198 AMERICAN GAME. 



setters, according to individual preference of this or that 

 race of dogs ; for myself, of the two, I prefer the setter, 

 as in cock-shooting there is always abundance of water 

 to be had, and this rough- coated, high-strung dog can 

 face brakes and penetrate coverts, which play the 

 mischief with the smooth satiny skin of the high blooded 

 pointer. 



In truth, however, neither of these, but the short- 

 legged, bony, red and white coeking-spaniel, is the true 

 dog over which to shoot summer woodcock ; and no one, 

 I will answeu for it, who has ever hunted a good cry of 

 these, will ever again resort either to setter or pointer 

 for this, to them, inappropriate service. 



The true place for these dogs is the open plain, the 

 golden stubble, the wide-stretching prairie, the highland 

 moor, where they can find full scope for their heady 

 courage, their wonderful fieetness, their unwearied 

 industry, and display their miracles of staunchness, 

 steadiness, and nose. 



In order to hunt these dogs on cock, you must unteach 

 them some of their noblest faculties, you must tame 

 down their spirits, shackle their fiery speed, reduce 

 them, in fact, to* the functions of the spaniel, which is 

 much what it would be to train a battle charger to bear 

 a pack-saddle, or manage an Eclipse into a lady's 

 ambling palfrey. 



The cocking-spaniel, on the contrary, is here in his 

 very vocation. Ever industrious, ever busy, never rang- 



