58 EEMIXISCEXCES OF A SPORTSMAN". 



tion of mine, who, being more partial to fox-hunting than 

 shooting, preserves with care the foxes, and feels rather 

 indifferent about the preservation of the game. The 

 result to the sportsman's shooting is sometimes very 

 disheartening, for he may perhaps beat parts of these 

 extensive covers without hardly getting a shot.* 



I would give the young sportsman a week's shooting 

 in these woods in the latter end of October. He should 

 have two or three brace of strong spaniels, like the 

 Clumber breed f, and a good retriever. If he displays 

 in the six days' shooting, patience, perseverance, and a 

 determined resolution to overcome all the formidable 

 obstacles of the Quarters, including now and then a 

 rattling fall into one of the open drains, at the time 

 when excited and anxious to keep close to his dogs, 

 watching their movements, and in momentary expecta- 

 tion of getting a shot, then I declare he is worthy of 

 belonging to the class of old-fashioned sportsmen, and a 

 worthy disciple of St. Hubert. Hereafter I shall enter 

 into some details of the great exertions, fatigue, and 

 patience required by those sportsmen who, during the 

 winter, are devoted to battue shooting: the contrast I 

 suspect will be striking. 



Large covers that contain three or four hundred acres, 



and trapped, but none hare been seen for some years. The biLzzard or 

 kite has also totally disappeared. 



* About two or three years ago, on the 1st October, two guns bagged 

 five brace of cock pheasants in the low cover of one of these large woods, 

 besides hares. Such success as this rarely occurred. 



t I gave one of these dogs three or four years ago to a young sports- 

 man, a connection of mine, who has the shooting in the Quarters. He 

 told me Dash was the best spaniel he had ever had ; that he fetched 

 his game tender-mouthed, and that if any other dog attempted to touch 

 it, he instantly fell on him, and di-ove him off. These dogs are red and 

 white, strongly made in the chest and hind quarters, and have an intel- 

 ligent countenance. They are in general not good tempered. 



