172 ORNITHOLOGICAL RAMBLES. 



Then, when some wild and almost unapproach- 

 able covey, after having been patiently pursued 

 from field to field, from brow to brow, yet never 

 completely lost sight of, shall at last have been 

 fairly worn out by the zeal and perseverance of 

 the sportsman and his valuable coadjutors, the 

 dogs and the markers, what a glorious half-hour 

 commences ! On such occasions the afiTrighted 

 birds make for the sunnnits of the Downs, and 

 either drop among the beautiful groups of juni- 

 per bushes that stud the smooth surface of their 

 steepest sides, or else " carry on '' to the heathery 

 and broken ground beyond, where you are well 

 repaid for an up-hill pursuit of a mile or two by 

 quartering the ground quietly with your setters, 

 and, if you please, bagging the whole covey one 

 after the other. You need have no qualms of 

 conscience, no misgivings about hurting the breed 

 for next year. There lies one of the greatest 

 charms of partridge-shooting in this district. 

 Many coveys are bred on the summits of the 

 hills which never descend to the valleys, and 

 which on a preserved manor, such as I speak of, 

 are of themselves sufiicient to ensure an adequate 

 supply for the shooter, be he ever so keen and 

 persevering. But without real work nothing is 

 to be done. Many a knight of the trigger have I 

 seen disgusted at what he called the scarcity of 



