SHOOTING AS IT WAS, AND AS IT IS. 11 



tlic folly of Lis biped master. It lias been my 

 lot constantly to see retrievers (so called) brought 

 out with collars round their necks so tight; as 

 really to interfere with respiration, more par- 

 ticularly when, as I have but too often observed, 

 there is a couple of yards of cord attached to their 

 collars, to stint their breath, to impede their feet, 

 and to catch in every obstacle they pass over. 

 Now if bipeds would only use their inferior brains 

 in ascertaining that to choke a dog and half 

 strangle him is to diminish the free inspiration 

 of the laden air that reaches his intelligent brain 

 through the nasal poAver, and directs him where 

 to find the bird he is in quest of, they— -the bipeds 

 — would then take care that their foolish artificial 

 immdiments should not send him, choking, half- 

 strangled^ and panting along over ground. His 

 mouth should be shut, and his mind at command 

 to test through his nostrils the slight taint on the 

 ground left by a running bird, whose steps had 

 very likely followed the line of others, or been 

 crossed by different game, the latter a very great 

 addition to the difficulty. 



In the olden time sportsmen liked to pick up 

 or take in hand every bird they killed, to view 



