1 OVER DOGS' 117 



birds, while the result is usually far from satisfactory 

 as to the bag brought home. It is impossible to keep 

 a long line of men, extending, say, 500 or 600. yards, in 

 proper touch with one another on rough ground. To 

 preserve the formation while one man has two or 

 three birds to pick up, and the others, far away from 

 him, are too anxious to walk on, is usually found to be 

 impracticable, and the whole thing ends in a maraud 

 more worthy of a gang of poachers than anything else. 



I shall not here attempt to enter into the ques- 

 tion of the breeding, selection, or breaking of dogs. 

 It is abundantly clear that to go out to make a 

 bag of grouse, and to go out to train your dogs, 

 arc two distinct things, and your dogs should 

 not only be well broken, but well exercised and in 

 good condition, before you attempt a serious attack 

 upon your game. This work is devoted to the grouse 

 and not to the dog, and therefore I trust that the 

 only apology I need offer is for want of ability to deal 

 with the former in the way that so grand a bird 

 deserves. 



I confess to a preference for pointers where birds 

 are plentiful and lying is good, and for setters under 

 the contrary conditions, from their wide-ranging 

 powers, and because I am, as remarked before, a 

 strong advocate of rapidity of movement. 



