I2 4 SHOOTING THE PARTRIDGE 



side can prevent this. No shouting or waving of flags 

 on the windward side, but plenty of it on the other 

 side as soon as ever birds are on the wing. 



The main direction of the flight will be towards 

 the point x, and you will notice that many of the birds 

 after the fright of passing over the line of guns will 

 swing more than ever with the wind. You will there- 

 fore do no good by trying a return drive over the same 

 fence from ground straight behind the guns, as ignorant 

 keepers often do when there is a cross-wind. Your 

 birds will have all gone to x ; and from there you 

 must proceed with your next drive if you wish to 

 bring back the same lot of birds. In a hilly country 

 the tendency of all birds is to fly along the hill, 

 though they may be pushed pretty straight up it. 

 But they never drive well down hill unless there is 

 some covert on the opposite side which they must 

 make for. If the ground dips heavily behind where 

 you stand for the drive, and you have leisure to 

 observe the birds, you will notice how they scatter 

 right and left after passing over you, and how few 

 keep straight on over the valley to the opposite hill. 

 In this they resemble grouse ; though they are of 

 course more influenced by the situation of the root 

 crops or other covert. 



What a delightful sensation is the condition of 



