144 Alexander Goodman More. [i860 



F.L.S. and ornitho-philos, agitate ! agitate ! agitate ! till we get the 

 poor fledgelings fair play. 



Birds of passage are generally late this season. Only Wheatear, 

 Chiffchaff, Willow- Wren, and Redstart have arrived. 



Did you ever hear of this in the Northern Divert One shot at 

 end of February or early in March had many of the twin round white 

 spots on wing-coverts no sign of collar but not a single quill in his 

 wings, which were reduced to the dimensions of a Penguin's. . . . 

 How should they become Penguins just at migration time ? for I see 

 the others flying every day now. Yours most truly, 



A. G. M. 



The letter on Partridge-shooting above alluded to 

 appeared in the "Field" for March 24th, 1860, and was 

 as follows : 



SIR, I hope you may not think the present an inopportune moment 

 to place before the public a few considerations upon a question which, 

 it appears to me, is second to none in importance as regards giving 

 game-birds fair play. 



It is sufficiently well known that, in the sister kingdom of Ireland, 

 the partridge -shooting begins on the 20th, instead of the ist of 

 September ; but whether the crops are at all later in Ireland than 

 in Scotland does not seem to have entered into the calculation of the 

 framers of the law. In fact, there can be little doubt that, even in the 

 South of England, great damage is, in late seasons, done to standing 

 corn, and especially to clover, by the reckless inroads of unreflecting 

 sportsmen. 



What it is then proposed to suggest as a remedy is simply this : 



(1) To pospone the opening of the grouse-shooting from the I2th of 

 August till the ist of September throughout Great Britain. 



(2) To alter the date of partridge-shooting from the ist to the middle 

 of September in England; to commence on the ist of October in Scot- 

 land and Ireland. 



The reasons for and advantages to be derived from such a plan may 

 be briefly stated as follows : 



1. Parliament (for whose members we all know that grouse were 

 especially made be it remembered that they exist in Great Britain 

 only of all the world) Parliament, instead of hurrying over the fag end 

 of the session, will have the fuller leisure for its deliberations. Thus 

 the State will be the gainer. 



2. Those who like, or if Parliament should disperse any time before 

 September, its members will be able to get into proper training for 

 their work by a fortnight's hill-climbing and ten hours' walk per diem, 

 for several days before the "season" commences. September has 

 usually finer weather on the hills, and certainly the air is more bracing 

 than in sultry August. Here sportsmen will be the gainers. 



