334 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. 



sional seventy, will easily prevail, and render them nearly per- 

 fect. 



As they flush their game immediately, without standing or 

 crouching, it is absolutely necessary that they should be under 

 perfect command ; they must never be above ten or fifteen paces 

 distant from the gun, and they must be trained, until it has be 

 come their second nature and instinct, to slacken their pace, in- 

 stead of increasing it, when they strike the trail of game, which 

 the sportsman will learn by their yelp, or, if they be of the mute 

 kind, by the redoubled feathering and flourishing of his bushy 

 tail, and by an f)Ccasional low, impatient whimper. 



This, and to drop to shot, the instant the gun is discharged, is 

 all they have necessarily to learn ; although it is a great addition 

 to their worth, if they are broke to retrieve their game, when 

 ordered to go on, after having dropped to " charged This 

 dropping to charge, of infinite importance with all dogs, is even 

 more important with the Springer, or Cocking Spaniel, than 

 with the Pointer, or Setter; for, whereas the latter are taught 

 both by their instinct and their breaking, to stand or set their 

 game, there is some chance that, if they do break in after shot, 

 they will still point anything on which they may chance to blun- 

 der, while the Spaniel being broke to flush, if he stir at all, will 

 indubitably run up everything that crosses his path. 



For summer or autumn Cock shooting, for Quail shooting in 

 heavy covert, and for Ruffed Grouse shooting, I am satisfied 

 that these little beauties would be invaluable in this country ; 

 and that in many districts twice as many head of game might 

 be killed over them, in the same space of time, as over any 

 other kind of dog. 



I have often wondered at the neglect of this variety by sports- 

 men of this country, never having met but thi-ee gentlemen, two 

 in the States and one in Canada, who used them, I hope to 

 succeed in importing a brace of highly-bred, and well-broke 

 Springers, of the large breed, this autumn, and to establish the 

 breed. Should I be fortunate in my endeavors, it will be a 

 Bource of much pleasure to me t>? accommodate sportsmen de- 



