302 RETRIEVERS BEATING. [CH. xvn. 



evident advantage in thick cover, if lie accompany you 

 in your every-day shooting, you will thus obtain, in the 

 course of a season, many a shot which your other dogs, 

 especially in hot weather, would pass over. If, too, the 

 retriever hunts quite close to you, he can in no way 

 annoy his companions, or interfere with them, for I take 

 it for granted he will be so obedient as to come to 

 " heel " the instant he gets your signal. 



551. Many regular retrievers take spontaneously to beating. Two 



brothers, named W e, living at Grewell, in Hampshire, termed 



by the village wags, not inappropriately, " Watergruel " (there is 

 good snipe and duck-shooting in the surrounding marshes), have a 

 ranging-retriever (a Newfoundland), still young, now called " Nelly," 

 though, as a puppy, christened " Nelson " by the girls of the family. 

 Miss Nelly, as if to give further proof of the impropriety of her 

 original name, is remarkably timid, and therefore has been allowed 

 to follow, unchecked, her own devices in the field. In imitation of 

 her companions, she took to beating and pointing ; and, after the 

 " down-charge," would retrieve as zealously and efficiently as if she 

 had never been allowed to " quit heel," except for that express 

 purpose. I have myself, when in the north, killed game to the 

 voluntary point of " Sambo," a black regular-retriever, who was 

 permitted to range close to the keeper. I have also shot to the 

 point of " Bang," a very handsome animal, a cross between a New- 

 foundland and a setter. Dogs so bred often, when ranging, take to 

 pointing for a short period before dashing in ; or can easily be made 

 to do so, thereby giving the gun a very acceptable caution. 



552. The sire of " Venus " honourable mention is made of her 

 in 99 a very celebrated dog, had an invaluable quality as a retriever, 

 though the very opposite of the range I have been recommending. 

 He disturbed as little ground as possible during his search, and no 

 fresh ground returning. After running with the greatest correct- 

 ness a wounded pheasant through a large cover, he would invariably 

 return upon the same track he had taken when first sent from 

 " heel." I confess I cannot see how this admirable habit could be 

 taught by any one but Dame Nature. Is it not a beautiful instance 

 of sagacity ? But you will observe that, singularly good as was this 

 regular-retriever, he would have sprung the snipe at which the 

 retrieving-pointer stood (546). For instructions regarding regular 

 land retrievers, see 112 to 130. 



