122 lewis's AMERICAN S P K T S M A N. 



most invaluable to the sportsman, and will save from prolonged 

 suffering many a poor bird that -would otherwise linger and die 

 from its fatal wounds. Upon the score, then, of humanity alone, 

 we should teach our dogs this important service, and never permit 

 them to abandon a disabled bird till after the most diligent search. 

 We have already spoken on this subject under the head of "killing 

 clean," and cannot too strongly impress these remarks upon the 

 minds of our readers. 



The finding of dead game and the following-up of wounded 

 birds, however, can be taught a dog without his having the least 

 idea of fetching or of going in quest of the game till so ordered, 

 and, upon the whole, we think, answ^ers a far better purpose than 

 the general run of dogs tutored to retrieve. 



As for our own part, we never care to have another retriever for 

 general sporting, being satisfied to act dog and fetch our own 

 game, save in the case of point or bar-shooting, when a good 

 water-dog is absolutely indispensable. To-be-sure, we may lose 

 an occasional bird by its falling across a creek or in some other 

 inaccessible place; but we are fully convinced, taking all the 

 chances, that we will have done better at the close of the day with- 

 out the services of an ordinarily-broken retriever than with him. 

 We say ordinarily -hroTcen — by which we mean about the best of 

 those that we have ever met with in this country, w^here gentlemen 

 generally take upon themselves the task of breaking their own 

 dogs. 



Never lose a bird, if possible, which you have once marked down, 

 bvit hunt the dogs closely about the spot, kicking the stubble or 

 brushwood, if there be any. Do not be in too great a hurry to get 

 over the ground, and by a little patience you Avill often get many 

 shots which your companion in his anxiety has left behind him. It 

 is by such manoeuvres that good sportsmen always obtain game, no 

 matter how scarce it may be. 



We doubt not that many of our readers will have observed the 

 habit which partridges have of lying very close till the sportsman 

 has passed by, and then suddenly flirting up, and making off behind 



