CH. xvi.] WHISTLES. 279 



birds, have been unwilling to call out his name, and 

 have felt loth to whistle to him, lest you should bring 

 away at the same time the other dog, who was zealously 

 hunting exactly where you considered him most likely 

 to find birds. 



502. Again : have the dogs never been hunting close 

 together instead of pursuing distinct beats ; and has it 

 not constantly happened, on your whistling with the 

 view to separate them, that both have turned their heads 

 in obedience to the whistle, and both on your signal 

 changed the direction of their beat, but still the two 

 together ? And have you not, in despair of ever parting 

 them by merely whistling and signalling, given the 

 lucky birds (apparently in the most handsome manner, 

 as if scorning to take any ungenerous advantage) fair 

 notice of the approach of the guns by shouting out the 

 name of one of the dogs. 



503. Or, if one dog was attentive to the whistle, did 

 he not gradually learn to disregard it from observing 

 that his companion was never chidden for neglecting to 

 obey it ? and did not such laxity more and more con- 

 firm both in habits of disobedience ? 



504. I believe several of my readers will be con- 

 strained to answer these questions in the affirmative ; 

 and, further, I think their own experience will remind 

 them of many occasions, both on moor and stubble when 

 birds were wild, on which they have wished to attract 

 the notice of a particular dog (perhaps running along a 

 hedge, or pottering over a recent haunt ; or hunting 

 down wind towards marked game) by whistling instead 

 of calling out his name, but have been unwilling to do 

 so, lest the other dogs should likewise obey the shrill 

 sound to which all were equally accustomed. 



505. Now, in breaking young dogs, you could, by 



