Choosing a Shooting Dog 185 



University, one of my boyhood's teachers, whether 

 this period marking the cessation of mental de- 

 velopment had ever been made the subject of 

 special study by a competent expert. Dr. Hall, 

 who, as his old pupils are proud to know, is the 

 first of American authorities on child develop- 

 ment, answered that no investigation of conse- 

 quence had ever been applied to this period. I 

 take it for granted, therefore, that it is still an 

 untilled field. One can easily understand the 

 difficulties of conducting such an investigation ; 

 yet the results would be of definitely more value 

 than any amount of child study, especially since 

 they might lead to a discovery of the indicia 

 which in childhood foreshadow the limitations of 

 development. 



However this may all be, as a proposition in 

 general science, it is certain that in a pedigree 

 of high performers there lie possibilities of devel- 

 opment. It is hard to tell in the case of a puppy, 

 even up to a year old, just what direction devel- 

 opment will take or how far it can be carried. 

 A half-bred yearling horse may have all the 

 appearance and action of a thoroughbred and 

 may entice the unwary sportsman into the ex- 

 pense of training, but in a race at anything over 

 half a mile the cold element will show itself. 

 Puppies of poor breeding are often handsome, 

 active, and attractive; and those of the highest 



