26 EEMINISCEXCES OF A SPOETSMAJf. 



tbis to prove that a very young bird, in thick cover, and 

 lying close to the ground in a quiescent state, emits a 

 strong scent. Perhaps, after all that has been written 

 on scent, there will be always controversial opinions on 

 the subject. 



During the first two or three weeks of September, the 

 days being long and the heat frequently oppressive, I 

 recommend that sportsmen should, about noon, renovate 

 their strength and spirits with a good luncheon, and to 

 be cautious at the same time not to indulge too freely 

 in strong libations, which may have the bad effect of 

 making the hand and eye unsteady in the afternoon 

 shooting. The best beverage to quench the thirst is 

 cold tea with a dash of old cognac in it. However, to 

 prove that sometimes, when a person has shot badly, 

 and become in consequence rather nervous, a few glasses 

 of home brewed ale may brace up the nerves, and im- 

 prove much the shooting, I will recount the following 

 anecdote which occurred to me in my juvenile years : — 



In 1806, I was brigade major to the late Greneral 

 Bulwer (father of the diplomatist and excellent author). 

 The Greneral wrote to me from Bath, the latter end of 

 October in that year (I then resided at Billingford Hall, 

 near North Elmham), to go to Heyden, his residence, 

 to kill twenty brace of partridges, to send ten brace to 

 him, and to keep the same number for myself. I gave 

 notice to the head gamekeeper that I should be there 

 about eleven o'clock. On meeting the keeper, I asked 

 him whether he thought I could get twenty brace. He 

 replied, " Yes, to be sure, sir, and ten brace more, if you 

 shoot to-day as well as you usually do, as we have 

 plenty of birds, and not much shot at." Whether from 



