GROUSE AND PARTRIDGE SHOOTING. 335 
not ranging too wide, but going steadily to work, and keeping 
at it at such a pace as to make sure of not flushing a bird, per- 
fectly steady “‘ before and behind” and “down charge,” is the dog 
for partridge-shooting ; while a wider ranger, with perhaps a trifle 
less delicacy of nose, will be preferred for grouse-shooting, espe- 
cially if he will last for a longer time at his work, and will bear 
the constant friction of the heather. Now, it is clear to every one 
who has had much experience of the two kinds of dog, that the 
pointer has the more delicate nose; for though some setters may 
compete with any pointer in this particular, yet, on the whole, the 
average of setters are inferior to the average of pointers in powers 
of scent. The pointer is also more easily broken, and when per- 
fect, remains so with more certainty; but he has the disadvantage 
of more readily tiring, and his toes sooner become sore if used in 
heather. On the whole, therefore, though there are numerous 
exceptions, the pointer is more suited to partridge-shooting, and 
the setter to grouse. If, however, the sportsman has a fancy for 
or against either, and selects the smooth dog for the moors, he 
should fix upon a strong coarse-haired dog, and those with a cross 
of the foxhound seem to be generally preferred; but they have 
some of the disadvantages of the setter, being much more difficult 
to break than the genuine pointer, but are far more hardy and 
enduring. Indeed some of this breed will beat the setter in pace 
and endurance; while the nose of the hound, being as good as that 
of the pointer, or nearly so, does not lower the power of scent, but 
it has a tendency to make the dog lose that fine handsome range 
which the true breed possess, as displayed in the high carriage 
of the head when at work, which is so beautiful to the eye of the 
sportsman, With regard to the peculiar breed of each which is to 
be selected, I should advise the modern pointer without the fox- 
hound cross (or if any, very remote), taking care that there is 
endurance enough to carry the dog through a good day’s shooting. 
On the average, few pointers will beat as they should do for more 
than four or six hours, and even this amount of work cannot be 
maintained for many days together. I have had one or two dogs 
which no one man could tire, but these were light greyhound-like 
animals; and though they could do wonders on a good scenting 
day, they were useless on a dry September afternoon, without any 
