270 
FRANK FORESTER’S FIELD SPORTS. 
On coming under the willows, both dogs stood instantaneous¬ 
ly on two different birds, which proved, however, to be Wood¬ 
cock. Eight or nine of these latter birds we flushed and 
bagged, without moving any Quail except one which I almost 
trod upon, a second after my best dog had gone within a foot of 
it, taking no notice of its presence. My companions laughed at 
me, for expressing an opinion that the Quail were still there, 
within a few yards of us; but it proved that I was not in error. 
A Woodcock went away unshot at, or at least unwounded, 
and led us a long stretch off the direction of our intended beat; 
while hunting for it we found another bevy of Quail scattered, 
and had some sport with it, by which we were amused and 
occupied during half an hour. Returning across the first 
ground, we got six points at six single birds, Quail, under the 
willows; and in consequence went back into the briar patch, 
scarcely entering it before the Setters stood on the first three. 
The fact is difficult to explain, but a fact it is; and it occurs 
only with the unwounded birds. I have never known Setters • 
to have the smallest difficulty in footing crippled Quail, which 
always run or tumble about as soon as they alight, or in point¬ 
ing dead Quail. I have even seen dogs find one dead Quail 
among a whole bevy of live ones, which they could not scent 
at that time, but which they did subsequently hunt up in good 
style. 
Therefore, I say Peritus was in the right of it, in drawing 
his distinction as he did on that day; for he not only improved 
his chance of finding more bevies by pursuing them while 
they were on the run in the early morning, and so scattering 
them into good shooting covert, where he was sure to find them 
again during the basking hours, when, unless flushed and 
marked down before, they can scarcely be raised, but increased 
the likelihood of finding his birds in good style. And all this 
he explained, in many more words than I have space to use, 
and with many an apt illustration, while he and Agilis were 
lying down under a sunny bank by a clear springhead, regaling 
themselves an hour or two after noon, with the cold chicken and 
