286 MANUAL FOR YOUNG SPORTSMEN. 



great difficulty in this, as woodcock, early in the season, lie 

 extremely hard, and will not ordinarily take wing until 

 they are actually forced to do so. 



Colonel Hutchinson, in his admirable work on dog- 

 breaking, recommends that every dog should be trained to 

 advance towards his master and flush his bird, on a signal 

 given him by a beckon, or inward wafture of the hand, 

 and instances the great advantage to be derived from 

 such a habit, both in wild snipe-shooting in the open, and 

 in American cock-shooting in heavy covert. 



I have only to say, that I have never seen a dog broken 

 to this movement. I will not say that it cannot be done, 

 for I am well aware that, by a patient, persevering, clever, 

 steady breaker, there is scarcely any thing, short of speak- 

 ing, which an intelligent and good-tempered dog may not 

 be brought to do ; and there is no doubt, but that, by 

 implicitly following the Colonel's directions, this is one of 

 the things that can be taught; but there can be little 

 question that it is one of the most difficult points to 

 which properly to educate an animal, since, when he is 

 once accustomed to be so waved onward, he will uncon- 

 sciously become so impatient, that he will be sorely tempt- 

 ed to anticipate the signal, and rush in. 



For my own part, looking above all to the paramount 

 necessity of keeping the dog steady and stanch, I have 

 leaned to the habit of never allowing my dogs themselves 

 to flush their game, under any circumstances. 



When at point, I have always gone in, or gone up to 

 them, and then made them road on foot by foot, myself 



