b 



In the Neighbourhood of Salisbury. 165 



neither of which can be maintained without much care and expendi- 

 ture, while of the two the Pheasant often costs more per head to 

 rear and bring to hand than his more humble relation— and if the 

 Pheasant should be extirpated from amongst us, from overstrained 

 notions of philanthrophy, not only would a great delicacy, and 

 abundant supply of wholesome and nutritious food, be withdrawn, 

 but also acres upon acres of wood and waste land would be rendered 

 unprofitable to the owner, while a healthy and legitimate source of 

 recreation would be also put a stop to. And here, again, it is a common 

 thing to hear Pheasant shooting decried as a thing requiring but 

 little skill and practice. But never was there a greater mistake. 

 It must not be forgotten that, in one way, the larger the game is 

 that has to be brought to bag, the more accurate must be the 

 shooting, if you would kill and not merely hit— for you must not only 

 hit it, but hit it in the right spot— and few things can be more 

 vexing to the owner of a good cover than to see Pheasant after 

 Pheasant go off riddled with shot by an inexperienced hand, and yet 

 not stopped, or killed outright. No ! Let anyone who has never 

 tried it, be posted at some hot corner, where some score or so of 

 birds are constantly rising at once, with a noise that is simply 

 deafening, and if he does not, when placed in such a situation for 

 the first time, miss with both barrels, it will be very greatly to the 

 credit of his nerves. There are many combinations required to make 

 a good Pheasant shot— coolness of nerve, quickness of aim, decision 

 in at once picking your shot, accurate judging of distance, which 

 practice, and practice alone, can acquire ; whereas if any one, while 

 standing in the ride, can knock over some half dozen " Rocketers " 

 in succession, going at their best pace, and aided, perchance, with 

 the wind in their favour, that man may justly claim to be able to 

 kill a Pheasant as he ought, but scarcely before. 



But whether a person be an advocate or not of battue shooting and 

 big bags (and many a one, methinks, may be induced to speak 

 against such things partly on account of the sourness of the grapes 

 which he cannot reach, and partly, perchance, because he has 

 but little taste for sport, and therefore, if so, is an unqualified 

 judge of the matter), yet few will be found to deny the pleasure of 



