128 A Book of the Snipe. 



country, with the comfortable consciousness 

 that you have taken a pretty accurate census 

 of a scattered rural population with a mini- 

 mum of exertion. If the dog is not fast, for 

 this work he is not worth taking out. He 

 must fairly gallop if the thing is to be properly 

 done. In fact, for this incidental kind of work, 

 I would not refuse a dog if he possessed great 

 speed and only fair staunchness. But if you 

 are blessed with a dog both fast and staunch, 

 *' treasure him, for you have the nonpareil." 

 Now, a pointer is never sufficiently speedy 

 for this purpose, though in staunchness he 

 easily defeats his more impetuous comrade. 

 If you elect to shoot over dogs under any 

 circumstances, well and good — a pointer will 

 do the work thoroughly and conscientiously ; 

 but for the method I have described, the only 

 one in my opinion in which full value is ob- 

 tained from canine assistance, the superior 

 speed and activity of a setter will gain so 

 much valuable time, and save so much to- 

 and-fro tramping, that I must *' plump" un- 

 reservedly for his employment. 



