ON THE HEREDITARY INSTINCTIVE PROPENSITIES OF ANIMALS. 361 



wild bird, which generally rises in silence and takes a comparatively long 

 flight, excited, I conceive, by increased hereditary fear of man. 



I procured a puppy of a breed of setters, which had through many 

 generations been employed in setting partridges for the flight-net only, 

 and of whose exploits I had heard many very extraordinary accounts. I 

 employed it as a pointer in shooting partridges ; and for finding coveys of 

 those birds in the open field I n^fcr saw its equal, or in its manner of 

 setting them ; but it would never set its game amongst brakes or hedge- 

 rows. Whenever it found a bird in such a situation, it invariably sat 

 down in the same attitude, and alternately looked into the bush and at 

 me, seeming to think that setting partridges in such situations was not a 

 part of its duty. 



It is well known that very young pointers, of slow and indolent breeds, 

 will point partridges without any previous instruction or practice. I took 

 one of those to a spot where I had just seen a covey of small partridges 

 alight, in August ; and amongst them I threw a piece of bread to induce 

 the dog to move from my heels, which it had very little disposition to do 

 at any time, except in search of something to eat. On getting amongst 

 the partridges and perceiving the scent of them, its eyes became suddenly 

 fixed and its muscles rigid, and it stood trembling with anxiety during 

 some minutes. I then caused the birds to take wing, at sight of which it 

 exhibited strong symptoms of fear, and none of pleasure. A young 

 springing spaniel, under the same circumstances, would have displayed 

 much joy and exultation ; and I do not doubt but that the young pointer 

 would have done so too, if none of its ancestry had ever been beaten for 

 springing partridges improperly. 



The most extraordinary instance of the power of instinctive hereditary 

 propensity which I have ever witnessed, came under my observation in 

 the case of a young dog of a variety usually called retrievers. The 

 proper office of these dogs is that of finding and recovering wounded 

 game ; but they are often employed for more extensive purposes, and are 

 found to possess very great sagacity. I obtained a very young puppy * of 

 this family, which was said to be exceedingly well bred, and had been 

 brought to me from a distant county. I had walked up the side of the 

 river which passes by my house, in search of wild ducks, when the dog 

 above mentioned followed me unobserved, and contrary to my wishes ; 

 for it was too young for service, not being then quite ten months old. It 

 had not received any other instruction than that of being taught to bring 



* It was only one month old when it came into the author's possession. 



