THE sportsman's VADB MECUM. 21 



for cock shooting here. Too much cannot be said in their 

 favor. They are easily taught to retrieve. 



BETRIBVER. 



A Retriever is a cVoss breed dog. There is no true type 

 of them. Every pereon has a peculiar fancy regarding them. 

 The great object is to have them tolerably small, compatible 

 with endurance. The best I have seen were of a cross 

 between the Labrador and water spaniel, or the pure 

 Labrador dog. 



BEAGLES. 



In some parts of the States Beagles are used, and it may 

 be as well to point out the characteristics of them. First, 

 then, a beagle ought not to exceed fourteen inches in height ; 

 its head ought to be long and fine ; its ears long, fine also, 

 beautifully, round, thin, and pendulous, rather far set back ; 

 body not too long ; chest broad and deep ; loins broad at 

 top, but narrow downwards ; legs strong, but short ; feet 

 small and close ; hair short and close ; tails curved upwards 

 and tapering, but not too fine. There is also another sort of 

 beagles, wire-haired, flew-jawed, heavy hung, deep-mouthed. 

 They are very true hunters, seldom leaving the trail till dead, 

 3r run to ground. 



BKEBDING. 



It is needless to say that at certain indefinite periods of 

 the year a bitch comes into use, as the term is — generally 

 twice a year, and still more generally speaking, during the 



