HAVE been such a universal subject for every sporting 

 writer, that scarcely a word can be said about them, but 

 that of which we may find the counterpart in some 

 publication or other. Every one has his own caprice, 

 or fancy, about pointers, setters, and spaniels ; and we 

 meet, almost every day, with some fresh man, who has 

 got the best dog in England. 



Let it be observed, however, that, with all the per- 

 fection to which we have brought both the breeding 

 and breaking of these animals, we are not always suf- 

 ficiently particular. In the one we are apt to let them 

 degenerate for want of a proper cross; and, in the 

 other, we are too well contented (provided they have 

 " plenty of hunt in them") with their merely being 

 broken well to back and stand, without regarding the 

 importance of their lying down to charge, and being 

 stanch from chasing hares, or rabbits. Putting the 

 credit of our dogs entirely out of the question, we for- 

 get the number of shots they spring by committing 

 such faults. 



If you want game, take old dogs. Young ones, 

 however fleet and well broken, know little more than 

 the A B c of their business, while old ones are up to 

 every kind of trick. 



