110 NEW BRUNSWICK. 



the noise he can. When our sportsman arrives he takes 

 careful and deadly aim at the nearest bird, and seldom 

 fails to lay it low (for is he not the best shot, or, as they 

 quaintly say, the "boss gunner," of the settlement?). 

 Hushing in, he secures his game, if possible, before his 

 faithful cur gets his tooth into it. It might reasonably 

 be supposed that the remainder of the covey would take 

 warning by the sad fate of the?'* comrade and disappear ; 

 but this is not the case, for, charmed by the yelping of 

 the dog, they remain chained to their perches till the 

 single barrel has been again and again loaded and fired 

 with deadly effect. 



It must not be supposed that anyone can go into the 

 woods and kill as many partridges as he likes. A good 

 dog is absolutely essential, and a thoroughly good partridge 

 dog is as hard to get as a thoroughly good dog for 

 any sort of shooting. I doubt if the partridge dog does 

 not show more sagacity than the pointer, the setter, or the 

 retriever. Although the shooting part of the business is 

 easy enough, the walking is tough, and it requires sharp 

 eyesight and some practice to see the birds when they 

 " tree." They are exactly the colour of the branches, and 

 sit so close that it is sometimes impossible to make them 

 out. Sometimes, when beating the low alder covers for 

 cock, the dogs put up a brace of partridge. As they have 

 no trees to light on, they must fly, and on these occasions 

 it takes a good shot to stop them. 



The spruce partridge, as its name implies, frequents the 

 spruce woods. It is a handsomer bird than the other, 

 but inferior eating. These also "tree," and feel so 

 secure on their perch that they suffer themselves to be 

 noosed with a piece of string at the end of a stick. I 



