PREFACE NO PREFACE.
(FOR FIRST EDITION.)
My respected Publisher has suggested that a Preface may be expected. His opinion on such a subject ought to be law; but as I fear my readers may think that I have already sufficiently bored them, I will beg them, in Irish fashion, to refer any formalist, who considers a Preface necessary, to the conclusion of the work, where a statement will be found of the motive which induced me to write.
W. N. H.
CONTENTS.
| CHAPTER I. | ||
| PAGE | ||
| PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. QUALIFICATIONS, IN BREAKER,—IN DOG | [1] | |
| CHAPTER II. | ||
| INITIATORY LESSONS WITHIN DOORS. SHOOTING PONIES | [9] | |
| CHAPTER III. | ||
| INITIATORY LESSONS CONTINUED. SPANIELS | [20] | |
| CHAPTER IV. | ||
| LESSONS IN “FETCHING.”—RETRIEVERS | [57] | |
| CHAPTER V. | ||
| INITIATORY LESSONS OUT OF DOORS.—TRICKS | [76] | |
| CHAPTER VI. | ||
| FIRST LESSON IN SEPTEMBER COMMENCED. RANGING | [99] | |
| CHAPTER VII. | ||
| FIRST LESSONS IN SEPTEMBER CONTINUED. CAUTION.—NATURE’S MYSTERIOUS INFLUENCES | [111] | |
| CHAPTER VIII. | ||
| FIRST LESSON IN SEPTEMBER CONTINUED. CUNNING OF AGE.—RANGEOF FROM TWO TO SIX DOGS | [129] | |
| CHAPTER IX. | ||
| FIRST LESSON IN SEPTEMBER CONTINUED. “POINT” NOT RELINQUISHEDFOR “DOWN CHARGE” | [150] | |
| CHAPTER X. | ||
| FIRST LESSON IN SEPTEMBER CONTINUED. ASSISTANT.—VERMIN | [165] | |
| CHAPTER XI. | ||
| FIRST LESSON IN SEPTEMBER CONCLUDED. BAR.—LEG STRAP.—SPIKE-COLLAR | [176] | |
| CHAPTER XII. | ||
| SHOOTING HARES. COURAGE IMPARTED.—“BACKING” TAUGHT | [194] | |
| CHAPTER XIII. | ||
| HINTS TO PURCHASERS. PRICE OF DOGS.—SHEEP KILLING | [210] | |
| CHAPTER XIV. | ||
| A REST BEYOND “HALF-WAY HOUSE.” ANECDOTES OF DOGS ON SERVICE AT HOME | [230] | |
| CHAPTER XV. | ||
| ANECDOTES OF DOGS ON SERVICE ABROAD. RUSSIAN SETTERS | [249] | |
| CHAPTER XVI. | ||
| DISTINGUISHING WHISTLES. “BACKING” THE GUN. RETREATFROM AND RESUMPTION OF POINT. RANGE UNACCOMPANIEDBY GUN. HEADING RUNNING BIRDS | [278] | |
| CHAPTER XVII. | ||
| SETTER TO RETRIEVE. BLOODHOUNDS. RETRIEVERS TO “BEAT.”WOUNDED WILDFOWL RETRIEVED BEFORE THE KILLED | [294] | |
| CHAPTER XVIII. | ||
| BECKFORD. ST. JOHN. CONDITION. INOCULATION. VACCINATION. CONCLUSION | [307] | |
| POSTSCRIPT: MR. L——G’S LETTER | [322] | |
| APPENDIX: | ||
| COVERS, SHOOTING, LOADING | [328] | |
| TRAPPING.—OWL AS DECOY.—HEN HARRIER.—KEEPER’S VERMIN-DOGS.—STOATS | [331] | |
| REARING PHEASANTS.—CANTELO.—PHEASANTRIES.—MR. KNOX | [335] | |
| SETTERS.—POACHERS.—KEEPERS.—NETTING PARTRIDGES.—BLOODHOUNDS.—NIGHT-DOGS | [344] | |
| INDEX, in which the figures refer to the numbers of the paragraphs,and not to the pages | [349] | |