m ahead--from
your heel--but increase the distances very gradually,--until at length he
will be so far perfected, that you may venture to send him down wind to
the extremity of the field--before he commences beating,--while you remain
quietly at the top awaiting his return, until he shall have hunted the
whole ground, as systematically and carefully as if you had accompanied
him from the bottom. By this method you will teach him, on his gaining
more experience, invariably to run to leeward, and hunt up to
windward--crossing and recrossing the wind--whatever part of a field you
and he may enter. What a glorious consummation! and it can be attained,
but only by great patience and perseverance. The least reflection,
however, will show you that you should not attempt it until the dog is
perfected in his range.

285. A careful dog, thus practised, will seldom spring birds, however
directly he may be running down wind. He will pull up at the faintest
indication of a scent, being at all times anxiously on the look-out for
the coveted aroma.

286. Not only to the idle or tired sportsman would it be a great benefit
to have a field thus beaten, but the keenest and most indefatigable shot
would experience its advantages in the cold and windy weather customary in
November, when the tameness of partridge-shooting cannot be much
complained of; for the birds being then ever ready to take wing, surely
the best chance, by fair means, of getting near them would be to intercept
them between the dog and yourself.

287. Here the consideration naturally arises, whether dogs could not be
_taught_--when hunting in the ordinary manner with the gun in the rear--

TO HEAD RUNNING BIRDS.

Certainly it could be done. There have been many instances of old dogs
_spontaneously_ galloping off, and placing themselves on the other side of
the covey--which they had pointed--as soon as they perceived that it was
on the run,--and by good instruction you could develope or rather excite,
that exercise of sagacity.

288. If dogs are taught to "hunt from leeward to windward without the
gun," they become habituated to seeing game intercepted between themselves
and their masters,--and then their spontaneously heading running
birds--though undeniably evincing great intelligence--would not be very
remarkable. They would but reverse matters by placing themselves to
windward of the birds while the gun was to leeward. This shows that the
acquisition of