264 FRANK FORESTER S FIELD SPORTS. 



On coming under the willows, both dogs stood instantaneous- 

 ly on two different birds, which proved, however, to be Wood- 

 cock. Eight or nine of these latter birds we flushed and 

 bagged, without moving any Quail except one which I almost 

 trod upon, a second a.ter my best dog had gone within a foot of 

 it, taking no notice of its presence. My companions laughed at 

 me, for expressing an opinion that the Quail were still there, 

 within a few yards of us ; but it proved that I was not in eiTor. 



A Woodcock went away unshot at, or at least unwounded, 

 and led us a long stretch off the direction of our intended beat ; 

 while hunting for it we found another bevy of Quail scattered, 

 and had some sport with it, by which we were amused and 

 occupied duiing half an hour. Returning across the first 

 ground, we got six points at six single birds, Quail, under the 

 willows ; and in consequence went back into the briar patch, 

 scarcely entering it before the Setters stood on the first three. 



The fact is difficult to explain, but a fact it is ; and it occurs 

 only with the unwounded birds. I have never knovvai Setters 

 to have the smallest difficulty in footing crippled Quail, which 

 always run or tumble about as soon as they alight, or in point- 

 ing dead Quail. I have even seen dogs find one dead Quail 

 among a whole bevy of live ones, which they could not scenl 

 at that time, but which they did subsequently hunt up in good 

 style. 



Therefore, I say Peritus was in the right of it, in drawing 

 his distinction as he did on that day ; for he not only improved 

 his chance of finding more bevies by pursuing them while 

 they were on the run in the early morning, and so scattering 

 them into good shooting covert, where he was sure to find them 

 again during the basking hours, when, unless flushed and 

 marked down before, they can scarcely be raised, but increased 

 the likelihood of finding his birds in good style. And all this 

 he explained, in many more words than I have space to use, 

 and with many an apt illustration, while he and Agilis were 

 lying down under a sunny bank by a clear springhead, regaling 

 themselves an hour or two after noon, with the cold chicken and 



