378 EMPLOYMENT OF THE DOG IN HUNTING, ETC. 



scent of the partridge is very mild as compared with that of 

 the grouse ; on the other hand, this latter bird is found where 

 they are scattered indiscriminately over the heath-covered slopes, 

 and where dogs are essential to success, because there are 

 no turnips or other cover to drive them into, and they are as 

 likely to be on one spot as another. Hence every inch of ground 

 must be beaten, and often a day's sport covers two or three thou- 

 sand acres or even more. The scent of the grouse is also stronger 

 than that of the partridge, and from the nature of the heather 

 he is disposed to lie closely, unless made wild by constant dis- 

 turbance, so that with good dogs he is seldom put up out of shot. 

 The heather is very rough and irritating, and as it works up 

 between the toes it makes the interspaces extremely sore if they 

 are not well covered with hair. 



From these varying circumstances it results that a careful dog, 

 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 



