WOODCOCK-SHOOTING. 287 
keeping step with them, until the bird has sprung, seeing 
to it that they then instantly “drop!” 
This course has its disadvantages. One certainly loses 
some shots by it, and has to take others just as they come; 
whereas otherwise one may select his own ground, so as 
always to be sure of a fair shot. But on the other hand, 
one avoids the great danger of leading his dog, step by 
step, into error, and teaching him to commit a fault. 
The moment a dog, as it seems to me, comes to expect 
that he shall flush the bird himself, and to regard flush- 
ing as the ultimate end, I fear he will speedily become so 
over-eager in this respect, as to shorten his point, and per- 
haps at last neglect it altogether, when his master’s eye is 
not on him. 
Every one knows that the best and steadiest dogs, 
when by chance they get out of range of the gun in large 
woodlands, and come on the point, where they are not 
seen, become so impatient after standing awhile, that, 
when the gun does not come to their relief, they will 
flush their game, and go on hunting as if nothing had hap- 
pened. This is one of the drawbacks to hunting pointers 
and setters in covert, for every time they get out of sight 
and do this thing, as they must do it, or stand at point 
half the day until by chance discovered, they are rendered 
so much more likely to do it again; and they often come at 
length to such a degree of cunning, as invariably to flush 
every bird, running over it without taking the slightest 
notice, when not in sight of the master; though, when 
under his eye, they will point every thing, none more 
stanchly. 
