300 FACT AGAINST FICTION. 



have iiovor been able satisfactorily to account for 

 is, how the sensible dog makes out the distance to 

 go in getting round his birds, for he changes places 

 and gives them, if they had noses, which they have 

 not, his wind instead of keeping theirs. Yet I have 

 had both pcnnters and setters avIio never were at 

 fault under these difficult circumstances. 



No dog can be taught by man to do this : the 

 knowledge is acquired by ^^ reason" and by practice, 

 and by permitting the sagacious dog to use his 

 mysterious gifts to com2)ass that which he knows 

 his master desires. 



Setters and pointers should always be allowed 

 to retrieve their o^xn shot e^ame. A do": to retrieve 

 his game need not of necessity bring it, but he 

 ought to be permitted at the words to '' seek dead," 

 and to take his nuister to it, as lie deems it a 

 delightful reward to his steadiness, sagacity, and 

 labour; and he hates to see, and is jealous of, a 

 strange dog brought up to do for him that which 

 he could do, and delights to do, for his master and 

 himself. 



In the New Forest, where there were much cover 

 and water, as neither of the red setters, '^Chance " 

 and 'K^uail," would bring their ganu', I was obliged 



