Small Game Shooting 279 



setter, who was a wonder in his youth. He is not 

 quite so accomplished as the retriever we have all 

 heard of, who would stand on his hind-legs, shade 

 his eyes with a paw, and mark down wounded 

 birds falling half a mile away; but he made less 

 mistakes and retrieved his quail more quickly 

 and noiselessly than any thoroughbred I ever saw. 

 However, we never used him to find the bevies ; 

 that part of the work we learned to do for our- 

 selves. After rain and heavy fog, the birds will 

 always be met with in the low brush, in sunny 

 sandy patches, or amongst warm sandstone boul- 

 ders. Upon fine mornings you are sure to flush 

 them at the head of small canons. Upon piping- 

 hot days they seek the thickest brush and water, 

 if water may be found. They have regular roost- 

 ing-places and invariably work towards home of an 

 evening. If it be raining you will explore the 

 dense manzanita ; and then, if you can drive them 

 into low brush, they will lie like stones, and the 

 whole bevy can be exterminated by a ruthless 

 pot-hunter. 



The bevy " located," you will do well to consider 

 the direction of the wind and the general lie of the 

 country before planning the campaign. Upon the 

 intimate knowledge of a dozen seemingly unimpor- 

 tant trifles hangs success ; one mistake spells fail- 

 ure, fatigue, and demoralisation of dogs and men. 

 The northern slopes of the foot-hills are covered 

 with high chaparral, and the quail will make a 

 desperate effort to reach what they know by long 

 experience to be sanctuary. 



One fine morning, last October, we found a big 



