CH. in.] COVER SHOOTING. 41 



concealed, near easily recognised tufts of grass, weeds, 

 &c. It is beautiful to see how correctly, promptly, yet 

 quietly, some spaniels will work in every direction thus 

 indicated. 



72. Breasting a strong cover with cockers, is more 

 suited to young, than to old men. The gun must follow 

 rapidly, and stick close when a dog is on the road of 

 feather. A shot will then infallibly be obtained, if a 

 good dog be at work ; for the more closely a bird is 

 pressed, the hotter gets the scent. If a pheasant found 

 in thick cover on marshy ground near water, a locality 

 they much like in hot weather, is not closely pushed, 

 he will so twist, and turn, and double upon old tracks, 

 that none but the most experienced dogs will be able to 

 stick to him. 



73. The preceding observations respecting spaniels 

 apply to all descriptions employed on land-service, 

 whether of the strong kind, the Sussex breed and the 

 Clumber, or the smallest cockers, Blenheims and King 

 Charles'.* But whether they are to be trained not to 

 hunt flick,f (the most difficult part of their tuition, and 

 in which there is generally most failure), and whether 

 they shall be bred to give tongue, or run mute, will 

 depend much upon the nature of the country to be 

 hunted, and yet more upon the taste of the proprietor. 



* These fetch immense fancy of the scent. In strong high tur- 



prices when well shaped, black nips, he is employed with much 



and tan, without a single white advantage to spring the partridge, 



hair, and long eared. But this He creeps under, where a larger 



breed is nearly useless to the dog would be constantly jumping, 

 sportsman, whereas the Blenheim T For the benefit of those 



is a lively diligent little fellow in who have the good fortune, or 



light cover, and from his diminu- the bad fortune, as the case may 



tive size threads his way through be, of always living within the 



low thick brushwood more readily sound of Bow bells, " Flick," be 



than might at first be imagined, it observed, is a synonym for 



being incited to great perseverance " Fur," thereby meaning Hare, or 



by a most enthusiastic enjoyment Rabbit. 



