EDITOR'S NOTE. 



IN section 299, page 643, Col. Hutchinson argues against a 

 retrieving Pointer or Setter, pointing a dead bird when ordered 

 "find? and not lifting it until ordered to "fetch." This is the 

 single rule of breaking in which I wholly differ from the Colonel ; 

 but here I differ so widely, that I would not own a dog which 

 did not point until ordered to " fetch ;" and I consider that one 

 which "fetches" without pointing, when simply ordered to 

 "find," is worthless. 



Col. Hutchinson argues that there is a difference in the scent 

 of a wounded and an unwounded bird, which enables a dog cer- 

 tainly to discriminate between the two, so that he may be trusted 

 to point all the live birds he may meet in the way to find his dead 

 bird, and yet to rush upon the latter and pick him up without 

 making any pause. On the other hand, he argues as if there 

 were no difference in the scent of the two, when he says that if 

 the dog be taught to point until ordered to " fetch," and chance 

 to point a live bird before finding the dead, he will flush the live 

 bird on being ordered to " fetch" the dead. I admit that there is 

 a difference of soent at all times to the best nosed dogs, but very 

 faint, even to the best, in bad scenting weather ; but that differ- 

 ence will more easily make the dog refuse to flush a live bird, u 

 he do point before fetching, than make him pause to point a live 

 one, if allowed to rush in upon dead ones. The only rule that 

 will keep a dog always up to his business is, that he shall always 

 "point" every game bird or animal he comes upon, dead or 

 living, and always " drop? when it runs or rises, whether a shot 

 be fired or not. I hava always shot over dogs broken to point 



