xii. PHEASANT SHOOTING (PART III} 185 



birds will have to be sent over one by one, or only a 

 few at a time, instead of with a rush. In this case, 

 halt the beaters a 100 yards or so short of the corner 

 in which the pheasants are congregated ; then direct 

 three or four men to walk slowly forward some 20 to 

 30 yards before the line of beaters (see ' crosses ' in 

 Example 8, page 189), and in this way flush the birds 

 out of the undergrowth as singly as possible ; the 

 line will presently move over the ground searched by 

 the skirmishers, and then stand, and the latter will 

 again walk to the front, and so on till the covert is 

 finally driven out. 



Whilst the shooters are firing, the beaters and 

 skirmishers (the latter being usually keepers) should 

 remain motionless ; when the firing slackens they can 

 step forward, and thus drive more birds to the guns. 



When two or three men are sent in front to drive 

 pheasants a few at a time out of a corner, they should 

 be very careful not to hem the game in between them- 

 selves and the line of beaters, but should keep the 

 birds with their heads toward the direction in which 

 it is desired they should fly, by thoroughly searching 

 the under-covert to their right and left as they 

 advance. 



