PARTRJDGE. 339 



sovereigns a-side, play or pay, who shot and bagged the 

 greatest number of Partridges in two days' sporting ; both 

 parties to shoot on the same days, — namely, the 26th of 

 September and the 4th of October in the same season, 1823. 

 Mr. William Coke to sport upon his uncle's manors in Nor- 

 folk, and Lord Kennedy in any part of Scotland he pleased. 

 The result of Mr. Coke's first day's shooting was eighty and 

 a half brace of birds bagged. On Saturday, October 4th, 

 Mr. W. Coke took the field soon after six o'clock in the 

 morning ; he was accompanied by his uncle, T. W. Coke, 

 Esq. M.P. and by two umpires — Colonel Dixon for Mr. 

 Coke, and F. S. Blunt, Esq. for Lord Kennedy ; also by 

 two of his friends, Sir H. Goodricke, Bart, and P. Holy- 

 oake, Esq. He was attended by several gamekeepers, and 

 by one dog only, to pick up the game. Several respectable 

 neighbouring yeomen volunteered their labours in assisting 

 to beat for game, and rendered essential service throughout 

 the day. Mr. Coke sported over part of the Wigton and 

 Egmere manors. The morning was foggy, and the turnips 

 were so wet that the birds would not lie among them : very 

 little execution was done, in consequence, in the early part 

 of the day; in the first two hours only six brace of birds 

 were bagged. The day cleared up after eight o'clock, and 

 the sportsman amply made up for his lost time. He found 

 birds plentiful among Mr, Denny's fine crop of turnips on 

 the Egmere farm : and in a one and twenty acre piece of 

 Swedes, he bagged thirty-five and a half brace of birds. He 

 concluded his day's sport soon after six in the evening, and 

 had then bagged eighty-eight brace of birds, and five Phea- 

 sants ; but a dispute having arisen among the umpires about 

 one bird. Colonel Dixon gave the point up, and the number 

 was ultimately declared to be eighty-seven and a half brace 

 of birds bagged, Pheasants and other game not being counted 

 in the match ; so that Mr. W. Coke's number of birds bagged 



z 2 



