CH. vi.] POWERS OF SCENT VABY. 107 



the moors his range must be far greater than on the 

 stubbles, but still the rudiments must be taught on this 

 contracted scale, or you will never get him to look to 

 you for orders. Do you keep entire control over his 

 beats ; let him have almost the sole management of his 

 drawing upon birds, provided he does not puzzle, or run 

 riot too long over an old haunt. Give him time, and 

 after a little experience his nose will tell him more 

 surely than your judgment can, whether he is working 

 on the "toe" or "heel" of birds, and, whether he 

 diverges from or approaches the strongest and most 

 recent haunt, do not flurry or hurry him, and he will 

 soon acquire that knowledge. 



181. As the powers of scent vary greatly in different 

 dogs, the depth of their turns (or parallels) ought to 

 vary also, and it will be hereafter for you to judge what 

 distance between the parallels it i& most advantageous 

 for your youngster ultimately to adopt in his general 

 hunting. The deeper his turns. are, of course, the more 

 ground you will beat within a specified time. What 

 you have to guard against is the possibility of their 

 being so wide that birds may be passed by unnoticed. I 

 should not like to name the distance within which good 

 cautious dogs that carry their heads high, will wind 

 game on a favourable day. 



182. I was partridge shooting the season before last with an 

 intimate friend. The air was soft and there was a good breeze. 

 We came upon a large turnip-field, deeply trenched on account of 

 its damp situation. A white setter, that habitually carried a lofty 

 head, drew for awhile, and then came to a point. We got up to her. 

 She led us across some ridges, when her companion, a jealous dog 

 (a pointer), which had at first backed correctly, most improperly 

 pushed on in front, but, not being able to acknowledge the scent, 

 went off, clearly imagining the bitch was in error. She, however, 

 held on, and in beautiful style brought us direct to a covey. My 

 friend and I agreed that she must have been but little, if at all, less 

 than one hundred yards off when she first winded the birds ; and it 

 was clear to us that they could not have been running, for the 



