142 GAME PRESERVEKS AND BIRD PRESERVERS. 



But to make fair bags in tlie Western High- 

 lands good fast dogs are indispensable. They 

 must range far and wide, or you will not find 

 half the birds. We always took out six in the 

 hot w^eather, and never let a brace run for more 

 than an hour at a time. When a man tells us 

 that his dogs are never tired, we know that they 

 must go at the pace of a tired dog all day. 

 There is as much difference in the pleasure of 

 shooting to these fast, brilliant dogs, instead of 

 to the slow, old-fashioned potterers, as there is 

 between riding a cob or a thoroughbred hack. 

 The best dogs we have seen were a first cross 

 between the Lavrack and Gordon breeds. 

 Then there is such a variety of game in this 

 part of Scotland, that from August till February, 

 weather permitting, dogs may be finding game 

 of some sort every day in the week. The extent 

 of many of these estates is so great that we 

 never, unless the weather was most unfavourable 

 the first time, shot over a grouse-beat twice in 

 one season ; so, if we could perfectly protect 



