170 DARING OF THE GOSHAWK. 



firm as a rock, one of the birds flew up from the ground, 

 and, to the no small wonderment of the gallant officer, as 

 also no doubt to that of his well-trained dog, actually 

 jjerched on the back of the latter. 



When Partridge-shooting in the Peninsula, one is at 

 times annoyed by the presence of the Goshawk, the mortal 

 enemy of those birds. On one occasion I had shot a brace 

 of Partridges, right and left. Whilst reloading, something 

 passed close by my ear with the rush of a whirlwind, and, 

 on looking up, I saw a Goshawk in the very act of pouncing 

 on one of my birds that was lying dead within less than 

 thirty paces of where I stood, and which, to my no small 

 mortification, it bore triumphantly away in its talons. 

 Similar instances of the daring of the Goshawk are not 

 at all uncommon. At times, indeed, it will " stoop" to a 

 hare under the very nose of the gunner ; of which more 

 than one example is on record. 



Partridges are frequently taken in nets in Scandinavia. 

 One kind, called the Stick-Nat, is similarly constructed, 

 though smaller, to that previously spoken of for the 

 caj)ture of the Capercali and the Black-Cock. This is set 

 in a zigzag form amongst low bushes, etc., where the birds, 

 after the dispersal of the covey, are known to have taken 

 refuge. And if the fowler, after remaining quiet for a 

 while, then imitates their call-note with his " Uappbons- 

 pipa," they will presently respond, and of themselves run 

 into the toils. 



Another kind of net is called the Tirass, signifying a 

 drag-net. It is usually of a quadrangular shape, but its 

 size varies considerably. Commonly, however, it is about 

 12 feet in diameter, with meshes 2f inches square. Two 

 lines, of from 16 to 18 feet in length, are attached to 

 the foremost corners of the net. Wlien the dog points, 

 two men, one on each side, draw the "Tirass" over the 

 spot where the covey is supposed to lie ; and as the after- 



