FIBST LESSON IN AUTUMN CONTINUED. 549 



superior to one of much greater natural qualifications, 

 who may be tomfooling about, galloping backwards and 

 forwards, sometimes over identically the same ground, 

 quite uselessly exerting his travelling powers ; now and 

 then, indeed, arrested by the suspicion of a haunt, which 

 he is not experienced enough, or sufficiently taught, to 

 turn to good account, and occasionally brought to a 

 stiff point on birds accidentally found right under his 

 nose. It is undeniable, cceteris paribus y "that the dog 

 who hunts his ground most according to rule must in 

 the end find most game. 



CHAPTER VH. 



PIKST LESSON IN AUTUMN CONTINUED. CAUTION. 



140. IF it is your fixed determination to confirm your 

 dog in the truly-killing range described in last Chapter, 

 do not associate him for months in the field with another 

 dog, however highly broken. It would be far better to 

 devote but two hours per diem to your pupil exclusively, 

 than to hunt him the whole day with a companion. 



141. Many breakers do exactly the reverse of this. 

 They take out an old steady ranger, with the intention 

 that he shall lead the young dog, and that the latter, 



