8 GAME AND ITS PROTECTION. 
birds, but the beasts, of game. The huntsman no 
longer depends upon his brave dog and cloth-yard 
shaft, but upon his own powers of endurance and of 
marksmanship. Instead of watching the savage fal- 
con strike his prey far up in the heavens, he follows 
his high-bred setters, till their wonderful natural in- 
stinct betrays to him the presence of the game. 
Where he once rode after the yelping pack, sound- 
ing the merry notes of his bugle horn, he now climbs 
and crawls laboriously, until he brings the wary stag 
within range of the deadly rifle. No more brilliant 
parties of lovely dames and gallant men, chatting 
merrily on the incidents of the day, ride gaily 
decked steeds; no more the luxury of the beautiful 
faces and pleasant companionship of the gentler 
sex is to be enjoyed; the ladies of modern times— 
except in England, where they occasionally follow 
foxes, which are rather vermin than game—prefer- 
ring the excitement of ball-room flirtations to out- 
door sports and pleasures, take no part in the pur- 
suits of the chase. 
Together with the change in the mode of ecaptur- 
ing game, comes a necessity for a change in its 
former restricted meaning. Who would think of 
not including among game birds, the gamest of 
them all—the magnificent woodcock ; nor the stylish 
English snipe, nor even possibly the brave little quail 
—unless he can be scientifically proved to be a par- 
tridge —which is at least doubtful! Migratory birds 
were not included in the sacred list, and the quail 
in England, as the woodcock and snipe of both 
