dark mahogany or dark chocolate and that of the eyes (which ought not to be too large) rich hazel or brown. The ears to be of moderate size, fine in texture, set on low, well back and hanging in a neat fold close to the head.

NECK-Should be moderately long, very muscular but not too thick, slightly arched, free from all tendeney to throatiness.

BODY-Should be proportionately long, shoulders fine at the points, deep and sloping well back. The chest deep, rather narrow in front. The ribs well sprung, leaving plenty of lung room. The loins

all other parts of the body it should be of moderate length, flat, and as free as possible from curl or wave.

FEATHERING.-The feather on the upper portion of the ears should be long and silky; on the back of fore and hind legs long and fine; a fair amount of hair on belly, forming a nice fringe, which may extend on chest and throat. Feet to be well feathered between the toes. Tail to have a nice fringe of moderately long hair, decreasing in length as it approaches the point. All feathering to be as straight and as flat as possible.

muscular and slightly arched. The hindquarter wide and powerful.

LEGS AND FEET.-The hind legs from hip to hock should be long and muscular; from hock to heel short and strong. The stifle and hock joints well bent, and not inclined either in or out. The fore legs should be strong and sinewy, having plenty of bone, with elbows free, well let down and, like the hock, not inclined either out or in. The feet rather small, very firm, toes strong, close together and arched.

TAIL-Should be of moderate length, set on rather low, strong at root and tapering to a fine point; to be carried in a slight, scimitar-like curve or straight, nearly level with the back.

COAT-On the head, front of legs and tips of ears should be short and fine, but on

COLOR AND MARKINGS.-The color should be a rich mahogany red, with no trace whatever of black; white on chest, throat or toes, or a small star on the forehead, or a narrow streak, or blaze on the nose or face not to disqualify.

It might be well to add that the fewer white hairs found upon the forehead or face of the Irish setter, the more desirable it is. It is very rare now to find a well-bred "Irishman" with any white, except upon the chest and toes, and many have white hairs in the forehead, somewhat scattered, and only to be observed by very close inspection.

I

HAD been visiting friends in the northern part of New York State for a few days, waiting for the woodcock season to open. It seemed as though August 15 would never arrive, and the evening before, I asked my friend, who, unfortunately for himself, is not a sportsman, for the bob-tailed mare, the old buggy and plenty of lunch, to be ready early in the morning, as Dick and I were going after woodcock.

"Well, George, you are welcome to the outfit, but I'm afraid you can't go to-morrow, as it's raining even now."

"Now look here, Billy," I replied, "I'm going, rain or shine. I've waited for this chance as long as I can, and that settles it."

The next morning was foggy and unpleasant, but Dick came around on time, arrayed in a brand new shooting suit that was a wonder to look upon.

He had some misgivings about starting out in such weather, due, I presume, to the immaculate state of his suit, but upon my saying, "Make up your mind quick, Dick, I'm going," he climbed in, and the mare started on the run—her usual method of getting under way. After about five miles of trying to hold her in, I gave it up, and she stopped of her own accord.

A piece of cover near the road attracted my attention, and I proposed an investigation, just by way of stretching our legs, and to get the wire edge off the dog, which, by the way, I had borrowed from the village blacksmith, he informing me that his dog was a genowine setter, and fullblooded." I had some doubts about him, but he was the only dog to be had-and he went. After tying the mare to the fence, and wasting some time-and brushwood-on the dog for chasing sparrows, we got into the brush. Within ten minutes, Dick

sung out, "Come here, George, the dog has got one."

I went to him on the run, and found that "genowine setter" on as fine a point as one could wish to see. "Go ahead, Dick, it's your shot, but be sure and get him. We want to start in well," upon which advice Dick walked in, flushed the bird, and missed with both barrels, as I did, with the result that we both indulged in a few remarks as to poor shells and poorer guns. The dog, however, went on as if nothing had happened, and soon located the bird, which Dick gathered in by a quick second barrel. After this, we felt somewhat better, and, as Dick remarked, "I guess we've got our hands in now, and no more misses will be allowed."

After spending half an hour working this ground and not finding anything, I decided to give Dick's new suit an initiation into the beauties of the "punch bowl." I wanted to see how it would look afterwards. We accordingly drove about two miles, put the mare in a friend's barn and started across lots for the "punch bowl"-a sink about a half mile across. Here we had always been sure of finding a few woodcock, and perhaps a brood of partridge, but it was a hard place to hunt, owing to the thick brush and the boggy footing. The dog soon located a bird which flushed before we came up, and dropped in a soft spot about fifty yards further on. When Dick saw the place he said, "Now, George, you go in with the dog, and I will get up on that ridge and take him when he rises over the tops of the alders." Dick evidently didn't like the mud. and was bent upon giving me the nasty end of the job, but that cock never got to "the tops of the alders." I wasn't in there for my health, neither was I there to contribute to Dick's fun. I went along a few yards

when the "genowine setter" again drew up to a stiff point. I sang out to Dick to come in and take the shot, and soon heard him coming through the brush. There was a bog hole in the way, however, and he didn't see it until he was in it. My first intimation that he had got there was a splash, and mud flew in all directions. The woodcock left for parts unknown, closely followed by the "setter," and I sat on a log and yelled. Such a sight as that suit was! Dick spit out

