200 MANUAL FOR YOUNG SPORTSMEN. 
more particularly led by two causes, both of which must 
often occur in shooting in heavy coverts, especially in sum- 
mer, when the leaf is full—first, that frequently coming on 
points unobserved by the shooter, who has lost and cannot 
find them, they are kept standing such a weary time, on 
the game, that they become impatient, flush it wilfully, and 
come away unchidden, because unremarked. 
Second, that the shooter himself, instead of himself 
walking or beating up his game over the point, as he ought 
to do, too often, for the sake of securing a shot which, 
from the badness of ground or thickness of the brake, he 
would otherwise be apt to lose, hies the dog on, and 
encourages him to flush, at one moment, probably punish- 
ing him for doing the very same thing, some twenty 
minutes later. 
Thus it is clear that pointers or setters, when in the 
very best possible training and condition for open shooting, 
which is their natural work as well as their forte, are not 
suited for covert shooting. 
It is also clear that covert-shooting is likely to be 
disadvantageous to their steadiness, and to render then, 
unless carefully and judiciously hunted, wild and riotous. 
If, on the contrary, they are thoroughly broken and 
inured to covert shooting, they get into a slow, pottering 
style of work, lose their range, their speed of foot, and in 
a great measure their dashing style and carriage. 
Once or twice in a lifetime, one may find a brace of 
dogs so perfect, so steady, and so well up toall kinds of 
work, that they will range the opens at full speed, heads 
up and sterns down, and again when brought into covert 
