CH. vi.] FIND BY WIND. -WHITE DOGS. 109 



186. Besides the greatly decreased chance of finding 

 them, birds that to a certainty would become uneasy, 

 and make off if pursued by a dog tracking them, will 

 often lie well to one who finds them by the wind. They 

 are then not aware that they are discovered, and the 

 dog, from the information his nose gives him, can 

 approach them either boldly or with great wariness, 

 according as he perceives them to be more or less shy. 



187. It is rather foreign to our immediate subject, but I will here 

 observe, that it is generally thought white dogs cannot approach 

 shy birds * as closely as dogs of a dark colour can (93) ; but there 

 is a set-off to this supposed disadvantage in your being able to 

 distinguish the light ones more readily at a distance, a matter of 

 some moment on heather. If you have not your eye on a steady 

 brown setter at the moment he drops on grouse, you may spend half 

 an hour most vexatiously in searching for him. When you expect 

 to find the birds wild, should your kennel allow you the choice, you 

 ought to take out out those of a sombre hue. Light coloured dogs 

 have not generally such well-shaped feet as their darker brethren. 

 It is curious that white feet in dogs as well as in horses should often 

 be objectionable. As a rule, setters have harder, tougher feet than 

 pointers. This is very apparent in a flinty country or in frosty 

 weather, and is partly attributable to their being better defended 

 with hair round the ball, and between the toes. 



188. If, being unable to catch the dog's eye, you are 

 forced to use the whistle frequently, and he continues 

 inattentive to it, notwithstanding his previous tuition, 

 stand still, make him lie down (by the word " drop," if 

 he will not obey your raised left arm) go up to him, 

 take hold of his collar, and rate him, saying, " Bad, bad," 

 cracking your whip over him (let the whip be one that 

 will crack loudly, not for present purposes, but that, 

 when occasion requires, he may hear it at a distance) 

 and whistling softly. This will show him (should you 

 beat him, you would confuse his ideas) that he is 

 chidden for not paying attention to the whistle. Indeed, 



* There are sportsmen who aver standing is advantageous, as it 

 that a setter's " Jailing" instead of does not so much alarm the birds. 



