Foreign Game 351 



more than probable. John Bull knows better 

 than any other man how to get the best possible 

 sport out of the smallest of areas. He has long 

 made a study of the pheasant, and has thoroughly 

 mastered the problem of its rearing, guarding, and 

 shooting. He has moulded a foreign bird to his 

 purpose until it fits the conditions like a native, 

 and in so doing he has changed what once was a 

 mere addition to a somewhat abbreviated game- 

 list, into one of its most important items. When 

 the time arrives, as it eventually must, when cer- 

 tain portions of this country will bear no distant 

 resemblance to the older land, the pheasant in all 

 probability will attain a prominence and impor- 

 tance like that accorded it in its island stronghold 

 oversea. 



Until quite recently there was a marked ten- 

 dency upon our side to sneer at British shooting, 

 especially pheasant-shooting. Unthinking and 

 ignorant persons appeared to labor under the 

 delusion that British game was something in the 

 line of stall-fed, quarry-tame, hand-reared crea- 

 tures, purposely kept fat and easy in order that 

 Lord This and Sir That might kill long strings 

 without a miss and with the least possible trouble 

 to their high-bred selves. The utter absurdity of 

 such a notion will be abruptly revealed to the 

 average American sportsman whenever he may 

 decide to try a bit of British sport. Unless he be 



