50 SHOOTING IN CHINA 



*' Spaniels : — By far the most numerous 

 class of sporting dogs in China are the 

 spaniel descriptions. They run in all sorts 

 of shapes and sizes and colours, and for the 

 most part are of the most mixed origin. 

 Seldom is a really well-shaped spaniel 

 seen out here, less frequently a well-broken 

 one. In the open country they are of but 

 little use, as the speedy pheasant can easily 

 run away from them ; in a cane-brake they 

 are not big enough to get over or strong 

 enough to force their way through the 

 thick tangle which lies at the foot of the 

 cane stalk ; and it is seldom that one comes 

 across a dog that will work a copse in any- 

 thing like systematic manner. Still, if 

 spaniels were taken in hand early, were 

 taught to work the covers properly, and 

 restricted to that particular kind of shoot- 

 ing, it might be just as well to own one. A 

 brace of busy well-broken spaniels is a 

 pretty sight, no doubt, but one quite un- 

 known in these parts. Yet should the 

 sportsman determine on a spaniel he would 

 probably be on the right track if he secured 

 a dog with some of the unmistakable 

 Clumber strain in him. Clumbers are 

 slow, but they are pretty sure and very 



