THE PARTRIDGE. 123 



him, before lie has time to turn around ; therefore, we repeat again, 

 do not be in too much of a hurry. Recollect also that the par- 

 tridge of America has been pronounced the most difficult of all 

 game-birds to find, or to kill Avhen found, and that frequently they 

 give forth no scent whatever for several minutes after they alight, 

 and consequently will defy the cleverest dogs to point them. Do 

 not, therefore, be discouraged either at your want of success in 

 getting birds up, or your want of skill in bringing them down, on 

 all occasions ; but take things coolly, and hunt your dogs patiently, 

 more particularly when the birds have flown to close cover. 



It is not always prudent to follow birds immediately into a thick 

 covert overgrown with rank underbrush, as they will give forth a 

 better odor in ten, fifteen, or twenty minutes after settling than 

 they would at first. Some birds, however, run the very moment 

 they have struck cover, and thus may be lost altogether, as they 

 move along pretty briskly when frightened, and after a lapse of 

 fifteen minutes may be a mile ofi" from where they alighted. 



Your dogs will naturally, or rather soon learn to hunt along 

 the sides of the fields adjoining cover, as partridges do not frequent 

 the middle of the fields except in portions of the country where 

 they are seldom or never hunted after. 



When the dog comes to a point, if possible, place yourself be- 

 tween the birds and the cover, and, if practicable, face the wind, 

 as the covey when rising will furnish a much better shot. 



Dogs should not be too severely rated for making false points, 

 as the best dogs will do it at times ; those that back him, of course 

 must be entirely exonerated. Dogs possessing the very nicest 

 noses are occasionally at fault, and will overrun and flush single 

 birds, more especially in hot, dry weather, and should not be treated 

 too harshly for such mishaps. Much advantage is gained by the 

 mode of approaching your dogs when they have come upon a 

 covey; and every shooter should be able to judge of the position 

 of the birds by the actions of the dog. 



English dogs, we are satisfied, from personal observation, — in fact, 

 from actual experiment, for we have imported several, — cannot at 



