142 PARTRIDGE SHOOTING. 



either for yourself or dogs. Thirdly, for one who 

 may have no relay of pointers or setters, it should be 

 recollected, how much better bestowed would be the 

 work, which he takes out of them while slaving to 

 little purpose in the dew of the morning, if he re- 

 served it for the afternoon. This, from about three 

 till six, is the time of day (in the early part of the 

 season), that all the best shots are to be got. The 

 birds are then scattered, and driven to the low 

 grounds and meadows : where, with steady dogs, they 

 may be found one or two at a time, and kicked up 

 as fast as he can load and fire. 



The most partridges I have seen bagged in a day 

 by one person, in a country not preserved, were 

 twenty-three brace, in killing which I remember, 

 that although he began in the very best quarter, and 

 every thing favoured, as well as it possibly could do, 

 his starting at daylight, yet he only got three shots 

 before nine o'clock. 



Although he had four relays of dogs, yet he felt 

 confident that he should have killed at least seven 

 brace more, if he had left the coveys undisturbed till 

 about half past seven or eight. 



The person who performed this, and the double 

 shooting before alluded to, went out 111 a subsequent 

 year at nine o'clock, surrounded by other shooting 

 parties, who had been hard at work since the break 

 of day. He had this season a far inferior breed of 

 birds, arid he had only one, and that a very old dog. 

 He took refreshment, and rested from twelve till two ; 



