70 PARTRIDGE SHOOTING. 



four-footed friend looks in your face, as who shall say, 

 "All's well that ends well." 



Towards noon you will miss the partridge from 

 his ordinaiy haunt, and meet with him beside some 

 patch of water ; and having drank, he will repair to 

 some bank or potato ridge, for the purpose of sunning 

 himself. At this hour betake yourself and your dogs 

 to some place of shade and repose ; for the heat is 

 too oppressive peradventure for biped or quadruped, 

 and the scenting is sure to be bad. About three, the 

 birds will again begin to run, and if a breeze, too, 

 should put itself in motion, look for sport ; afternoon 

 shooting is ten jyer cent, better than morning. If the 

 range you beat in the morning held a good head of 

 birds, go back to it; partridges, unless very fre- 

 quently disturbed, are fomid more generally near 

 home than elsewhere. 



As general rules, the young partridge shooter 

 may adopt worse than the following: — Dming the 

 entire season he will find wheat-stubbles and turnips 

 the best spots for holding partridges. Moreover, at 

 all times of the year, they lie more on the fallows 

 than is supposed. Therefore if turnips and stubbles 

 fail, try the fallows ; the lands which are nearest the 

 hedgerows in particular. Late in the season, the 

 fallows are the first places to which the partridge 

 shooter should direct his steps. If the weather be 

 fine and open, he is sure to find his game there. It 

 ^vill lie very close, and most probably afford some 

 choice double shots. Also he should now beat furze- 



