xii. P///-:.IS.I\T S HOOTING (PART III) 193 



egress. It is not the escape of one or two birds only 

 that is to he feared, but it is rather the encourage- 

 ment they give to a number of others to act in a 

 similar way. An old cock pheasant has an awkward 

 memory ; he will sometimes lead a string of young 

 birds out of a covert at some spot you have left un- 

 protected the very one, perchance, the old bird in 

 question used in a former season as an outlet to steal 

 away from, and which past experience teaches him to 

 seek again as a means of eluding danger. 



Carefully note the fields the birds frequent when 

 straying of their own free will outside a covert ; then, 

 if they <l<> break away when a wood is being shot 

 through, you have some chance, through knowing the 

 spots they resort to, of driving them home again over 

 the guns, as may, with careful management, be 

 achieved. Pheasants driven back to the covert they 

 belong to, from fields of turnips, rough grass, hedges, 

 or other such hiding in w r hich they may chance to 

 have alighted after making their escape, often afford 

 very high and fast shots for the guns if the latter are 

 posted behind a fence in the line of the birds' return 

 flight. 



It is a good plan to reserve, according to the size 

 of an estate, a sanctum sanctorum as near its centre as 

 ible. Keep this either for part of your best day's 

 sport, or for the purpose of showing game with cer- 

 tainty irhen required. Then, should game not prove so 



II O 



