6 '2 SHOOTING SETTEES. 



rate. Then, for the first time for many years, I had 

 my dogs, English setters, beaten hollow. His breed 

 was from pure Kussian setters, crossed by an English 

 setter dog, which some years ago made a sensation 

 in the sporting world, from his extraordinary per- 

 formances ; he belonged to the late Joseph Manton, 

 and had been sold for a hundred guineas. Although 

 I could not but remark the excellence of my friend's 

 dogs, yet it struck me, as I had shot over my own 

 old favourite setter (who had himself beat many 

 good ones, and had never before been beaten) for 

 eight years, that his nose could not have been right, 

 for the Russians got three points to his one. I 

 therefore resolved to try some others against them 

 the next season ; and having heard a gentleman, well 

 known as an excellent judge, speak of a brace of ex- 

 traordinary dogs he had seen in the neighbourhood of 

 his Yorkshire moors, with his recommendation I pur- 

 chased them. I shot to them in August 1840, and 

 their beauty and style of performance were spoken of 

 in terms of praise by a correspondent to a sporting 

 paper. In September I took them into Somerset- 

 shire, fully anticipating that I should give the Rus- 

 sians the go-by; but I was again disappointed. I 

 found, from the wide ranging of my dogs, and the 

 noise consequent upon their going so fast through 

 stubbles and turnips (particularly in the middle of the 

 day, when the sun was powerful, and there was but 

 little scent), that they constantly put up their birds out 

 of distance ; or, if they did get a point, that the game 



