38 EXPERIENCED SPANIELS. [CH. in. 



to a pointer (or setter), for the influence of thoroughly 

 steady spaniels makes the pup curtail his range sooner 

 than might be expected. Finding that he is not fol- 

 lowed by his associates he soon rejoins them. 



63. A judicious breaker will regard perfection in the 

 " drop" (23 to 26) as the main-spring of his educational 

 system. He will teach his young spaniels to " seek 

 dead," (34, 35, 43) where directed by signs of the hand. 

 He will instruct them in "fetching," (109, 107, &c.) 

 with the view to some of them hereafter retrieving. He 

 will accustom them to hunt hedge-rows, and light open 

 copses, because always under his eye, before taking 

 them into closer cover. Nor until they are under some 

 command, and well weaned from noticing vermin and 

 small birds, will he allow them to enter gorse or strong 

 thickets, and then he will never neglect (though pro- 

 bably he will have used them before) to attach bells of 

 different sounds to the collars of his several pupils (one 

 to each), so that his ear may at all times detect any 

 truant straying beyond bounds, and thus enable him to 

 rate the delinquent by name. In this manner, he 

 establishes the useful feeling elsewhere spoken of (383), 

 that whether he be within or out of sight, he is equally 

 aware of every impropriety that is committed. 



64. Young spaniels, when they have been steadily 

 broken in not to hunt too far ahead on the instructor's ' 

 side of the hedge, may be permitted to beat on the 

 other; and this when only one person is shooting, is 

 generally their most useful position, for they are thus 

 more likely to drive the game towards the gun. 



65. If a keeper is hunting the team, while you and a 

 friend are beating narrow belts or strips of wood,* should 



* The printer finds tins note on long that he will place it in an 

 covers, shooting, and loading, so Appendix. 



