GROUSE SHOOTING. 425 



that they are, in August. If a setter cannot 

 find water wherein to wet his feet every half 

 hour, he will not be able to undergo much fa- 

 tigue. Some sportsmen will hunt a couple of 

 mute spaniels for grouse shooting in preference 

 to any other team of dogs. Of course, when this 

 method is pursued, the birds are never pointed, 

 and the shooter must ever be on the look-out, for 

 the game is generally sprung very near to the gun. 

 We are not quite sure that a sportsman can be 

 better dogged for grouse shooting than with a couple 

 of spaniels and an old staunch pointer, unless he is 

 ii very dilatory shot, or is startled when birds rise 

 unexpectedly, and requires every bird to be pointed. 

 It is the power to bring down in good style bird 

 after bird thus put up, that makes apparent the 

 difference between the good shot and the indifferent 

 one. As long as birds are pointed under the dog^s 

 nose, the distinction is not so marked. 



Perhaps the best team of dogs for showing off 

 sport on a fine day, would be three high-couraged 

 pointers that range independently before the shooter 

 in concentric semi-circles, the one within the other, 

 two of them should be close-beaters, bitches, per- 

 haps, might be preferred, and the third a high- 

 ranger ; the bitches should keep, as near as may 

 be, at the distance of ten and twenty paces respect- 

 ively of the gun, and the dog at thirty yards. 

 With such dogs very little game would be passed 

 over. 



If the grouse-shooter is encumbered with several 

 markers, one should accompany him ; the rest 



