14 FIELD ORNITHOLOGY part i 



ahead of a flying bird — the calculation to be made varies, according 

 to the distance of the object, its velocity, its course and the wind, 

 from a few inches to several feet ; practice will finally render it 

 intuitive. 



§ 2.— DOGS 



A Good Dog is one of the most faithful, respectful, affec- 

 tionate, and sensible of brutes ; deference to such rare qualities 

 demands a chapter, however brief. A trained dog is the indis- 

 pensable servant of the sportsman in his pursuit of most kinds of 

 game ; but I trust I am guilty of no discourtesy to the noble 

 animal, when I say that he is a luxury rather than a necessity to 

 the collector — a pleasant companion, who knows almost everything 

 except how to talk, who converses ^\^th his eyes and ears and tail, 

 shares comforts and discomforts with equal alacrity, and occasion- 

 ally makes himself useful. So far as a collector's work tallies 

 with that of a sportsman, the dog is equally useful to both ; but 

 finding and telling of game aside, your dog's services are restricted 

 to companionship and retrieving. He may, indeed, flush many 

 sorts of birds for you ; luit he does it, if at all, at random, while 

 capering about ; for the brute intellect is limited after all, and can- 

 not comprehend a naturalist. The best trained setter or pointer 

 that ever marked a quail could not be made to understand what 

 you are about, and it would ruin him for sporting purposes if he 

 did. Take a well-bred dog out with you, and the chances are he 

 will soon trot home in disgust at your performances with jack- 

 sparrows and tomtits. It implies such a perversion of a good dog's 

 instincts to make him really a useful servant of the collector, that I 

 am half inclined to say nothing about retrieving, and tell you to 

 make a companion of your dog, or let him alone. I was followed 

 for several years by " the best dog I ever saw " (every one's gun, 

 dog, and child is the best ever seen), and a first-rate retriever ; yet 

 I always preferred, when practicable, to pick up my own birds, 

 rather than let a delicate plumage into a dog's mouth, and scolded 

 away the poor brute so often, that she very properly returned the 

 compliment, in the end, by retrieving just when she felt like it. 

 However, we remained the best of friends. Any good setter, 

 pointer, or spaniel, and some kinds of curs, may be trained to 

 retrieve. The great point is to teach them not to " mouth " a bird ; 

 it may be accomplished by sticking pins in the ball with which 

 their early lessons are taught. Such dogs are particularly useful in 

 bringing birds out of the water, and in searching for them when 

 lost. One point in training should never be neglected : ■ teach a dog 



