SHOOTING HARES. 605 



the whole undivided faculties of our dogs, to work out 

 the haunt of the noble grouse.* As for rabbits, I 



* A superior dog on grouse more easily becomes good on partridge 

 than a superior partridge-dog becomes good on grouse. Grouse run 

 so much, both when they are pairing, and after the first flight of the 

 young pack, that a dog broken on them has necessarily great 

 practice in " roading," " roading," too, with the nose carried high 

 to avoid strong heather a valuable instructor, whereas the dog 

 broken on partridge often becomes impatient, and breaks away when 

 he first finds grouse. The former dog, moreover, will learn not 

 to " break fence," and the necessity of moderating his pace when 

 hunting stubbles and turnips, sooner than the latter will acquire the 

 extensive fast beat so desirable on heather, where he can work 

 for hours uninterrupted by hedge, ditch, or furrow ; making casts 

 to the right and left a quarter of a mile in length. First impressions 

 are as strong in puppyhood as in childhood ; therefore the advantage 

 of having such ground to commence on must be obvious. There are, 

 however, favored spots in Perthshire, (fee., where game so abounds 

 that close rangers are as necessary as when hunting in England. 

 Alas! even the grouse-dog will take far too quickly to hedge 

 bunting: and pottering when on the stubbles. It is, of course, 

 presumed that he is broken from " chasing hare " a task his 

 trainer must have found difficult though none are ever shot to him 

 from the few that, comparatively speaking, his pupil could have 

 seen. Independently,"however, of want of pace and practice in 

 roading, it never would be fair to take a dog direct from the 

 Lowlands to contend on the Highlands with one habituated to 

 the latter, and vice versa, for the stranger would always be placed 

 to great disadvantage. A faint scent of game which the other 

 would instantly recognise, he would not acknowledge from being 

 nrholly unaccustomed to it. Sometimes, however, a grouse dog 

 of a ticklish temper will not bear being constantly called to OP 



