=^^ 



93 



Figurf: 1'.>. — K<'i'i)cr^ a.ithcn'd aKoiit tlif day's hai; allfi' a i)hpasant drive in the "good 

 old days" on the estate of Winthrop Rutherfurd, Allamuchy, N. J. Duncan 

 Dunn and Adam Scott are, respectively, second and third from the right. 



into decay as a preserve. The utilitarian hand that now has charge of 

 the place has actually removed some of the beautiful artificial coverts, 

 not hesitating to destroy the many beautiful native tamaracks that abound- 

 ed in these and had attained splendid growth. Cows and sheep now graze 

 the hills where once the deafening whir from scores of impetuous wings 

 of driven birds was heard. A feeling of melancholy came over me as I 

 pondered the gayety that had once been there and as I thought of the 

 spirit of the man who had made its past glories possible there came to my 

 mind these words from Lalla Rookh: 



"Lorn as a hung-up lute which ne'er hath spoken 

 Since the sad day its master chord was broken." 



Since Rutherfurd Stuyvesant's death, there has been no sustained 

 effort at pheasant driving in this country, so far as my knowledge goes. A 

 brief description of the shooting at Allamuchy may be of interest. 



The adjoining estates had a total area of some 8,000 acres, I believe, 

 and of this approximately 1,000 acres, lying more or less at the center of 

 the valley down which the birds were driven, was employed for the shoot- 

 ing. There were twenty-four coverts from which the driving was done. 

 These were from 200 to 400 yards wide and averaged a mile in length. 

 Wherever possible they were placed from 150 to 200 paces apart, that dis- 

 tance having proved the one at which the birds were most likely to fly 

 from one covert to another when driven. On entering these coverts from 



