one of the tough South Down hares. It soon became evi- 

 dent that this pack had a certain regular system of co-operation, 

 and, like the African wild dogs, well described by Dr. S. T. Pruen, 

 in his recent book, The Arab and the African, they made a prac- 

 tice of playing into one another's hands, or rather, mouths. Old 

 Rattler would generally trot on ahead, surveying every likely tuft 

 of grass or ling, and exhibiting that inquisitiveness and passion 

 for original research so characteristic of the terrier. On arriving 

 at a small outlying patch of furze he would invariably proceed 

 to the leeward side, so that as the wind drew through the covert 

 it would convey a hint of whatever might be there concealed. 



He would give several critical sniffs, with head raised and 

 lowered alternately, and then would either trot indifferently 

 away, or else stand rigid with quickly vibrating tail and nose 

 pointing toward the bush. The other dogs seemed to understand 

 instantly what was required of them, and they would quickly 

 surround the covert. When they were all in their place, and not 

 until then, the cunning old schemer would plunge with a bound 

 into the furze, and out would dash a hare or rabbit, often into the 

 very jaws of one of the beagles. 



