strange dog, and has already learnt to beat his ground properly, as explained in my previous remarks, he is steady and well broken as he can be without the gun, and may be thrown by until a fortnight before the shooting season, when he ought to be taken out again for two or three days, as in the interval he will generally have lost some of his steadiness. Still he will only require work to restore it, as he knows what he ought to do; and with patience, joined if necessary with a little punishment, he soon re-acquires all that he had forgotten. Many masters now fancy that all is done towards "making the pointer: " but, on the contrary, they find that after birds are killed the puppy which was previously steady becomes wild and ungovernable, and spoils the day's shooting by all sorts of bad behaviour. Hence it is that breakers so often are blamed without cause; but when it is found by experience that such conduct is the rule, and not the exception, young dogs are left by their owners to be shot over by a keeper for a few days, or even longer, before they are taken into the field. Another reason for this wildness may be assigned; namely, the dogs are often hunted in the commencement of the season by almost perfect strangers, two or three guns together; whereas, if their breaker had the management, they would be under much more control, and especially if he went out quietly by himself. Here again is another reason for gentlemen breaking their own dogs, or, at all events, finishing their education by giving their dogs and themselves a few lessons together.

Down charge, as already described, ought to be taught from a very early period, the dog being made to drop at the word

or elevation of the hand of his master, without the slightest hesitation. It is not, therefore, necessary to dwell upon this part of his education, further than to remark that after each point, or, indeed, directly after birds rise under any circumstances, the dog should be made to drop by the voice, using the order "Down charge!" or by raising the hand if the eye of the dog can be caught. When this practice is made habitual, there is little trouble in carrying out the order until the gun is added; but then it will be found that great patience and forbearance are required to prevent the dog from running to his birds as they drop; for, if this is allowed, it is sure to make him unsteady in every case as soon as his eye catches sight of game, whether after the point or not. It is now that the advantage of having made the dog drop to the gun is manifested, for the first thing he thinks of when the gun is fired is the necessity for dropping, and if this is encouraged all goes on well. Too often the shooter himself produces unsteadiness, by disregarding his dog at the moment when he ought to attend to him most particularly, and by running in himself to take care of his "bag" considering that more important than the steadiness of his dog. It is true that a runner is sometimes lost by the delay of a few seconds while the discharged barrel is reloaded; but in the long run, the shooter who keeps his dog down till he has loaded will bag the most game.

The faults which chiefly require correction at this stage are: blinking, shying the gun, pottering at the hedges, hunting too wide, and chasing fur. The vice of blinking has been caused

by over-severity in punishment for chasing poultry, &c., and takes a great deal of time to remove. Indeed, until the dog sees game killed, he seldom loses the fear which has produced it. It is therefore frequently useless to continue the breaking in the spring, although such a dog sometimes becomes very useful by careful management in the shooting season. Generally speaking, it is occasioned by undue severity, either applied for chasing cats or poultry, or for chasing game when first hunted. The former kind of castigation should be very cautiously applied, as the puppy is very apt to associate the punishment given for the chasing of game with that due to the destruction of poultry or cats; and as he has been compelled to leave the latter by the use of the whip, and has been afterwards kept "at heel," so he thinks he must do so now, and in fear he comes there, and consequently "blinks his birds." This defect is only to be remedied by instilling confidence, and by avoiding punishment; but it is often one which gives great trouble before it is got over. It is not so bad as the obstinately refusing to work at all, but is only next to it. Both occur in dogs which are deficient in courage, and both require the most delicate and encouraging treatment to remove them. Let such dogs run

riot," and commit any fault they like, without fear for a time; then afterwards (that is, when they begin to be quite bold, and are full of the zest for game) begin very cautiously to steady them, and something may yet be done. In very bad cases all attempts at breaking must be given up at "pairing time,” and the gun must be relied on as a last resource, the killing of

game having sometimes a wonderful effect in giving courage to a dog which has been depressed by undue correction. Punishment is not to be condemned altogether, for in some breeds and individuals without the whip nothing could be done; but it should be very cautiously applied, and the temper of each dog should be well studied in every case before it is adopted. Kindness will effect wonders, especially where united with firmness, and with a persevering determination to compel obedience somehow but, if that "how" can be effected without the whip, so much the better; still, if it cannot, the rod must not be spared, and, if used at all, it should be used sufficiently.

Shyness of the gun will generally also go off in time; but, as it seldom occurs except in very timid and nervous dogs, they do not often become very useful even when they have lost it. The best plan is to lead a shy dog quietly behind the shooters, and not to give him an opportunity of running off, which he generally does on the first discharge. When game falls, lead him up and let him mouth it; and thus, in course of time, he connects cause with effect, and loses that fear of the report, which he finds is followed by a result that gives him the pleasure of scenting fresh blood.

Pottering at the hedges in partridge-shooting is the result of using dogs to find rabbits, or of allowing them to look for them, which they always are ready to do, especially if permitted to chase or even to retrieve hares. There is no remedy for it, and a potterer of this kind is utterly worthless and irreclaimable.

Hunting too wide for close partridge-shooting may be easily

remedied by constantly keeping in the dog by the whistle and hand; and, if he has been properly taught to range at command, little trouble is required in making him change from the wide beat, necessary in countries where game is scarce, to the confined and limited range of sixty yards, which is best where it is thick on the ground.

Chasing fur, and also running in to dead birds, are often most unmanageable vices; but either can generally be cured by patience and severe treatment, aided if necessary by the check-cord, or in very bad cases by the spike-collar in addition. When these are used it is only necessary to work the dog with them on, the cord either trailing loosely on the ground or held in an assistant's hand. Then, the moment the dog runs in, check him severely, and, if he is not very bold, the plain collar will suffice, as it may be made by a sharp jerk to throw him back, to his great annoyance; but the spike-collar punishes far more, and if it is used will soon give the dog cause to leave off his malpractices.

BREAKING TO RETRIEVE.

Retrieving, in my opinion, should be invariably committed to a dog specially kept for that purpose; but, as this is not the universal practice, it will be necessary to say a few words on this subject. When pointers or setters are broken to retrieve, in addition to those qualities peculiar to them they should always