248 TOUR IN SUTHERL AN DSH I RE. 



swamps during the night, when the wounded birds quit the 

 deep water to feed in the shallows or marshy places. 



That beautiful bird the pintail is also a very quick diver 

 and strong swimmer when wounded. It is a good rule in 

 wild fowl shooting always to endeavour to get shots at the 

 birds either when they are on dry land or when it is pro- 

 bable that they will fall upon it. In the first place, no bird 

 is so easy to kill whilst swimming as whilst standing or 

 walking, as then all the body is exposed ; and in the second 

 place, so much time is lost, and so much disturbance caused 

 by pursuing the wounded birds, and even by getting the 

 dead ones out of the water. Besides it is almost a matter of 

 certainty that when they are shot over the water some of 

 the killed birds will be lost ; and however good a water-dog 

 your retriever may be, and however hardy, the less swim- 

 ming and wetting he gets the better. Nothing is so ill- 

 judged and useless as sending a dog into the water without 

 good reason for it ; doing so is always taking something, 

 more or less, from his strength and injuring his constitution. 

 When standing waiting for ducks in cold weather the poor 

 animal has no means of drying or warming himself, and lies 

 shivering at your feet, and laying up the foundation of 

 rheumatism and other maladies. 



A dog who has much water-work to do should always be 

 kept in good condition, and, if possible, even fat. It is a mis- 

 take to suppose that allowing him to come into the house and 

 warm himself before the fire makes him less hardy ; on the 

 contrary, I consider that getting warm and comfortable 

 before the kitchen fire on coming home gives the retriever 

 a better chance of keeping up his strength, health, and energy 

 when much exposed to cold and wet during the day ; a far 

 better chance, indeed, than if, on returning, he is put into a 

 cold kennel, where, however well supplied with straw, hours 

 must elapse before he is thoroughly warm and dry. Most 

 rough dogs stand cold well enough as long as they are toler- 

 ably dry, but frequent wetting is certain to cause disease and 

 rheumatism. I am sure, too, with regard to water dogs, that 

 a good covering of fat is a far more efficacious means of keep- 

 .ing them warm than the roughest coat of hair that dog ever 

 wore. In wild animals, such as otters, seals, &c., which are 

 much exposed to wet in cold countries, we always find that 

 their chief defence against the cold consists in a thick coating 

 of fat, and that their hair is short and close. In like manner 



