182 MANUAL FOE YOUNG SPORTSMEN. 



Russian setters have what is called more point, they 

 couch lower, and steal in more silently on their game than 

 any other dog, consequently they are the best in the 

 world over which to shoot game, when it is wild. Could 

 they be procured, I think of all sporting dogs they are the 

 most adapted for ordinary American shooting, and the 

 best of all for beginners. They have less style, and do 

 not range so high as the English or Irish dogs, but that 

 is no disadvantage for America, where there is so much 

 covert shooting. 



Setters should range wide and swiftly, with the head 

 well up ; dogs which puzzle on the ground except on bad 

 scenting days, or in emergency on the cold trail of a 

 wounded animal, have generally bad noses ; they should, 

 if hunting two together, cross each other regularly on 

 their beat, if singly, quarter the ground evenly in front of 

 the shooter ; they should, at each turn, invariably cast 

 forward so as not to come on old ground, and never cross 

 backward, behind the shooter. This is a very bad fault, 

 causing much delay and loss of time, and it is hard to 

 cure when once acquired. 



The habit of quartering ground well is little under- 

 stood, or taught, even by professed breakers in America, 

 though it is of first importance. Most dog breakers are 

 content, when a dog stands stanchly on his game, backs 

 his comrade, drops to charge at the word, and retrieves 

 cleverly, to let him run about the ground as he will at his 

 own pleasure. 



There is no greater error. A dog, which does so, will 

 beat much of his ground twice or thrice over, and leave 