some

"You think you're pretty smart, don't you, getting me in this hole? I'll bet there wasn't a bird within half a mile of this place. Look at my clothes!" I did, and laughed some more. I told him he was now in proper shape to hunt, and we would go ahead. "Well," he replied, "I suppose I must make the best of it; but where is the dog?" After calling and tramping around for at least twenty minutes, we found him on a point, and I told Dick to go in and shoot. "All right, George," said he, "and just you keep your eye on me. I'll show you how to do it." When he got up to within about six feet of the dog, and no bird flushed, he called to me, "Come in here and put up the bird. This 'genowine setter' won't move. I'm agoing to buy that dog; he is a dandy." Just then, up got the bird, a sparrow, and our subsequent remarks are not fit for publication. However, the dog had done good work, and might do more of the same kind. Sure enough, after wallowing through the mud for about forty yards I came upon him pointing again, and as Dick said he was in a good place for a shot in case I missed, I put the bird up, missed clean with both barrels, and had my eye wiped by Dick. "That makes up for the bird you didn't get, old man,” said I, "and I'm hungry. Let's get some lunch."

mud and growled,

We started for the Spring, and had just gotten lunch out, when Charlie, with whom we had left the horse,

I

came up and caught sight of Dick's clothes. Hully gee, Dick," said he, "you must have been having a good time. Where have you been? explained, and Dick got the laugh for the second time. I had no more time for laughing, however, when Charlie said: "Boys, the old woman says cold victuals ain't very satisfying to hungry men, so I've brought you over a hot blackberry pie and a jug of milk from the Spring House.' We didn't wait to hear any more, but got to work at once, and the way that pie disappeared was a caution. Charlie, in the meantime, had told us where to find some birds and finally volunteered to go along with us, just to see us kill them. "I can't shoot birds flying," said he, "but it's fun to see you fellows do it.'

We crossed the creek and Dick took the top of the ridge while I worked along under the bank with the dog, and soon found game. The first bird got up on my right, and started up the bank. I couldn't shoot, however, as the boys were up there somewhere, until Charlie yelled, "There he goes," and then as the gun cracked, "Whoopee! you got him." Pretty soon I flushed another, and dropped him just as he got to the top of the bank, much to Dick's surprise. He had not heard the bird start, and the first thing he knew about it was when the bird dropped within twenty feet of him.

The birds kept getting up all along the bank, and at one time there were three of them in the air at once. Between our shooting and Charlie's yelling, it sounded like an Indian fight. We killed eight in this place, on one side of the creek. On returning, I had all the best of it, as the birds on the lower side were so near the creek that I could stand in the open and have clean shooting. I killed two, and then came my chance for a laugh on Dick. Charlie was playing dog for him and flushed a bird which they had marked down on the trip up. It did not show over the brush, however, until it was

within twenty yards of me. I promptly gathered it in and pro

ceeded to read Dick a lecture on the evils of trying to get the best of his partner. He informed me that "any fool ought to kill birds when he had a man and dog to hunt 'em up for him."

This bird was the last we could find, and as it was so hot, we prepared to quit for the day. Charlie's sporting blood was up, however.

"There's a brood of partridge up in my wood lot," said he; "won't you give 'em a whirl?"

Would we? We couldn't get there quick enough. We put in two hours' hard work but nary a bird could we find. Charlie insisted that they were there, but Dick wouldn't have it. "Charlie, you are off on the partridge. question," said he. "I don't believe there has been a bird here this year. Any way, I am tired out and am going back to the house." After Dick's departure Charlie assured me that if I would go on a little further, I would get some shooting, and I finally agreed, although I was pretty tired. We went back up the ridge, but without any luck, and at the end of an hour I informed Charlie that I was through for the day. On the way home, and while we were tramping thoughtlessly through the woods, up got the finest brood of partridge I had seen in years, and sailed into the woods without my firing a shot. Charlie yelled and swore at me for some time, but I told him that I was so surprised as to forget all about my gun. "Just the same," I added, "I'm going to have some of them now. Let's take a drink and get after them." I passed over my flask, and came within an ace of having a spasm at the size of Charlie's drink. Seeking solace in the same cup, however, I recovered, and put the dog in ahead. Within forty yards he stopped, went on a few steps, and then stopped again. The next instant out got an old bird. What a racket she did make; but I was ready, and at the crack of the gun

use.

she came down. We went on for half a mile further, but it was of no The birds were not to be found. As I was about to give it up, Charlie saw one in a tree, and I handed him my gun, saying, "Here, see if you can kill him." Well, that . bird was about twenty yards away, but he made as fine a miss as I ever saw. Then, as the bird started away, he pulled the other barrel, and killed him stone dead. He then calmly remarked, "I didn't mean to kill him the first shot; just wanted to scare him up, and give him a chance." "That's all right, old man," I answered," but that don't go here, and you know it."

"Just the same," he laughed, "I've got that partridge, and that's all I want. Now let's go home. You can come up some other day and get the rest of 'em-they'll keep-and I've got some cider in the cellar that's just about right."

When we got to the house Dick was sitting in the shade smoking and getting away with a big piece of pie. Charlie brought up a pitcher of cider from the cellar, and what a drink I took! It seemed as though I couldn't get enough; and oh, that pie!

We left a pair of birds with Charlie's better half, hooked up the mare and started for home at a 2:40 gait, after deciding that our experiences of the day were good enough to repeat at some future time.

On reaching home there was a good laugh from the crowd at the sight of Dick's hunting suit. We divided the birds, and after supper I went to see the owner of the " genowine setter." I handed him a pair of birds and asked if the dog was for sale. He looked at me for a moment, and said, "Me bye, that's the first genowine, full-blooded setter I ever owned, and I guess I'll keep him." Seeing the lock of disappointment on my face, however, he added,