POSTSCEIPT 

 TO THE SECOND EDITION, REPRINTED IN THIS. 



SOMETIME after the foregoing sheets were numbered and prepared 

 for the press, I received a letter on the subject of dogs and dog- 

 breaking from Mr. L g (spoken of in 183). 



I had long ago requested him freely to make remarks upon my 

 book, assuring him that as I had only written from a wish to be 

 serviceable, I could not but take all his comments in good part, how- 

 ever much they might be opposed to my pre-conceived ideas. I 

 further promised to mention his criticisms for the benefit of my future 

 readers, if I considered them judicious. 



Every man is fullv entitled to form an opinion for himself : and as 

 there are minor points though on most we are fully agreed in 



which Mr. L g and myself slightly differ, I think it the fairest 



plan to let him explain his own views in his own way, and I have the 

 less hesitation in doing so as, to most sportsmen, a letter from a clever 

 sportsman on his favourite subject must always be more or less in- 

 teresting. He writes nearly word for word as follows : 



" 7, HAYMARKET, January, 1850. 



" SIR, On perusing your book on dog-breaking I really find little, 

 if anything, to say that will assist you in vour new edition ; but I 

 must observe that I think you would be doing a service to the com- 

 munity, if you would lend a helping hand to improve the breed of 

 pointers ; or rather to get up a sort of committee of sportsmen 

 (thorough judges) to investigate into the pedigree of dogs, and ex- 

 press their opinion of the make, nose, durability, &c., of the several 

 animals submitted to them ; that prizes might be awarded, or stakes 

 hunted for ; and books kept of the pedigree of the several competitors, 

 much in the same way as such matters are managed with greyhounds. 



" It is of no consequence how fast a dog travels who is wanted for 

 the moors, or how wide he ranges ; but such a dog would be worse 

 than useless in the south, and in all small enclosures. I feel assured 

 that dogs which are first-rate on grouse are not fitted for partridge. 

 My experience tells me that not one dog in twenty is worth keeping, 

 that the generality do far more harm than good, this I see almost 

 every day that I am out. There seem to be now-a-days no recognised 

 thorough-bred pointers, but those obtained from one or two kennels 

 in Yorkshire. 1 have shot over many north-country dogs, but found 

 there was too much of the fox-hound blood in them for the south, 

 they are too high couraged, and range much too far. After the first 



