MODERN FARRIER. 559 



ing, however, with setters, care must be taken never 

 to let them range out of gun-shot. Many persons 

 use springers, or springing-spaniels, for this diver- 

 sion, and also for partridge-shooting ; but this is not 

 the custom of experienced sportsmen. The small 

 springing spaniel may answer tolerably well in the 

 beginning of the season, or where the birds have 

 not been much disturbed ; but he is by no means 

 equal to a setter. The springer is too noisy for this 

 diversion. A pheasant, when found by a setter, in- 

 stead of going off, will frequently rise into a tree, 

 and challenge, (i. e. make a chuckling noise) which 

 rarely happens when found by the springing spaniel. 

 As pheasants lie remarkably well in hedge-rows, 

 here a pointer or setter may be equally useful, for 

 sometimes the bush must be shaken before the bird 

 will rise. It is, however, different in covers, when 

 these birds frequently run a considerable distance, 

 and it becomes necessary to encourage the dog to 

 push the pheasant, though, when a little used to 

 the sport, he will need no encouragement. A 

 springer may, perhaps, push a pheasant quicker 

 than a setter ; but unless he be trained to a degree 

 of perfection not very common, he will occasion ten 

 times the trouble of the setter, and the birds will be 

 more liable to rise out of gun-shot. 



Woodcock-shooting. 



The woodcock, during summer, is an inhabitant 

 of Norway, Sweden, Lapland, and other northern 

 countries, where it breeds; but when winter ap- 

 proaches, the severe frosts force it southward to 

 milder climates. This bird of passage arrives in 

 Great Britain in flocks ; some in October, but not 

 in great numbers till November and December, 

 though they are sometimes seen as early as Septem- 

 ber. They generally take advantage of the night, 

 as they seldom appear before sunset. The time of 



