Letters, Announcements, 6fe. 383 



useless to ask any questions of the country folk, who will 

 always say yes. I therefore landed and walked along a wide 

 valley, with high perpendicular mountains of conglomerate 

 on either side, and beetling over small woods of cypress. 

 The birds live on the berry of this tree, and fly from one 

 wood to another. They will never show themselves if 

 they can avoid it, and, through their great fleetness when 

 running, steal away before the dogs. Sometimes, how- 

 ever, when taken by surprise, they rise, and then only by 

 great caution can a single sportsman hope to get them. Sur- 

 rounding the small woods with several guns is the best way 

 to bag them. I think tlicy drive away the common Pheasant, 

 for I have never seen them together. This may, perhaps, be 

 due to the fact of their living on different food. I had with 

 me at the time a spaniel and a red Irish setter, and, as the 

 day Avas fine and clear, walked on quietly until I came to 

 what appeared a good country. The hills here were lower, 

 and the wood fairly dense, but free of undergrowth. A 

 woodcutter told me he had seen several Pheasants a few days 

 ago, but could give me no further information, so, tying up 

 my spaniel, I determined to work quietly along with the 

 setter. Although it was January the day was hot, and I was 

 obliged to divest myself of my coat as I struggled up the hill. 

 I worked along the lower part without coming on any scent. 

 Suddenly the setter got very busy, and moved along, showing 

 me that he had some large game. I followed on as well as 

 I could over the broken ground. False scent, back again ; 

 then the dog took a turn up the almost perpendicular rock. 

 Good gracious ! thought I, how can birds get up there and 

 leave any scent ? They had evidently helped themselves with 

 their wings. I was determined to follow, and brought the 

 setter back to a place where we succeeded in getting on to 

 the upper ledge after a little scrambling. Having arrived at 

 the top, as I had anticipated, we soon came on the scent 

 again, and away went the dog, very cautiously setting every 

 now and again. Just ahead of us now was a stone wall. I 

 was very much afraid that my game would rise just as I was 

 getting over, so I made all preparation for a surprise, and at 



