CH. x.] FIKST BLACK-COCK. 175 



whether the birds were running up or down wind. This my infor- 

 mant could not positively tell. All he knew was that his lordship 

 had said, in a general way, that the singularly mannered animal 

 invariably repeated this eccentric proceeding whenever the birds 

 moved. 



296. Not only will a dog's manner often show you whether or not 

 birds are on the move, but his carriage, when you are accustomed 

 to him, will frequently tell you what species of game is before him. 

 I know an old pointer that is capital in light cover. His owner 

 shoots rabbits over him, and whenever the dog finds one, though he 

 points steadily, his tail vibrates as regularly as a pendulum. 



297. Years ago, when I was shooting in the North, I was crossing 

 some land which the encroachments of husbandry had converted 

 from wild heather to profitable sheep-walks ; suddenly a young dog 

 that was with me came to a more rigid point than I had ever 

 seen him make every muscle appeared distended I was puzzled 

 I felt satisfied that he had winded something very inusual, but 

 what to expect I could not imagine, for there seemed not cover for 

 a tomtit. When I got up to him he was so nervously anxious that 

 I had some difficulty in making him advance, but at length he 

 slowly brought me towards a small bush, to which he nailed his 

 nose. Further he would not proceed. I kicked the bush ; when, 

 to my great gratification, up gradually rose a young blackcock, 

 which went off to killing distance with a flight not more rapid than 

 that of the florikin. It was the first black game that the dog had 

 ever seen. It was also the first that I had ever seen on the wing, 

 and this may account for all the attendant circumstances being so 

 strongly impressed upon my memory. 



298. Colonel 'C n, on the staff of the Duke of C e, told 



me that about ten years ago he heard a gentleman, then living on 

 the Mall at Birr, make a bet of a pony (he offered to wager a much 

 larger sum) that his terrier bitch would point all the kinds of game 

 found in the neighbouring bog and further, that before it was sprung 

 he would name what description of game the dog was pointing. 

 The gentleman won his bet handsomely, though they found snipe, 

 woodcock, grouse, hare, and something else, as well as Colonel 

 C n now remembers, a duck. It was soon evident to the spec- 

 tators, that the attitude of the clever animal short-eared, with a 

 considerable cross of the bull-dogvaried according to the nature 

 of the game she came across. To an English ear shooting on a bog 

 does not sound very attractive, but though the walking is generally 

 difficult, the sport is often interesting, from the variety of game the 

 sportsman frequently meets with. 



