STOCK 425 



The main advantages of driving are : (1) That it affords 

 a means by which the stock can be killed down to a proper 

 limit ; (2) That it tends to mix the coveys, and so prevents 

 inbreeding ; l (3) That as the old birds are the stronger fliers, 

 and usually lead the packs, it is certain that in the early drives 

 a large proportion of these elderly undesirables will be killed ; 

 (4) That provided the host has selected his guns well the death 

 is assured of all solitary old cocks who risk their fortune over 

 the centre of the line. 



While these advantages are to be credited to driving, certain Disadvan- 

 items have to be put down on the debit side. Unless the butts dnvfng 

 are occasionally changed, or the configuration of the ground 

 makes it possible to get all the birds forward to the guns, it 

 is certain that the birds rising nearest to the butts will be more 

 severely shot down than those on the more distant parts of 

 the beat. 



All experienced sportsmen have observed that in certain 

 long drives, unless the wind is favourable, a large percentage 

 of the birds first flushed escape to one flank or another, and 

 that only a few come over the guns, while in other drives the 

 birds are flushed from high ground, and, even if they do come 

 forward, are secure from harm, owing to the height at which 

 they fly. The circumstances repeat themselves each time the 

 ground is driven, and become intensified year after year as the 

 birds profit by experience, with the result that on every beat 

 there are certain tracts of ground which form a sanctuary, 

 while other tracts are overshot. It may be said that the 

 over-shooting of certain tracts is, relatively speaking, not 

 important, for if one portion is overshot it will quickly be 

 restocked from the other more heavily stocked areas. It is, 

 however, very important that no portion of a moor should be 

 allowed to become a sanctuary, for this will lead to the survival 

 of a race of old and useless birds, and thus reduce the annual 

 yield of the moor. 



While driving is advantageous in a good year, it is a very 



1 Vide note by Mr Riiuingtou Wilson, pp. 446 et seq. 



