' ARM A VIRUMQUE CAW 93 



against. The Maharajah Dhuleep Singh very seldom 

 went out for less than 100 brace of birds to his own gun, 

 and was a typical exponent of the big shoot system. 

 But I don't think I ever met any one who knew more 

 thoroughly the habits and natural history of all game, 

 whilst of the partridge, from the day of his hatching to 

 the day of his being roasted and eaten, there was 

 nothing he did not know. The same may be said of 

 most of the really first-rate shots, at any rate, of my 

 generation. I hope the young generation are equally 

 well posted, but confess I am not so sure of it. 



The local gunner has sometimes a great reputa- 

 tion as a shot. Equally it is sometimes well deserved, 

 but generally qualified by his description as a 'par- 

 tridge shot,' ' snipe shot/ or ' rabbit shot.' If he be 

 a naturally first-class shot indeed, he will be able to 

 shoot anything. I remember a story of one of the 

 most consummate shots of the day, who, being on a 

 visit to Ireland, was pitted against the local celebrity, 

 described, of course, as the best snipe shot in all 

 Ireland. So he may have been ; but when the day of 

 the friendly contest came, he went home at lunch-time. 

 The English crack was too good for him, and the dis- 

 appointment of his friends was like the sadness of 

 heart that beats upon the Town Moor at Doncaster 

 when the best horse in Yorkshire is defeated by the 



