THE SPANIEL^ SPKINGEI?, OR COCKER. 33 



sense of smel], is of imdoubted courage and perse- 

 verance ; but natiu'ally takes to hunting vermin, 

 liares^ foxes^ rabbits, &c., in preference to game. 



Spaniels should be entered at their own game, 

 or they will cause a deal of trouble by giving 

 tongue when they come in contact with thrushes, 

 blackbirds, or indeed any small birds they may 

 find in cover. The best plan is, perhaps, to take 

 them into a bog where there are snipes, and kill 

 one or two as soon as possible : by doing this they 

 immediately acknowledge the quest of a woodcock 

 when they come upon it. There is no better plan 

 of training a spaniel for woodcock shooting — that 

 bird being here only a part of the year — than to 

 take them with a gim in piu'suit of the moor-heu 

 (as described under the preceding head of water 

 spaniel). If they hunt the latter well, they will 

 not do very Avrong ^a ith the former. I am inclined 

 to think that the scent of both birds is similar ; 

 and though the woodcock seeks a thicker cover 

 than the moor-hen, and depends altogether on his 

 Avings for escape, and does not so obstinately keep 

 the ground, I know from experience that train- 

 ing spaniels in the way I have just pointed out is 

 the best that can be adopted. Of course it would 

 never do to let the spaniel hunt the moor-hen with- 

 out the gun. By so doing he would be taught to 

 dodge about, and would acquire a habit of puzzling 

 upon an old scent. When once a dog does this 



c3 



