FIRST LESSON IN AUTUMN CONCLUDED. 587 



adoption, unless in extreme cases; for though not so 

 severely, it, likewise, punishes the unfortunate dog, more 

 or less, by the strain of the checkcord he drags along 

 the ground: and it ought to be the great object of a 

 good breaker as little as is possible to fret or worry his 

 pupil, that all his ideas may be engaged in an anxious wish 

 to wind birds. On a leather strap, which has a ring at 

 one end, four wooden balls of about two inches in 

 diameter are threaded like beads, at intervals from 

 each other and the ring, say, of two inches the exact 

 distance being dependent on the size of the dog's throat. 

 Into each of the balls sundry short pieces of thickish 

 wire are driven, leaving about one-sixth of an inch 

 beyond the surface. The other end of the strap to 

 which the checkcord is attached is passed through the 

 ring. This ring being of somewhat less diameter than 

 the balls, it is clear, however severely the breaker may 

 pull, he cannot compress the dog's throat beyond a 

 certain point. The effect of the short spikes is rather to 

 crumple than penetrate the skin. 



205. I have long been sensible of the aid a spiked 

 collar would afford in reclaiming headstrong, badly 

 educated dogs, if it could be used at the moment and 

 only at the precise moment when punishment was re- 

 quired, but not until lately did it strike me how the 

 collar could be carried so that the attached cord should 

 not constantly bear upon it, and thereby worry, if not 

 pain the dog. And had I again to deal with an old 

 offender, who incorrigibly crept in after pointing, or 



