HAVE been such a universal subject for every sport- 

 ing writer, that scarcely a word can be said about 

 them, but that of which we may find the counter- 

 part in some publication or other. Every one has 

 his own caprice, or fancy, about pointers, setters, and 

 spaniels ; and we meet, almost every day, with some 

 fresh man, who has got the best dog in England. 



Let it be observed, however, that, with all the 

 perfection to which we have brought both the breed- 

 ing and breaking of these animals, we are not always 

 sufficiently particular. In the one we are apt to let 

 them degenerate for want of a proper cross ; and, in 

 the other, we are too well contented (provided they 

 have " plenty of hunt in them") with their merely 

 being broken well to back and stand, without re- 

 garding the importance of their lying down to charge, 

 and being stanch from chasing hares or rabbits. 

 Putting the credit of our dogs entirely out of the 

 question, we forget the number of shots they spring 

 by committing such faults. 



If you want game, take old dogs. Young ones, 

 however fleet and well broken, know little more than 



R 2 



