144 -^ Book of the Snipe, 



very beginning of a season, do not be afraid 

 of over-feeding. Dogs in hard condition can- 

 not have too much nourishing food, though 

 a daily mass of pulpy biscuit will do more 

 harm than good. Give them plenty of meat, 

 boiled calf's head or bullock's liver is the best, 

 with a good-sized bone, too large to be easily 

 crushed, for them to amuse themselves upon 

 and improve teeth and digestion when the 

 meal is over. A bone is the contemplative 

 doof's recreation. 



If a dog returns very exhausted from shoot- 

 ing, it is as well not to give him his dinner 

 at once, but immediately after his rubbing, 

 to let him lap a basin of broken biscuit, 

 soaked in warm milk, not putting his meat 

 before him until an hour or so has elapsed, 

 during which he may have rested and com- 

 forted himself on his dry straw. A dog 

 thoroughly done up will either refuse his food 

 altogether or bolt it so carelessly that it will 

 be wasted, or actually harmful, besides which 

 the fever of mind and body caused by a long 

 day's exciting toil must be allowed to subside 



