HISTORICAL NOTES 21 



tions to such becks, motions, and gestures as it 

 shall please him to exhibit and make, either going 

 forward or drawing backeward, inclining to the 

 right hand or yealding to the left. When he hath 

 f ounde the byrde he keepeth sure and fast silence, 

 he stayeth his steppes and will precede no further, 

 and with a close, couert, watching eye layeth his 

 belly to the grounde and so creepeth forward like 

 a worme. When he approacheth neere to the 

 place where the byrde is, he layeth him downe and 

 maketh a marke of his paws, betrayeth the place 

 of the byrdes last abode, whereby it is supposed 

 that this kind of dogge is called Index, setter, be 

 ing indeede a name most consonant and agreeable 

 to his quality." Sounds like a page from Field 

 and Stream, describing the work of a setter this 

 year of grace 1918, yet this was before they began 

 "shooting fly ing " at all, the first arquebuses used 

 in birding being of date around 1583, when that 

 beautifully inlaid, gem-incrusted, light hunting 

 arquebus was made for Henry IV of France. 



The water spaniel was bred for close woolly coat 

 and used much as in present times, to retrieve 

 ducks, chase "crips," and besides to retrieve float 

 ing arrows and crossbows bolts, which function 

 has of late fallen into some disuse. In general 

 he has changed little from that early date in ap- 



