428 THE GROUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE 



the days of driving Grouse had become almost extinct, they 

 are now numerous. 



The beneficial effects of driving at Broomhead are fully 

 discussed in a note by Mr Rimington Wilson, which will be 

 found at the end of this chapter. 1 



Driving to be satisfactory must be efficiently carried out. 

 It is a sine qua non that good shots must be chosen. Owing 

 to the improvement in guns, and the amount of practice that 

 can be obtained, few sportsmen are so inefficient as actually 

 to miss their bird ; but there is a vast difference between the 

 first-class shot who steadily kills four birds out of six and the 

 indifferent performer who only wounds a similar proportion. 

 Difficult drives that is to say, drives in which the birds either 

 come at a great height or dip or curve over the line of butts, 

 should be avoided unless masters of the craft are to form the 

 firing line. Butts should not be too far apart 40 yards is a 

 good average distance, and if this be taken as the maximum 

 it will obviate the necessity of firing long shots, and at the 

 same time allow a good performer to finish off the " tailored " 

 birds of his next-door neighbour. The butts should also, 

 where possible, be sunk so that the birds do not see the guns, 

 and in consequence do not alter the pace and direction of their 

 flight. The expediency of short sky-lines, the disadvantage 

 of having settling ground immediately in front of the butts, 

 the proper use of " hill heads " for cornering the birds, and the 

 general precepts for drivers, flankers, markers, pickers-up, 

 etc., are all important, but do not fall within the immediate 

 scope of this chapter. 



Though moors should be disturbed as little as possible, it 

 is a question whether the number of driving days on some of 

 the fashionable moors are not being unduly reduced. The 

 rage for big shoots, and the fact that it is difficult to get good 

 shots unless big bags can be offered, probably prevents the full 

 development of the minor driving days whose main object is 

 the improvement of the moor. On most moors great advantages 



1 Vide p. 446. 



