INITIATORY LESSONS CONTIXUK1). 50i 



73. Of small cockers, three couple appear ample to 

 form a team. Some teams of small springers greatly 

 exceed this number, and many sportsmen shoot over 

 more than a couple and a half of the larger spaniels ; 

 but it is a question whether, in the generality of cases, 

 the gun would not benefit by the number being dimi- 

 nished rather than increased. The smaller in number 



the team, the greater is the necessity that none of them 



Q 

 should stick too close to " heel." The difficulty is to 



make them hunt far enough, and yet not too far. At 

 least one of the number should retrieve well. If they 

 give tongue, it ought to be in an intelligible manner; 

 softly, when they first come on the haunt of a cock, but 

 making the cover ring again with their joyous melody, 

 when once the bird is flushed. A first rate cocker will 

 never deceive by opening upon an old haunt, nor yet 

 find the gun unprepared by delaying to give due warn- 

 ing before he flushes the bird. When cocks are abun- 

 dant, some teams are broken, not only to avoid flick, 

 but actually not to notice a pheasant, or anything besides 

 woodcock. Hardly any price would tempt a real lover 

 of cock-shooting, in a cocking country, to part with such 

 a team. Hawker terms the sport, " the fox-hunting of 

 shooting." Some sportsmen kill water-hens to young 

 spaniels to practise them in forcing their way through 

 entangled covers, and get them well in hand and steady 

 against the all-important cocking season. 



74. When a regular retriever can be constantly em- 

 ployed with spaniels, of course it will be unnecessary to 



