142 THE SPORTING WORLD. 



peculiarly adroit in breaking dogs, or the dog 

 himself must possess instinct of no common 

 order to become an animal worth such a sum. 

 In pointers, as in greyhounds, a great deal 

 depends on the strain ; some take to their 

 business all but naturally, probably it is dogs 

 emanating from such strains that fetch the prices 

 I have named. 



There are celebrated shots who shoot as 

 much for the eclat of the thing as from any 

 love of the sport. When a man has arrived 

 at this I can readily conceive his enthusiasm in 

 shooting ; but when a man, like an acquaintance 

 of mine, would shoot all day and bring home 

 a single bird, wounding many from firing at the 

 covey, net the bird, I must consider it a very 

 slow affair. The only excuse for him was he 

 had no other earthly pursuit ; pity he had this. 



It is not always that a celebrated shot is 

 the best sportsman; he is jealous of his reputa- 

 tion as being the former, availing himself of 



