180 THE COMMON PARTBIDGE. 



practised. This plan is usually carried out in the follow- 

 ing manner : Early in the morning some men are sent 

 to beat the stubbles and move the Partridges into the 

 adjoining turnip fields, where, later in the day, the sports- 

 men, gamekeepers, and beaters form into a straight line 

 and walk across the turnip drills, the birds being shot as 

 they rise by the guns which have been placed along the 

 line at equal distances apart. Eetrievers only are used, 

 and well-trained dogs are necessary, for without their aid 

 many wounded birds are lost. " Driving " Partridges has 

 of late years been practised in some parts of the county 

 favourable for this system of shooting, which requires a 

 large number of beaters and good management. The 

 sportsmen stand behind a hedge or some other cover, and 

 the beaters, walking in line through the turnip or other 

 fields towards them, drive the birds over the guns, whilst 

 assistants stationed in conspicuous positions with flags, 

 which they wave when necessary, endeavour to prevent 

 the birds from escaping at the flanks and to keep them 

 flying in the required direction. This method has several 

 advantages, as not only is great skill in shooting required 

 to bring down the game, 1 but a larger proportion of old 

 birds is killed by this than by any other plan ; for they are 

 generally the first to fly over the guns, whereas by the 

 other systems they often escape. 2 Good sport can also be 

 had by " driving " late in the season, when the birds will 

 not generally allow the sportsmen to approach within range, 

 but fly off as soon as the field in which they are resting or 

 feeding is entered. The largest bags of Partridges ever 

 made in Berwickshire have been got by this means on 



1 Mr. Griffiths, in his experiments with regard to the velocity of the flight of 

 birds, found that in the open the Partridge flies at the rate of 14 '6 yards per second, 

 876 yards per minute, or 29'8 miles per hour. The Field of 19th February 1887. 



2 When there are too many old birds on the ground they drive off the young, 

 which are the most productive breeders. 



