THOUGHTS ON HUNTING 



from our native birds by its call. Possibly some other 

 foreign partridges, like the Greek red-leg, might thrive 

 in this climate, and we could hardly have too many of 

 a family which deserves more than the qualified praise 

 of the old couplet : 



If partridge had the woodcock's thigh, 

 'Twould be the best bird that e'er did fly. 



WE have sympathy for the pheasants, partridges and 

 hares (if little for foxes) when deprived of 

 Gleaners sanctuary by harvesting, but a multitude of 

 creatures benefit, the ultimate gleaners of 

 the fallen grain. The woman gleaner has passed from 

 the picture, and the birds are left undisturbed in the 

 stubbles. Flocks of sparrows many of them Cockneys 

 and other finches there find an easy living. Pheasants 

 draw out from the woods for the grain, and partridges 

 come from the roots. At night is heard the voice of 

 many another picker-up of unconsidered trifles, the 

 wood-owl hooting melodiously, and the little owl 

 making all manner of weird, excited noises, as they 

 enjoy in the stubbles their best rat- and mouse-hunting 

 of the year. 



IN September, blackgame become attractive to the 



sportsman over the Border. After long 



Black- days among the grouse he enjoys the change 



Game from the unvarying leagues of purple 



heather of the moor to rambling up some 



wild, rocky glen, where a hill-burn has cut a tortuous 



ravine, the sides overgrown with heather, bracken, and 



birch, the favourite haunt of young blackgame. The 



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