zoo THE GUN: AFIELD AND AFLOAT 



on the strength of an assurance that he would " retrieve 

 handsomely," and was, in fact, " a good all-round dog." 

 I had not had him long before discovering that the two 

 processes of finding and retrieving did not work together 

 so harmoniously in his case, he having a strong in- 

 clination for running in to retrieve his game the moment 

 the shot was fired. For bull-dog determination to go 

 through with his work regardless of consequences, I 

 never saw his equal, and I stood him for a time as 

 he invariably went about with such an air of " we can 

 do it, you know," and was withal so companionable and 

 thoroughly industrious and untiring in his quest for 

 game. One fine day, however, he developed a tendency 

 for "seating" hares, then proudly trotting up with his 

 contribution to the bag, much to my embarrassment and 

 my friends' delectation. Then I arrived at the conclusion 

 that Master " Don " was neither more nor less than a 

 Satanic instrument designed solely for the purpose of 

 giving rise to unnecessary and foolish remarks, and we 

 shortly thereafter parted. 



The Retriever must be looked upon as a more or less 

 recent production ; modern, in fact, as compared with the 

 Setter. Whilst it might be incorrect to say that the 

 Retriever is a development due to modern methods of 

 sport, it certainly is correct that this breed of sporting 

 dog has become exceedingly popular largely by reason 

 of altered conditions in the shooting-field. The systems 

 of walking up, and driving of partridges and other game 

 have given rise to a great demand for the Retriever, and 

 it is safe to say that this class of dog must become even 

 still more widely popular. 



The Retriever proper, as now known, is a curious 

 admixture of breeds comprising "Labrador," New- 



