114 EEMINISCEXCES OF A SPOKTSMAK 



who resided in his neighbourhood. This man, when he 

 went on his poaching excursions, had always with him 

 a kircher, and before he commenced setting his snares 

 for hares and rabbits, allowed the dog to hunt the fields 

 to drive them in ; he trained him to make a reconnais- 

 sance round all the hedgerows and small covers adjacent 

 to where he intended to carry on his poaching opera- 

 tions. This duty the dog did so effectually, that the 

 gamekeeper or watchers were sure to be discovered by 

 this sagacious animal, who immediately barked two or 

 three times, and then returned to his master to let him 

 know the enemy was on the watch ; in consequence of 

 this they were never able to detect the poacher in the 

 act of setting snares or taking the game. Death at 

 last relieved my friend from this cunning and trouble- 

 some poacher." 



The kennel is of infinite importance to sportsmen — 

 and the general management of sporting dogs to 

 keep them healthy and in good condition, ready to 

 take the field when the shooting season commences. 

 To attain this object, it is of great consequence that the 

 person who has these duties to perform should be par- 

 ticularly attentive to them, not of that class termed an 

 eye-servant, but one who can be relied on to keep the 

 kennels at all times clean, and most careful in preparing 

 the food for the dogs ; if this should be neglected the 

 master may rest assured that neither he nor his friends 

 will return home with well-filled game bags. I should 

 also recommend that the gamekeeper, or, if there is more 

 than one, the head gamekeeper, should occasionally visit 

 the kennel and boiling-house, and if he perceives that 

 anything is neglected, he should report it without delay 

 to his master. One of the first things to be considered 



