BIPEDS AND QUADRUPEDS. 79 



impulse for which we cannot account, unless it be 

 something like the following reason. He seeks 

 winged animals; instinct, or trial, has taught him that 

 if he disturbs them they fly beyond his reach, so, I 

 conclude, that he stops, and if left to his own discre- 

 tion, would creep stealthily up to them, till near 

 enough to make a rush, and thus try to catch 

 them before they could get on wing. 



It may be said, in refutation of my surmise, that 

 the spaniel hunts for winged animals also, and does 

 not stop. ^He certainly does not : whether this arises 

 from want of sense, if I may use the word, or from 

 our habituating him to hunt, and putup flying game, 

 I am not prepared to say : most puppies will pursue 

 flying birds ; but if they do, they usually leave ofl'such 

 unprofitable habits as they gain experience, — unless, 

 as in the case of spaniels, we permit them to notice 

 a bird on the wing. I should, therefore, say the 

 rabbit or young leveret was probably the natural 

 game of the spaniel ; the pheasant, woodcock, and 

 snipe game he pursues, or at least hunts for from 

 tuition. 



