98 The Carntvora. 
It is not easy to make direct experiments. The animal must 
be carefully watched under conditions which render com- 
parison with our own vision possible. Everyone knows how 
difficult it is for a swimmer to keep his eye on any object 
floating on broken water; it must be still more so for the 
dog, whose line of sight is lower. A correspondent of the 
Field, 1st December, 1883, gave the following instances: “I 
had been for a day’s shore shooting on the coast of Calva- 
dos, and had dropped what is there called a petite de mer” 
(probably one of the stilts). “The crossbred spaniel plunged 
immediately into the surging billows, did brave battle with 
them for several minutes, never lost sight of the speck 
which was dancing wildly on the white-crested waves, and 
in due time retrieved the worthless little long bill .... 
Another time, I had been looking for ducks along the 
partially frozen stream in the park, when a wood pigeon 
bolted from the elm trees, received a shot from me, flew 
across the end of a plantation, and then fell dead in a 
hedge between a field of colza and another of winter wheat. 
I went immediately to the spot, and in so doing had to 
chide the spaniel for a double attempt to enter the wood, 
This was the only slightly angry word I ever addressed to 
him, and he felt it keenly. Arrived at the hedge, a most 
diligent search was made, but in vain, and at last I gave it 
up and returned to the stream, when, for the third time, the 
dog made an attempt to enter the wood, succeeded in eluding 
my attention, scoured the corner of the plantation, and then 
emerged triumphantly in front of me with the wood pigeon 
in his mouth. He knew exactly where it had fallen. I had 
made a miscalculation, and then blamed the frosty morning for 
it. Do you suppose that Tom—that was the spaniel’s name— 
made me feel my inferiority? Oh no! The dog is far too 
noble and generous an animal to lower himself to the level 
of a question of amour propre, a truly human weakness.” 
Many sportsmen, especially those who like going out shoot- 
ing with no other companion than a retriever, and care 
