apply to all
descriptions employed on land-service, whether of the strong kind, the
Sussex breed and the Clumber, or the smallest cockers, Blenheims and King
Charles'. But whether they are to be trained not to hunt flick[14]--the
most difficult part of their tuition, and in which there is generally most
failure,--and whether they shall be bred to give tongue, or run mute, will
depend much upon the nature of the country to be hunted, and yet more upon
the taste of the proprietor. No fixed rules can be given for a sport that
varies so much as cover-shooting.

70. Of the large kind, most sportsmen will think a couple and a half a
sufficient number to hunt at a time. Certainly one of them should
retrieve: and they ought to be well broken in not to notice flick. These
dogs are most esteemed when they run mute. If they do, they must be hunted
with bells in very thick cover; but the less bells are employed the
better, for the tinkling sound, in a greater or smaller degree, annoys all
game. Such dogs, when good, are very valuable.

71. I once shot over a team of Clumber spaniels belonging to Mr.
D----z.[15] The breed--the Duke of Newcastle's, taking their name from one
of his seats--are mostly white with a little lemon color, have large,
sensible heads, thick, short legs, silky coats, carry their sterns low,
and hunt perfectly mute. The team kept within twenty or twenty-five yards
of the keeper, were trained to acknowledge rabbits, as well as all kinds
of game; and in the country Mr. D----z was then shooting over afforded
capital sport. One of the spaniels was taught to retrieve. He would follow
to any distance, and seldom failed to bring. A regular retriever was,
however, generally taken out with them. Mr. D----z told me that they
required very judicious management, and encouragement rather than
severity, as undue whipping soon made them timid. They are of a delicate
constitution. He rather surprised me by saying that his spaniels from
working quietly and ranging close,--therefore, alarming the birds
less,--procured him far more shots in turnips than his pointers; and he
had three that looked of the right sort. He explained matters, however, by
telling me that it was his practice to make a circuit round the outskirts
of a turnip or a potato field before hunting the inner parts. This of
course greatly tended to prevent the birds breaking. A juvenile sportsman
would rejoice in the services of the spaniels, for many a rabbit wou