166 sportsmen's expedients. 



piece of parchment, previously Avetted, is drawn over 

 and secured to one end of the implement. When the 

 skin is dry, a perforation is made in the middle with a 

 needle, and a single horse-hair, douhly knotted at the 

 end, passed through it from within, and remains hanging 

 on the outside. When the " Rapphons-pipa " is brought 

 into use, the horse-hair is drawn between the iinger and 

 thumb (after they have been previously moistened), when 

 the i)ij)e emits a sound exactly resembling the call-note 

 of the Partridge. Provided with this implement, the 

 gunner proceeds in quest of the covey, and when he has 

 found and dispersed the birds, he, after a time, imitates 

 their call-note, to which responses are presently given. 

 Thus, he not only ascertains their whereabouts, but, in 

 many instances, succeeds in luring one or other of them 

 within reach of his murderous weapon. 



But, after all, the expedients mentioned to beguile the 

 poor Partridge are not more objectionable than some of 

 those resorted to by us in England for the like purpose ; 

 as, for instance, flying a huge j)aper kite, fashioned in 

 measure as a bird of prey, over a turnip-field, as I myself 

 have seen done in Norfolk, to make the birds lie close. 



As regards the gun, however, the great destruction 

 that takes jilace amongst the Partridges is during the 

 winter, when the ground is covered with snow, and they 

 are in consequence very conspicuous ; for the peasants 

 and others then slaughter them without mercy, something 

 like a whole covev being often annihilated at a sinsrle 

 discharge. During very severe winters, again, especially 

 after heavy snow-storms, when these poor birds draw near 

 to the homestead, not a few are captured by boys and 

 others, by means of a common sieve, and in like manner 

 as sparrows with us. 



Many of the Pointers one sees in the Peninsula are 

 well-bred and \>'cll-looking ; but, speaking generally, much 



