1 58 DOMESTICATED DOGS. 



dogs, I lost six brace the first two days of partridge-shooting, 

 most of them in standing corn. 



" My old friend and patron having met with a severe accident 

 while hunting, last season, determined to go to Scotland for the 

 next three years. Seeing that my dogs were well calculated for 

 grouse-shooting, as they had been broken and shot to on the 

 moors, and being aware of my anxiety to possess the breed of his 

 Eussians, he very kindly offered to exchange them for mine, with 

 a promise that I would reserve a brace of Eussian puppies for him. 

 Although I had refused fifty guineas for my brace, I most gladly 

 closed with his offer. Since then I have hunted them in company 

 with several dogs of high character, but nothing that I have yet 

 seen could equal them. If not taken out for six months, they are 

 perfectly steady, which is a quality rarely to be met with. Every 

 sportsman must know that the fewer dogs he can do his work 

 with properly the better ; for if they are in condition they can- 

 not be too frequently hunted, and their tempers, style of work- 

 ing, &c, become more familiar to him. On this the whole com- 

 fort of shooting depends. Upon these grounds I contend that, 

 for all kinds of shooting, there is nothing equal to the Eussian 

 or half-bred Eussian setter in nose, sagacity, and every other 

 necessary qualification that a dog ought to possess." 



Since then, however, Mr. Lang lost the breed, and, I believe, 

 for some reason or other, had also lost confidence in them. They 

 are now very scarce in this country of pure blood, and even the 

 cross with the English setter is seldom seen. 



The actual form of the Eussian setter is almost entirely con- 

 cealed by a long woolly coat, which is matted together in the most 

 extraordinary manner, and which would lead to the supposition 

 that he would be unable to stand heat as well as our curly 

 setters ; but, on the contrary, he bears it almost like a pointer. 



