THE WILD PHEASANT 203 



Though much exposed to wind and 

 storm, this is naturally good partridge 

 land, and doubtless the encouragement 

 that we have given the wild pheasant 

 has lowered the maximum number of 

 partridges that the ground will carry. 

 But if we have sacrificed a little (and 

 that only potentially, for of late with each 

 recurring year the cold and wet of mid- 

 summer hurry the infant partridges out of 

 existence, leaving ample scope of ground 

 for the survivors) we have the distinct 

 gain of having two strings to our bow. 



This present year (1912), had we dis- 

 couraged the pheasant and studied the 

 interests of the partridge alone there 

 would have been practically no shoot- 

 ing at all, for September found fewer 

 partridges on the ground than were left 

 for stock at the close of the last season. 

 As it was, the earlier nesting pheasants 

 escaped the stress of weather that deci- 

 mated the young partridges, and can now 

 be relied on to furnish the staple of some 

 pretty days of mixed shooting. 



