454 UPLAND SHOOTING. 



largely developed, the offspring will likely have the 

 same developed in a still more intensified degree 

 some of them, at least. Now, to overcome any marked 

 defect in either parent, and to prevent its being shown 

 in the young, select for a mate to the one defective, one 

 having the peculiarity largely developed. 



In some of the produce the defect will be entirely 

 overcome, while in others of the same litter it will plainly 

 show. Retain for future breeding those showing the 

 desired points, and discard the defective ones. 



Always keep the best. 



Unless these rules are observed, failure will nearly 

 always result. 



How often we see disappointment in breeding, when an 

 inexperienced person, transient in his enthusiasm, but 

 having an abundance of cash, attempts to reproduce a 

 perfect specimen of any variety of the canine race by 

 purchasing and mating two prize-winners, one taking 

 honors on the bench and the other in the field. Either, 

 for the purpose designed, have the qualities desired, and 

 justly won the medals, but a marked dissimilarity of 

 structure, and being of a distinct strain, and possibly 

 defective in the same points, prevents their mixing prop- 

 erly, and their offspring are quite worthless; and the 

 novice is disgusted, sells out at a sacrifice, and will 

 contend that he was swindled in the purchase. 



Had a scientific breeder been consulted, he would have 

 seen at a glance that it was an improper mating. 



Not that this is always the case, for frequently one 

 blunders into success, and some of the best combination 

 dogs have been produced in this way; but should the 

 matter be traced up carefully, it would be found that, 

 more frequently than otherwise, the results were obtained 

 by one conversant with the laws governing the reproduc- 

 tion of species. 



