196 THE NEWFOUNDLAND DOG. 



The St. John's breed of these dogs, is chiefly used on 

 their native coast by fishermen : their sense of smell- 

 ing is scarcely to be credited." They will scent a 

 wounded pheasant through a whole covert of game, 

 or a pinioned wild-fowl through a fui'ze brake, or 

 warren of rabbits. 



It will, therefore, be seen that we have not placed 

 the biography of this remarkable dog out of place. 

 To the game-shooter, he is capable of rendering the 

 most essential services ; some of the very best re- 

 trievers we have known having directly descended 

 from him ; — indeed, a friend of ours had a pure New- 

 foundland bitch, which was perfect at the business. 

 For this reason, we have associated, as will be seen, 

 with this Newfoundland race, the Pheasant Spaniel, 

 or Springer, as the alpha and omega of that sport. 

 No mid-fowl shooter — none of the hardy race of 

 sportsmen, who go down to the sea in punts, and oc- 

 cupy themselves in the dreadful trade of navigating 

 canoes in search of water-fowl — should ever be with- 

 out one of these amphibious friends at his side. 



